Blue White Illustrated Friday Update

Categories » Team previews » Opponent review

Friday, November 14, 2008

FRIDAY PREGAME UPDATE - INDIANA

Coming off its first loss of the season last weekend in Iowa City, Penn State will look to rebound at home against lowly Indiana on Saturday at Beaver Stadium. Kickoff is at 12 noon, and the game will be aired on the Big Ten Network.

The Nittany Lions come into the game controlling their own destiny with a 9-1 overall record, and a 5-1 mark in the Big Ten, while the Hoosiers have a 3-7 overall record, and a 1-5 record in the Big Ten. The Hoosiers haven’t beaten the Nittany Lions in 11 tries.

Here are the top stories from the week in Penn State football.

Starting quarterback Daryll Clark had the worst outing of his career against Iowa, and placed the blame for the loss squarely on his shoulders. He once again spoke to reporters about moving on from the disappointment on Tuesday.

“My Sunday was probably one of the worst Sundays I've ever experienced because of how that game happened,” sad Clark. “I was really, really hurt. But, I spoke to my parents. I spoke to Jay and he told me, 'Man, the guys are going to feed off of you, so you can't come out here on Monday with your head down because there's still a lot to play for and they're going to look to you to see how are you going to react. So, you get out there, enjoy practice like you've been doing it, have fun, get some work done, but stay on he upbeat. Smile. Play the way you've been playing for the past eight weeks.”

The junior from Youngstown said that he is looking to move past the loss, and hopes to bring home a Big Ten championship this season.

“It's very important that I move ahead. I'm pretty sure I've done that,” said Clark, who was 9-of-23 last week against the Hawkeyes. “I went through my little episode when I was real hurt and I talked to my dad. He spoke to me about some things and let me know that everything is going to be all right. Every dog has its day. But, you have to move forward. You're allowed to be a little upset but you still got some games left and there's still a lot of opportunity out for the football team. So, it gives something for you to continue to play.”

Joe Paterno said on Tuesday that he thought his quarterback was taking too much of the blame.

“Well, I think he's being too tough on himself. In fact, I told him that yesterday on the practice field,” he said. “I think he's doing fine. They dropped passes on him. We haven't been dropping any passes. That's the other thing, when you talk about why we're not being a little bit more productive offensively, we haven't made a lot of great catches and we've dropped some catches that would have had an impact on whether we go for a field goal or whether we get a touchdown. I think he's being too tough on himself.”

Paterno also admitted that they were trying to protect Clark against Iowa last week, due to the fact that he had suffered a concussion two weeks earlier against Ohio State. The Nittany Lions ran wide receiver Derrick Williams out of the shotgun several times.

“Well, part of the reason we did that with Derrick was because we were concerned about Clark having still... he had that concussion, whether he got a good shot, he'd be out,” said Paterno. “So much of the stuff we have in, they're made for people who can run. I wouldn't put [backup quarterback Pat] Devlin in a situation where if Clark went down, we'd put him in and we had to run him. So, we had that package ready.

“Devlin is an excellent quarterback but he's a different style quarterback. He's more of a... really good touch, good arm, he's smart. But, he doesn't give you that other dimension that we were worried about earlier in the year because we weren't quite sure just how strong our offensive line would be against some of the people we had to play. So, we drifted away a little about that. So, there were reasons we wanted to go to that.”

Paterno was also asked if the backup Devlin would see more snaps this weekend against Indiana.

“Oh I can't tell you right now. Right now, the guys are working on refining everything,” said Paterno. “I really don't know what to tell you on that. We got a couple of kids bumped and bruised that I'd rather not talk about because they'll play, but how much they'll get to practice, I'm not sure yet and I think we'll have to play that a little bit by ear. But I know Devlin will get the job done if we... but we will have to get some other things established because even Saturday, when we were in the shot gun when Williams ran the ball, that was a pretty darn good run. That takes a good runner, not a guy that's an adequate runner. And, Devlin may be better than we give him credit for running the football. But, he's really a good football player.




Perhaps the biggest hurdle of the week, obviously, was for the Nittany Lions to move on from the loss and focus on Indiana. Senior cornerback Lydell Sargeant said this week that, although the loss hurts, they know the task at hand.

“It was tough but on Mondays after we watch the film, that's it,” he said. “We fix our mistakes and then we watch the Indiana film. Once we start Indiana film, that game is over. Nothing much we can do now and all we have to focus on is Indiana because they're going to come in here and play their best game. So, we just have to be ready for them.”

He said that getting back home, in a comfortable setting, will make getting over the loss a lot easier.

“I think it seems like we haven't been back in a long time,” he said. “It's big for us because we have the fans on our side. I think the Iowa fans, they did a good job the way they handled the situations when their team was on the field and when our team was on the field. Just having that little advantage is always clutch so it's always fun to get back and play in front of the fans and give them a good show.”




There was relief in Joe Paterno’s voice when someone finally asked about playing Indiana at his press conference this week. The 81-year old head coach let out a “Thank God” when the question was asked, and it was obvious that he was eager to move on to a subject that didn’t center on the loss to Iowa.

Paterno said that Bill Lynch’s bunch has hurt themselves this season, and was a few breaks away from a better record.

“Indiana... they look very good at times. Other times, they kill themselves,” he said. “They were moving the ball against Wisconsin in a heckuva football game and the kid puts the ball on the ground and the Wisconsin kid picks it up, runs it 40-45 yards and that gets them all out of whack. They hustle.

“They're in the process of getting better as a lot of good young teams are - one week they play very, very well and the next week they play very well in parts of the games. So, I think they'll come and be tough for us. I think everybody will be tough for us right now because when you get licked, people get encouraged and I think that Indiana will come in here with a very determined group of kids.”

Clark said that the Nittany Lions have to be ready, because the Hoosiers should be motivated for and upset this weekend.

“With Indiana being a team that really doesn't have much to play for but just to finish out the season, they're going to have the same mindset to come in and steal a win as well, he said. “We have to do everything you can in our power to not let that happen. I feel that the gameplan is pretty well this week and we just have to go execute it. No matter what someone says or someone does, it all comes down to executing the plays that are being called - moving the chains and putting points on the board. Our defense, I'm very confident that they will do a good job of keeping them off the scoreboard. But, they're going to have their heads high and they're going to try to come in here. They're not going to lay down for us. They're going to try to come in here and try to beat us.”




On Tuesday, Paterno updated the health status of senior captain Josh Gaines, who left the game last week with an ankle injury, and redshirt freshman safety Drew Astorino, who was limited in action last week because of a broken thumb

“I think he's going to be OK,” Paterno said of Gaines on Tuesday. “He didn't practice yesterday. He was on the practice field. And, Astorino will be OK. Astorino gives us another player that we can play so that when you go to a nickel scheme, you've got another guy that can make some plays. So, that's bothered us a little bit but he got into the game. He hadn't practiced a lot and that's the reason we didn't play him more.”

Outside linebacker Bani Gbadyu, who started a few games earlier in the year, did not play against Iowa. Reports were that Gbadyu is fighting a minor knee injury, which Paterno addressed on Tuesday.

“Gbadyu, we took a linebacker out of that game a lot. We played with a lot of nickel in there so when the linebacker comes out, you're really only playing with two a lot of the times. Gbadyu is not the first stringer. He's got a couple of people ahead of him. Now, if you're playing with three linebackers most of the ball game, then it's a little different ball game because you want to give them a blow, like you do your down guys. So, I don't think there was any need to use Gbadyu. Certainly, he's on the kicking teams and things like that. But, he was hurt, he lost some time when he got hurt, fell behind a couple of the guys. So, he's going to be a good player but Saturday was not a big day for linebackers because we didn't play with all of them. We didn't play with three linebackers a lot of the time.

