Penn State interim coach Terry Smith details challenge of facing No. 1 Ohio State

Penn State is in the middle of a four-game losing streak, its worst since 2020, and things won’t get any easier this weekend against No. 1 Ohio State. Interim coach Terry Smith said the Nittany Lions are “looking forward” to the challenge they’ll face in Columbus on Saturday.

“This is why you come to Penn State, to play a game like this and be able to compete against the No. 1 team in the country and have an opportunity to beat those guys,” Smith said during Monday’s news conference. “The staff is confident in the way we’ve prepared so far. We had a really good week last week.”

Smith discussed some of the things the team would have to do well in order to have a chance against the Buckeyes.

Offense

Smith put it bluntly: He believes Penn State has to out-rush Ohio State in order to win the game, which will come down to getting Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton going early and often. Against Iowa two weeks ago, the Hawkeyes racked up 245 yards on the ground compared to the Nittany Lions’ 173.

“We have to be creative on offense, run the football, get Kaytron Allen going again,” Smith said. “Have to find a way to get Nick Singleton going, because they’re our two best offensive weapons.”

Allen had a strong game against Iowa with 145 yards and two rushing touchdowns, but that was about it for the ground game. Singleton added only 15 yards on six carries, and the passing game with first-time starter Ethan Grunkemeyer struggled to hold its own.

Smith said the coaching staff has to put Grunkemeyer in a better position to succeed. He mentioned he didn’t want to “overcomplicate” things this week, giving him simple reads on standard passing plays and then using the run game to develop some play-action passes.

Part of helping Grunkemeyer succeed will be getting his wide receivers involved. Smith mentioned young receivers, such as Koby Howard and Tyseer Denmark, who will have the opportunity to “inject some life into the pass group.” He also said he’s calling on offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki to look at more vertical passing plays, rather than horizontal ones.

Defense

The Penn State defense also has taken a step back this season under new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, who will be coaching against some of his former Ohio State players this weekend. The Buckeyes’ offense is headlined by quarterback Julian Sayin and wide receivers Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate. One key for the Nittany Lions will be to avoid giving up big plays.

“Our job on the back end is to make those guys earn it,” Smith said. “We have to limit their explosive plays, keep the ball in front of us and make them earn their way down the field and not give up one-play scores.”

Another concern for Penn State has been the linebacker play, which has become a weakness since Tony Rojas went out with an injury before the UCLA game. Other than North Carolina transfer Amare Campbell, the Nittany Lions haven’t had a linebacker who can consistently tackle, which is a problem against a talented Ohio State running back room.

Smith said freshmen Cam Smith and Alex Tatsch (Latrobe) will get onto the field. Both are still learning the system, but it’s clear Smith is trying to bring some juice back to the Penn State defense.

“We just have to create more depth at the linebacker position,” Smith said. “When Tony Rojas went down, that’s a big gap we haven’t replaced yet, so we’re searching for some answers to be able to help the defensive line to stop the run game, which is critical in this game. If they get going in the run game, it will be a long day.”