Penn State quarterback Drew Allar threw four touchdowns in last season’s 51-15 rout of Maryland. Games between the Nittany Lions and Terrapins have not been close recently with the last eight meetings decided by at least 16 points.
Nick Wass | AP file photo
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Mike Locksley, left, and James Franklin, right, are both former Maryland assistants now leading their respective programs. Franklin has won five of six matchups as head coaches.
Julio Cortez | AP file photo
Linebacker Dominic DeLuca (0) is one of 23 Penn State players who will be honored before Saturday’s game during senior day ceremonies. The Wyoming Area grad is a redshirt junior who would be able to return for 2025 if he chooses.
Abbie Parr | AP photo
A win on Saturday would give James Franklin his 99th at Penn State, locking up the first College Football Playoff bid for both the head coach and the program.
It will have to come against the school he originally hoped to lead, back before there was a playoff of any kind.
The Nittany Lions host Maryland for their regular season finale, armed with a No. 4 ranking in the CFP committee’s latest poll, putting them in strong position for a first-round home game in the newly expanded 12-team bracket.
Once upon a time, Franklin and Terrapins coach Mike Locksley were assistants together under Ralph Friedgen at Maryland. Franklin was tabbed as head-coach-in-waiting, but a change at athletic director led to that arrangement being scrapped.
Franklin instead got his first head job at Vanderbilt and spent three seasons there before leading the Lions for the past 11. Locksley is in his third stint with the program, including a previous run as interim head coach. He left for a prominent role with Nick Saban at Alabama before returning and helming the Terps for six seasons now.
“Obviously got a lot of familiarity with those people,” Franklin said. “Was there for eight years — five years and then (left before coming back for) three years as offensive coordinator, head-coach-in-waiting. So got a lot of history there.
“Me and Locks coached together for a number of years together there as well. Know the area. Got a ton of respect for the university. Ton of respect for the area, the DMV, the high school coaches in the area, high school programs.”
Of course that means that the two staffs have had many tough battles on the recruiting trail with Maryland being one of Penn State’s most important out-of-state pipelines.
Back in July at Big Ten media days, the conference filmed a series of light-hearted Q&A’s with coaches and players from every team. One of them was “Which Big Ten football coach are you not trusting to cook Thanksgiving dinner?”
Naturally, that particular series of answers didn’t air until this week, with the editing crew saving Locksley’s bit for the end.
“Me and James have a quirky relationship, so I’d have to have my tester taste the stuff (first),” Locksley deadpanned before breaking out a smile. “I’m just kidding, James! C’mon. You know I gotta keep the fake rivalry going. You’re my homeboy.”
Food poisoning hasn’t been required to decide the games on the field. All of the results have been lopsided since Penn State squeaked out a 31-30 win in 2015 during Locksley’s interim run.
Franklin has gone on to beat the Terps 38-14, 66-3, 38-3, 59-0, 31-14, 30-0 and 51-15. He is 5-1 against Locksley in total.
Locksley got a decisive 35-19 win in 2020, adding to Penn State’s misery during an 0-5 start during the 2020 pandemic season.
Beaver Stadium was nearly empty that day because of COVID restrictions. This time, the student section figures to be sparser than usual because of the holiday weekend, but Penn State fans will be looking to start a long-awaited celebration after six top-12 finishes in the past eight regular seasons, all of them falling short of the old four-team playoff format.
Before the 3:30 p.m. kickoff, the Lions and those fans will know if there’s even more on the line against Maryland.
Ohio State hosts archrival Michigan at noon. The Wolverines are three-touchdown underdogs, but if they can somehow win their fourth straight against the Buckeyes, then Penn State can reach next Saturday’s Big Ten championship against Oregon with a win.
“To be honest with you I haven’t spent a whole lot time thinking about that,” Franklin said of the hypothetical. “I’m literally completely focused on the Terps and the University of Maryland. … But that is a possibility. For us, we want an opportunity to compete as many times as we possibly can this year. If that includes a conference championship game, we would be very, very excited about that opportunity.
“But again, all we have to do is focus on playing Maryland this week. And if we’re not focused on that, then a lot of these other things that everybody else wants to talk about, then those things become questionable. Those things become challenging. Those things become different.”
THREE AND OUT
INFIRMARY REPORT
Penn State had lost one starter to a long-term injury back in early September when NFL hopeful safety Kevin Winston Jr. went down. The Lions had managed to keep their starting lineup mostly intact since then, until last week.
Right tackle Anthony Donkoh, who has battled a few injuries since early October, went down for the rest of the season against Minnesota with an apparent lower-body injury. The redshirt freshman was seen on crutches at one point on the sideline after halftime.
Nolan Rucci will start in his place the rest of the way. The Wisconsin transfer has seen plenty of snaps throughout the season and now must work on his consistency as the Lions look to reach the playoff and advance.
“We felt like Rucci played well,” Franklin said. “I think our offensive line as well as Rucci, I think you could watch 20 plays and be very impressed, and you could watch a couple plays and be frustrated.
“… We were pleased with Rucci, and we sure are glad he’s on our team. We felt like that all year long. We’re going to need him to have a really good week this week in preparation as well as on Saturday, and have a lot of confidence that he will.”
With Penn State’s depth tested now at tackle, one veteran who could see more reps is JB Nelson, who was limited by injuries himself earlier in the season.