Redshirt freshman defensive tackle Devon Still had hoped to make it back to the field this season after suffering an ankle injury in August, but he has yet to see action, even on the practice field.

“Still is still not doing anything. He doesn't even suit up for practice,” Paterno said.




Penn State landed its 20th verbal commitment in the Class of 2009 on Wednesday, when tight end/defensive end Garry Gilliam, from Milton Hershey School in Hershey, Pa., decided to pick the Nittany Lions over offers from Pitt, UConn and Virginia.

“It was really between my top four - Pitt, Penn State, UConn and Virginia,” said Gilliam. “UVa. was the best academic school out of the four, and then Penn State was the best football school out of the four. So I found the best balance out of all of them.”

The 6-foot-6, 260-pound Gilliam is a three-sport standout at Milton Hershey, and was an all-conference selection a year ago as a tight end and a second-team all-conference selection in basketball.

He has yet to find out on which side of the ball the Nittany Lions will use him.

I don't know, because I know that Coach Kenney said he would be fighting for me as a tight end, and [Larry Johnson] would be fighting for me as a defensive end,” he said.

Penn State will host two official visitors for the game this weekend, as defensive lineman Will Hill from Lafayette High School in Williamsburg, Va. and kicker Anthony Fera from St. Pius X High School in Houston, Texas, will be in the house.

Hill is a 6-foot-4, 260-pound defensive end, who could also add weight and end up as a defensive tackle. He is also considering Virginia and Maryland, and will visit Maryland next weekend before making a decision.

Fera is committed to the Nittany Lions, and will be enrolling in January.

In other recruiting news, Penn State men’s and women’s basketball inked letters of intent from players for the early signing period.

The men signed point guard Tim Frazier, a three-star recruit from Strake Jesuit in Houston, Tex., and small forward Jermaine Marshall from Red Land High School in Lewisberry, Pa.

The women added signings of point guard Alex Bentley (Indianapolis, Ind./Ben Davis), shooting guard Gizelle Studevent (La Jolla, Calif./The Bishop's School) and post player Marisa Wolfe (Ford City, Pa./Ford City). The class is ranked No. 7 nationally by Blue Star Basketball.

Bentley and Studevent are both top-100 players nationally.











Posted By: Sean Fitz @ 7:59:11 AM

Blue White Illustrated Friday Update

Categories » Team previews » Opponent review

Friday, November 07, 2008

FRIDAY PREGAME UPDATE - IOWA

The Nittany Lions will head to the heart of the Midwest on Saturday to take on the Iowa Hawkeyes in their last road game of the season. The game will be carried on either ABC Regional or ESPN, depending on your location. A coverage map will be available at the bottom of the pregame update.

Kickoff will be at 3:30 p.m. ET, and 2:30 CT locally.

Additionally, the Indiana kick time for next week was announced this week, it will be a noon kickoff and will be shown on the Big Ten Network.

Here is a look at the biggest stories to come out of the Penn State program this week:

Perhaps the biggest news of the week for the Nittany Lions is that starting quarterback Daryll Clark will be able to make the start on Saturday against the Hawkeyes. He left the Ohio State game in the second half two weeks ago, but Joe Paterno said on Tuesday that he has been practicing in the green (non-contact) cross jersey at practice, and he will start.

But he also warned that the team doctors are watching him closely.

“The doctors are very... and they should be... very, very conscientious about whether he gets hit or not but today, I think he'll be able to do everything,” said Paterno. “No more examinations or anything like that, so, I think he'll be fine Saturday.”

Clark spoke with reporters via teleconference on Wednesday, and informed the media of his diagnosis and his progress.

“Well, it was a mild concussion,” said Clark. “I've been in the green cross but I've been taking every rep as though I didn't have the cross on since the beginning of the week. So, I think Joe is just trying to protect me so I don't get any other hits toward the head this week and that's pretty much it.”

While the junior quarterback could not recall the hit, he did suffer the aftereffects of a concussion.

“Well, I thought that it was helmet to helmet contact from someone and a lot of other people said my head went of Laurinaitis' knee,” said Clark. “So, it was like a boom-boom hit. I remember having a big ring in my head. Usually when you get a hit like that, that's like a head hit, you get a little ringer and you're able to shake it off the next play. I kind of knew that this might have been a concussion because that ring did not disappear until maybe the next day.”

Clark said on Wednesday that he did suffer a small amount of memory loss, and doesn’t remember a portion of the game following the injury.

“I'm thankful that I was able to get cleared. I had to take the test twice,” he said. “There was a gap between maybe 13 minutes of the fourth quarter and six minutes of the fourth quarter. I don't remember anything between that. I remember getting hit and I played I think maybe six or seven plays after that and I had blacked out and I don't remember anything that happened until I came to and we were up and I was on the sidelines.”

Paterno said that he had no worries about Clark’s mindset heading into the weekend.

“I think he's been fine. He's anxious obviously to get back in there. He's been having a great year. He's been one of the leaders on this team. You hate to be sitting on the sideline when you feel you can do something maybe to help your football team and I think that's the way he would feel,” he said. “I have not spent a lot of time talking to him because I knew he was going to be ready... at least I felt, according to what everybody told me, that he would be ready this weekend, this upcoming game against Iowa. So, I have not spent a lot of time talking with him. He was out there yesterday and had a good day practicing. He practiced well.”



While the status of Clark was a hot-button issue on Tuesday, reporters also wanted to know what Paterno thought of being leapfrogged by Texas Tech in the latest BCS polls. As expected, the Lions’ head coach said that his team has their efforts focused squarely on what they need to take care of, in the way that only he could put it.

“I haven't got the slightest idea what the BCS... is it the BCS or the BSC? I don't know,” said Paterno. “They're going to do what they're going to do. It doesn't make any difference what I say or comment on. I'm telling you what I'm concerned about. I'm concerned about Iowa. Period. You guys can ask me 58 questions about something else but I haven't got any opinion about what's going on.

“I watched the Texas Tech/Texas game. It was a great football game. It was a great football game and the Texas Tech kids did a great job and I think they oughtta be celebrating down there. Now, how that affects Penn State? That's... we gotta take care of our own linen.”

The Nittany Lions are now just .008 percentage points behind the Red Raiders in the latest BCS polls, with Alabama firmly on top. Texas Tech jumped from No. 7 following a win over Texas last weekend.

“I mean, to be honest, I had a feeling that was going to happen,” said senior safety Anthony Scirrotto. “Watching the game and hearing all of the analysts afterward saying it was a possibility that it could happen. But, another thing is, that isn't a distraction to us. We're just tending to our knittings and taking care of what we can control and everything should fall into place by the end of the season if we keep doing what we're doing.”

Senior wideout Deon Butler stated his case for the Nittany Lions being No. 1 on Wednesday.

“I would say that we are a solid, balanced football team and we have been winning all of our games, maybe not pretty, but winning,” said Butler, who is just four catches away from Bobby Engram’s school record for receptions. “This is not a beauty contest and the simple fact that we are not getting credit for going into a tough game at Ohio State and coming out with a win.”




It’s not a secret what Iowa plans to come out and do against Penn State this week - run star tailback Shonn Greene, and run him often. Green is third in the country in rushing at 139.7 yards per game, and has scored 11 touchdowns on the ground this season.

Naturally, the Hawkeyes’ offense revolves around his play.

