Believe it or not, Penn State could still have its hands full with lowly UMass

While a lot of recent discourse has revolved around No. 6 Penn State’s lack of explosive plays offensively, its opponent this week has surprisingly been on the opposite end of the spectrum.

That’s right: Massachusetts, even at 1-6, is statistically one of the most explosive teams in the nation this season.

The Minutemen are tied at No. 20 with 35 plays of 20-plus yards and tied for second with eight plays of 50-plus yards, according to CFBStats.com. Penn State coach James Franklin took note of the big-play potential this week.

“We’ve been impressed with them on offense,” Franklin said this week. “They’re an 11-personnel, no-huddle spread, heavy, heavy [run-pass option] team. Maybe the most explosive team we’ve played this year. We think their skill players on offense would start for a lot of people.”

Pure explosive-play numbers are a bit deceiving with a team struggling for wins like UMass, but the offense is not a primary contributor to the subpar record. UMass ranks in the top half of the FBS with 396.4 yards per game and a little below the halfway point with 26.6 points per game.

Defensively is where UMass has major deficiencies, ranking No. 123, giving up 452.1 yards, and second to last, allowing 39.43 points.

UMass’ big-play-dependent offense could present a unique challenge to Penn State’s man-coverage and blitz-heavy defensive schemes.

“You’ve got to watch film for one, know what they like to do,” said cornerback Johnny Dixon. “I feel like we’ve been watching them for a while now, so we have a good grasp on what they like to do, the shots they like to take, and when they like to take them. That’s the main thing, just knowing when they like to take those shots and what plays get them down the field.”

» READ MORE: Penn State lacks big plays. Here’s why head coach James Franklin thinks that’s OK.

UMass is a team almost completely built on transfers, welcoming 27 players via the portal this year alone. Many of the top offensive contributors fall under that category.

The three players Franklin named offensively as part of his weekly “who we’ve been impressed with” segment were all transfers: quarterback Taisun Phommachanh from Georgia Tech/Clemson, running back Kay’Ron Lynch-Adams, formerly from Rutgers, and wide receiver Anthony Simpson from Arizona.

Interestingly, Franklin and his staff have familiarity with a handful of players on the UMass roster. He said Tuesday that they recruited Phommachanh and defensive end Marcus Bradley heavily out of high school. Safety Tyler Rudolph transferred to UMass from Penn State.

“[Phommachanh] is completing almost 66% of his passes and doing some really nice things,” Franklin said. “These guys have got our attention, and specifically on the offensive side of the ball, we think they’re doing a great job.”

Saturday may provide an opportunity for Penn State’s offense to get right and impose its will on a lesser opponent. The Nittany Lions (5-0) put up 63 points on Delaware on Sept. 9, but the scoring outburst still lacked big plays. Franklin at least thinks his team is off to a strong start with its midweek preparation.

“I thought our Tuesday practice was as good of a Tuesday practice as we’ve had in a long time,” he said. “We’re starting to really figure out how to practice at a really high level on a consistent basis, and whether it’s football or any other industry or sport, being really successful is about consistency.”

» READ MORE: On a bye week, Penn State got a first taste of a tough road ahead