SB Nation - Nathan Stupar

The Story: Zook Gets Desperate

Kevin HD — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 12:30:56 -0000

But real quick: There's something called the Mumme Poll, run by two very excellent OMG-SEC bloggers, and you're going to like it because mathematically it works quite different than the typical. The short and sweet of it is this: voters (lots of voters, and that's why they need you) pick teams in batches. No pretending to have a reason to rank the 11th team ahead of the 12th, or getting fishy with unprovoked drops of team #2 down below the one loss mid-majors.

It's a really neat concept, and, again: something both different and reasonable. Register over at the new home and let's have some fun with it. But remember, you have to vote this week.

A story of Old Money.

What happened to Good Juice? He was never one to show up every week, but these first three games have been downright awful. Zero passing touchdowns, three picks, and ypc average a full yard lower than last year...the rest of it is bad, bad, bad. He actually improved statistically in 2008 compared to the Rose Bowl season, so why the slow start in 2009?

Do you remember. Illinois quarterback Isiah Williams? ESPN doesn't.

Movers and shakers. Vegas put out 'games of the year' odds during the summer and Penn State was favored by just one point. That line opened this week at 6. I was terrified; a very large group of other people believe it's way too low:

That's the second time this season Penn State has been (based on these numbers) the most bet-on team in college football. The line has since moved close to 8, but none of this is comforting.

Denial, I've been there. But it's never been this bad:

"Little things, a play here or there and we're in that game," defensive tackle Josh Brent said. "Whether media or fans think so, we're in that game with a couple of plays going a different way. ... It was just small things."

Reality can be a tough pill to swallow, but nothing says "yeah we really never had a chance" like getting beat 30-0 against a team that didn't complete a pass in the first half and then decided they simply didn't need to in the second.

Nature of the beast. I liked it better when everyone was healthy:

Coach Joe Paterno said Thursday on his weekly radio show that he doesn't think Lee will be able to play. Sophomore Nathan Stupar will most likely start.

Paterno says the Nittany Lions will also be without freshman wide receiver and kick returner Devon Smith, who suffered a concussion in last week's game and won't make the trip. Wide receiver Chaz Powell, who also returns kickoffs, has been ill this week.

The Hullstache Grows. Thanks HnB:

Joe Paterno Confronts His Team's Injury Problems

Oops Pow Surprise — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 22:59:07 -0000

SECRETARY

What do you want? I'm on the phone like always.

WHERE IS THE NEWSPAPER, I HAVE TO DO READING

Can't you just go online? All the newspapers' stories are online anymore.

I NEED NEWSPAPER

Why?

Yeah, dad, why?

JESUS PIPE-SMOKING CHRIST, DON'T YOU EVER SNEAK UP ON ME LIKE THAT AGAIN, JUNIOR

You told me to sit here five minutes ago, and then when I asked you why, you just wandered off.

DID YOU BRING ME A NEWSPAPER

Well, I didn't really bring it for you, per se, I kinda wanted to read

MINE MINE MINE

What's with your obsession with newspapers, anyway?

I GET THE PAPER. I GO TO THE BATHROOM. I TAKE THE PAPER IN THERE AND I SCAN IT. I LOOK AT IT. THE FIRST THING I DO IS LOOK AT WHO DIED. ALL RIGHT

What? You go to the bathroom to look at obituaries? That's like the grossest thing I've ever heard of!

THE GROSSEST THING YOU'VE EVER HEARD OF IS IF I WENT TO THE BATHROOM, THEN DIAGRAMMED PLAYS ON THE WALL BY SMEARING MY OWN DEFECATE

Oh come on, dad! You don't do that!

NO, BUT I HAVE USED MY OWN EJACULATE

Oh god damn it!

THOSE PLAYS COULD HAVE BEEN YOUR BROTHERS, JUNIOR

SHOW SOME DAMN RESPECT

Why am I even here, anyway?

I'M TOLD WE ARE MISSING LINEBACKERS

WEAHHH LIMEBACK A YOU

How do you not know about that, Dad?

WHAT DO YOU MEAN

Well, Navorro Bowman has that groin injury

FROM WHAT

According to this police report, you tried to shoot his genitals off with a blunderbuss for overpursuing on a draw play.

DESERVED IT

He's day to day.

And then there's Sean Lee.

HE STILL LOVES THE PROSTITUTES LIKE YOU WOULD NOT BELIEVE

Right, it's his other knee, not the one that Secretary kicked out. As for that, we're calling it a "sprain" so the authorities don't come sniffing around here, but that aside, could you please remind me again why we do that one drill?