“Iowa has a great offense,” said Scirrotto. “Their quarterback has done a great job leading that offense and he does a great job on the run, throwing the football. Obviously, Shonn Greene, his play speaks for itself. He's just a really good running back who not only has great speed but has a lot of power as well. So, you know, they're having a very good season. They're a very good team and it's going to be a tough game for us to go out there and play.”

Greene also received a heap of praise from Paterno on Tuesday.

“Oh, he's a good back. Well, he reminds me a little bit of Lydell Mitchell that we had,” said Paterno. “He's one of those guys who takes a real good tackle and doesn't get knocked down. He's always going this way. He's always going down the field. And, he seems to know where the second guy is. Obviously, I haven't coached him and I haven't been around him in practice, but that's what Lydell was always like. Lydell would take on this guy but he knew where the other guy was coming and this kid reminds me very much of Lydell Mitchell.

“I think (Greene) is a heckuva football player. I mean, and the other guy that nobody's really paying much attention to that's come on really come on strong is the quarterback. The quarterback has made some plays that showed tremendous athletic ability. But, he reminds me of Lydell Mitchell. That's a long answer to a simple question.”



A number of Nittany Lions were recognized for their performance this season by being named semifinalists for a number of national awards.

Junior quarterback Daryll Clark is among 15 semifinalists for the Maxwell award, which is handed out to the nation’s top player. This season, the first-year starter has thrown for 1,652 yards and 11 touchdowns with just two interceptions. He ranks first in the Big Ten and 17th nationally in passing efficiency with a 148.5 rating. He also has scored eight rushing touchdowns.

Sophomore Aaron Maybin has been named one of 15 semifinalists for the Bednarik award, which is given to the nation’s top defensive player. He leads the Big Ten and ranks third in the nation with 11 sacks and is fourth nationally with 15.5 tackles for loss.

Senior placekicker Kevin Kelly was named as one of 20 players up for the Lou Groza award, which goes to the nation’s top kicker. Kelly is Penn State’s all-time leader in points, field goals made and field goals attempted. He is tied for the Big Ten’s all-time lead in field goals made with 72.

Off the field, seven Nittany Lions have been named as academic all-District selections.

Starters Gerald Cadogan, Jeremy Boone, Josh Hull, Mark Rubin and Stefen Wisniewski, as well as backup quarterback Pat Devlin and longsnapper Andrew Pitz were all honored by ESPN the Magazine.

Finally, Joe Paterno has been named a nominee for the Maxwell Football Club's college coach of the year honor, the George Munger Award. He has won the national coach of the year award five times.



Due to a much-needed bye week, the Nittany Lions are fairly healthy headed to Iowa City. Clark’s head is Penn State’s biggest concern, but other than that, the injury list looks similar to the rest of the season.

Here is the official injury report:

TB Brent Carter (knee) - out
QB Daryll Clark (head) - probable
DE Jerome Hayes (knee) - out
C Doug Klopacz (knee) - out
LB Sean Lee (knee) - out
DE Devon Still (ankle) - out
Saf Nick Sukay (foot) - out









Posted By: Sean Fitz @ 7:34:41 AM

Blue White Illustrated Friday Update

Categories » Team previews » Opponent review

Friday, October 24, 2008

FRIDAY PREGAME UPDATE - OHIO STATE

The Nittany Lions face the last game of a brutal October schedule when they travel to Ohio Stadium, a place where they have not won since 1978, to take on the Ohio State Buckeyes, in a game that will likely decide the Big Ten title. The game can be seen nationally on ABC at 8 p.m. on Saturday night.

At Joe Paterno's weekly press conference on Tuesday in the Beaver Stadium media room, he said he is excited for his team's opportunity to play on the big stage of a nationally telecast primetime game.

"Oh, I think it's great," Paterno said. "I'm happy for them because they've worked hard. They've been a squad that's worked hard, and now here it is. OK? Now they got a chance for a big game against a really good football team, got a chance for something I think all of us when we start to play whatever sport we're playing, when you get a chance to be right up there, it's exciting and it's something that you should enjoy.

"I just don't want them to get caught up in any of this baloney about well, you gotta do this, you gotta do that... just go out and have some fun. I think it oughtta be a great Saturday for college football for us and for Ohio State."

Unlike years past, when the Lions have struggled on the road, Paterno was asked why his team has had success to this point in the season.

"I think that's a bad rap on the teams of the past about what's happened on the road," Paterno said. "A lot of things have happened on the road. We've played some awfully good football games and really had some bad luck - officiating calls and a couple other things - on the road. So, I wouldn't put that rap on other teams. I think we've been pretty good on the road."

Freshman phenom Terrelle Pryor will get the start at quarterback for Ohio State on Saturday, and the multi-threat newbie will pose the biggest running threat that the Nittany Lions have seen from the position in a long time.

The Nittany Lions heavily recruited Pryor out of Jeannette, Pa., but the Buckeyes prevailed for his signature. Paterno talked about what kind of player he was, and how the Nittany Lions have to prepare for him.

“I think he is a heckuva player right now,” said Paterno. “I think he's got everything to be a great player. He's a good kid, he's got a lot of poise, he handles pressure, not only on the field but off the field. He knows what's going on and each week he's getting better. I'm assuming that's what's happening out there.

“I didn't see him earlier in the year, much. But, I think he's a heckuva an athlete and a heckuva football player and I think will be one of the really good quarterbacks that we've had come out of this state.”

Natural comparisons have arisen over the week between Pryor, and the man who he would have been battling for the job had he come to Penn State, Daryll Clark. Paterno compared the two on Tuesday, as only he could.

“Well, I think it's obvious and I'll only say what I've said several times. He is a strong leader. He is a very, very good athlete,” said Paterno. “Tough kid, and he gets in the huddle, he's got a nice way about things. He's not a guy that gets in there and yells and shouts and tries to... he takes the blame for a lot of things that he doesn't have to.

“He's really worked hard to develop a touch. He's a good passer now. For a while there, I didn't know whether he would be. But, he's worked really hard and I think he gives us a quarterback that we can win with, against whomever we may play.”

Clark, who is a native of Youngstown, is heading back to his home state as the starter for the first time. Paterno said he will try to keep him loose for his homecoming.

“I'm going to tell him just what I told you folks - enjoy it,” said Paterno. “Don't get up tight. You're not going to win the game by yourself. And, it should be a fun game for you. And, have a good week at practice and let's be ready. But, I hope he doesn't take this thing where it's, I'm going back to Ohio to prove to the world... he doesn't have to prove anything to anybody. You gotta go out and have a little fun and that's basically all I'm going to tell him.”




Senior safety Anthony Scirrotto got his bell rung last week, and left the Michigan game with a slight concussion. Paterno announced on Thursday night on his radio show that he was cleared to play on Saturday.

On his radio show, Paterno also noted that sophomore linebacker Bani Gbadyu turned an ankle in practice this week, but he should be ready to go in Columbus.

Sophomore offensive guard Stefen Wisniewski split reps with senior Mike Lucian last week, but Paterno said that Wisniewski’s banged-up knee wasn’t the reason for the platoon play.

“Well, the reason we did that was because we wanted Lucian to get a little work in there because he was playing defense, playing guard, he's played center, was playing some tight end, and Dick (Anderson) wanted to get him in the ballgame a little bit just to get him settled down when it looked like we were doing all right,” he said. “So, again, I wish I could answer some of those questions the way you want a little bit more definitive. But, we don't know. You go in the football game, you've gotta get X number of guys ready.”

Redshirt freshman defensive tackle Devon Still hasn’t played all year long after suffering an ankle injury in the preseason. He set a return target for the Michigan game, but obviously has not made it back yet.

