Hey readers,
I know that this week's post has been a little late, but let's just say that it has taken a while to refocus and process through last weeks "disaster."
I know that a lot of you Blue and White faithful would consider last week a disaster, but I wouldn't classify last week's game as a complete disaster. This purpose of this week's post is not only to break down last week's effort, but also help you Nittany Lions faithful refocus your minds and expectations.
First, we are going to start off with the game. Last week Penn State got off to a very hot start and played very well for the first three quarters. I know a lot of you might say otherwise, but you have to factor in the opponent, the conditions, and give credit where it is due. Let's just say that we all underestimated Iowa.....AGAIN. Iowa had one heck of a gameplan, they played tough, and capitalized on turnovers.
If you take a look at the game, it's not pretty, Penn State committed 4 turnovers, not including the blocked punt that was returned for a touchdown. Darryl Clark looked sloppy at times, looking to go over the top a little too often, but his numbers were affected by a few dropped balls as well. When you think it couldn't get any worse, Royster fumbles, and everyone is groaning again about play calling, Clark choking, and excuse after excuse and everyone is in flight mode once again.
But if you reverse the spectrum, and take a look at Iowa, it's not like they came into Beaver Stadium and outplayed the Nittany Lions by much. That's Big Ten football for you, tough games, sometimes grinders, and it all comes down to who shoots themselves in the foot first.
Penn State is a very capable team, but they very much shot themselves in the foot. People can talk about the horrendous officiating, the wet conditions, but the truth is that Penn State did not capitalize when it had the opportunity to and Iowa did. Neither team outplayed or out muscled the other, but one team did make less mistakes. That's the team that won. Give Kirk Ferentz credit for coming into Beaver Stadium with a solid gameplan and sticking with it throughout the entire game. Hats off to you Iowa.
As for the Penn State "faithful", why is it that once we play a bad game, or something goes wrong, you are all bouncing off the walls and losing faith in your team. It is a long season, and we are only in week 4. There are two things that you need to realize before you provide the rest of the world with your thoughtless analysis: First of which is that this year, there is not one team that stands above the rest in all of college football, and there will not be an undefeated team playing for the National Title at the end of this year (Yes Florida, you will lose too). Second, that we are all forgetting that this is a rebuilding year for the Nittany Lions.
To address my first thought, is that everyone has based this year's rankings off of the past few years of SEC's dominance. This year, no conference stands out like the SEC has the past few years. If there is an undefeated team this year, it will be a team that overachieved, or it will be Boise State because they honestly only play two to three teams than face the weakest conference schedule of anyone in the country. I know people can make an argument for Florida as the standout team of this year, but Tebow is coming off a concussion now, and each year is a new year in college football. Someone will beat Florida, but I wouldn't be surprised if they played their way into the Title Game anyways.
Now for Penn State. Everyone wants to come to a conclusion that this year's offensive line is not as tough as last year's, and the running backs are being held back, Clark doesn't run as much, the secondary is rusty, the linebackers are injured, etc. The truth is that we lost three all Big Ten offensive linemen, moved the returning starters to new positions, and that it's going to take time to gel. Stefen Wisniewski is a great leader for that offensive line, and if there is anyone that can lead that unit and help them bounce back, he is that man.
As for Clark, throughout the first three games, everyone was talking Heisman candidate, now he has one tough game in terrible conditions, and everyone is quitting on him already. Forget the press and the media, Clark is a great quarterback and he will pass for close to three thousand yards this year. He will bounce back and you will all jump back on the bandwagon and support him for the rest of the season, unless something goes wrong when the Buckeyes come into town.
Finally, for the secondary, they have played very well if you ask me. Yeah they had some lapses against Iowa, but Iowa did not throw for any touchdowns. The secondary has only allowed two touchdowns on the year, and one was a go route from a running back in the Akron game and Mike Zordich the linebacker was in coverage. The other was a quick strike after a turnover against Syracuse late in the game. Look for Stephon Morris to grow more comfortable in the secondary, and as he gains confidence his swagger along with AJ Wallace's attitude should help characterize this secondary as the season progresses. Look for them to face their stiffest test of the year as the face off against Benn and Fayson, two standout wide receivers at Illinois.