AH YES, THE "BEAT THE STARTERS' LEGS WITH BASEBALL BATS UNTIL THEY CRY FOR MERCY" DRILL

THAT'S A HOLD OVER FROM MY DAYS AT OKLAHOMA STATE

Wait, you were nev

WE TRAINED OUR BOYS WITH THAT FOR HOURS ON END, BATTERING EACH OTHER'S LEGS TO BLOODY PULPS, FORGING OUR FIBULAE AND TIBIAE INTO BATTLE-HARDENED WAR MACHINES, ALL TO STAVE OFF THE LOOMING NAZI THREAT

This doesn't even sound like something he saw on television and thinks happened to him, I think he's actually hallucinating.

Okay. And then what happened, Dad?

THEN THE WOLVES

MY GOD, THE WOLVES

...

RIGHT

IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE WHO IS VAGINA-ING OUT ON THIS GAME

Oh, Stupar?

STUPAR? I BARELY KNOW HER

Hahaha, good joke, Mr. Paterno

THANK YOU

BUT I WAS NOT JOKING, WHO IN THE HELL IS STUPAR

Nathan Stupar is our top backup. He might not play either.

CONFOUND IT

THIS IS CLEARLY THE WORK OF THOSE GREASY KRAUTS.

Um, Germans aren't necessari

TO THE JOEPACOPTER

The what?

THE LATRINE

THESE BOWELS ARE NOT GOING TO EVACUATE THEMSELVES

OR ARE THEY

Staff Predictions: Iowa at Penn State

Run Up The Score — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 15:53:06 -0000

[Two preliminary notes. First, my friends from The Big Dirty will be playing their brand of funk outside of Medlar Field at 4 p.m. Stop by and say hello, they're quite good. Second, there are NINE open threads scheduled for tomorrow. Times are 8 a.m., noon, 3:30 p.m., 5:15 p.m., 8:00 p.m., 8:45 p.m., 9:30p.m., 10:15 p.m., and 11:00 p.m. If the threads are getting too slow, someone pull Rambler's batteries for a half hour or so. I'll try to check in from the game, but that depends on AT&T's crappy coverage and whether I'm willing to risk a drenched iPhone.]

Look, you're going to see this replayed approximately 15-20 times tomorrow, so let's just get this over with in the slowest, most painful and trite way possible.

Sorry. It's for your own good.

BSD Mike: Like I said yesterday, I think this game is going to come down to turnovers and field position. Whoever controls it wins the game. Penn State's defense should contain the Iowa offense which has struggled to run the ball consistently without Shonn Greene. The question in my mind is if the Penn State offense is up to the task against the Hawkeye defense. I think the Nittany Lions will have trouble running the ball against the front seven of Iowa, and a soggy field with a wet ball may slow down the passing attack and effectively ground the Spread HD. I think there will be some frustrating three-and-outs for Penn State, but they will make up for it with some big plays to set up some scores.

The key for Penn State is to score touchdowns in the redzone. Iowa is very good at stopping teams near the goal line, and last year Penn State had to settle for three field goals while another drive ended in an interception. If Penn State has to settle for field goals, or even worse comes up empty in the redzone, I don't like their chances.

Ultimately, I think this team realizes it's time to pick up the lunch pail and go to work. The energy of the whiteout under the lights and on primetime national television will have them focused. And the memory of what happened last year will make them determined.

Penn State 24, Iowa 13

RUTS: Not sure what to think about the rain in the forecast, other than I trust Evan Royster carrying the ball in those conditions far more than I trust Stephfon Green or either of Iowa's tailbacks. Given the field conditions (although Penn State's field drains quite well, I'm sure), I like having the straight-line speed of Devon Smith and Chaz Powell on our side. The game will come down to mistakes and the ability of Iowa's offense to function in a boisterous environment. Night wins by visiting teams are rare instances in Beaver Stadium -- at least during non-Dark Years -- usually reserved for truly elite teams who find themselves in the national championship race by late October. Think Miami '01 (12-0), Michigan '06 (11-2), and Ohio State '07 (11-2). Iowa is not such a team.

I still don't believe this Penn State squad is any kind of world-beating juggernaut, but it'll be enough to win tomorrow night provided they can thwart Kirk Ferentz's ball control plans. Look for Odrick and Ogbu to have monster games against the interior of Iowa's offensive line. Joe Paterno has been tweaking guys like Stefen Wisniewski and Nathan Stupar in the press this week, questioning their leadership and toughness, respectively. Paterno knows that he'll need those guys to have big games (doesn't say much for Lee's chances to play, if you want to read further into that).

They'll respond. Bloodlust carries the night.

Penn State 27, Iowa 17.

Kevin HD: I’m going to be honest here: I’m terrified of this game. Lee, out. Stupar, hurt. Bowman, rusty at best, not 100% at worst. The rain will hurt the passing game, Iowa can run, and Penn State has been sleep walking for three weeks now. Clark has been so torn up over last year’s loss (the one we’ve been watching on ESPN replay for three days now) that I’m afraid he might come out throwing like a guy on too much Red Bull.

And there is more. The red zone offense ranks 101st nationally, there has been zero pressure on the placekicker and we have a 1st year starter. All I can think about is that week one shank. I’m worried we’ll rely too much on the 1st down run and end up in too many 3rd and longs.