Paterno commented on his status on Tuesday.

“Still, I keep saying, When?” said Paterno. “Another couple weeks maybe or so. He works awfully hard in the training room and so forth. I'm anxious to get him out there. But, he won't be ready for another couple of weeks I'm afraid. But, Wisniewski is OK.”

Here is the official injury report for this week:

TB Brent Carter (knee) - out
DE Jerome Hayes (knee) - out
C Doug Klopacz (knee) - out
LB Sean Lee (knee) - out
Saf Anthony Scirrotto (head) - probable
DE Devon Still (ankle) - out
Saf Nick Sukay (foot) - out



The Nittany Lions picked up a big verbal commitment this week from Houston, Texas, placekicker Anthony Fera. Fera switched his oral pledge from Michigan to Penn State on Wednesday.

"In his heart he just feels that Penn State is the best place for him," said his father, Tony Fera. "We have a ton of respect for the University of Michigan, but in his heart he felt that Penn State was the place where he could accomplish what he wanted to accomplish in college."

Fera is rated as the No. 2 kicker nationwide in this recruiting class.

He becomes the 19th member of the Penn State Class of 2009, and the first commitment since Devon Smith on Sept. 30.







Posted By: Sean Fitz @ 8:02:59 AM

Blue White Illustrated Friday Update

Categories » Team previews » Opponent review

Friday, October 17, 2008

FRIDAY PREGAME UPDATE - MICHIGAN

On Saturday, the Nittany Lions will attempt to do something they haven’t done in nine tries - beat Michigan. With the Wolverines on the verge of mediocrity with a 2-4 record, and the Nittany Lions riding high at 7-0, this could be Penn State’s best shot at its first win against Michigan since 1996.

The streak is enough of a factor that Joe Paterno mentioned it to his players following last week’s win against Wisconsin. When asked about it on Tuesday, Paterno said he wasn’t sure why he brought it up.

“I don't know why I said it. It was after the game and I just wanted to get things in focus and try to make sure that we didn't walk out of there with our heads in the clouds...” said Paterno. “I forget exactly how I did it. I think we haven't beaten them in nine years or something like that. Is it nine years? I'm not even sure I'm right on that.”

While the streak is intimidating, Paterno insisted that it was not a mental block that the team had to deal with.

“No, no, no, no, it's not a mental thing,” he said. “We had a couple of tough ballgames where it could go either way and a lot of it was not due to the people playing the game. There were some outside people who blew a couple of things and made it a little tougher to win. But, no, I don't think it's a psychological thing at all. Even if Lloyd were there... that's not the problem. The point I wanted to make was, Hey, you're not going to have a bunch of guys coming into State College and they're going to be in awe of us or anything like that. We gotta go out and play and we gotta be ready to play a good, tough football game.”

Putting aside Michigan’s 2-4 record, Paterno isn’t taking the Wolverines or head coach Rich Rodriguez lightly.

“I think Michigan is a good football team, and they can go out there and beat anybody,” he said. “They can get a couple of kids that start to feel good about themselves, make a couple of plays, get a little momentum... You gotta look at a couple other games. Forget the Toledo game. You literally gotta wipe that thing out. They didn't play very well at all. But, they got off on the foot. I don't know whether they went into the game with the right... without looking back at a couple of things. But, then you look at a couple other games they've played. They've played really well. I keep saying they're a good football team now. How good? How good are we? I don't know yet. But, I think it's going to be a real tough football game.

Junior quarterback Daryll Clark noted that the team’s focus this week has been winning the game, and not breaking the streak.

“What started this week, I thought it's been pretty good,” said Clark. “We've been practicing well so far. We're practicing against a team that is better than their record. Michigan, I feel, they are better than what their record shows and we're not preparing for a team that lost to Toledo. We're preparing for a team that beat Wisconsin. Their defense is a pretty tough defense, after watching film. And, you know, obviously, everyone's been thinking that we haven't beaten them... There's no one on our roster that has beaten Michigan. That's a thought that will be in our heads but we have to push that aside. We can't just dwell on that and we just have to prepare like we've been preparing each week and we'll be fine.”

Although Paterno has been coaching from the press box the last two weeks, he said that he isn’t sure whether his injury will keep him from the sidelines this weekend.

“Well, I'm playing it day by day, really. I'm not sure what we're going to do this week,” he said. “Some days I really feel that I can go out there and almost jog. Other days, it's really sore. So, I just gotta play it by ear, play it one day at a time and then when the season is over, have somebody take a look at it, get it fixed up.”

He was also asked about the specifics of his injury, and indicated that it was more his hip than his knee.

“Oh, I don't know what it is for sure yet. It's probably something to do with the hip,” he said. “I don't know. But I haven't got time to spend time going through a lot of examinations and things like that right now. I'm going to wait until the season is over and we'll see what's happened.”

Paterno updated the status of two of his players that were injured against Wisconsin. Reserve tailback Brent Carter went down with a knee injury, and wide receiver Brett Brackett got a concussion.

“Carter is going to have his knee operated on. He's got an ACL,” said Paterno. “(Brackett) I don't think they're going to let him go this week. He had a pretty good concussion. He was on the practice field yesterday but didn't do anything. So, I would doubt either one of those kids would play. I know Carter won't.”

Later in the week, Paterno refuted those comments on Brackett, and said during his Thursday radio show that he would be available for the game this weekend.

He also noted that starting right guard Stefen Wisniewski, who had some issues with his knee, would be able to play on Saturday. However, if he cannot go, senior Mike Lucian will likely step into that role.

In other injury news, tailback Evan Royster has had some hand issues, but it is not expected to affect his status for Saturday.

Here is the official Injury Report for Saturday:

WR Brett Brackett (head) - possible
TB Brent Carter (knee) - out
DE Jerome Hayes (knee) - out
C Doug Klopacz (knee) - out
LB Sean Lee (knee) - out
DE Devon Still (ankle) - out
Saf Nick Sukay (foot) - out



This will be a huge recruiting weekend for the Nittany Lions, who will welcome several top prospects to the sidelines for the game. (Rivals.com star ratings are in parenthesis for the uncommitted visitors)

Scheduled to be in attendance are:

Penn State verbal commitments:

Frank Figueroa - OL - Alexandria (Va.) Thomas Edison
Adam Gress - OL - West Mifflin (Pa.)
Mark Arcidiacono - OL - Philadelphia (Pa.) St. Joseph’s Prep
Ty Howle - OL - Bunn (N.C.)
Nate Cadogan - OL/DL - Portsmouth (Ohio)
Eric Shrive - OL - Scranton (Pa.) West Scranton
Christian Kuntz - Ath. - Camp Hill (Pa.) Trinity
Darrell Givens - DB - Indian Head (Md.) Lackey
Malcolm Willis - DB - Indian Head (Md.) Lackey
Brandon Felder - WR - Oxon Hill (Md.)

Here are some recruits who are uncommitted or committed elsewhere in the class of 2009 that are scheduled to attend:

Garry Gilliam - TE/DE - Hershey (Pa.) Milton Hershey (***)
Kevin Newsome - QB - Chatham (Va.) Hargrave Military (****)
Justin Brown - WR - Wilmington (Del.) Concord (****)
Travis Hawkins - Ath. - Gaithersburg (Md.) Quince Orchard (****)
Jason Ankrah - DE - Gaithersburg (Md.) Quince Orchard (****)
Gerald Hodges - DB/LB - Paulsboro (N.J.) (Rutgers commit) (****)
Dale Peterman - DB - Youngstown (Ohio) Ursuline (***)
Isaac Holmes - DT - Hoboken (N.J.) (****)
Michael Douglas - DT - Hoboken (N.J.)