Look for the Lions to bounce back this week. I would expect a rough start in Illinois, but I would also look for them to play well and shake off the dirt from last week's game against Iowa. Look for the run game to really take off this week as Illinois is playing without Martez Wilson and as the Offensive Line is going to be playing with more of a nasty streak. As usual, please comment and leave me with your thoughts as well.
WE ARE............
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Kolb peaking interest
Northern Virginia Offensive Lineman, Khamrone Kolb is leaning closer and closer to committing to the Nittany Lions. At 6'6", 300 lbs, Kolb is projected to play the tackle position at the next level on the offensive side of the ball. Kolb would be another great edition to this year's recruiting class. Kolb says that Penn State is number one on his list, but he's going to wait to commit after he's taken all of his official visits. I would look for him to commit in the next couple of weeks and possibly enroll early next spring.
WE ARE....
WE ARE....
Monday, September 21, 2009
Easley Commits
Dominique Easley (http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/recruiting/player-Dominique-Easley-92086), the number one recruit in the state of New York has committed to play at Penn State next year. Easley committed directly after the Penn State/Temple game, which gives the Nittany Lions their 18th committment for the upcoming year. With Easley committed, this gives Penn State the chance to finish in the top 5 nationally in recruiting come February as State continues on their recruiting hot streak.
WE ARE.........
WE ARE.........
Temple
Hey readers,
This weeks review of last weeks game is not going to be terribly long because its pretty simple. We did not have the blow out game we anticipated against Temple. Yeah, yeah, we should have blown them out, but give Temple some credit for bringing blitzes from different angles, putting Clark on his behind, and getting after it. In the long run, it was great for our offensive line to see those blitzes, it only helps them get better for Big Ten play.
So here we go, Clark's passes were not as crisp as we're used to seeing, but rumor has it that Clark was nursing a stinger in his shoulder for most of the game. The run game also got a little momentum going, but I was encouraged by the outting that Royster had. He had over 100 yards by half time. That's not what was encouraging though, the encouraging part was the way Green was running the ball. He is a completely different ball carrier than last year. He was waiting for the plays to develop and once they did, he hit the hole hard. No more of that elusive, soft tip toe through the hole demeanor, but rather a more convicted style of running from Green.
The rest of the team played well however, it was not the best outting, but it might have been what this team needed. Now they are going into Big Ten play wary of themselves and preparing well for their competition, instead of flying in their thinking that they are untouchable. The only chance this team had to get better was to have a fair showing against Temple. If they would've played lights out, the punch in the mouth might have been this week against Iowa. Instead, I think we are now better prepared for Big Ten play, but I guess the truth will soon be discovered against Iowa this Saturday night.
DID YOU NOTICE:
- Freshman Stephon Morris was playing in the defensive backfield with the first team defense
- That the tight ends are getting more involved in the passing game
- Freshman Curtis Drake, Justin Brown, and Devon Smith are getting more and more touches as we're getting ready for Big Ten play
- Defensive End recruit Dominique Easley on the sidelines.
WE ARE........
This weeks review of last weeks game is not going to be terribly long because its pretty simple. We did not have the blow out game we anticipated against Temple. Yeah, yeah, we should have blown them out, but give Temple some credit for bringing blitzes from different angles, putting Clark on his behind, and getting after it. In the long run, it was great for our offensive line to see those blitzes, it only helps them get better for Big Ten play.
So here we go, Clark's passes were not as crisp as we're used to seeing, but rumor has it that Clark was nursing a stinger in his shoulder for most of the game. The run game also got a little momentum going, but I was encouraged by the outting that Royster had. He had over 100 yards by half time. That's not what was encouraging though, the encouraging part was the way Green was running the ball. He is a completely different ball carrier than last year. He was waiting for the plays to develop and once they did, he hit the hole hard. No more of that elusive, soft tip toe through the hole demeanor, but rather a more convicted style of running from Green.
The rest of the team played well however, it was not the best outting, but it might have been what this team needed. Now they are going into Big Ten play wary of themselves and preparing well for their competition, instead of flying in their thinking that they are untouchable. The only chance this team had to get better was to have a fair showing against Temple. If they would've played lights out, the punch in the mouth might have been this week against Iowa. Instead, I think we are now better prepared for Big Ten play, but I guess the truth will soon be discovered against Iowa this Saturday night.
