Coming off its bye week, Penn State (4-1, 1-1) welcomes Michigan State (3-2, 1-1) to Happy Valley for its annual homecoming game. Saturday's matchup kicks off at 3:30 p.m. (ET) on the Big Ten Network. Here's what we learned from Tuesday's media availability.
1. Having not taken the field since September 29, head coach James Franklin has been harping two things to his program. "Number one, we're at a point in our program, we have to fight for every little gain we possibly can find," Franklin said. "Can we improve one percent in nutrition; can we improve one percent in sleep; can we improve one percent in scheme; can we improve one percent in terms of practice, effort, and focus."
"And I think the other thing is this," Coach Franklin added. "It's always got to start with a simple question, and that is: Have we gotten better?"
2. The start of a new tradition. On Tuesday afternoon, James Franklin announced the addition of a new lead bus during team arrival. "We're going to have a lead bus that brings us to the stadium for our normal walk into the stadium and that bus will be full of Penn State lettermen," Franklin stated. "So they are going to lead us into the stadium. Obviously we have so much respect and appreciation for our lettermen. It's another way to show our respect to them and honor them in a way."
3. Although the Spartans' run defense is holding opponents to an average of 33.8 yards per game, look for Penn State's offense to stay balanced. "Their front seven is pretty tough," Juwan Johnson said of Michigan States defense. "We have Miles (Sanders) and Ricky (Slade) in the backfield. Who are really explosive guys and can make plays. It will be a challenge for them and I can't wait to see what they can do against this tough defense."
Added head coach James Franklin: "Obviously the thing that jumps out to everybody is they are No. 1 in the country in rush defense," Franklin said. "No. 1 in the Big Ten and No. 1 in the country, so obviously that's something that jumps out."
4. Penn States young offensive weapons have matured at a rapid rate. KJ Hamler, a redshirt-freshman from Michigan, has shown signs of brilliance through five weeks. "He has definitely impressed a lot of us," Johnson said. "He's been a leader for some of the younger guys, showing them what they can do better. That's something you like to see as an older guy."
5. Defending quarterback Brian Lewerke will be a challenge. Lewerke ranks second in the Big Ten averaging 265.6 passing yards per game. "He moves better than most of the quarterbacks we've seen," Cam Brown said. "We just have to get after him like every other quarterback."