Here are some notable junior prospects that are scheduled to attend:

Mike Hull - LB - Canonsburg (Pa.) Canon-McMillian
Paul Jones - QB - McKees Rocks (Pa.) Sto-Rox
Andrew Carswell - WR - McKees Rocks (Pa.) Sto-Rox
Seth Betancourt - OL - Philadelphia (Pa.) St. Joseph’s Prep
Alex Kenney - Ath. - State College (Pa.)
Kyle Baublitz - TE/DE - York (Pa.) Central York
Keevon Newsome - DE - Portsmouth (Va.) Churchland
Jamel Turner - LB - Youngstown (Ohio) Ursuline
Posted By: Sean Fitz @ 7:56:47 AM

Blue White Illustrated Friday Update

Categories » Team previews » Opponent review

Friday, October 10, 2008

FRIDAY PREGAME UPDATE - WISCONSIN

The Nittany Lions look primed for their prime-time showdown with No. 24 Wisconsin on Saturday night at 8:00 p.m. ET. The game can be seen nationwide on ESPN. Mike Patrick and Todd Blackledge will call the action.

Here is a rundown of some of the noteworthy items of the week in Penn State football.

Good news for Daryll Clark and the Nittany Lions receiving corps - senior wideout Jordan Norwood should be ready to go after missing two games with a hamstring pull. Joe Paterno said on Tuesday that Norwood was ‘OK,’ and possibly could have played against Purdue last week.

Clark noted how much having him back in the lineup would affect the offense.

“Obviously, we miss Jordan and we always want to have all of our healthy wideouts,” said Clark. “He practiced (Monday). He went about 80 percent and he looked pretty good. Jordan - him being a slot receiver - most likely he always winds up on a safety and he runs really good routes and he has very dependable hands and he's always underestimated because he's such a small guy. But, when that happens, he always makes them pay the price and he's always a guy that comes to work. So, the sooner he gets back, the greater we'll be to have him back.”




The biggest question surrounding this week’s game is a glaring one - will Penn State be able to put up enough points to win on the road? The Nittany Lions have scored six points total in their last two trips to Camp Randall Stadium. Even though the Badgers have lost two straight games, to Michigan and Ohio State, respectively, and 8:00 p.m. start will have Bret Beilema’s team fired up and ready to go.

Paterno said on Tuesday that he believes that his offense will be able to move the ball in a hostile environment.

“I think it can be successful anywhere if you have the right people in the right place doing the right things at the right times, as I've said a thousand times,” said Paterno. “No, I think that would be up to their coaches and the coaching staff as to whether their personnel would be better suited to the spread than it is to what their doing right now. They're playing awfully good football right now.

“They lost two tough games that they let slip away from them against two good football teams. So, I don't know whether they'd even be interested in talking about the spread. I think it depends. Now, we've gotten a little bit more of it, not quite as much as some of these other people because we have a quarterback that can run and some of the things that he can do from the spread are suited for him.”

When asked about what he expects from the Badgers fans on Saturday evening, Clark’s answered was simple.

“It will be just like it is at Beaver Stadium but it's going to be against us. Hopefully, we can feed off the hostile environment and go out and play just like we would at home.”

Starting tailback Evan Royster stuck to simplicity as well.

“They are definitely going to be hungry for a win and they're going to come out ready to play,” he said. “We need to come out more ready. That's the only way we're going to win the game.




It seems that each week the Friday Pregame Update has an section on where senior Mike Lucian will be lining up for the game on Saturday. This week is no different.

With the status of tight ends Mickey Shuler and Andrew Quarless up in the air due to ankle injuries, Lucian has gotten reps at the position this week.

So far this season, Lucian has played guard, center, defensive tackle, and now, tight end. Talk about a team player.




Think the offensive line would be tight heading into this weekend? Think again.

Center A.Q. Shipley was scheduled to be on a weekly conference call with reporters on Wednesday morning, and showed up promptly as usual. He answered questions for about 15 minutes, but something was different about this one.

A few reporters caught on that Shipley’s voice was a little deeper than normal, but he was still speaking with his usual ‘ya know’s’ and such.

Later that day, Penn State Sports Information sent out an email:

“Another member of the squad posed as A.Q. and answered the questions on the conference call today.
 
Please accept our apologies for this occurrence. We will endeavor to see that it does not happen again. “

It turns out that starting left guard Rich Ohrnberger (pictured), a senior who has a reputation as being the clown on the team, was sitting in for Shipley, taking questions. He even answered one about himself without breaking character.




On Tuesday, with numerous questions surrounding his health status, Paterno addressed how his leg was feeling. He coached from the press box last week at Purdue, and said it would be determined later this week as to whether or not he would be on the field in Madison.

“It's up and down. It's one of those things I'm going to have for a while so I've just gotta live with it. But, we'll see by the end of the week whether I feel like I can get on the sideline or coach upstairs,” said Paterno. “I don't think it's a big concern for the squad and it's not a big concern for me because I think that with the staff we have, as I've said several times, it really isn't a big deal. I'm going to have to live with it for a couple weeks, maybe more than that.”

It was, also, two years ago at Camp Randall Stadium that Paterno hurt his other leg in a sideline collision.




As was mentioned before, the biggest injury questions marks surround the tight end position, as both Mickey Shuler and Andrew Quarless suffered further ankle trouble last week. As of Thursday, their status was still up in the air. SHould they not be able to go on Saturday, look to see Mike Lucian, redshirt freshman Andrew Szczerba and walk-on Greg Miskinis get reps at the position.

Wisconsin starting left tackle Gabe Carimi did not practice all week and will likely not play against Penn State. Redshirt freshman Josh Oglesby will likely start in his place.

Here is the official injury report of this week’s game:

DE Jerome Hayes (knee) - out
C Doug Klopacz (knee) - out
LB Sean Lee (knee) - out
WR Jordan Norwood (leg) - probable
TE Mickey Shuler (ankle) - probable
DE Devon Still (ankle) - out
Saf Nick Sukay (foot) - out


Here is the projected depth chart for Saturday



Posted By: Sean Fitz @ 7:04:02 AM

Blue White Illustrated Friday Update

Categories » Team previews » Opponent review

Friday, October 03, 2008

FRIDAY PREGAME UPDATE - PURDUE

The Nittany Lions will kickoff on Saturday with their second noon kickoff of the season on Saturday, but the game will begin at 11:00 a.m. local time. Despite Penn State’s fast start, it is still only 4-6 over the last two seasons on the road.

Joe Paterno addressed how the Lions struggled on Tuesday at his weekly press conference.

“Obviously, we've had some problems on the road but we've been beaten by teams that either were better than we were, were better coached or just played better, I don't know,” said Paterno. “I had never really looked at it that way. I think a road trip is a road trip, whether it's in the Big Ten or whether you're playing somebody else.

“I hadn't even thought about that, to be frank with you. Obviously, you'd prefer to play at home when you get a crowd such as we had Saturday with all the excitement and enthusiasm and everything like that, you'd prefer to be home. But, I think if you're good and you're prepared and your kids have their heads on straight, if you're good enough, you win. If you're not good enough, you don't win.”



Although they have been overlooked much of the season due to the play of the overall offense, the Nittany Lions offensive line has been simply outstanding this season.

“I think they've done well, I really do,” said Paterno. “I think they've had a lot of poise, they've been consistent, they've played well as a unit. They haven't been perfect, obviously, but I think they're doing well. They're not the biggest offensive line that's going to be put on the field in a couple of games but they come off the ball well, they know what they're doing.

