Haley hoping to bring maturity, experience to Pitt rematch

Grant Haley is the co-author of one of the most emotional moments in Penn State football history.

Now, as a captain and leader on the Nittany Lion defense, he’s partially responsible for keeping his unit’s emotions at a minimum when Penn State takes on in-state foe Pittsburgh this weekend.

That, of course, will be no easy task. The Nittany Lions lost a heartbreaker to the Panthers a year ago and this game has been circled on the calendars of many Penn State fans since.

“It was tough for our defense and offense because even though we fought back it just was not the outcome we wanted,” Haley said. “There was a lot of disappointment. But at the same time, when we went back and watched film it was like a wakeup call. Just, this can’t happen. This was uncharacteristic of us. It’s not the standard the we set to go out and play each and every week.”

The Nittany Lions will run an experienced group onto the field at Beaver Stadium this time around. Ten of the 11 starters on the defensive side of the ball have at least two years of experience, with the lone exception being Shareef Miller, a redshirt sophomore.

In more ways than one, Penn State will depend on that maturity come Saturday.

“I think there’s a lot of older guys, a lot of guys who have played football and the depth on the defense is off the charts,” Haley said “We have guys we have comfortable going in at any time of the game. I think compared the last game of last season and even last weekend, I feel like we’re confident in a bunch of different guys. Our confidence level in this defense has risen. We’ve got leaders at the back end and then at the line and the linebacker position. So, we’re really excited to keep this thing going.”

Haley went on to say that the Nittany Lions’ focus throughout the season has been on “going 1-0” in the task in front of them, whether that’s a drill in practice or a game.

It’s a week-by-week philosophy commonly emphasized by James Franklin and head coaches around the country, but it’s one that will undoubtedly be tested ahead of such a highly anticipated contest.

Nevertheless, Franklin remains steadfast in his approach.

“People kind of keep asking me about this game and I understand the significance of this game,” he said, “and I understand the importance of this game, but I'm also a huge believer that this is the most important game on our schedule because it's the one we play this week. Last week the Akron game was the most important game in the universe for us. This week, the Pitt game is the most important game in the universe. It's the only thing that exists for us.”

Penn State’s defense allowed 28 points in the first 30 minutes of last season’s game, giving up 341 yards on the ground thanks in large part to Pitt’s creativity in the running game.

As a result, Haley and the rest of the Nittany Lions must stay disciplined on the edge, testing their maturity in yet another manner.

“I think [we have to] just really narrow down that space and make the hole smaller so you know our inside players can get across the ball and make the tackles," he said. "If we don’t make the tackle, our job is to keep the ball inside. Even though it’s our job to keep the ball inside, we’re still trying to make the play.”