DID YOU NOTICE:
- Freshman Stephon Morris was playing in the defensive backfield with the first team defense
- That the tight ends are getting more involved in the passing game
- Freshman Curtis Drake, Justin Brown, and Devon Smith are getting more and more touches as we're getting ready for Big Ten play
- Defensive End recruit Dominique Easley on the sidelines.
WE ARE........
Thursday, September 17, 2009
17 Again
Penn State receives commitment number 17, as they continue to pick up momentum on the recruiting trail.
Earlier today, 4 Star Defensive End C.J. Olaniyan (http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/recruiting/player-C.J.-Olaniyan-92881) made his decision to play for Nittany Lions next year. Olaniyan is a huge get that adds even more star power to an already booming recruiting class. Our defensive line commitments for next year already include four star commitments in Evan Hailes, Dakota Royer, and Daquan Jones. With the addition of Olaniyan, Penn State could be bolstering one of the best defensive front fours within the next couple of years.
Just when you think that things couldn't get any better for the Nittany Lions on the defensive side of the ball, Penn State picks up another huge commitment. To top it all off, Penn State is still in the running and at the top of the list for top tier defensive line prospects Sharrif Floyd and Dominique Easley. Both of whom which rank in the top ten at their respective positions.
As the season progresses and the stars of this year's recruiting class are looking to enroll by next spring, look for Penn State to pick up a few more commits. What I would look for in the coming weeks are the decisions of offensive linemen Robby Havenstein and linebacker Khairi Fortt. My prediction would be that both of these guys will commit to Penn State, but with college football today, anything is possible.
WE ARE........
Earlier today, 4 Star Defensive End C.J. Olaniyan (http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/recruiting/player-C.J.-Olaniyan-92881) made his decision to play for Nittany Lions next year. Olaniyan is a huge get that adds even more star power to an already booming recruiting class. Our defensive line commitments for next year already include four star commitments in Evan Hailes, Dakota Royer, and Daquan Jones. With the addition of Olaniyan, Penn State could be bolstering one of the best defensive front fours within the next couple of years.
Just when you think that things couldn't get any better for the Nittany Lions on the defensive side of the ball, Penn State picks up another huge commitment. To top it all off, Penn State is still in the running and at the top of the list for top tier defensive line prospects Sharrif Floyd and Dominique Easley. Both of whom which rank in the top ten at their respective positions.
As the season progresses and the stars of this year's recruiting class are looking to enroll by next spring, look for Penn State to pick up a few more commits. What I would look for in the coming weeks are the decisions of offensive linemen Robby Havenstein and linebacker Khairi Fortt. My prediction would be that both of these guys will commit to Penn State, but with college football today, anything is possible.
WE ARE........
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Weekend Recap
Other News in College Football:
This weekend was one of the greatest weekends in college football. From Central Michigan's unbelievable luck in the tail ends of their game against Sparty, Tate Forcier's coming out party, and USC pulling one out in Columbus.
As it looks right now, in week 2 of the college football season, no conference has established themselves just yet as the elite conference in the nation. Alabama is struggling against FIU, Buckeyes just lost to USC, however both teams were evenly matched, Sooners have already lost to BYU, and the ACC has lost to two FBS teams already. It seems like every year is a competition to match the mayhem from the year before.
Anyways, the three games I want to touch on from this last weekend are Michigan vs. Notre Dame, Ohio State vs. USC, and Houston vs. Oklahoma State.
Houston vs. Oklahoma State, the game that was not on anyone's radar, but ended up being one of the most exciting games of the weekend. I mean, even if it wasn't, it was still an upgrade from the LSU/Vandy game. This game validates to assumptions that were made at the beginning of the season. The first of which is Houston's QB Case Keenum's ability to play the QB position. This guy has put up amazing number the past couple of years has not gotten his fair share of attention. Look for this to cause a rise in his draft stock and look to hear his name more often as the season progresses. Secondly, the preconceived notion that the Big 12 plays terrible defense. I know Case Keenum is a great QB, but Houston is not a great team. There is no way that they should've put up 45 points on a team that held Georgia to only 10 points.
