McGloin has confidence in Penn State's offense
On Saturday afternoon at Camp Randall Stadium, Penn State will take the field against by far the highest-scoring offense in the Big Ten. Wisconsin averages 44.8 points, 11.2 more points per game than Michigan, the next highest-scoring team in the conference. And if the Nittany Lions (9-2, 6-1 Big Ten) get into a shootout Saturday with the Leaders Division on the line, quarterback Matt McGloin thinks they’re capable of putting up the points to keep up. Penn State’s offense ranks 11th in the conference, averaging just 20.9 points.
On Saturday afternoon at Camp Randall Stadium, Penn State will take the field against by far the highest-scoring offense in the Big Ten. Wisconsin averages 44.8 points, 11.2 more points per game than Michigan, the next highest-scoring team in the conference.
And if the Nittany Lions (9-2, 6-1 Big Ten) get into a shootout Saturday with the Leaders Division on the line, quarterback Matt McGloin thinks they're capable of putting up the points to keep up. Penn State's offense ranks 11th in the conference, averaging just 20.9 points.
"I think if we have to do it, we're capable of doing it as an offense," he said Wednesday. "We have a lot of weapons. We're getting better each and every week. We can make plays when we need to. We've done it in the past. We're very confident."
McGloin met one-on-one on Tuesday with interim head coach Tom Bradley in his office in the Lasch Football Building. McGloin said what was said in the room was between he and his coach, but said it was a 'man-to-man' talk. The redshirt junior said Bradley was also meeting individually with some other players.
"He just wants to make sure we're able to relay what he's saying to other members of the team," McGloin said. "He wants us to understand this is a tough football game."
Just days after Bradley took over as the interim coach, he decided that McGloin would be his No. 1 quarterback. McGloin and Rob Bolden had been splitting time under Joe Paterno.
"It kind of was a bit of a shock that he did it," McGloin said. "When he made that decision, I was flattered and now I'm more confident and more relaxed at the position."
McGloin has been asked to do some different things the last two weeks. Against Nebraska, he caught a pass from wide receiver Curtis Drake. Last Saturday against Ohio State, when Penn State implemented a heavy dose of the wildcat formation, McGloin lined up as a receiver on multiple occasions.
He said it's exciting and he will do whatever his coaches want to try to win the game, "whether it be making a catch, making a block or throwing a touchdown."
Said McGloin: "Wherever they want to put me, they want to line me up at tackle, whatever I have to do to help out my team and do my part, I will."
--Jake Kaplan