The Penn State Nittany Lions posted a 7-6 record in head coach James Frankin's first year in Happy Valley, a mark that fell short of the storied program's expectations. However, this team hasn't set the bar any lower for themselves in 2015. Here are three reasons why Penn State fans should be optimistic about their chances this season:
3) Returning experience
The Nittany Lions return 16 starters from last year's team, all of whom should be vastly improved after a year of experience and an increased familiarity with James Franklin's system. Penn State was one of the youngest teams in the country last year, and youthful mistakes cost them some games. That won't be the case in 2015.
2) Improved defense
Penn State’s defensive numbers in 2014 were excellent, but what’s truly impressive is that they did it with their fourth defensive coordinator in four seasons. Bob Shoop immediately put his stamp on the Nittany Lions defense, and they rewarded him with a huge raise when LSU came calling.
Now that Penn State knows they have the same DC coming back, they can start building on an impressive campaign on that side of the ball. Starters Mike Hull, C.J. Olaniyan and Ryan Keiser will be gone, but Penn State is bringing back a host of talented players who will need to make sure the team doesn’t miss a beat.
1) Christian Hackenberg's development
Hackenberg was the nation’s top QB prospect when he came to State College, but he regressed significantly in 2014 after an encouraging freshman year. Hackenberg threw fewer touchdowns, more interceptions and saw his completion percentage slip from 58.9% to 55.8%.
A great deal of that is due to Penn State’s issues on the offensive line. The Lions routinely failed to give Hackenberg the time he needs to make reads and work through his progressions, and while some missed reads and bad throws were on Hackenberg, fans can’t expect him to excel without adequate protection. The Lions have four 4-star offensive linemen coming in, including JuCo standout Paris Palmer, so the offensive line shouldn't be as big of an issue in 2015.
Hackenberg now has two years of experience under his belt and another offseason to improve his game, so fans should expect to see a meteoric jump in his production.
Follow our Penn State Nittany Lions team page for all the latest PSU news and rumors!
Back to the Penn State Nittany Lions Newsfeed