James Franklin expects Villanova's defense to 'create chaos’ against Penn State

There isn’t much concern for Penn State against Villanova on Saturday. The Wildcats are an FCS opponent and simply don’t have the talent to keep up with the No. 2 team in the country.

But the pair’s last meeting in 2021 was much closer than you’d expect, with Penn State pulling away 38-17. The Nittany Lions struggled to run the ball on offense and never found a rhythm.

James Franklin shared Wednesday night after Penn State practice that Villanova’s defensive scheme could be the reason why, and it’s worth keeping an eye on that once again this weekend.

Villanova runs a three-defensive-lineman, three-linebacker stack that can confuse opposing offensive lines.

“They are constantly moving, spiking, slanting, twisting. And it’s smart, right?” Franklin said. “A lot of times, it’s hard to get defensive linemen. So when you can go to this system and then just create chaos and get guys running free, that helps.”

Penn State’s offense has been lackluster through two weeks of lower-level nonconference opponents, tied for 43rd nationally with just 6.1 yards per play.

The offensive line did take a big step forward in Week 2 vs. FIU after averaging just 3.8 yards per rush against Nevada, but Penn State could still use some more explosive plays, whether on the ground or through the air.

One would expect this weekend to offer an opportunity to get back on track. However, Penn State gained just 80 rushing yards last time around on a 2.4 yards per carry.

And Villanova coach Mark Ferrante has been running the same defensive base for nine years in Philadelphia.

“If you don’t approach it the right way, it slows down the offensive line because they’re worried about all the movement, so then they’re tentative. Now they don’t come off the ball the way you want them to come off the ball,” Franklin said. “There’s a method to their madness, and it creates some challenges.”

Penn State has seen a few odd-man fronts on opposing defenses this year, and the Lions’ offense has practiced against it since the summer.

Still, Franklin compared it to facing a “Wishbone” offense — one where a team loads the box and primarily runs the ball. When you don’t see it often, it can make it harder on gameday, no matter how frequently you practice it.

Penn State will get its look at a funky Villanova defense at 3:30 p.m. Saturday.

“There are ways to get them out of the stack and into an odd front,” Franklin said. “A lot of times, people will do that to try to calm it down a little bit. But they do a nice job, and they’ve been running this system for a while and have had success with it. So they’ve stayed with it and promoted from within.

“But it definitely causes some challenges. It caused us some challenges last time we played them.”