Shortly after Penn State’s 49-10 loss to Michigan, quarterback Trace McSorley emerged from a quiet, stunned locker room and tried his best to explain what just transpired.
He bit his lower lip, scratched his forehead -- and then simply apologized and made a promise of sorts.
"Really, it’s just embarrassing. I’m sorry to all the fans how we came out and played," he said. "It wasn’t the Penn State we want to be, it’s not the Penn State that we need to be, and it’s not the Penn State we are. ... We’ll get in the film room tomorrow, learn from it and move on. We’ll be ready to bounce back."
Five weeks after that statement -- and after four straight wins -- maybe no FBS team has boasted a greater turnaround. Penn State stood at 2-2 when James Franklin’s job security was publicly picked apart and McSorley swore the team would rebound. Now, with the No. 12 team in the playoff rankings, Franklin is a viable candidate for Big Ten coach of the year.
"I wouldn’t say I’m surprised," McSorley said this week. "We’re working toward this."
The Nittany Lions' rise can’t be explained by just one factor. The defense overcame four injured starters to record nine tackles-for-loss and beat Minnesota. The special teams blocked two fourth-quarter kicks to help upset Ohio State. And the offense posted 62 points against Purdue, its largest output against a conference opponent in 11 years.
Penn State teammates can’t even agree on the season’s exact turning point. Some say Pitt, because the Lions rallied from a three-touchdown deficit. Others believe it’s Michigan since that motivated the team to spend off days in the film room, and some think the emotional overtime win against Minnesota did it.
The only certainty here, beyond debate: This isn’t the same team that struggled in September.
"I just think this team and everyone is kind of buying in, everyone is clicking," offensive tackle Brendan Mahon said. "The coaches, the players, everyone is jelling. It’s family. Success keeps coming."
The defense’s improvement can partly be attributed to the return of starting linebackers Brandon Bell and Jason Cabinda, who made countless front-seven adjustments against the Buckeyes. Defensive tackle Curtis Cothran has also played well after a four-game suspension. The offense is a bit trickier to peg. It hasn’t discovered new talent the past four games but, compared to the season’s first four games, it’s averaging 107 more yards and 9.25 more points per contest.
Offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead said a lot of that can be traced back to the player who told fans to expect more after the Michigan loss.
"The biggest transition to me was getting Trace involved in the run game," Moorhead said Thursday, adding that decision was made about Week 4. "I think that’s helped open things up for everybody."
Against Pitt, Temple and Michigan, McSorley ran the read-option twice. Since that point, McSorley has run the play on 21 more occasions. He had 32 rushing yards in the first four games and 219 yards in the past four.
Penn State’s improvement is essentially a web, with each point playing off one another. Take for example:
The emergence of Saquon Barkley: It’s no coincidence that McSorley became a running threat at the same time Barkley took off. Three of Barkley’s four biggest running games came when McSorley had at least 14 carries. Plus, Barkley is made even more effective because of ...
The improvement of Mahon and the offensive line: In the first four games, Penn State allowed 11 sacks and 31 tackles-for-loss. Over the past four, that number has been reduced to five sacks and 23 stops in the backfield. Mahon has especially come a long way. (He recently made Pro Football Focus' team of the week.) His missed blocks early on led to several McSorley turnovers but, due in part to his and the offensive line’s improvement, that’s also now led to ...
Reduced turnovers: Penn State has turned the ball over just twice in the past four games, compared to 10 turnovers in the first four. Franklin holds ball-security drills every day in practice and said he emphasizes that more at Penn State than anywhere else he’s been. Said running back Andre Robinson: "Coach is pretty crazy with the ball security."
McSorley and the Nittany Lions started the season as the second-youngest team in the country, and they have grown exponentially since the calendar flipped to October. Moorhead outlined explosive plays and turnovers as the two most important components of this offense, and it has excelled at both.
No Big Ten quarterback has thrown more completions over 20 yards than McSorley, who is tied with Michigan’s Wilton Speight with 33. And no Power-5 running back has more 20-plus yard rushes than Barkley (14).
This team hasn’t arrived yet -- it’s still the worst in the country on third downs -- but it’s come a long way since that blowout loss to Michigan on Sept. 24. Maybe further than any team in the country. And the Nittany Lions aren't done just yet.
"We’re growing each and every week," McSorley said. "We’re real confident on offense."