The Coffee and Coaching Correlation

Finding different ways to win a football game can be just as important as deciding which way you drink your coffee — well sort of.

James Franklin was vocal about his coffee preferences while going in depth about Penn State’s expectations and how his coaching styles vary throughout the game.

Sometimes, you might need that extra burst of caffeine for a momentum surge, but Franklin notes that while black coffee might be a “punishment,” the team has to “grind it out” regardless.

Navigating the playbook to brew up the perfect play might appear tricky, but Penn State has developed a balanced offensive menu for all kinds of coffee drinkers.

BLACK COFFEE → GRINDING IT OUT

There’s patience and tolerance required to down a cup of black coffee, and those were the words Franklin said to the team at halftime against Iowa.

It might not be the most exciting drink, but it’s important to “not get bored.” The Hawkeyes’ soft perimeter defensive style wasn’t going to allow for any offensive flare for the Nittany Lions.

“They didn’t bite,” Franklin said.

Wearing and tearing at the defense kept Penn State on the field for 45 minutes; four defensive turnovers contributed to methodical drives where the offense focused on “chipping away” at Iowa and improving in the yards per carry stat rather than forcing an explosive play.

JUST MILK AND SUGAR → BALANCED SITUATIONAL FOOTBALL

Coordinators Mike Yurcich, Manny Diaz and Stacey Collins are all in their second year together, and the impact of the system they’ve created with Franklin has been felt.

Adding some milk and sugar creates a balance of the situational football scheme that is preached by the coaching staff. Turnovers correlate to points: it’s a little sweeter to be in control of the game like it is of your coffee.

When analyzing the time of possession, the 11 turnovers forced by the defense this season have reduced its snap count to 86 fewer reps compared to this point in 2022. Opponents are averaging just 23 minutes of offense against the Nittany Lions, which is a credit to the impact of how both sides of the ball work together.

The milk and sugar allow what used to be bitter coffee to go down a lot smoother; adding points offensively works the same way when the score and clock drastically change before each Penn State defensive stunt.

“ICE CREAM SUNDAE” → EXPLOSIVE PLAYS

This might be the most exciting aspect but not always the healthiest. With risk comes reward and tons of calories. You can’t have an explosive play all the time, but when they happen, it’s an instant highlight.

Penn State tracks specific in-game battles that establish the game’s bigger picture rather than just looking at the score. The explosive play battle is not one the Nittany Lions have continuously won, but Franklin noted the team “needs to continue to grow and develop.”

It’s a juggling act of not wanting to force the ball from quarterback Drew Allar, who’s commanding the offense as a starter for the first time, and creating those impactful plays that get the Beaver Stadium crowd on its feet, pouring an avalanche of sound to the field.

Allar has the arm for the throw, but Penn State is cautious at times about letting him sling it.

For example, on the road against Illinois, Franklin said the Fighting Illini kept a safety 25 yards deep in the center of the field, which prevented those large-gain plays. Other than the completion for 33 yards to Liam Clifford at the end of the first half, the Nittany Lions had a slower offensive start and didn’t see many opportunities to pick away at their opponent through the air.

“I think some of it is how people are defending us in terms of trying to stop our two running backs by overloading the box but then also playing soft,” Franklin said.

AN OFFENSE OF MANY FLAVORS

Now comes the tricky part for opponents: what part of Penn State’s offense do you try to stop?

A tandem of running backs and depth at both the wide receiver and tight end positions creates a multi-dimensional offense. If a defense attacks one particular aspect, the other can still thrive and make opponents pay when it reaches the end zone.

Whether you’re a caramel, hazelnut or mocha kind of person, it doesn’t matter — you can’t have each flavor all at once. However, Penn State has found a way to allow each aspect to make an impact.

Questions at the beginning of the season surrounded what receivers would emerge and how the tight ends would be utilized after receiving a few targets in week one. Those answers are dependent on which flavor of offense its opponent chooses to attack.

Allar finds about 9-10 different targets through the air per game. Beyond his early connection with KeAndre Lambert-Smith, Harrison Wallace, Clifford and Malik McClain are other weapons he often fires.

Against Delaware, it was the running game: six rushing touchdowns were scored, including three from Nicholas Singleton in a game that had 60 running plays to 31 passing. Against Iowa, it was the tight end’s time to shine as they were responsible for three of the four passing touchdowns of the game.

“Part of it is kind of sometimes just the style of how you have to play to win the game and to control the game,” Franklin said.

Preparation leads to game plans, and against Iowa, it translated to the game with a “black-coffee-esque” coaching style.

Correlating coffee and coaching might be far-fetched, but Penn State’s depth has created a special playbook menu.

Amanda Vogt is a sophomore majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact her, email amandaevogt@gmail.com