This is the new-look Penn State:
Pictures on the sideline of Will Ferrell as “Anchorman,” plus the guy who played Dwight on “The Office” and Scott Van Pelt at the ESPN anchor desk.
Not to mention logos of the Miami Dolphins, Boston Bruins and Philadelphia 76ers.
They all were plastered on big poster-boards – four pics per board – held up by Evan Galimberti along the Penn State sidelines on Saturday against Kent State.
Galimberti, a former Penn State walk-on from State College, was part of an elaborate signal-calling set-up that informed quarterback Trace McSorley and the rest of the Nittany Lion offense what play to run (or pretend to run) under the direction of new coordinator Joe Moorhead.
Moorhead, also the Lions’ QB coach, was right there on the sidelines as well, eschewing the usual press box seat of most coordinators. It’s what he did as play-caller and head coach of Fordham the previous four seasons, so this is no scoop.
Next to Moorhead were backup quarterbacks Jake Zembiec, Billy Fessler and Michael Shuster, as well as two other young white-polo’d Penn State staffers.
Why is this important? Well, for the new-look Nittany Lions, those big boards and backup QBs playing air guitar and faux boat rowing are symbols of a new Penn State. Not only in offense, but in outlook and also looking inward.
To put a fine point on it: Penn State football is different these days — from a Lasch Building lobby that looks like it has been resurrected from the set of Woody Allen’s “Sleeper” to the placards on the sidelines. A photo of Ron Burgundy adds a touch of long-missing, much-needed fun (if not class).
And, in some ways, that’s OK. It is the 21st century, after all. And oh by the way, the jerseys still don’t have names on the back.
SIGNALS AS SYMBOLS
What’s important, in more than a symbolic way, is that this Penn State team has a bit of a different feel to it. After several years of player transactions and coaching transitions and yet-to-be-proven transgressions, there is a sense of continuity and calm about these Nittany Lions. Mostly. At least having to do with the X’s and the O’s.
You could see it in the way the plays were transmitted on Saturday. Even though it was a new offense with a new quarterback and a new coordinator and new photos of Burgundy and SVP, things went off smoothly. No delay-of-game penalties, few errors lining up, fewer busted plays, fewer still turnovers.
You could see it a couple of times when McSorley safely sailed one out of bounds over the head of a covered receiver. Or tossed a quick rocket into the ground, savvy and calm enough to know how to not take a sack, throw a pick or get an intentional grounding call.
You could see it in punts that Blake Gillikinned for 49 yards (inside the 20), then 44, then 38 (out of bounds at the 20), then 58, then 49 (inside the 20) and then, finally, 44 yards (inside the 20).
You could see it on a young roster that features just 12 senior-eligible players, second-lowest in all of the FBS, and a 65-man depth chart last week that – according to Mark Wogenrich of the Morning Call — had 20 players with freshman eligibility and 16 sophomores.
You could see it when head coach James Franklin – sometimes criticized for being Mr. Too By The Book (see: 18-yard 4Q FG vs. Michigan, 2015) – went for two points after Penn State scored a TD to open up the Kent State game.
You could see it in formerly much-maligned tight end Mike Gesicki making a touchdown grab and confidently performing near-error-free while going wire-to-wire sans backup, save for a single drive.
You could see it when The Big Toe weighed in with The Big Hit and the stadium and the sidelines and social media all erupted.
And – here’s the most important part, I think – the players themselves can see it in the locker room, as well as on the field.
GELL AND SWAGGER
“A lot of guys definitely feel comfortable with each other and the locker room feels good right now,” said senior linebacker Brandon Bell, a Penn State captain who on Saturday started his 23rd game (third-most on the team). “We’re gelling. Everyone is comfortable being themselves in front of each other and in front of the coaches. That makes it all the more fun.”
Bell, who owns a sophisticated and understated sense of humor and a wisdom that seems more age 41 than his 21, knows his role in it all – yet is humble enough that he had to be asked about it twice before answering: “I try to keep the locker room light and even. I think I know when to fire them up and I definitely know when to have some fun.”
Junior safety Marcus Allen, who’s been a starter since midway through his true freshman season in 2014, sees what Bell sees.
“Definitely. Coach (Brent) Pry helps us, on and off the field,” Allen said. “We feel more sound. We’re more family-oriented. It just feels good… We’re more energized. We play with that swagger. Each guy has it.”
“Sure,” you may be saying. “These guys were pumped up after the game. After all, they had just won their first game since Oct. 31, 2015. Winning has that kind of effect on you.”
True, the Nittany Lions had been on a 10-month no-win wagon since beating Illinois 39-0 back on the last day of October. And yes, that included almost the final nine weeks of the 2015 season, counting bowl prep and game. Still, you can’t blame them: It’s a lot better opening the year at home with a 33-13 victory and one QB sack than getting pummeled on the road to the tune of 27-10 and 10 QB sacks.
Still, it is different. And of course, it could all change in six days, if Penn State plays poorly and loses to Pitt in their first head-to-head match-up in 16 years.
But for now, let’s take the words of these veteran players. They, and their teammates and most very likely even the coaching staff, feel more comfortable in their skins as Franklin begins Year 3 at Penn State.
THE NEW GESICKI KNOWS
Gesicki, for one, is positive about that.
“I think the experience we’ve had is huge,” said Gesicki. “And now we’re playing for a coach like Coach Moorhead. That man… I thought that I was confident in the past. That man is the most confident guy I ever met in my life. He doesn’t have a bad day, he doesn’t have anything bad to say. It’s just positive, positive, positive, forward, forward, forward. Playing for a guy like that is awesome. It gets contagious for everyone else on the team. I think it showed today. I think we played a pretty good game.”
That confidence gives Gesicki confidence. Which, honestly, is confidence Gesicki didn’t have for much of last season.
“We have more of an edge,” he said. “It’s understanding that we have good guys on this team, we have talented guys on this team. We’re putting it together and understanding that.”
For veteran standout defensive end Garrett Sickels, that confidence extends to a defensive line so young that if you didn’t count his 12 starts last season, there would have zero career starts along the D-line heading into the Kent State game. As it was, the Lion defense finished with seven sacks, the most by the Nittany Lions since they had seven vs. Northwestern in 2011.
He believed, even if no one else did.
“Any time you have players of that caliber leave, there are always going to be questions,” said Sickels, talking to a group of media types after the game. “Obviously you guys aren’t going to believe us when we say we’re going to be fine. But the biggest thing today – and I said this a few weeks ago – was that we needed to make a statement and show that we have depth.”
A GOOD WIN
And here’s the thing. According to wide receiver Chris Godwin, who led Penn State with seven receptions for 67 yards, you haven’t seen the half of it. Literally.
“I don’t think we saw a lot of the offense,” said Godwin. “There’s a lot more we can bring out. The game plan dictates those things and whatever the defense gives us.”
On a scale of 1 to 100, Godwin was asked, how much of the new offense did the Nittany Lions show on Saturday?
“Maybe 50 or 60,” Godwin replied.
For Penn State, that could be a very good sign.
