Penn State Is Conducting an Early Beta Test. The Results Are Uneven

Penn State coach James Franklin and his staff view the first three games as a preseason, even though they respectfully won't phrase it that way. Instead, Franklin has talked deftly around the subject, saying that Penn State wants to play a 16- or 17-game schedule and is plotting this opening stretch accordingly.

The Nittany Lions have experimented with formations (six-man offensive lines and 4-3 a defensive front), personnel (73 players saw action vs. Nevada) and play variety. Penn State has called two different quirky 2-point conversions, neither of which worked but both of which landed in some Oregon analayst's inbox.

Topping Penn State's non-conference to-do list is clarifying the team's identity, both on offense and defense.

"I think we're still working toward that," Franklin said. "I don't know if you necessarily know at the end of training camp what your identity is going to be. You have an idea of what you think, but it's an evolution until you get to the games and start doing it. I don't know if we're there yet. I still think we're trying to figure that out."

How Penn State is identifying that identity

The Nittany Lions didn't have the luxury of emptying the sideline and expanding rep counts against FIU. Three offensive linemen played 65 snaps, as did quarterback Drew Allar, and no other running back carried the ball besides Nicholas Singleton or Kaytron Allen.

However, Penn State continued to experiment with personnel and formations in other ways. Receiver Devonte Ross played 35 snaps, nearly doubling his playing time from the opener, and caught a 42-yard touchdown pass. Penn State played backup guards Cooper Cousins and T.J. Shanahan Jr. together on a series.

Defensively, Zuriah Fisher returned for the first time since the 2023 Peach Bowl to play 34 snaps despite Franklin assigning him a pitch count before the game. In the secondary, safeties Dejuan Lane (39 snaps) and King Mack (33) played significantly more than they did in the opener.

"We've gone into these first couple of weeks with a philosophy of things we were trying to get done in terms of building chemistry and confidence in certain aspects of the game, rather than just going to do what we've got to do to win games and score points," Franklin said. "I think that those things could factor in to a degree."

A surprising difference between the lines

Franklin was unusually candid about his offensive line's performance through two games. The Nittany Lions rank 10th in the Big Ten in rushing (172 yards per game) despite the combination of line depth and NFL draft picks in the backfield.

"I haven’t watched this tape yet but based on last week and what I saw today out on the field, I think there’s a lot of meat left on the bone," the head coach said. "I think we have the chance to be a dominant front, but I wouldn’t say we have played like that up to this point."

Meanwhile, his defensive line is clicking despite its questionable depth. Penn State has two interceptions, both by tackles (Zane Durant and Alonzo Ford Jr.). The line has forced three fumbles, two by edge Dani Dennis-Sutton. Fisher looked lively after a lengthy rehab. Fellow end Jaylen Harvey has delivered both pressures that produced the interceptions.

And then there's freshman Chaz Coleman, a live-wire pass-rusher at 6-4, 250 pounds. Coleman forced and recovered a fumble late Saturday vs. FIU, nearly returning it for a touchdown. Credit defensive coordinator Jim Knowles and position coach Deion Barnes for speed-developing players beyond Durant and Dennis-Sutton.

But about that offense

The good news is that Penn State has scored 80 points in two games. They bad news is that the team's nine touchdowns is half that of Oregon. Penn State's offense is now the biggest component of this beta test.

The Nittany Lions have not met their explosive-play goals in the first two games. They averaged 3.2 yards per play on third down against FIU. Allar completed 58 percent of his passes vs. the Panthers and was 1-for-5 on attempts of 15+ yards, though that one was the touchdown. And until Allen broke the 67-yard run on FIU late, Penn State's longest running back carry was 16 yards. Singleton has been slow to emerge, rushing for just 95 yards in two games.

But as part of this beta test, Penn State purpossefully has chased some big plays to stress-test the system. That they didn't work frustrated the offense, but there's time.

"It’s the first two games, I’m not really worried about it yet," Allar said. "We finished plenty of drives in the first two games. For me, it’s never going to be good enough if we don’t score on every single drive. That’s the standard I hold our offense to. It starts with me. I just have to play better. I’m not worried about it."

For Penn State, the test period ends Saturday against Villanova, which visits Beaver Stadium for a 3:30 p.m. ET kickoff on FS1. The 2025 Penn State Nittany Lions officially launch Sept. 27 against Oregon.