Notre Dame vs. Michigan, also known as the hot seat game for the coaches of both of these programs. This game was very exciting to watch and both teams delivered. I'm here to tell you that Michigan beat a very good Notre Dame team. Both of these teams at the end of the year should be in the top 25. If they continue to play at the levels that they can, this could be the year that both programs re-establish themselves as elite programs in the nation. I know we all found out that Lou Holtz was wrong once again, but I think we will all find out that he was not too crazy. Look for both of these teams to play the spoiler roles as they play more top ten teams as the season progresses.
USC vs. Ohio State, this was the most exciting game of the weekend. Ohio State came out a little sloppy and it looked as if another rout was on course again. However, Ohio State responded to an early turnover with a TD drive of their own. As a matter of fact, the Buckeyes not only hung in there with the big boys of USC, but they punched them right in the mouth. This Buckeyes controlled every aspect of this game until that very last drive. I want to go ahead and address that last drive by USC because a lot of people are saying that that drive will be the signature drive to the start of Matt Barkley's career. I want to go ahead and point out that Barkley did nothing. 85 yards of that 86 yard drive came from Joe McKnight, and the final yard was from Stafon Johnson. Both QB's in this game looked sloppy, but that's expected from a defensive game, which the PAC-10 doesn't see that often, but I'll tell you what, Pryor looked determined. If there was one thing made known from this game, is that both USC and Ohio are elite programs, but nobody wanted it more than Pryor. I would say to look for both of these teams to possibly meet back up in the Rose Bowl.
WE ARE............
This weekend was one of the greatest weekends in college football. From Central Michigan's unbelievable luck in the tail ends of their game against Sparty, Tate Forcier's coming out party, and USC pulling one out in Columbus.
As it looks right now, in week 2 of the college football season, no conference has established themselves just yet as the elite conference in the nation. Alabama is struggling against FIU, Buckeyes just lost to USC, however both teams were evenly matched, Sooners have already lost to BYU, and the ACC has lost to two FBS teams already. It seems like every year is a competition to match the mayhem from the year before.
Anyways, the three games I want to touch on from this last weekend are Michigan vs. Notre Dame, Ohio State vs. USC, and Houston vs. Oklahoma State.
Houston vs. Oklahoma State, the game that was not on anyone's radar, but ended up being one of the most exciting games of the weekend. I mean, even if it wasn't, it was still an upgrade from the LSU/Vandy game. This game validates to assumptions that were made at the beginning of the season. The first of which is Houston's QB Case Keenum's ability to play the QB position. This guy has put up amazing number the past couple of years has not gotten his fair share of attention. Look for this to cause a rise in his draft stock and look to hear his name more often as the season progresses. Secondly, the preconceived notion that the Big 12 plays terrible defense. I know Case Keenum is a great QB, but Houston is not a great team. There is no way that they should've put up 45 points on a team that held Georgia to only 10 points.
Notre Dame vs. Michigan, also known as the hot seat game for the coaches of both of these programs. This game was very exciting to watch and both teams delivered. I'm here to tell you that Michigan beat a very good Notre Dame team. Both of these teams at the end of the year should be in the top 25. If they continue to play at the levels that they can, this could be the year that both programs re-establish themselves as elite programs in the nation. I know we all found out that Lou Holtz was wrong once again, but I think we will all find out that he was not too crazy. Look for both of these teams to play the spoiler roles as they play more top ten teams as the season progresses.
USC vs. Ohio State, this was the most exciting game of the weekend. Ohio State came out a little sloppy and it looked as if another rout was on course again. However, Ohio State responded to an early turnover with a TD drive of their own. As a matter of fact, the Buckeyes not only hung in there with the big boys of USC, but they punched them right in the mouth. This Buckeyes controlled every aspect of this game until that very last drive. I want to go ahead and address that last drive by USC because a lot of people are saying that that drive will be the signature drive to the start of Matt Barkley's career. I want to go ahead and point out that Barkley did nothing. 85 yards of that 86 yard drive came from Joe McKnight, and the final yard was from Stafon Johnson. Both QB's in this game looked sloppy, but that's expected from a defensive game, which the PAC-10 doesn't see that often, but I'll tell you what, Pryor looked determined. If there was one thing made known from this game, is that both USC and Ohio are elite programs, but nobody wanted it more than Pryor. I would say to look for both of these teams to possibly meet back up in the Rose Bowl.