“Both Dick Anderson and Bill Kenney, the two offensive line coaches, do a great job with them and get them well-prepared. So, I'd have to say they've done a good job.”

The stats back up Paterno’s claim:

- The Nittany Lions are averaging 49.8 points per game this season.
- Penn State is averaging 267.6 yards per game on the ground, and 515.2 yards per game overall.
- Penn State quarterbacks have only been sacked four times all season.
- The Nittany Lions are 27-29 inside the red zone, including a whopping 23 touchdowns.



Speaking of the offensive line, senior Mike Lucian has been switched back to offensive guard, following a short stint at defensive tackle. He is listed as the No. 2 left guard behind Rich Ohrnberger, but will likely be the first sub at either guard position and center.

He was moved, for a short period of time, to the defensive line to address depth issues.



This will be the last time that Joe Paterno and Purdue coach Joe Tiller, the two longest-tenured coaches in the Big Ten, will meet on the field. Tiller will step down following the season, and the two have shared some fond memories over the years.

“Oh, well Joe, I like Joe. I won't miss coaching against him,” said Paterno. “I think he's a heckuva coach and has gotten as much out of a squad as anybody in the Big Ten has gotten in the last 15 years. He's just a good solid guy and he's become a friend because he and his wife and my wife and I have been on trips together with the NIKE people and have gotten to be good friends.

“We've sat around many a night and just talked a little bit of football and a lot of other things and I'm going to miss him just being out of the profession. Competing against him is not something that you particularly enjoy because he is a tough competitor. He gets that big smile and the whole bit but he's a tough guy. So, I think... I'm just going to miss him. I won't get to see as much of him as we used to see him. But, I won't miss coaching against him.”

Paterno holds the all-time edge in wins over Tiller, 7-2.



Joe Paterno said on Tuesday that, even though his knee was bothering him, he would be good to go this weekend.

“I think I'm going to be alright,” he said. “It doesn't feel great, that's a long day Saturday. But, yeah, I'll be OK. I tell the guys on the team, There's a difference between being hurt and being injured. If you're injured, we don't want you to play. But, if you're hurt, you better get out there. Right now I'm hurt.”

The big concern on the field heading into the weekend is the status of Jordan Norwood’s hamstring. The senior starter sat out last week against Illinois after pulling the muscle in practice a few days before the game. Paterno said that Norwood’s status would be determined at game time.

Norwood will travel with the team to Purdue, but if he can’t go, he will be replaced by Graham Zug in the lineup. Zug caught his first career touchdown pass against Illinois last weekend.

Tailback Evan Royster should be ready to go on Saturday, despite fighting a nagging back injury. Royster admitted that he strained his back before the Temple game, and has practiced lightly all week.

Defensive tackle Ollie Ogbu will also be ready to go, despite tweaking his hamstring a week ago. He has started each game this season.

Tight end Mickey Shuler didn’t get the start last week because of an ankle injury, opening the door for Andrew Quarless to get his first start of the year. Shuler will likely be back in the starting lineup on Saturday.

Here is the official injury report from this week:

DE Jerome Hayes (knee) - out
C Doug Klopacz (knee) - out
LB Sean Lee (knee) - out
G Mike Lucian (ankle) - probable
WR Jordan Norwood (leg) - probable
DE Devon Still (ankle) - out
Saf Nick Sukay (foot) - out



The verbal commitment train started up again this week, as Penn State nabbed oral pledges from New Jersey linebacker Glenn Carson and Maryland athlete Devon Smith.

Carson committed to Ron Vanderlinden and Joe Paterno on Sunday, and made the news public on Monday.

“I was kind of leaning towards Penn State for a while, probably a little bit over a month, just leaning that way,” said Carson. “I just had visit a couple more schools, like Notre Dame and Boston College, and I had great visits at both schools and I liked their programs a lot, but I just felt that, still, Penn State was my top.

“Kind of after seeing both of those schools, I was pretty sure that Penn State was going to be the college for me. So when I went up to take my visit for the Illinois game, I was 99 percent sure that I was going to commit. After everything went as well as it did, on Sunday, that morning, I sealed the deal.”

Carson is rated as the top linebacker in New Jersey, and is a three-star prospect, according to Rivals.com. He was an all-state selection in 2007, after leading his team in tackles. At 6-foot-2, 225-pounds, the Southern Regional High School product projects as an inside linebacker at Penn State.

One day later, diminutive athlete Devon Smith finally decided that he would be a Lion as well. The 5-foot-7, 153-pound speedster had been leaning towards the Nittany Lions for a long time.

"Yesterday I told my coach how I felt, and I made a pros and cons sheet for him," Smith said on Monday. "I had no cons about Penn State. I just gave him a little talk about how I felt about Penn State. He just said we were going to have a little meeting and talk about it. We had our meeting, and I called Larry Johnson this morning around 10:00, and committed to Penn State.

"I thought to myself that I have a chance of playing my first or second year, because they're losing three big starting receivers, like Derrick Williams, (Jordan) Norwood and Deon Butler, so I thought I could really play soon and be a big player at Penn State."

Smith is one of the fastest players in the country, and Rivals.com recruiting analyst Mike Farrell said that he is the second-fastest player he’s seen in the last 10 years. He was recruited by Larry Johnson, Sr.

Both players took in visits to the Illinois game.



Here’s a stat for you - the Nittany Lions have scored more points in the second quarter this year (100), than they have given up total (64).





Posted By: Sean Fitz @ 6:23:07 AM

Blue White Illustrated Friday Update

Categories » Team previews » Opponent review

Friday, September 26, 2008

FRIDAY PREGAME UPDATE - ILLINOIS

The long-running saga of suspended defensive tackles Maurice Evans and Abe Koroma appears to be coming to an end. The pair, which haven’t played or practiced since marijuana was found in their apartments in early September, returned to practice on Monday.

Joe Paterno indicated that the two former starters could see action on Saturday against Illinois.

"Judicial Affairs people have indicated that there’s nothing they’re gonna do that would say they can’t play," Paterno said on his radio show Thursday. "So they probably will play."

Earlier in the week, Fighting Illini head coach Ron Zook said that he expected them to be ready to go for Saturday, but he wasn’t sure how it would affect his game plans.

“I don’t know that you can really do anything in practice to prepare for them,” Zook said. “They’re both great players, they’re both starters. Both guys have played an awful lot of football. It just adds to their repertoire, to their arsenal. They are very, very talented and they’re deep and just gives them that much more depth.”

Both Evans and Koroma ran with the second team all week at practice, and will be a welcome sight to an ailing defensive line that has been decimated by injuries.

In the Lions' first game of the season against Coastal Carolina, both Koroma and Evans were contributors and starters along the defensive line, making two tackles each.




The Nittany Lions has traditionally struggled in Big Ten openers, and are 6-9 all time in the games, including winning only one of its last eight. While Paterno didn’t look ahead to the rest of the season, he said that winning the first one could set his team in the right direction.

“Well, we've got a tough football team to play this week. I think Illinois is a good, solid football team and it's the first Big Ten game we're going to play,” said Paterno. “I think you play them one by one. I haven't really had a chance to spend a lot of time looking at anybody else in the league. But, I obviously have paid a little bit more attention to Illinois because of the fact that we're playing them first.

“I think Illinois is a good, solid football team. They beat us last year and played really well. They've got some wonderful personnel. Their quarterback is an outstanding player. They got a couple of skill people that are excellent. They play solid defense and a good, solid kicking game. That's what I'm looking at and we've gotta play well.”



