Oct. 19, 2015
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. ââ'¬" Regardless of the outcome on a Saturday, the Nittany Lions move forward with the same mindset each and every week.
The team approaches each Sunday with a fresh outlook looking to find a way to go 1-0 each week.
Saturday's 38-10 decision at No. 1 Ohio State is in the rearview mirror. Eyes are on the next task at hand; this week's contest against Maryland inside M&T Bank Stadium.
"At the end of the day, it was a learning experience," Godwin said. "We will grow from this. You come in and get to work to try and go 1-0 next week."
The Nittany Lions can take a number of positives out of the trip to Columbus. Penn State led the No. 1-ranked team in the nation 3-0 after one quarter and had chances to extend the lead in the second frame. The Lions know they had chances, and it's something at the front of their minds moving into preparations for the Terps this week.
"We left a lot of opportunities on the field," quarterback Christian Hackenberg said. "We are going to be able to get back to the film and get better from that. We just need to be more consistent."
Coach Franklin's message to the team focused on maximizing chances by making plays when the opportunities present themselves. It all comes down to execution, and the Lions are confident.
"We know what we are capable of," linebacker Troy Reeder said.
Barkley Dazzles in Return
Freshman Saquon Barkley brings a different dimension to the Nittany Lion offense when he is on the field. After missing two games, Barkley was superb against the Buckeyes, tallying 194 yards on 26 carries. The true freshman averaged 7.5 yards per carry and raced for a career-long 56-yard run in the third quarter.
"He adds another element the way he can make plays after contact," said Hackenberg. "He did a great job all game with that, and it helps us get a lot of things going."
Barkley's 194 yards are the fourth-most by a Penn State freshman. He also had the third-highest total with 195 yards earlier this season against Rutgers. With 567 yards, Barkley is No. 2 in the nation in rushing yards by a freshman. Additionally, he has three 100-yard rushing games in five outings for the Nittany Lions this season.
"He is a great player, and he is going to do great things for Penn State," tackle Andrew Nelson said. "We are very thankful for him, and he is a 'make it right' guy. You may not get everything blocked correctly, but he can make it right and make people miss, and he is explosive."
Barkley enters the Maryland game averaging 8.3 yards per carry on the season.
Nassib Now Nation's Leader in Three Categories
With each passing week, Carl Nassib continues to find ways to wreak havoc the backfield of the opponent. The standout senior defensive end turned in another gem against the Buckeyes, extending his streak of games with at least one sack to seven. Nassib tallied 1.5 sacks and 3.5 tackles for loss in Saturday's game against Ohio State.
Through seven games, he is now leading the nation in three major statistical categories. Nassib is No. 1 in sacks with 1.6 per game, No. 1 in tackles for loss with 2.2 per game and No. 1 in fumbles forced with 0.7 per game. As a collective unit, the Nittany Lions are No. 2 in the nation with 3.9 sacks per game and No. 6 nationally in tackles for loss with 9.0 per game.
With 11.5 sacks this season, Nassib is now just 3.5 sacks from the Penn State season sack record. He is also just the third Nittany Lion player in the past 15 years to reach a double-digit sack total, and Nassib has done it just seven games.
Early Look at Maryland
Led by interim head coach Mike Locksley, Maryland (2-4, 0-2 Big Ten) returns to action following a bye week. The Terps opened the season 2-1, but lost three-straight before entering the bye week. Maryland opened Big Ten play with losses to Michigan (28-0) and at Ohio State (49-28). Additionally, the Terps went 2-2 in non-conference games with victories over Richmond (50-21) and USF (35-17) and setbacks to Bowling Green (48-27) and at West Virginia (45-6).
Junior quarterback Perry Hills has three starts in 2015. Hills has thrown for 439 yards, five touchdowns and four interceptions. Senior running back Brandon Ross headlines the ground game. Ross has 431 yards (5.4 ypc) and two touchdowns. Levern Jacobs is Maryland's leading receiver with 22 receptions for 222 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Defensively, sophomore linebacker Jermaine Carter leads the team in tackling with 63 stops.
Penn State and Maryland will meet for the 39th time on Saturday. The Nittany Lions are 35-2-1 all-time against the Terps and 21-1 in series games played in Maryland.