WE ARE............
Syracuse
After a long weekend at Penn State, I finally get to update you guys on what's really happening with Penn State football. Yes, we beat Syracuse 28-7, but there is still nothing to worry about.
After talking to a lot of the Nittany Lion faithful this weekend, and an LSU fanatic, there are a list of concerns I would like to address. First on the docket, is the Penn State running game. We need to set a few things straight, the running game is going to be perfectly fine for the coming weeks. You need to realize that Penn State's strength with the running game is running inside and out, then hitting people with a stretch play. That is Royster's strength, his phenomenal vision and decision making at the line of scrimmage. What we didn't see a lot of, was that kind of play calling, and when we did, we got stuffed at the goal line. The reason why you shouldn't worry about it is because Syracuse has a big boy in the middle on their line that has racked up over 30 tackles for loss the past few years. If you don't know what I'm getting at, it means that it is very difficult to run the ball inside on Syracuse's defense.
Second, people are still questioning the real talent of the wide receivers, claiming that they haven't faced top tier competition yet. While this may be true, you have to look at their skill set when they are playing on the field. These receivers have some of the greatest technique in the nation. If you look at how they catch the ball, they possess all the necessary skills to come down with the ball every time. The three things you want to look for in a receiver to be successful are his abilities to use his body to shield defenders as he catches the ball, his instincts to catch the ball at its highest point, and catching the ball with his hands. If you don't believe me, go ahead and take a look at the highlight clips of our games on espn, you'll see that our receivers are go-getters.
Finally, I know we're still having some concerns about our offensive line, but the only thing I can tell you is that time and experience will brings this unit closer together. The more time they spend on the field together, the better they are going to get.
Other Penn State News:
-Zach Zwinak, the nation's top fullback prospect just committed to play his college football at Penn State
-Khairi Fortt, one of the nations top middle linebacker prospects is expected to announce his decision soon, as its looking, its coming down to Penn State and Georgia. I would lean closer to us winning this battle as Fortt has developed a great friendship with two current Penn State commits in Silas Redd and Dakota Royer.
- Nick Sukay changed his number from 10 to 18, relax folks that wasn't Brennan Coakley back there in coverage.
- Justin Brown burned his redshirt in late play against Syracuse, look for them to work him more into the offense in the weeks to come.
WE ARE......
After talking to a lot of the Nittany Lion faithful this weekend, and an LSU fanatic, there are a list of concerns I would like to address. First on the docket, is the Penn State running game. We need to set a few things straight, the running game is going to be perfectly fine for the coming weeks. You need to realize that Penn State's strength with the running game is running inside and out, then hitting people with a stretch play. That is Royster's strength, his phenomenal vision and decision making at the line of scrimmage. What we didn't see a lot of, was that kind of play calling, and when we did, we got stuffed at the goal line. The reason why you shouldn't worry about it is because Syracuse has a big boy in the middle on their line that has racked up over 30 tackles for loss the past few years. If you don't know what I'm getting at, it means that it is very difficult to run the ball inside on Syracuse's defense.
Second, people are still questioning the real talent of the wide receivers, claiming that they haven't faced top tier competition yet. While this may be true, you have to look at their skill set when they are playing on the field. These receivers have some of the greatest technique in the nation. If you look at how they catch the ball, they possess all the necessary skills to come down with the ball every time. The three things you want to look for in a receiver to be successful are his abilities to use his body to shield defenders as he catches the ball, his instincts to catch the ball at its highest point, and catching the ball with his hands. If you don't believe me, go ahead and take a look at the highlight clips of our games on espn, you'll see that our receivers are go-getters.
Finally, I know we're still having some concerns about our offensive line, but the only thing I can tell you is that time and experience will brings this unit closer together. The more time they spend on the field together, the better they are going to get.
Other Penn State News:
-Zach Zwinak, the nation's top fullback prospect just committed to play his college football at Penn State
-Khairi Fortt, one of the nations top middle linebacker prospects is expected to announce his decision soon, as its looking, its coming down to Penn State and Georgia. I would lean closer to us winning this battle as Fortt has developed a great friendship with two current Penn State commits in Silas Redd and Dakota Royer.