Depressed yet? There is good news, I guess: Royster is averaging over 5 yards per carry and broke a 7 yard average last week. Iowa is giving up a very mediocre 4.6 per carry. Clark is healthy. Iowa is losing a offensive lineman and maybe a tight end. The PSU linebacking corps is in pieces but they’re still pretty good. It’s a whiteout,
that’s gotta count for something.

In the end I’m completely torn. I predicted a seven-point loss on Wednesday and I’ve spent the rest of the week trying to talk myself out of it. Everyone from Vegas to Phil Steele to the guys at BHGP think I was wrong, and so I’ll give a little. But know that if things go like I think they will even a win is likely to be painful:

Penn State 14, Iowa 13

Penn State's Reason For Hope #2 - We're Linebacker U

BSD — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 14:00:11 -0000

More photos » by Carolyn Kaster - AP

Yeah they're ok. I could have had guns like that back in my days at Brown. But I was too busy chasing girls and eating pasta. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

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Some things never change from year to year. Lou Holtz will always think Notre Dame is going undefeated. Jim Tressel will be rocking the sweater vest like it's a 1955 Sock Hop. Pitt will always suck. And Penn State will churn out a batch of man-eating linebackers. 2009 is no exception.

Linebackers have always been the heart and soul of Joe Paterno's defense. From Jack Ham and Dennis Onkotz to Ed O'Neil and Greg Buttle to Shane Conlan and Trei Bauer to LaVar Arrington and Brandon Short to Paul Posluszny and Dan Connor, Penn State has been turning out dominating linebackers for five decades.

Last year Navorro Bowmanemerged as a dominating force in only his redshirt sophomore year. Bowman led the team in tackles with 106 (61 solo), and was second in tackles for loss with 16.5, And though Penn State played their worst game of the year in the Rose Bowl, Bowman played his best game recording five solo tackles for loss against the Trojans. This year, with the full hype kicking in from the first snap of the season, Bowman is poised to rocket himself into many of the post season award shows. And then he will probably rocket himself into a first round draft pick next April.

But it won't be Bowman everyone will be watching when Akron lines up in a little over a week from now. All eyes will be on No. 45, Sean Lee. The senior captain returns this year after missing the 2008 season with an ACL injury. He took home the MVP in the 2007 Alamo Bowl and was poised for an All American year last season, but now we're blessed to see him on the field where we have plenty of other questions to address. His leadership and experience will be priceless in leading a defense that is rebuilding in several areas.

Mike Mauti was most likely fill in the third spot in the linebacker group, but an ACL injury brought that to an end. But don't cry for me, Argentina. Penn State has plenty of bodies to fill in. Josh Hull played all 13 games last year in Sean Lee's absence. Though he has been the subject of a lot of criticism here and in other venues, Hull brings tremendous experience, a good work ethic, and a tough attitude.

Backing up these guys is no shortage of talent. Nate Stupar is becoming one of my favorite players. I've mentioned this numerous times, but even though Derrick Williams got all the attention with is electrifying kick and punt returns, Stupar was the MVP on special teams last year. Every time Williams had a big return, No. 34 was there throwing a key block. Every time the kickoff coverage team stopped the opponent before he crossed the 20, it was No. 34 making the initial contact. And it was No. 34 fighting through double-team blocks to block two punts. The man was everywhere, and if he didn't play behind Lavorro he would be everywhere on defense.

As far as the rest of the guys, look for Bani Gbadyuto have a breakthrough year. He's seeing time at middle linebacker, and I have a hunch the coaches have finally figured out how to play him to his strengths. Let's just say if I'm an opposing coach and I see Gbadyu come in the game, I would look for the blitz.

With Mike Zordich and Mike Yancich Penn State probably has the best third string linebackers in the country. This group is so good the decision has already been made to redshirt Chris Colasanti, a former four-star prospect, in his third year.

The Linebacker U tradition is alive and well. And if history is an indicator, when Penn State has good linebackers, the defense is pretty nasty. Consider half the puzzle solved.

Announcing: "We Are Penn State" Preseason Magazine

BSD — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 10:23:17 -0000

So I've been trying to keep this under wraps to surprise you all ninja-style, but there have been a few leaks here and there. If it seems like I've been preoccupied and not posting as much the past few months, it's because I've been busy as the editor of We Are Penn State, a 2009 Penn State football preview magazine being published by Maple Street Press that is due to hit book shelves this July. I've handed in the last of the material for print, and I see Maple Street is offering pre-orders, so I figure this is as good a time as any to make the big announcement.

We Are Penn State is 128 pages of Penn State coverage with information, stories, stats, and pictures without a single advertisement. In putting this together I assembled an amazing list of authors to cover Penn State football from every angle. Here's a list of what you'll read after the jump.

