Penn State’s James Franklin on Nick Singleton, Manny Diaz and more practice takeaways
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STATE COLLEGE — Anyone within a half-mile of Penn State’s practice facility Wednesday night could hear the familiar but incredibly loud sound repeatedly coming from a collection of heavy-duty speakers.
A recording of crowd noise and The White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army” — a Beaver Stadium and, more broadly, college football staple — blared through fall evening as Penn State prepared for its toughest test yet.
A noisy afternoon at The Big House is only days away for the Nittany Lions.
But before they arrive in Ann Arbor, Penn State held one of its final practices ahead of this weekend’s top-10 clash. Here are a few takeaways from James Franklin’s post-practice media availability, as well as a thought from defensive tackle PJ Mustipher.
Nick Singleton, Kaytron Allen are no longer freshmen
Technically, they still are. But Franklin doesn’t see it that way after Singleton and Allen have made such significant contributions, combining for 766 yards and eight touchdowns through five games.
“We’re far enough into the season that you stop talking about those things. They’re no longer rookies. They’ve played enough football that they know what it takes and they know the expectations,” Franklin said, when asked specifically about the freshmen’s fumbles against Northwestern. Singleton had two while Allen had one.
“When you put that on film and people see a weakness, they’re going to attack it until you’ve proven that you solve the problem,” Franklin continued. “If you put the ball on the ground and people feel like there’s an opportunity, they’re gonna go after it a little harder than they normally would. … They understand that, though.”
Singleton and Allen will play key roles against the Wolverines, just as they did the last time Penn State went on the road. The dynamic duo featured heavily in Penn State’s 41-12 win over Auburn, tallying 176 total yards and four touchdowns.
Manny Diaz has ‘a presence’ about him
Diaz’s impact has been obvious five games into his tenure as defensive coordinator. Among 131 FBS teams, Penn State ranks top 10 nationally in pass breakups (first), run defense (fifth) and red-zone scoring percentage (ninth).
But after being let go as Miami’s head coach, Diaz has brought over more than just precise play-calling and a penchant for player development. Franklin said the coordinator has been instrumental to the program’s culture in his short time.
“The biggest thing is he’s got a presence when he addresses your defense,” Franklin said. “… And not only does he have a really good presence about getting up and communicating really well to our defense, but I think it’s been good for our offense to hear some of the things, as well. It’s kind of like being a coach’s kid, growing up around football and you’re hearing things and picking up things that you don’t even realize you’re picking up at the time. That’s the same thing with our offensive players being able to listen to Manny talk about defense and what they’re trying to do.”
Those kind of teaching moments are crucial to building up a team trying to push for a conference title. And if you’re Franklin, you hope to see them pay off this Saturday.
Coziah Izzard’s return is timely
Penn State’s interior defensive line was far from a weakness through the first month of the season. Mustipher, Hakeem Beamon and Dvon Ellies held down the fort while Jordan van den Berg and Zane Durant rotated in. But having Izzard available for this stretch — and this game, in particular — is noteworthy.
Izzard, who started seven games last season for an injury-stricken Mustipher, missed the first four games this year. Franklin never gave a reason for his absence. But Izzard’s return, with a formidable Michigan offensive line looming, is welcomed. Mustipher made sure to get that point across when he spoke after Franklin.
“When I watch Coziah, I see all the great defensive tackles I watch in the NFL,” Mustipher said. “He’s a do-it-all defensive tackle. And having somebody like that at this point in the season when we have challenging matchups like this one coming up, you need players like that causing disruption. Glad to have him back.”
Zuriah Fisher has ‘reached the next threshold’
Unlike Izzard, Fisher won’t be making his presence felt at Michigan. The sophomore defensive end from Aliquippa suffered a season-ending knee injury in April. But Fisher was seen practicing Wednesday.
“He’s reached the next threshold,” Franklin said. “But nothing has changed.”
Though he likely won’t play this fall, it’s still encouraging to see Fisher — perhaps a piece in the pass-rush rotation in 2023 — back on the practice field.