- Nick Sukay changed his number from 10 to 18, relax folks that wasn't Brennan Coakley back there in coverage.
- Justin Brown burned his redshirt in late play against Syracuse, look for them to work him more into the offense in the weeks to come.
WE ARE......
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Akron
Here we go....
The first game of the season came and went, as expected we started off the season with a "W". I know the opponent was Akron, but we can take away a lot of great things from this game. Only the Nittany Lions faithful would be worried after a 31-7 victory, and I know that most of you have your concerns about the team. I assure you however, that we are going to be fine.
To start off, Akron runs a 3-5 defense, which means that they have 3 defensive linemen and 5 linebackers packed into the box. Basically what I'm saying is that they dared us to throw the ball, and Clark responded with a career day (73 % completion rate, 29/40 353 yards, 3 TD, 1 Int). For Clark to have a day like that with an entirely brand new receiving corps is absolutely impressive. The new guys catching the ball answered any questions that we may have, as they caught passes all over the field. They caught passes in traffic, down field, and most importantly in the end zone. The outing we had in the first half allowed our team to cruise in the second half and try out a few different things. The output from the first half even left a mark on voters, vaulting Galen Hall to the number one spot in the power rankings for Offensive Coordinators (http://collegefootball.rivals.com/viewCFSE.asp).
The defense looked great as usual, and the defensive line looked absolutely nasty. Again we can take this with a grain of salt because we were playing against Akron, but everyone on the rotation was making plays and getting to the quarterback. The linebackers looked phenomenal as usual, even with Bowman stepping out and Stupar stepping in. I would not worry too much about Bowman's status in the coming weeks, I would expect him to get rested and nurse that injury back to health. Expect the same from him when he gets back though, as he, Lee, Hull, and the rest of the linebackers get ready to terrorize the rest of the Big Ten in the coming weeks.
Finally, the defensive backs and special teams. The db's did not look absolutely perfect, but they are still gaining that chemistry of playing together. Individually, Astorino, Lynn, and Wallace did a great job keeping everything in front of them and tackling in the open field. However, the secondary still needs some more experience playing together and making plays on the ball together as a unit. These next couple of weeks should provide them with that experience and I guess we'll see what the product is. One prediction I have though is to keep an eye on the true freshman in Gerald Hodges. He is making a lot of noise in the locker room and on the practice field. I would look for him to take over at the Hero position as the season progresses.
As for special teams, we didn't look too great. Wagner missed two of his four field goals, and we didn't really get to field that many kickoffs. The punt returns were mediocre at best with Zug and Royster back fielding punts, but look for us to improve dramatically in this area. With Chaz "Boom Boom" Powell and Stephfon "The Green Mile" Green returning kicks, and true freshman Devon Smith gaining game experience and predicted to assume the role of returning punts, look for this to become a major strength of the team.
Overall, I would say that we had a great first game. We showed that we have an established passing game, with exceptional wide receivers. The running game still needs to get itself going, but with Royster, Green, and Beachum back there, I would not be too worried. The offensive line did a great job, and look for them to hold down the fort against Syracuse.
Predictions for this week:
- Clark throws a couple touchdowns and demonstrates the great chemistry between himself, Derek Moye, and Chaz Powell.
- Look for the tight ends to get more involved.
- The Offensive line doesn't allow any sacks this week.
- Paulus gets sacked at least 6 times and throws 2 interceptions.
- Running Game improves dramatically as we stock up more than 200 yards on the ground.
- Kevin Newsome, Gerald Hodges, and Devon Smith get more playing time.
WE ARE...........
The first game of the season came and went, as expected we started off the season with a "W". I know the opponent was Akron, but we can take away a lot of great things from this game. Only the Nittany Lions faithful would be worried after a 31-7 victory, and I know that most of you have your concerns about the team. I assure you however, that we are going to be fine.