Yours truly breaks down each position on the offense and defense telling you who we lost from last year and who the major players are going to be this season.
BSD's own Kevin HD breaks down each team on the schedule to let you know what Penn State is up against in the Big Ten.
RUTS recaps the 2008 Big Ten Championship season in his usual wit.
Recruiting analyst Sean Fitz from BlueWhite Illustrated breaks down the incoming freshmen letting you know who the future stars will be and which kids have a chance to make an immediate impact in 2009.
Eric Thomas from Read Between the Lions tells you which five underclassmen are poised to have a breakout season.
RUTS pens another article detailing the fall of the Big Ten and gives you the formula the conference members must follow in order to regain the respect we once had.
Former Penn State football beat writer for the Daily Collegian, Travis Johnson, gives you an amazing look at the personal struggles Daryll Clark overcame to become "The Man" in charge of the Spread HD.
BlueWhite Illustrated contributor Andy Elder profiles Mike Mauti and Nate Stupar and their battle for the open linebacker spot.
Your humble blogger breaks down Penn State's recruiting efforts this year telling you which positions are major needs and detailing some of the kids who have already given their verbal commitment.
Travis Johnson chips in with another riveting article about the other senior captain, Sean Lee, and the difficulty he had in watching the 2008 season from the sidelines.
Jeff McLane, the former PSU beat writer for the Philadelphia Inquirer and former author of the blog Lion Eyes, recaps the amazing year Joe Paterno had last season essentially going from a vote of no confidence to a three year contract extension while dealing with an injured hip.
Then, Josh Lagenbacher, another former PSU football beat writer for the Daily Collegian, takes you on the inside to give you an up close look at Larry Johnson Sr. and what he means to the people around him.

Sound interesting yet? Well that's not all. In fact there is a lot more. The magazine concludes with a special section devoted to the history and tradition of Penn State football. Whether you have been a fan for five years or fifty years, this section is going to bring back memories and fill you with Penn State pride. You will want to cherish this magazine as a keepsake just for this section alone.

Kevin talks about the storied rivalry with Pitt and Penn State's ongoing search for a new rival to fill the void that was created when Penn State joined the Big Ten.
I personally give you a detailed lineage of the greatest Penn State linebackers of all time.
Long time BSD reader jesse tells you how Penn State dug itself out of the hole it was in a few years ago and rebuilt the program in a perenial Big Ten contender.
Famed Penn State football historian Lou Prato relives the Syracuse rivalry and tells you why this short series with the Orange brings back so many memories to so many Penn State fans. Lou has authored several books devoted to Penn State football including The Penn State Football Encyclopedia and What It Means To Be A Nittany Lion.
Former Penn State cornerback Tony Pittman relives the amazing 1994 season and tells you what it takes for a team to go undefeated. Tony operates the Penn State Football Podcast along with former teammate Phil Collins and is also the co-author of Playing for Paterno along with his father, Charlie.
And finally, all of you and your comments are featured inside the back cover in a touching piece about What It Means To Be A Penn Stater.

You can probably tell I'm pretty excited about this project. It was a lot of work, but like this blog it is a labor of love for my fellow Nittany Lion fans. There is truly something for every Penn State fan in this magazine. This is the first year it's coming out, so I'm hoping it sells well and they ask me to do it again next year.

The publication will be sold regionally in the PA area, so look for it on bookshelves July 21st. If you live outside of the PA area or you just want to get your copy a few weeks early, please go preorder your copy now.

Nitt Picks Is Running Like Hell

Run Up The Score — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 17:02:55 -0000

More photos » by PAT LITTLE - AP

8 months ago: Penn State linebacker Sean Lee (45) talks with teammate Chris Colasanti during spring football practice on Friday, March 27, 2009 in State College, Pa. (AP Photo/Pat Little)

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Okay, back to football.

Penn State recently held its annual Coaches' Clinic -- this year it was indoors at Holuba Hall due to the windy conditions. For the uninitiated, it's an event attended by hundreds of high school coaches from across the state. There are instructional presentations by the PSU coaches, but the big news always comes out of the live scrimmage.

Last year, the highly unusual news was the offense performing quite well against the defense. This year, things seem to have reverted to the defense just mauling its adversaries. Some reports from across the state:

Mark Wogenrich, Allentown Morning Call (which also has a two-deep depth chart):

On the very first play of the scrimmage, tight end Andrew Quarless jumped offsides. Head coach Joe Paterno was all over him.

Paterno also worked over cornerback Knowledge Timmons, who seemed physical but uncertain when to turn it on and off. He looked like a perpetual pass-interference flag waiting to happen.

Running back Evan Royster is effortlessly smooth. He scored on a 40-yard run that didn’t seem to require much energy expenditure.

Bit of a surprise to see Andrew Dailey at strong safety. Dailey, a 6-2 redshirt sophomore, spent last season at receiver and linebacker. True freshman Gerald Hodges was at third-team safety.

Sophomore receiver A.J. Price is listed at 173 pounds.That has to include pads.