In last year’s loss to the Fighting Illini, the momentum hinged on one play early in the game - Arrelious Benn’s 90-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. The Nittany Lions were never the same after the play, and lost a tight one in Champaign.

Paterno knows that he can’t let Benn get loose again this season, but after last week’s lackluster effort on kickoff coverage, it will be an area of concern for the Nittany Lions. Temple averaged 36.8 yards per return last week, and Travis Shelton broke free for a 74-yard return in the second quarter.

“Well, I wasn't pleased with the kickoff coverage, no. But, again, I had gone into the game trying to tell people I thought they had a really good kickoff return guy who had been very successful the year before and they had a lot of confidence in their kickoff return game,” said Paterno. “We didn't do a good job but that's really probably not fair to Temple and the kid who ran the ball back. I think that you gotta give them some credit for doing a good job. But, we've talked about it and we're going to work hard on it this week, try to do a little better job if we can. Because, last year, Illinois ran... we went down the field the first time we had our hands on the ball, kicked off to them and they ran it right back down our throats for a touchdown on the kickoff. So, we're aware of the fact that we've had some problems there.”



With 11 fumbles in the last three games, the Nittany Lions have put the ball on the ground much more than Paterno would like. He said on Tuesday that it would be a point of emphasis during practice this week.

“It's a tremendous concern. You don't address it just in the middle of the season. We address it every day,” said Paterno. “We have ballcarrying drills, takeaway drills. It worries me, it really does. I don't think you can be really good putting the ball on the ground that many times. We talk about it, we practice it. As I said, we set up drills where the kid carrying the football has to protect it with one or two guys trying to pull it out, that kind of thing. But, I don't know what else to do.”




The Lions appear to be fairly healthy headed into this weekend. Starting tight end Mickey Shuler, Jr., suffered an ankle sprain last week against Temple, and defensive lineman Mike Lucian is still nursing a sore ankle himself, but both should play this week.

“I think they'll both be OK,” said Paterno. “Neither one of them did much yesterday but I think they're going to let them do more today. So, I'm hopeful we'll have both of those kids ready to play on Saturday.

Redshirt sophomore offensive lineman Doug Klopacz will officially miss the rest of the season due to an ACL  injury. Paterno said on Tuesday that they are trying to fill his second-team center spot at this time.

“Well, Klopacz is gone for the year. He's got the same thing that Hayes has. So, he's out for the year. He's got an ACL,” said Paterno. “It's created a problem for us in the sense that we had counted on Klopacz being two. But right now, we have been practicing Wisniewski at center all year. So, if we got in a jam, if Lucian's OK and we can move him back to offense, then Lucian could be our backup guard on either side and then Wisniewski could be the backup center.

“We'd have to make some kind of combination. But, all those kids play center. Ohrnberger practices at center, Lucian practices at center, Wisniewski practices at center, and then we have a redshirt freshman, a kid by the name of Barham, who has been practicing there. So, we have people but none of them would be as good as Shipley would be at center, though.”

The rest of the injury report is as follows:

DE Jerome Hayes (knee) - Out
LB Sean Lee (knee) - Out
DT Mike Lucian (ankle) - Probable
TE Mickey Shuler (ankle) - Probable
OT Ako Poti (knee) - Possible
DE Devon Still (ankle) - Out
Saf. Nick Sukay (foot) - Out
C Doug Klopacz (knee) - Out




The Nittany Lions will play host to several key targets this weekend. Big names, like wide receiver Justin Brown from Delaware, University of Virginia commitment wide receiver Tyree Watkins and linebacker Glenn Carson, both from New Jersey, and athletes Travis Hawkins and Devon Smith from Maryland. Other possibilities for visitors include defensive lineman Jason Ankrah from Maryland and All-American linebacker Jelani Jenkins from

Hawkins, four-star prospect, had noted last week that the Nittany Lions were not in touch with him, but it appears that things have changed.

"I'll be up there early," said Hawkins. "I'm coming for both, to see Bani and as a football recruit. I'm going to talk to coach Johnson before or after the game or whatever."

The Nittany Lions had ceased contact with both players over the last month, but Hawkins got a call from Larry Johnson, Sr. last week to try to get things sorted out.

"He just said that he thought that I was not interested anymore," he said. "I told him that was never the case. Then he was just like, well, 'I'd like to get to talk to you,' so I'm going up there this weekend."

So is the 5-foot-10, 181-pound prospect once again interested in the Nittany Lions?

"Not yet, when I talk to him in person I want to see how he really feels - if they do want me," said Hawkins. "I still like the school, but just how that all went down, it was crazy."

Several talented juniors will also make the trip, including Sto-Rox quarterback and receiver combo Paul Jones and Andrew Carswell. Jones will likely be the top QB prospect in the state next year, and Carswell has already pulled in a few scholarship offers of his own.

Also from west Pennsylvania is standout linebacker Mike Hull. He is the son of former Penn State linebacker Tom Hull, and currently has a verbal scholarship offer from the Nittany Lions. He has stated that Penn State is the frontrunner for his services.      




Posted By: Sean Fitz @ 6:38:37 AM

Blue White Illustrated Friday Update

Categories » Team previews » Opponent review

Friday, September 19, 2008

FRIDAY PREGAME UPDATE - TEMPLE

Posted By: Sean Fitz @ 6:01:50 AM

Blue White Illustrated Friday Update

Categories » Team previews » Opponent review

Tuesday, September 09, 2008

FRIDAY PREGAME UPDATE - SYRACUSE

While both Andrew Quarless and A.J. Wallace will travel and, in all likelihood, play this Saturday against Syracuse, the other two players from last week’s incident at the Nittany Apartments complex, defensive linemen Maurice Evans (picture) and Abe Koroma, will once again not play.

Their status, Joe Paterno said, is day-to-day.

“There are circumstances involved with this which I can't really get into and I don't want to get into,” Paterno said on Tuesday. “This is four people and not all were the same involvement so I'm just trying to wait until I can get this thing straightened out and then we'll see what happens. So, as far as whether they're going to play or not, I'm going to play it day-by-day for a while.”

With two stalwarts on the defensive line out for an unknown period of time, and the loss of Jerome Hayes, who made the start last week in place of Evans, to another ACL injury, the Nittany Lions defensive line no longer has the depth that it once had. But Paterno said he thought the group has responded well.

“I thought the defensive people played well and I think the defensive coaches have done a great job when you consider the fact that they've had to play with a different group almost every week because of injuries and other things to some kids that we were really high on,” said Paterno. “Losing Hayes is a big loss. Hayes is a guy that I had thought would be a really outstanding football player and we've been holding him back a little bit because of a knee operation he had a year ago.

“To see him go down was a big disappointment - more for him, obviously, as a kid that's had two knee operations in two years. But, I think they've done a really good job. They're hanging in there. Yeah, there's a couple of drives against us but they're pretty good football teams.”




With so many things going the wrong way for the Lions, with suspensions, injuries, etc., Paterno said on Tuesday that he was impressed with how the team has reacted to such adversity, especially on the defensive side of the ball.

“As I said after the game at the press conference, I was pleased with two things,” stated Paterno. “I think one, you've gotta give the kids - there's a group of kids there that just hung in there and were determined they weren't going to let the things that have been happening take away from all the hard work they've done and their confidence that they can get the job done. Then, I think you've gotta give the coaching staff credit because they hung in there with them on both sides of the football, adapted to certain things, made adjustments, didn't try to do too much and overall, did a really good job.”

In a response to depth problems along the defensive line, the Lions moved key offensive line backup Mike Lucian (pictured) to defensive tackle.



