UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - A week-long hiatus following five consecutive wins for No. 6/5 Penn State transitions into a time-honored tradition with the 103rd homecoming game set for Saturday.
Penn State has won 14 of its last 17 homecoming games. The Nittany Lions will also don their "Generations of Greatness" uniforms for the sixth time in the last seven years.
The Nittany Lions and Minutemen will face off for the second time in history following the first matchup in 2014.
Hunter Nourzad Impacting The Culture
Redshirt senior Hunter Nourzad has been a collegiate football player since 2018 and has played 36 games over five seasons. Nourzad missed an entire year in 2020 as Cornell didn't play due to Coronavirus.
Nourzad chose to return to Happy Valley after a strong 2022 campaign that featured an All-Big Ten honorable mention selection. The decision to return allowed Penn State to fill the shoes of 2023 second-round pick Juice Scruggs who anchored the center spot.
Nourzad has displayed his versatility on the offensive line at both guard and center. Franklin recognized how the The Walker School product has "been a great culture fit for us," and is a veteran who's earned everyone's respect. Franklin shared how Nourzad's return has allowed him to maximize his experience on the field and in the classroom.
"I think the way he's playing right now, his ability to play center and guard, is extremely valuable, and his approach, his maturity; gosh, he's getting an MBA right now from Penn State," Franklin said. "When he's not in class, he's in the weight room, stretching, working on mobility. He does a great job with his nutrition and hydration. He's just one of those guys that I think is a really good example of the importance of maturity on your football team and has done a phenomenal job."
Manny Diaz Bringing New Perspectives
Defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Manny Diaz has 25 years of college football coaching to his credit. Diaz's defenses have ranked among the nation's best over the past two seasons as his current defense is showing the impact he can have.
Penn State leads the country in several key categories including total defense where the Nittany Lions have allowed 210.6 yards per game. Diaz's group also paces the nation in fewest passing yards allowed at 136.4 yards per game and turnover margin at plus-11.
Franklin shared how Diaz is a valuable teacher and has the ability to share information in varying ways to different players. "He was able to get buy-in right away," Franklin said about Diaz who's been able to instill confidence in his veteran defensive core.
"I think it's also helped that he's taking over a unit that had played good defense before," Franklin said. "A lot of those things of how they were taught, Manny is bringing it in from maybe a slightly different perspective and a lot of the players, specifically the veterans in that room, I think have really appreciated looking at the game from a different lens."
Poise and Confidence in the Pocket
Sophomore quarterback Drew Allar has appeared in 15 career games at Penn State and has a clean sheet of no turnovers. Allar is the only FBS quarterback in the country with over 150 passing attempts and no interceptions.
Playing smart and taking what the defense provides are crucial concepts for a quarterback as it allows the offense to stay on schedule. Allar has been effective and efficient in 2023 with a 65% completion percentage and 1,092 passing yards.
Franklin said how Allar is playing with "poise" and a level of confidence that's allowed the offense to continue it's nation leading streak of 12-straight games scoring 30 or more points. Franklin also talked about Allar's ability to take check-downs, escape pressure and not throw the ball into dangerous situations is something they take great pride in.
"Turnovers go hand-in-hand with guys that are panicking in the pocket or in decision-making that force you into a bad decision," Franklin said. "One of the things we're doing a better job, not only in games but also in practice, is throwing the ball away. You can't sit here and say we're going to throw the ball away in games and never do it in practice. You've got to throw the ball away in practice and sometimes that's the best decision that you can make."