[More from Wogenrich here.]

Bob Flounders, Harrisburg Patriot-News:

Penn State is rebuilding an offensive line that lost three first-team All-Big Ten choices to graduation. By the time the Big Ten season rolls around next falll, the unit might be solid enough to hold its own. ... There were few surprises. Senior Knowledge Timmons started at the one cornerback spot opposite A.J. Wallace and sophomore Andrew Dailey -- listed as a linebacker on the roster -- worked at one of the safety spots along with Drew Astorino.

[And from a different Flounders PennLive.com link: Harrisburg High redshirt freshman defensive tackle Brandon Ware, who is rumored to be down to 341 pounds after spending much of 2008 in the 360s, worked with the third-team defense and was a handful when an O-lineman tried to engage him one-on-one. ... Shuler caught a touchdown pass from Clark, one of the rare shining moments for the offense. ... Sophomore Jon Ditto, listed as a wideout on the roster, is working at outside linebacker. ... Other notables who were held out of practice were defensive end Jerome Hayes (knee) and tailbacks Stephfon Green (ankle) and Brent Carter (knee)]

Eric Thomas, Carlisle Sentinel:

Judging by one scrimmage in limited work against the first team defense, it appears redshirt freshman walk-on Matt McGloin may have the edge over Kevin Newsome. Newsome looked tentative under center, had a pass batted down at the line and was mugged by defensive end Kevion Latham and was off on deep balls during the scrimmage. The true freshman from Virginia who enrolled in January also had trouble handling some snaps both with the first and second string offensive line and appeared to be off on his timing when under center. On one play Newsome appeared to have trouble with a three-step drop. At first glance he appeared to throw the ball a lot of like Michael Robinson did, a side-armed somewhat inaccurate style.

The first team offensive line had DeOn’Tae Pannell at left tackle, Matt Stankiewitch at left guard, Stefen Wisniewski at center, Lou Eliades at right guard and Dennis Landolt at right tackle.

First team defense was Latham and Jack Crawford at the ends, Jared Odrick and Ollie Ogbu inside. Mike Mauti, Josh Hull and Navarro Bowman were the linebackers.

Sean Lee was held out of contact during the scrimmage and will do so all spring.

The secondary had A.J. Wallace and Knowledge Timmons at the corners with Andrew Dailey at free safety and Drew Astorino at strong safety.

The second team defensive line had Pete Massaro and Eric Latimore at the ends with Devon Still and Abe Koroma inside. Bani Gbadyu, Chris Colasanti and Nate Stupar at the linebackers and a secondary of D’Anton Lynn and Devin Fentress at the corners and Cedric Jeffries and Nick Sukay at the safety spots.

Jon Ditto, a one-time tight end, worked out with the linebackers.

On the first play the first team offense ran, tight end Andrew Quarless jumped. It appears the starting tight end spot is up for grabs between Quarless and East Pennsboro’s Mickey Shuler. Shuler made a nice grab on a throw from McGloin and later on a beautiful throw from Clark scored. Chaz Powell has inherited the Derrick Williams role, even his No. 2. Powell lined up in the backfield on several snaps.

Harrisburg’s Brandon Ware had a strong showing taking down reserve lineman Jonathan Stewart to pressure the quarterback and later knocking down a pass at the line of scrimmage.

The takeaways? No surprise that the defensive line is going to be amazing, and with the return of Sean Lee, Penn State will probably have the best front seven in the conference. Pray to whatever gods you believe in for the health of Daryll Clark, because Newsome isn't even close to being ready for live action. If Clark goes down, we're officially in "entering a world of pain" territory unless Newsome or McGloin improve greatly. Be afraid, again, about the defensive secondary, although Penn State can (for the second straight year) take comfort in the fact that they won't face many prolific passing attacks in the Big Ten. The coaching staff is quite obviously looking at various defensive back combinations -- let's hope they come up with a winning superfecta by October. Finally, the wide receiver position remains problematic. Zug jokes aside, they're not scaring anybody with a competent pass defense, and that means we're going to need a hell of a lot more from Mickey Shuler and...gulp...Andrew Quarless.

Penn State Kicks Off Spring Practice

BSD — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 17:00:08 -0000

Lost in all the publicity from the basketball team's NIT run, among other, uh, distractions, is the fact that the Penn State football team kicked off spring practice this Wednesday. They'll be be putting on the pads and sorting things out over the next few weeks until spring practice concludes with the Blue-White Game on April 25. So I guess we should probable devote some coverage to that. Here are the top five questions for the football team as I see them this spring.

Wide Receivers

Deon Butler, Derrick Williams, and Jordan Norwood leave Penn State as three of the most prolific receivers in Penn State history. They have been the most consistent part of the offense over the past four years. And now we have to replace all three of them at once.

