Four days after the setback, Penn State players say practice intensity has gone through the roof. Safety King Mack even called Wednesday’s session one of the most intense of the year.
“Our practices have been intentional this week,” Mack said. “We know what’s expected, and the last two weeks weren’t it. We had to raise the level — and that’s what we’re doing.”
The Nittany Lions face Northwestern at home this Saturday in what could be the start of a much-needed turnaround. To have any shot at the College Football Playoff, they’ll need to win seven straight — a challenge that starts on the practice field.
Tight end Andrew Rappleyea said practices have become far more physical and competitive, even describing some “not-so-good” player clashes. But he believes the extra edge is making everyone better.
“The energy has definitely picked up,” Rappleyea said. “Our developmental squad’s been working their tails off, and it’s made things a lot more competitive. It’s only helping us.”
Despite back-to-back crushing losses, players say belief hasn’t wavered. Mack called the team a “brotherhood,” while fellow safety Zakee Wheatley used the word “family” earlier in the week.
“Yes, the loss happened,” Mack said. “But we can’t sit and grieve it. We still have the season ahead of us, and we can compete with the top teams. We’re not letting one loss define us. We know who we are and what we’ve worked for.”
Rappleyea, who took Penn State’s earlier 30–24 loss to Oregon especially hard, admitted he stayed up until 4 a.m. rewatching film that night. Still, he said the team refocused quickly.
“By Sunday, everyone had flushed it and was ready for UCLA,” he said. “If we could go back, sure, we’d change things — but we prepared how we always do. UCLA just played better.”
That routine remains unchanged heading into Northwestern. Head coach James Franklin believes sticking to what works is key after a tough loss — not panicking.
“I’m going to be hands-on every week as much as I need to support our staff,” Franklin said. “But we’re not going to overreact. We’ve had a consistent process at a high level for a long time. I trust my coaches to do their jobs.”
Franklin even echoed a classic Joe Paterno message, reminding everyone to stay grounded.
“It starts with looking in the mirror, owning what we can fix, and moving forward,” Franklin said. “It’s never as bad as you think, and it’s never as good as you think — even if it feels bad right now.”
Penn State will try to get back on track Saturday at Beaver Stadium in its annual Homecoming game against Northwestern.
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