After the media backlash that followed James Franklin against a “cupcake” opponent, the head coach is treading on a tightrope. Both the defense and offense had their share of hiccups in the first two weeks of the new season. However, over the weekend, nitpicking at his O-line, Franklin found his next emerging Offensive weapon in tight end Luke Reynolds. He hauled in seven balls, double his last appearance, for a career-high 58 yards. Khalil Dinkins was the starting TE, but Reynolds’ explosive performance grabbed eyeballs, surpassing Dinkins’ snap count (41-38) by the end of the game. Franklin’s reaction? “I think there’s a ton of confidence in him making the tough catch on a consistent basis.”

Reynolds is set to prove himself right on that line. He is already making some noise. His mantra? “There’s nothing that gets me more aggravated than losing.” The question is whether he feels more empowered in the TE locker room as compared to his freshman year.

“100%. Yeah, coach always told me if I want to be a great tight end, you know, I got to take care of the stuff, you know, in line and up front. And that’ll, you know, be the separator for my development.” Over the offseason, Luke Reynolds made some gains. It all started with one mantra. How do I help my team better? Of course, the receptions will show up in the box score, but the best tight ends are way more than just receivers. They put their bodies on the line in a selfless way. Blocks that can turn a 2-yard gain into a big, explosive run.

“It kind of just changed my mindset seeing,” Reynolds continued, “You know, obviously Kaytron Allen had a great run, but knowing that Dinkens and my blocks, you know, helped that play kind of just shifted my perspective.” In the fourth quarter, Dinkins and Reynolds’ blocking scheme led to RB Kaytron Allen’s 67-yard touchdown. “It’s my job to do it, and I have to do it at a high level because if I don’t, then the rest of the offense suffers,” he added.

Reynolds continued, “We’d prefer to have been cleaner during the first two weeks, but, you know, the energy is great, so everyone’s buying into it.” About the past two offensive hiccups, he is confident. “We’ll (the roster) break through, and we’ll be one of the most explosive offenses in the country,” he promised. Slap in another locker room drive; “Trusting the process,” Penn State is heading forward to the coming weekend. Having said that, James Franklin’s confidence in Luke Reynolds and the tight end room does not dial down his frustration with the whole offensive unit.

James Franklin gives a stern warning to the locker room

Paul Finebaum was already miffed by Franklin’s schedule during the offseason. “That is a disgrace for a Big Ten school to play three cupcakes like that,” he had said. And Drew Allar’s “sloppy” performance only fanned the heat, enough for the Penn State faithful to be tearing their hair out. And the head coach is not having it. He acknowledged the defensive hiccups of the roster still plugging into Jim Knowles’ playbook. But the offense had no excuses.

“I think a couple times that happened where Drew missed a really easy throw that he makes 99.9% of the time, and that frustrates you, and that if you’re not careful, that will linger,” the head coach stated. Drew Allar, a veteran with starting experience, could barely complete 19 completions on 33 attempts for 200 yards, amounting to a 57.6% completion rate; A jaw-dropping near 85% accuracy drop if we compare it to his performance against Nevada. He missed simple throws with the locked WR room, getting no action. In the first quarter itself, two of the four fourth-down conversion attempts to WR Trebor Pena failed. “So I thought that happened early in the game. I think he got frustrated with himself a few times, and it lingered,” he added. Missing on potential touchdowns, they settled for field goals.

Running back Nick Singleton faced a similar setback. He completed 13 carries for 76 yards and one touchdown. But on analyzing the game film, he missed out on a lot of opportunities to gain more yardage. But at the end of the day, James Franklin sees a positive slope for Singleton. “I think he was thinking too much, and I think he’s getting coached in some areas that I think are going to be important for his growth, and I see him getting better,” he said. Coming next, they will square off against Villanova.