To start off, Akron runs a 3-5 defense, which means that they have 3 defensive linemen and 5 linebackers packed into the box. Basically what I'm saying is that they dared us to throw the ball, and Clark responded with a career day (73 % completion rate, 29/40 353 yards, 3 TD, 1 Int). For Clark to have a day like that with an entirely brand new receiving corps is absolutely impressive. The new guys catching the ball answered any questions that we may have, as they caught passes all over the field. They caught passes in traffic, down field, and most importantly in the end zone. The outing we had in the first half allowed our team to cruise in the second half and try out a few different things. The output from the first half even left a mark on voters, vaulting Galen Hall to the number one spot in the power rankings for Offensive Coordinators (http://collegefootball.rivals.com/viewCFSE.asp).
The defense looked great as usual, and the defensive line looked absolutely nasty. Again we can take this with a grain of salt because we were playing against Akron, but everyone on the rotation was making plays and getting to the quarterback. The linebackers looked phenomenal as usual, even with Bowman stepping out and Stupar stepping in. I would not worry too much about Bowman's status in the coming weeks, I would expect him to get rested and nurse that injury back to health. Expect the same from him when he gets back though, as he, Lee, Hull, and the rest of the linebackers get ready to terrorize the rest of the Big Ten in the coming weeks.
Finally, the defensive backs and special teams. The db's did not look absolutely perfect, but they are still gaining that chemistry of playing together. Individually, Astorino, Lynn, and Wallace did a great job keeping everything in front of them and tackling in the open field. However, the secondary still needs some more experience playing together and making plays on the ball together as a unit. These next couple of weeks should provide them with that experience and I guess we'll see what the product is. One prediction I have though is to keep an eye on the true freshman in Gerald Hodges. He is making a lot of noise in the locker room and on the practice field. I would look for him to take over at the Hero position as the season progresses.
As for special teams, we didn't look too great. Wagner missed two of his four field goals, and we didn't really get to field that many kickoffs. The punt returns were mediocre at best with Zug and Royster back fielding punts, but look for us to improve dramatically in this area. With Chaz "Boom Boom" Powell and Stephfon "The Green Mile" Green returning kicks, and true freshman Devon Smith gaining game experience and predicted to assume the role of returning punts, look for this to become a major strength of the team.
Overall, I would say that we had a great first game. We showed that we have an established passing game, with exceptional wide receivers. The running game still needs to get itself going, but with Royster, Green, and Beachum back there, I would not be too worried. The offensive line did a great job, and look for them to hold down the fort against Syracuse.
Predictions for this week:
- Clark throws a couple touchdowns and demonstrates the great chemistry between himself, Derek Moye, and Chaz Powell.
- Look for the tight ends to get more involved.
- The Offensive line doesn't allow any sacks this week.
- Paulus gets sacked at least 6 times and throws 2 interceptions.
- Running Game improves dramatically as we stock up more than 200 yards on the ground.
- Kevin Newsome, Gerald Hodges, and Devon Smith get more playing time.
WE ARE...........
My First Post
Hey everyone,
I wanted to go ahead and welcome you to my new blog. If it's a little rusty, it is because I am very new at this. The reasons behind this blog are because I have very strong opinions about College Football and I'm usually right. Just kidding, but I am very passionate about sports and I am getting very sick of the media bias in college sports today. As a result, I am going to use this blog to enlighten others about College Football with my own bias because every sports fanatic is crazy about his own opinion.
Throughout our time together, I am going to provide you with insight about Penn State's College Football season. This will include game highlights, breaking news, recruiting information, and how I feel about our team. So go ahead and start following this blog and let me know what you think. I look forward to all your feedback and hopefully we'll make it through this season undefeated.
WE ARE...........
I wanted to go ahead and welcome you to my new blog. If it's a little rusty, it is because I am very new at this. The reasons behind this blog are because I have very strong opinions about College Football and I'm usually right. Just kidding, but I am very passionate about sports and I am getting very sick of the media bias in college sports today. As a result, I am going to use this blog to enlighten others about College Football with my own bias because every sports fanatic is crazy about his own opinion.
Throughout our time together, I am going to provide you with insight about Penn State's College Football season. This will include game highlights, breaking news, recruiting information, and how I feel about our team. So go ahead and start following this blog and let me know what you think. I look forward to all your feedback and hopefully we'll make it through this season undefeated.
WE ARE...........
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