Since transferring in from Lackawanna College, Nelson has seen most of his snaps for the Lions at guard, though he has worked plenty at tackle in practice.
“A guy that we have a ton of respect for, played a bunch of football for us is JB Nelson,” Franklin said. “JB’s role will increase and he’s earned that. JB had some lingering injuries this year that have affected how much we been able to use him, but JB’s role will increase.
“I would also say (true freshman) Cooper Cousins’ role will increase. (True freshman) Eagan Boyer’s role could increase. And (redshirt freshman) J’ven Williams’ role will increase. So all those guys will take on some of those reps and take on some of those roles. Part of it will be also how they practice this week.”
The Lions also lost defensive tackle Alonzo Ford to a season-ending injury against Minnesota. Ford had stepped up in the rotation in October as he and Coziah Izzard were the top backups with Hakeem Beamon’s departure.
On the other side, the big question is the health of Terps quarterback Billy Edwards Jr.
Edwards has been dealing with what has been reported as a thumb injury and checked out of last week’s game against Iowa with the game out of reach.
Locksley said Edwards was able to practice at the start of the week and one imagines he’ll give it a go on Saturday. Despite dealing with various injuries this season, Edwards is second in the Big Ten with 2,881 passing yards.
“He’s still a little bit banged up, but I’ve seen Billy’s been banged up all year,” Locksley said. “And I don’t really talk injuries, but he had back surgery back in May and didn’t get cleared til July. And really he fought through all year with some of these things. And I expect him to fight through to try to make himself available this weekend.
“If he doesn’t, obviously MJ (Morris) will be prepared to take over and lead us into the game if if Billy can’t go.”
MORE HONORS
Another week, another round of accolades for tight end Tyler Warren and edge rusher Abdul Carter.
Warren was named a finalist for the Mackey Award as the nation’s top tight end, but even with his record-setting season, he’s not a guarantee to win.
Despite closing in on the first 1,000-yard receiving season in history by a Penn State tight end, the guy he competed against back in Week 2 has already sailed past that number.
Bowling Green’s Harold Fannin has 92 catches for 1,295 yards and nine touchdowns, and it’s possible the sheer volume of his stats will win out over Warren’s all-around versatility with voters.
One person who would lean toward Warren? The coach on the opposing sideline last week.
“He’s one of the best college football players I’ve seen and played against,” said Minnesota’s P.J. Fleck, who is never at a loss for words. “You can’t limit him. I mean, we did everything we could to take him out of the game and he still had eight catches for 102 yards. When somebody builds a game plan around you and you still do that, and you still find a way to do all the other things he did? Special player.
“… I still don’t know why people don’t talk about him for the Heisman Trophy. I’m not saying he’s going to win it. I don’t know. I’m not sure why I’ve seen a top 10 and he’s not in it.”
On the other side of the ball, Carter earned his third major finalist nod as one of three players up for the Chuck Bednarik Award as the nation’s top defensive player along with Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter and Ohio State safety Caleb Downs.
Carter is also up for the Nagurski, a separate national defensive player of the year award, and the Lombardi, which goes to the top lineman on either side of the ball.
Others recognized this week include senior center Nick Dawkins, who is a finalist for the Wuerffel Award for community service. Defensive coordinator Tom Allen is a nominee for the Broyles Award as the country’s top assistant coach.
SENIOR DAY
Penn State announced Friday that 23 players will be honored during senior day ceremonies before kickoff, including Wyoming Area’s Dominic DeLuca.
DeLuca is one of 13 players who will be recognized with a year of eligibility still remaining. Frequently, these senior will make the pregame walk out of the tunnel just in case it ends up being their last game at Beaver Stadium. They can they make a decision on whether to return for another season over the next month.
Take, for example, defensive tackle Dvon J-Smith, who was part of senior day ceremonies in 2022 and 2023 before ultimately coming back both times. He has elected not to make the walk a third time.
It’s the group of redshirt juniors that will bear watching for stay-or-go decisions in December. That includes six starters — linebackers DeLuca and Kobe King, safety Zakee Wheatley as well as wide receivers Harrison Wallace and Liam Clifford. Cornerback Jalen Kimber is in his fifth season but would have a sixth available because he played in the 2020 pandemic season.
Long snapper Tyler Duzansky, linebacker Ben Chizmar, punter Mitchell Groh, running back Tyler Holzworth, safety Tyrece Mills, athlete Will Patton and kicker Sander Sahaydak also have eligibility remaining.
Ten other seniors who are out of eligibility will be honored: LB Tyler Elsdon, WR Julian Fleming, DT Coziah Izzard, OL Addison Penn, S Jaylen Reed, WR Jake Spencer, DE Amin Vanover, DE Smith Vilbert, Warren and G Sal Wormley.
Wormley and Vilbert are both in their sixth seasons but could conceivably petition the NCAA for a hardship waiver to play in 2025 given their injury histories.
“It’s made it a little bit wacky over the last couple years,” Franklin said. “You got sixth-year guys, you got fifth-year guys, you got fourth-year guys. Some programs have seventh- and eighth-year guys. That’s been different.
“But we look forward to having the opportunity to celebrate the seniors and what they’ve done for our program. Obviously we need to play well and be 1-0 to put us in the best position to be able to continue playing as a family as long as possible.”