Penn State football offensive line notebook: Run game, Tengwall, plus more

Penn State Nittany Lions football offensive line coach Phil Trautwein met the media on Thursday morning to discuss a variety of topics relating to his unit.

Trautwein covered Penn State's sputtering run game, the development of highly touted freshman Landon Tengwall, plus much more.

If there is one common complaint from Penn State football fans through three weeks, it likely centers on the Nittany Lions' running game.

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Penn State is 13th among the 14 Big Ten teams this far this season with 124.7 rushing yards per game.

Asked what the Nittany Lion offensive line has to do to help the run game be more productive and efficient, Trautwein pointed toward the basics.

"We just have to keep on working on our fundamentals and details and making sure our eyes are right," he said. "Defenses and front sevens, they're not just going to stand still. Definitely against us, they're going to try to move, they're going to try to plug, get us off double teams."

Additionally, Trautwein pointed out, there have been opportunities to run the ball that Penn State has elected to pass up through three games.

"There's a lot of plays that we could have run the ball, but we threw bubbles and we threw it out in space," he said. "That's always a key in our offense as well."

The highest ranked recruit in Penn State's 2021 class was offensive lineman Landon Tengwall out of Maryland.

Trautwein offered a positive update on his progress as he battles for playing time.

"He's getting better every day," Trautwein said. "He's a guy that comes to work every day and tries to get better and does get better. I love the way he practices. He's out there, he's on the travel squad. He's getting better. He's getting closer and closer. Where he's at right now, he's working hard and he's doing everything he can to get on that field.

"Hopefully you guys will see him soon."

Something that may have flown under the radar a bit against Auburn was just how much action Bryce Effner saw.

He played 19 snaps total, 17 of them at left guard, after also getting 19 reps in week two against Ball State.

Trautwein referenced his contribution as an example of why it's important to feel comfortable with your depth options as an offensive line coach, and also offered a positive assessment of his performance and future outlook.

"I thought he played well," Trautwein said. "He went out there and did his job. I was really pleased by what he did. You're going to probably see him a little bit more here and there

"I'm excited about where he's going. His best ball is still ahead of him. I'm excited about how he's working every day and how he's built confidence in himself. I think he sees himself as one day being a starter here."

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