This spring the most likely candidates to fill in the first team receiver roles are a walk on, a converted quarterback, a converted safety, and a sophomore that hasn't shown much to date. Graham Zug and Brett Bracket have shown good hands, but neither one of them possess elite speed. Chaz Powell has shown a good burst, but we haven't seen enough catches to determine if he has hands good enough to play receiver. Last year he mostly got the ball on end arounds, and you have to think he started as a safety for a reason.

Derek Moye has the most potential to be a play maker. He was a high school track star so you know he's fast. And he's got good size. This is a golden opportunity for him.

Of course later this summer when the freshmen come on board everything changes and guys like Justin Brown and Shawney Kersey may prove to be the next freshmen sensations.

Defensive Backs

All four starters from the Rose Bowl are gone leaving Penn State with huge questions in the last line of defense. A.J. Wallace gets one more shot to prove he was worthy of all those stars coming out of high school and will most likely lock up one of the starting cornerback spots. Drew Astorino looked impressive as the nickel back last season and has the inside track toward landing the free safety spot. After that it's anyone's guess. D'Anton Lynn, Knowledge Timmons, Andrew Dailey, Cedric Jefferies, Devin Fentress, and Nick Sukay are going to battle it out for the other two spots. Outside of Lynn who saw playing time last year as a true freshman, none of these guys have looked impressive during their Penn State careers. Many of the incoming freshmen like Stephon Morris, Gerald Hodges, and Malcolm Willis will have an excellent opportunity to see immediate playing time.

Offensive Line

Though losing three All-Big Ten selections on the offensive line to graduation is normally a huge concern, I'm not overly concerned about Penn State's situation. Dennis Landolt should have the right tackle spot nailed down. Wisniewski is moving over to center and I fully expect him to make an outstanding field general. Deon'tae Pannell moved up to #2 on the depth chart behind Cadogen last year as a true freshman. That is highly impressive, so he should have the inside track at left tackle.

The two guard positions will be a battle between Jonnie Troutman, Matt Stankiewitch, Lou Eliades, J.B. Walton, and James Terry. I've heard good things abotu some of these guys and there is enough bodies to promote healthy competition. I think the offensive line will be ok this season, but it may take them some time to play well as a unit. Nailing down the starting five as soon as possible will be key so they can work on building that cohesion.

Defensive Ends

Penn State has to replace their top three defensive ends from last year. I'm sure the coaches expected to have Maybin and probably Evans back when they started recruiting last spring, so we got caught a bit behind the eight ball in recruiting without a ton of bodies to fill in.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say Jack Crawford will be the starting strong side defensive end. He's a freak of an athlete and saw playing time last season as a true freshman. His main competition will come from Eric Latimore, a lanky sophomore that has trouble staying healthy in his career.

The weakside end is the huge question. Right now there is Kevion Latham and a bunch of guys you never have and never will hear of. Look for Penn State to once again pluck someone from the overcrowded linebacker group and go with the standup defensive end like we ran with Tim Shaw back in 2006. Jerome Hayes is coming back but probably won't get much work this spring. Maybe Stupar and Mauti get bulked up and moved down.

Weakside Linebacker

This position has kind of been vacant for two years now since we had Poz, Connor, and Lee roaming the field all at the same time. Since 2006 the position has been a rotation of Ty Sales, Josh Hull, Mike Mauti, and Bani Gbadyu. This year it should be a fantastic battle to keep an eye on as Mauti, Stupar, and Mike Yancich will all fight it out to claim the spot. As I said before, look for whoever comes in second to hit the training table hard and get slid down to defensive end this fall due to the lack of depth there.

Other Position Battles of Note

Kevin Newsome and Matt McGloin will compete to be Daryll Clark's backup. McGloin is going to have to really shine to beat him out though. Newsome has the higher flexibility and potential in the Spread HD offense, so the coaches are going to give him the nod if it's close just to give him more reps.

The place kicking job is also up for grabs. Anthony Fera, David Soldner and Colin Wagner will compete there.

Grading The Defense Against the Indiana Hoosiers

BSD — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 12:00:06 -0000

The first rule of Project Mayhem is you do not ask questions.

After giving up 24 points and getting beat up on the final drive in Iowa, the defense was looking to regain some of that swagger before going into the Big Ten Championship game next week. Let's see how they graded out.

Defensive Line

If there is a single word to describe the play of Aaron Maybin, it's mayhem. In fact that should be his name. Aaron Mayhem. No...Project Mayhem. Indiana tried everything to contain him including double teams, but his speed was too much to handle. I watched one play where Indiana called a running play to go between the right guard and tackle. They had a tight end lined up next to the tackle across from Project Mayhem. They snapped the ball and Project Mayhem ran outside the tight end, so the tackle released to the second level thinking Project Mayhem had run himself out of the play, but Project Mayhem just ran around the tight end like his shoes were stuck in quick sand and tackled the running from behind just as he was hitting the hole. Mayhem was wreaking havoc like that all day long and even managed to get a sack on the elusive Lewis.

