Hackenberg's getting hit too much, Franklin says

Christian Hackenberg has put up solid numbers in Penn State's 3-0 start to the 2014 season, but the sophomore quarterback could be doing so at a price.

Hackenberg was sacked five times Saturday in the Nittany Lions' 13-10 victory over Rutgers and took a hit on numerous other occasions. For the season, he has been sacked eight times - a combination of Penn State's inexperienced offensive line and his tendency to wait for a receiver to get open rather than take off running.

The Lions' rushing attack has been of minimal help in keeping Hackenberg out of certain passing situations. Penn State has averaged 75.7 rushing yards - 117th out of the nation's 125 FBS teams - through three games. Its total of 227 yards is lower than 52 individual major-college runners'.

At least Hackenberg's 6-foot-4, 235-pound frame has been able to withstand the hits so far. He added 15 pounds in the offseason to become stronger, enabling him to help shake off pass rushers and buy a little more time in the pocket.

But there is cause for concern, especially with the Big Ten season continuing after Saturday's game against Massachusetts at Beaver Stadium.

"We've got to do a better job of limiting how many times he's getting hit; there's no doubt about that," Penn State coach James Franklin said Tuesday at his weekly teleconference.

"Being able to get the running game more involved will help. That's why he's worked so hard in the offseason. He really has been great making plays for this team, moving the pocket, extending plays, things like that.

"But there's no doubt about it. We've kind of talked about it ad nauseam and we've talked about it enough. We've got to get the running game going, we've got to protect the quarterback. We take great pride in those things."

Even without consistent optimal time to find an open receiver, Hackenberg has sparked the offense with his arm. The Nittany Lions are 10th in the nation, averaging 360.7 yards through the air, and Hackenberg ranks sixth individually with 1,082.

The offensive line continues to struggle with pass protection and run blocking. Franklin said the unit needs to communicate better.

"I think it really comes down to our communication and coordination up front," he said, "making sure that all five - or six guys, depending on the protection or play - are all on the same page and working together. That hasn't been the case so far, so we're going to make sure that it's happening. That's time. That's chemistry."

Franklin said that in watching tape of the Rutgers game, he saw improvement from the previous week, but he added, "We've still got a ways to go."

Nittany notes. While talking about players learning from their mistakes, Franklin pointed to himself for calling a fourth-down quick kick in the fourth quarter that Hackenberg shanked for a net 5 yards. "That probably wasn't the right decision. You learn from it, you man up to it, you own it, you move forward, and you learn from the situation," he said. . . . DaeSean Hamilton and Geno Lewis have been added to the watch list for the Biletnikoff Award, given to college football's outstanding receiver. Hamilton, a redshirt freshman, is seventh in the FBS, averaging 8.7 receptions per game. Lewis, a third-year sophomore, has averaged 126.7 receiving yards, ninth in the FBS.