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...........