Jared Odrick and Ollie Ogbu dominated the middle of the line of scrimmage. Odrick in particular had an outstanding game disrupting everything Indiana was trying to do. Josh Gaines tried to go on his injured ankle but had to shut it down after the first series. Eric Latimore and Jack Crawford platooned during the game at his vacated spot. They each held their ground but weren't very spectacular.

Maurice Evans showed signs of returning to his 2007 form, but he was practically invisible outside of a play or two. I may be wrong, but it's an observation of mine that he doesn't seem very interested this year. There is no bounce in his step, and when someone makes a big play like Rubin's interception or Hull's sack he doesn't celebrate or congratulate his teammates. Maybe it's nothing, but his uninspired play is undeniable.

In all the defensive line played a great game getting two sacks and holding Indiana to 123 yards rushing on the day (with 57 of those coming on one play.)

Final Grade: A

Linebackers

Outside of one play they were very good. You can blame that one play on Bani Gbadyu who blew containment by running inside and then completely whiffing on the tackle. This is why Bani Gbadyu doesn't play much.

Every week we wonder if the good Josh Hull or bad Josh Hull is going to show up. Bad Josh Hull showed up in the first half. He blitzed up the middle and disappeared somewhere in the mush of 300 lb. men never to be seen until the next play. He was futily diving at the ankles of Kellen Lewis as he ran past him up the sideline. He was hitting Thigpen five yards down field, and then getting dragged another three yards. But the good Josh Hull showed up in the second half. The coaches sent him on some delayed blitzes with success. I think this is good for him because he can pick a hole and attack it rather than hitting a gap that isn't there and getting swallowed up. Hull still wasn't getting to Lewis, but he rushed a few throws and forced Lewis to throw the ball away on a few occassions. He did get there once for, believe it or not, his first career sack.

Bowman was his usual stellar self always around the ball. I watched one play where he blitzed around the right tackle, but the play was a designed sweep to the left. Bowman ran across the field and tackled Thigpen along the sideline for a short gain. He along with Project Mayhem give the defense two disruptive players unlike any I've seen since the LaVar Arrington/Courtney Brown days.

Final Grade: B

Defensive Backs

It's hard to argue with the stats. Indiana only completed nine passes on 23 attempts for 57 yards and one interception. But in fairness, Indiana is struggling with injuries and doesn't really have many weapons on offense.

Mark Rubin may be our best defensive back. How many people thought you would read that on this blog before the season started? Time and again this year he has come up with big plays on defense, and Saturday he stepped up again. He made a great read and jump on the intereception. And later in the game on a crucial third down play he made an outstanding open field tackle on Kellen Lewis. Honestly, he tackles better than most of our linebackers, which is awesome and sad at the same time.

Tony Davis also played an excellent game making a few crucial open field tackles. I didn't notice anyone else, which is usually a good thing when you are a defensive back.

Final Grade: A

Special Teams

If there is an unsung hero on this team it's Nate Stupar. He's a one-man special teams wrecking crew. He got another blocked punt this week. And at the end of every kickoff you saw #34 getting off the bottom of the pile along with #42 Mike Mauti. It's going to be a fun spring watching these two guys fight it out for the outside linebacker spot vacated by Ty Sales after this season.

Go for the ball? Protect the junk? Go for the ball? Protect the junk?
F&%k it. This is going to hurt.

Jeremy Boone averaged 51.5 yards on his two punts. Kelly missed a field goal but had a nice pooch punt down to the Indiana two-yard line. The kick return game was meh, but admittedly only got two attempts, and one of those went to Dan Lawlor.

Final Grade: B+

Defensive Coaching

There was a little feeling of "Oh crap, here we go again" in the early going, but they settled in nicely. Indiana only recorded nine pass completions and six first downs. The defensive line was very effective in their mush-rush to contain Lewis. Once he realized Indiana wasn't much of a passing threat, Bradley let the defensive backs play some man-to-man and cut the linebackers loose to blitz. Say it with me now, WHERE WAS THAT LAST WEEK? The stat sheet speaks for itself.

But there were still situations in third and long where they trotteed out the nickel back and backed the corners eight yards off the line of scrimmage. Like smoking in public and clubbing baby seals, this should be banned by the international community. But the end result was just seven points on a fluke play, and outside of that Indiana never really threatened to score. But considering the opponent, that isn't saying much.

Final Grade: B

What does all this mean for Michigan State?

Unfortunately not much. The Spartans are much more talented and physical than the Hoosiers. You can expect a steady diet of Javon Ringer left, Javon Ringer right, Javon Ringer up the middle next week. They're not quite one dimensional though. If Brian Hoyer is on his game you can call them one-and-a-half dimensional. If I had to compare them to a team we've played so far, it's Iowa. So, yeah.

