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Penn State is in a very weird position post–James Franklin era. The Nittany Lions lost their first game under interim head coach Terry Smith against Kirk Ferentz’s Iowa Hawkeyes. Although Penn State gave run Hawkeyes a run for their money, you know the passing game was literally non-existent—and Terry Smith knows you can’t rely on running backs for every play. On October 21, Terry Smith, in just his second week as interim head coach, stepped up to the podium and dropped his first major change moving forward: fixing the passing game. Smith said he had already spoken with the wideouts earlier in the week. “Yeah, we had those conversations last week, and we continue to have those conversations. Like, how can we get the ball into different areas of the field? We’ve just got to continue to grow our pass game beyond the intermediate zone, right? So that’s your digs, your curls, your comebacks, and then vertically deep.” ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad Penn State’s passing game has dipped badly following Drew Allar’s injury. In the loss to Iowa, freshman Ethan Grunkmeyer started as QB1 and threw for just 93 yards, two interceptions, and completed 15 of 28 passes. Penn State didn’t complete a single pass over 15 yards; Grunkmeyer went 0-for-4 on downfield attempts. Even when Allar was healthy, the air attack wasn’t much better—the Nittany Lions rank 218th in the FBS, averaging only 185 yards per game. Terry Smith knows that kind of passing game will only extend their losing streak. His plan now is to diversify the passing attack with unique plays so defenses can’t predict or easily stop it—making the offense more dynamic and less one-dimensional. Smith already has a solution in mind for the passing problem: “Just with our run game starting to click and hit on all cylinders, we’ve got to be able to play-action off of that and go in behind the linebackers and develop that pass game. We’ve been talking about that a little last week and a little more this week. We have to execute that to have a chance again.” ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad Terry Smith also weighed in on Penn State’s struggles to adapt to Jim Knowles’ pro-style defense. Over the last four games, the Nittany Lions have allowed 809 rushing yards and eight touchdowns, ranking 90th nationally. When asked how long it will take to fully master Knowles’ defense, Smith used a math-class analogy: “It’s complicated. It’s very complicated. It’s pro-like. So this is really good for our guys that dream and wish to go to the NFL. This is what they’re gonna get. They’ve gotta understand you have to apply yourself. Where football may have been so easy, where, ‘Oh, I can grasp that. I can grasp that,’ now all of a sudden you have to study this like education, like going to math class.” Since Penn State are 3-4 and is out of the playoff race and will most likely miss a bowl game, the Lions at least have the luxury of time to learn the Jim Knowles’ masterclass. Read Top Stories First From EssentiallySports Click here and check box next to EssentiallySports Terry Smith on why Chaz Coleman isn’t playing? Chaz Coleman started his Penn State football career with a bang, turning heads in the first 3 games as a true freshman. Coming from Warren, Ohio, he arrived over the summer and quickly earned playing time, averaging 23 snaps in the first five games. Unlike most freshmen, who take time to develop, Coleman was making plays right away. However, in recent games against Northwestern and Iowa, his playing time dropped significantly, which raised some questions. ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad Interim head coach Terry Smith explained that Coleman had been sick leading up to the UCLA game. On top of that, the Iowa game plan didn’t suit Coleman’s playing style, “And then with the Iowa game, Chaz is more of a pass rusher, and he didn’t fit the game plan for what Iowa was going to bring,” Smith said. “They were going to run the ball, and he’s a little thinner on that side. That’s why Yvon (Kemajou) played a lot more in that game.” Despite his recent dip in snaps, Coleman still has a bright future. His pass-rushing skills have been excellent, with a top national grade from Pro Football Focus. While he’s struggled a bit with tackling and stopping the run, that’s not unusual for young players. With continued development, especially under the next coaching staff, Coleman could become one of Penn State’s defensive stars.