Coming into the season, true freshman Jack Crawford wasn’t sure if he would get snaps as a true freshman, but the 6-6, 270-pound import was on the field against Coastal Carolina. The one catch? Crawford was playing defensive tackle - not his natural defensive end.

“I think Crawford has a ways to go, obviously. He's a true freshman and has only played football for two years,” said Paterno. “He came over here from England and had never played but he's an awfully competitive kid, he's got a lot of natural ability, and he played much better this week than he did in the first game and I think he'll continue to get better for a while. Before you know it, he's going to be one heckuva player.”




While both will suit up against Syracuse, there were concerns earlier in the week that starting quarterback Daryll Clark and wide receiver Derrick Williams could have sustained lingering injuries against Oregon State.

Clark took a shot in the forearm at the end of his second-half touchdown run, and Williams missed most of the second-half with a muscle injury in his abdomen.

But both will be ready to go against the Orange.

“They're both fine. Williams probably could have played. The doctors would know better but he had some kind of a strain in one of his stomach muscles but he was out there yesterday running around a little. I'm sure he'll be OK and I didn't even know Clark had any problems,” said Paterno.




T Ako Poti - (knee) - Possible
DE - Jerome Hayes (knee) - Out
LB - Sean Lee (knee) - Out
DE Devon Still (ankle) - Out
Saf. Nick Sukay - (foot) - Out





Due to the weather, both marquee visitors that were scheduled to be at the Oregon State game, receiver Devon Smith and linebacker Glenn Carson, were unable to make the trip.

"Coach Larry Johnson called me and told me to schedule another one," said Smith. "He told me that I shouldn't come, because the weather was going to be bad. It rained a lot down here, the trees were falling on the roads and stuff like that. [Johnson] was telling me that we could just do it at another time."

Both have said that they would reschedule the trip, possibly for next week’s game against Temple.







Posted By: The  Editor @ 12:51:11 PM

Blue White Illustrated Friday Update

Categories » Team previews » Opponent review

Friday, September 05, 2008

FRIDAY PREGAME UPDATE - OREGON STATE

The Nittany Lions will welcome Oregon State from the PAC-10 into Beaver Stadium on Saturday for the first matchup ever between the two schools.

The Beavers dropped their opener, 36-28 to Stanford on August 28, but come into Happy Valley hungry for the upset. The Nittany Lions cruised to a 66-10 win over Coastal Carolina last week, and will look to put the numerous off the field distractions of the week behind them when the game kicks off at 3:30 ET.

Here are the news and notes from the week leading up to the game.

Earlier this week, police were called to the Nittany Apartments residence of three Penn State football players. When police arrived, they smelled marijuana. Police got a search warrant and seized several related items from the apartment.

While the facts of the case are still not completely known, Joe Paterno made clear on his Thursday radio show that he had suspended juniors Maurice Evans and Andrew Quarless, as well as redshirt sophomore Abe Koroma. Junior A.J. Wallace, who was also named on the police report, will play.

"We're not going to play Evans and we're not going to play…Wallace will play," said Paterno. "Wallace was really not part of that situation. Evans and Quarless and Koroma were and it's unfortunate but hey, we preach, preach, preach and they stepped out of line."

The long term fate of the three suspended players has yet to be determined.

"They deserve what they're going to get. Whatever that's going to be I don't know," said Paterno. "My feeling on all of this they have a responsibility to the program and a responsibility to themselves, to their family and they have a responsibility to their teammates and if they do something as dumb as it appears they did, and I am not sure if they did it or didn't yet, but even being close to that kind of thing I am not going to play any one of those three kids this weekend.

"And it's disappointing because they're all three good football players, they're not bad kids. But they do dumb things and you pay for it when you do dumb things. It's something they'll be living with because the NFL is cracking down and everybody with drugs and I feel sorry for them. I wish I could do something besides saying 'hey, you're going to sit out this week til I get all the information,' because I don't have it all."




More bad news off the field came on Paterno’s Thursday night show, as he made clear that reserve cornerback Willie Harriott was no longer with the team. Harriott was involved in an incident relation to drinking and driving, according to a source close to the team.

In his place, true freshman D’Anton Lynn will likely see time.

"Willie got himself in a jam the other day and won't be on the team," said Paterno. "In fact he got in a jam the other night. But I think Lynn is going to have to play and the other kid, A.J. is a good football player."

Paterno also mentioned that playing Lynn was not in the cards this year.

“We were going to redshirt Lynn because I was hoping that Willie Harriott would come along,” Paterno said in response to a caller on the show.

Harriott was charged with DUI last year, and was also cited for underage drinking in August, 2007. Harriott totaled five tackles on Saturday against Coastal Carolina, most of which came on special teams.




Oregon State quarterback Lyle Moevao threw for 404 yards in a loss to 36-28 Stanford last weekend, which could be a concern for the Nittany Lions, whom looked less than solid in the secondary a week ago.

But Paterno said at his Tuesday press conference that we likely would not see them throw the ball 54 times, as they did last week.

“I think Oregon State got behind a little bit. I don't think that's necessarily their game,” said Paterno. “I don't know Mike Riley really well. I have not coached against him except I know him by reputation and we've been on some Nike trips together. I think he's a really nice person and obviously an outstanding coach. But I don't think I'd go by the fact that they threw the ball as much as they did against Stanford.

“I think they got behind a little bit and a couple of things happened there. So, I think we've gotta be ready to handle the running game. I don't know whether I would overreact to the amount of throwing they did last Thursday night. I think we've gotta be ready for a more balanced attack.”

Leading the way in the Beavers’ air attack are wideouts Shane Morales, who caught 13 balls for 157 yards and two touchdowns a week ago, and Sammie Stroughter, who hauled in 12 receptions for for 157 yards and two touchdowns against Stanford.

“I think they're very good and I am concerned about them. In fact, we had a long talk Sunday night about it,” said Paterno. “I stayed up until a quarter 'til one eastern time on Thursday night to watch the game with Stanford and I was very impressed with them. I was very impressed with their quarterback. I think the quarterback is a very poised kid. He had to make some tough plays to keep them in the ballgame.

“They gave Stanford a lot of opportunities and really beat themselves. Oregon State beat themselves. So, I came away from that game thinking, 'Hey, we're going to have our hands full.' And nothing has changed.”




Sean Lee - Out (Knee)
Ako Poti - Possible (Knee)
Devon Still - Out (Ankle)
Nick Sukay - Out (Foot)




Penn State is expecting a few key targets to be at the game on Saturday, led by wide receiver Devon Smith from Waldorf, Md., and linebacker Glenn Carson from Manahawkin, N.J.

The 5-foot-7, 153-pound Smith will be an official visitor. Some consider him to be the fastest player in the nation.

"I'm still coming up this weekend, I got my papers in the mail today for where I'm supposed to go and stuff," Smith said on Sunday. "I'm going to have a lot of questions for the wide receivers coach, and I'm going up there with my mother and father, so you know they're going to have a lot of questions for the coaches."

The 6-foot-2, 225-pound Carson was among the first three linebackers offered by the Nittany Lions. His visit will be an unofficial one.

"We have a scrimmage on Friday, and then right after the scrimmage I'm going to head out," he said. "They said that they would rather have me do an unofficial because official visits are kind of tough during a game. They said that they wanted to save it for a time that they could be more hands-on with me.

"I haven't been to a Penn State game, so that's why it's kind of important to me to get out there. I hear it's like a real amazing experience, so I guess I'll get part of the atmosphere."




Posted By: The  Editor @ 6:11:43 AM

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