Late Night Squib Kicks

Run Up The Score — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 01:34:39 -0000

Some immediate post-game thoughts while passively hating on #1 Texas, currently throttling that fraud, Missouri, 28-0 35-0:

The turning point of the game followed Michigan's second touchdown, as Josh Hull and Tyrell Sales were replaced by Bani Gbadyu and Mike Mauti. The results were impossible to ignore:

Yes, the appearance of the eternally comical Nick Sheridan had a bit to do with the second half drives. Still, note the number of plays Michigan ran after the second touchdown. When Penn State's defense was on its heels in the second quarter, Michigan had a 29-10 advantage in plays run. The final tally? Penn State 70, Michigan 68.

Hull and Sales each bounced back from their exiles. Once Gbadyu was obliterated on big Michigan ground gain early in the third quarter, Hull was back in the game on the next play and went on to an amazing third quarter. Sales absolutely busted his ass on special teams in the second half. They could've sulked, and didn't.

Gbadyu is still in a bit of a "headless chicken" phase. He's always fast, and always in kind of the wrong direction. Nate Stupar and Chris Colasanti got some work on Michigan's last drive. Neither did anything noteworthy.

What does it mean for Ohio State next week? The coaching staff seemed to settle on the combination of Mauti, Hull, and Bowman in the second half, and I'm guessing that's what you'll see in Columbus. Everybody has to hope that Good Hull shows up as opposed to his evil twin. Gbadyu could give someone a breather, but he's simply not a middle linebacker.

Random points:

Nice to see Nathan Stupar finally get to a punt. He's been tantalizingly close all season, and it was just a matter of time before he his hands on one.
We all likely screamed "WHY, JESUS, WHY?" when Derrick Williams threw a wounded duck into the end zone (saved by an excellent play by former defensive back, Deon Butler), but the play was wide open if Williams had just thrown it toward the sideline.
Michigan had 22 passing attempts for 88 yards. This is bad. For them.
Stephfon Green has a long way to go as a running back, but why in the world won't the coaches have him run to the outside? We're well past the point of the season where a simple option or pitch to the outside would be buried in the playbook for reasons of sneakiness. Stop running Stephfon into the line, dammit.
Keep throwing him those screen passes, though. Stefen Wisniewski just buried a guy on Green's 80-yard screen touchdown.

What were your hidden gems from this afternoon's 46-17 victory?

Syracuse Preview: Upstate, Down Times

Run Up The Score — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 14:57:59 -0000

Who Shot Who In The What, Now? Penn State (2-0) at Syracuse (0-2). The Orange lost to Akron last week by two touchdowns. That followed a 20-point loss at Northwestern. Penn State, as you may have heard, obliterated Oregon State last week, 45-14. Kickoff at 3:30 p.m. The teams have not played since 1990. Penn State leads the all-time series 40-23-5. They met every year between 1922 and 1990.

Dubious Statistical Achievements. The Syracuse Athletics page notes that RB Curtis Brinkley led Syracuse last year in rushing with 371 yards on 111 carries. He's a good player, however, and clearly Syracuse's best offensive weapon. He also majors in communications and rhetorical studies. Does an Orange rot if it's not properly handled for six years?

So, You Enjoy Weird Sports Trivia? Syracuse will start Cameron Dantley at quarterback against Penn State. He's the son of former NBA star Adrian Dantley, which leads us to the following trivia. The rookies of the year in 1977 in the NBA, MLB, and NFL all had initials of A.D. Adrian Dantley is one of them. Who are the others? Answers to be provided whenever you Google them.

Before Donovan, Don. Some Syracuse relevance from the late 80's:

Encouraging! Through two games in 2008, Syracuse ranks 112th nationally (out of 118 teams) in rushing defense. This should work well for them on Saturday, because Penn State never runs the ball. And yes, Syracuse's first game was against traditionally pass-happy Northwestern.

The Disembowlment Will Be Televised. ABC for most of you in the northeast. Coverage map may be found herrrre.

A Fool And His Money. Penn State is roughly a 27-point favorite.

While You Wait. Not that this item is automatically going to be a Black Heart Gold Pants link every week, but you could bring the JoePa Chronicles to your own PSU tailgate with this lovely shirt. Then again, it being 9/11 and all, you could always go with The Leman.

No, But Seriously, This Game Is Going To Suck. Let's not kid ourselves. This game is essentially target practice, but could conceivably reap mild benefits for Penn State. It's a road game. Penn State doesn't play well in road games, a trend which generally persists regardless of the opponent. So putting on those obnoxiously plain white uniforms and stomping a team in their own building isn't necessarily a bad thing. You'll probably see plenty of Pat Devlin handing the ball off to Brent Carter in the second half. On a more intriguing note, take particular notice of the defensive substitutions once the game is out of hand. How much action will Nate Stupar, Mike Mauti, and Chris Colasanti get at linebacker? Will James Terry or Brandon Ware get reps at defensive tackle? They're both a bit too, uh, puffy for Joe Paterno's liking right now, but given the attrition along the defensive line, Paterno's hand may be forced into giving them a little playing time. We shall see.