Approach unchanged, Nittany Lions well-aware of season-opening opponent
Asked about the shift in preparation Penn State has made to be ready for Wisconsin on Sept. 4, P.J. Mustipher rejected the premise outright.
Joining the Big Ten Network last week for the conference’s media days with his teammates, Tariq Castro-Fields and Jahan Dotson, the Nittany Lion senior defensive tackle pointed to the program’s process itself. Regardless of the opponent or the game’s location, Mustipher said, Penn State would maintain the same rigorous approach.
It doesn’t mean, however, that the Nittany Lions aren’t fully cognizant of what the trip could mean for the program to open its highly-anticipated 2021 season.
“It doesn't change the way we prepare because we've always prepared at a high level. Our standard has always been high,” Mustipher said. “But we also understand that we have a tremendous opportunity.
“This past year, we've had to go to bed every night knowing we went 4-5, and what better way to go to Wisconsin the first game and try to get a W. So we're excited about the opportunity. It's a time we can showcase what we're all about now in 2021.”
Surely, Wisconsin is aiming to do the same in its season-opener.
Coming off a 4-3 season derailed early by pandemic-forced cancellations, the Badgers and quarterback Graham Mertz are determined to bounce back from a campaign that included straight-losses to Northwestern, Indiana, and Iowa.
Fully aware of Wisconsin’s earned reputation in the Big Ten, having represented the West Division in six of the past 10 conference championship games in Indianapolis, Dotson echoed that for Penn State, the challenge is one being embraced within the Lasch Building.
“I love it just because you can see what your team is made of early,” Dotson said. “There's no better feeling than Week One, going against an opponent like Wisconsin. They're a known team in the Big Ten.
“We know we have to come to work and if we don't, then that's starting our season off wrong. So we know that we're coming into a big challenge. It's a big opportunity for us to grow as a team and show what we're were made of.”
Describing this offseason’s focus as “different” this year, Penn State head coach James Franklin similarly insisted that the aura of the program is in the right place.
A contrast to a 2020 season in which he acknowledged the circumstances of the pandemic created an environment at times out of step with the program’s standards, Franklin insisted that there has been a return to those habits this summer.
“My message to everybody is, I know what it looks like, I know what it smells like, and anything that does not completely align with winning, championship football, and championship habits for life, they're gone. None of it is going to exist,” Franklin said. “And don't get me wrong, that's always been the foundation of our program, but maybe there were a few things that we accepted that we shouldn't have (last year), and that was one of the tremendous lessons that I think that we all learned, including myself.”
Embracing the offseason with an attacking mindset, one notable change has taken place at Penn State thanks to the opening-week opponent.
Per the program’s tradition, no matter the time of year, a countdown clock ticks away the time remaining until the Nittany Lions face their next opponent on the field. But unlike previous iterations in which Idaho, Appalachian State, Akron, and Kent State have occupied the spot next to the clock, the Wisconsin logo has been a noticeable change.
“Whether it's the NFL and you got preseason, or whether it's college football and you got some out-of-conference matchups to learn and grow from, this is different,” Franklin said. “I always say it's going to be here before you know it, and that's the reality.
“You talk about a team with great tradition, great history. I've never played there before. I lived in the state of Wisconsin when I was with the Packers, but I've never been there before, so I'm looking forward to it. I hope I enjoy the whole experience, even the fourth-quarter 'Jump Around.' It should be a great one. But I think that's probably the biggest difference is that our entire organization and our players understand the type of opponent, the type of venue that we're going into in Week One.”
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