Franklin sizes up QB battle

CHICAGO - James Franklin has been trying to correct the Blue White Game record since June.

Noting what he considers skewed perceptions of the Nittany Lions two quarterbacks vying for the starting job this August, Franklin again offered an alternate rendition of where Trace McSorley and Tommy Stevens stand as preseason practice nears.

“Everybody made a big deal about the spring game, which I don't think is fair,” said Franklin. “You got Tommy Stevens with the two offense going against the one defense. You got Trace with the one offense going against the two defense. That's not a level playing field. It's not the best way to make decisions. So we want to give them a legitimate chance to compete.”

In a scrimmage that saw McSorley guide his White squad to a 37-0 win, McSorley completed 23 of 27 passes for 281 yards and four touchdowns, tossing just one interception. Stevens, meanwhile, posted a combined 10 of 17 day for 100 yards, leading to the characterization for many that McSorley had outright won the job in the spring.

Noting that the decision could be made as soon as the second week of the preseason or as late as game week leading into Penn State’s matchup with Kent State, Franklin said he felt no rush to make a call.

Instead, praising their similarities, Franklin offered that the competition is very much about giving each quarterback a fair opportunity to make his mark on the job.

“There was a gap at the end of spring ball. We want to give Tommy the chance to close that gap. We want to give Trace the opportunity to keep that gap and just see how it plays out,” said Franklin. “It should be obvious to everybody who the guy is, and whenever that time comes, we'll make the decision.”

As Franklin has done a few times in comparing the two quarterbacks through the spring, he reiterated Monday afternoon at the Big Ten Media Days that there are plenty of unifying qualities to their skill sets.

“To be honest with you, I think they're very similar. They're both very athletic, they both can make plays in all three phases - arm, mind and feet,” said Franklin.

However, because McSorley has been preparing for two years to be the backup for Christian Hackenberg in case of emergency, “he’s mentally further along than Tommy. And that’s not a knock on Tommy, he just hasn’t been in that position.” Again citing the difference in mindset between McSorley and Stevens’ guaranteed redshirt season last year, Franklin did note that there is a particular element to the conversation that isn’t insignificant.

“I think the one thing that's different is Trace is ahead experience-wise and knowledge-wise, but Tommy has similar athleticism to Trace except he's 6-foot-3, almost 6-4, 225-230 pounds,” said Franklin. “He probably looks like more what you would say a traditional quarterback (looks like). But there's been a lot of quarterbacks Trace's body-type that have been successful in college football.”