SB Nation - Stefen Wisniewski

Very Nice Cover, SI

Bama Hawkeye — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 19:27:52 -0000

John Clay marks the third Big Ten cover of the football season, following the star turns of Derrell Johnson-Koulianos, and the Daryll Clark & Stefen Wisniewski combo.

Draft decisions looming for Big Ten talents

Mocking Dan — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 19:10:54 -0000

More photos » by Al Goldis - AP

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A week ago we had an item on Penn State linebacker Navorro Bowman thinking about the NFL Draft. He's not the only talented junior or redshirt sophomore with an NFL future facing a difficult decision. Here are some others:

Who: Bryan Bulaga, offensive tackle, Iowa
What's being said: "As of right now no decision has been made," Bulaga said last week. "No discussions between coach (Kirk) Ferentz and I have really even happened yet. I don’t know."

What he should do: Bulaga has had a fairly ordinary season for a would-be stud left tackle. He missed the three games of the season battling a thyroid issue. His play has been inconsistent this season and he's allowed pressure against some ordinary players. While Bulaga is highly regarded by me, it might be in his best interests to return for his senior season. By doing so, he could really establish as a dominant top-five pick.

Who: Greg Jones, linebacker, Michigan State
What's being said: "If anything, I’m going to talk to my parents about it, but for right now I’m just getting ready for the bowl game," Jones said.

What he should do: Jones has lead the Spartans in tackles for three consecutive years and is the reigning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. Jones is likely considered a second-round player, but his draft stock may be at its peak. He should leave. If he does, he'll be a dependable starting linebacker almost immediately.

Who: John Clay, running back, Wisconsin
What's being said: "If the opportunity presents itself and I think it is a high enough spot, I'd encourage him to go," running backs coach John Settle said. "But if I think he can come back and help his status, then I'd encourage him to come back.

What he should do: Clay, a redshirt sophomore, would be wise to return for at least another season for the Badgers. As it stands, Clay might just be the latest productive Badgers back with a questionable NFL future.

Who: Donovan Warren, cornerback, Michigan
What's being said: Warren said he will return for his senior season. The site is a Scout.com paid site, but the headline and lead paragraph made it to Google News.

Note: Illinois wide receiver Arrelious Benn and Penn State center Stefen Wisniewski have not discussed their possible NFL futures recently.

Rumblings Draft Scouting: Offensive Line Prospects

Brian Galliford — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:47:21 -0000

More photos » by Michael Conroy - AP

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It's been a couple of weeks since we've done a Rumblings Draft Scouting piece - the Buffalo Bills' firing of Dick Jauron and the subsequent rumor mill chatter kept us pretty busy - but now that things have died down some, our weekly scouting piece returns.

At the time that this post was published, Buffalo currently has five healthy offensive linemen - Andy Levitre, Geoff Hangartner, Jonathan Scott, Kirk Chambers and Jamon Meredith. One might argue that, at a maximum, two of those players are legitimate NFL prospects. Demetrius Bell might be considered legitimate, too, but he's having trouble staying healthy, and it might not be wise to count on him as a starter in 2010.

Naturally, we thought y'all might enjoy talking about 2010 NFL Draft prospects on the offensive line. Away we go.

Offensive Tackles
1. Russell Okung, OT, Oklahoma State (6'5", 300-pound senior)
- The nation's top pass protector without question. Possesses elite athleticism and footwork. Has been dominant against top-flight competition as a senior. Still something of a liability in the run game, and can be overwhelmed at the point of attack. Smart kid with a good work ethic and the frame to add a little bulk. Okung is really the only tackle that is a mortal lock for the Top 10.

2. Anthony Davis, OT, Rutgers (6'5", 330-pound junior)
- Many scouts will tell you that Davis is a road grader who fits best on the right side. I don't see it. I see a powerful guy who can play the left side, even at his weight, and who is slightly better in pass protection than he is run blocking. I really like his athleticism, and he plays the game with the right demeanor. I'll consider Davis the most well-rounded tackle if he declares, but his ceiling is lower than other players'. I'd take him in the Top 12 without hesitation.

3. Bryan Bulaga, OT, Iowa (6'6", 304-pound junior)
- I really like Bulaga as a prospect, but he's just not the elite player that you see taken at the very top of the first round these days. Bulaga's very technically sound and has a great reach to help him in pass protection, but he's not an astonishing athlete, and again, his upside might be somewhat limited. He's a safe pick, however, and could be considered an instant starter on the blind side.

4. Bruce Campbell, OT, Maryland (6'7", 310-pound junior)
- Campbell might be the highest-upside tackle in the nation right now. He's a phenomenal athlete with great length, and he's really come on as an elite lineman as a junior despite playing for a very mediocre Maryland team. But he's also missed a lot of time with nagging minor injuries, much like Bell, and that's a pretty major concern. He's pretty boom-or-bust, and he might not declare, but he's definitely a Round 1-type prospect.

5. Charles Brown, OT, USC (6'6", 298-pound senior)
- I look at Brown as a poor man's Okung. He's an elite pass protector with great footwork and the ability to consistently mirror. He plays with surprising power and isn't one-dimensional, but like Okung, he can still be controlled at the point of attack. He's a bit of a project player in that he'll need a year or two in a weight program to reach his full potential, but he's got elite left tackle written all over him. Right now, I consider him a fringe Round 1 prospect.

Others to keep tabs on: Jason Fox (Miami, FL), Selvish Capers (West Virginia), Trent Williams (Oklahoma), Ciron Black (LSU)

Interior Linemen
1. Stefen Wisniewski, C, Penn State (6'3", 297-pound junior)
- I don't think Wisniewski will enter this year's draft, but it's still at least possible. Centers are becoming hot commodities - two were drafted in the first round last year - and Wisniewski has the look of a top-end NFL anchor. He plays with great leverage and really understands angles and how to open up run lanes.

2. Maurkice Pouncey, C, Florida (6'5", 318-pound junior)
- This guy is fun to watch. He's a really big kid and plays a very physical brand of football. He can bend and anchor, and even better, he looks completely at ease on the move when pulling or getting to the second level. Many scouts will consider him the best center in the draft, even ahead of Wisniewski, and it'd be hard to argue with them.

3. Mike Iupati, OG, Idaho (6'5", 330-pound senior)
- I consider Iupati the most NFL-ready lineman currently playing college football. He's huge, moves extremely well for a man his size, and is absolutely dominant at the point of attack. He's also an incredibly motivated and humble young man. The big question surrounding Iupati is whether or not he'll be able to adjust to a pretty massive change in competition level, but as far as run blockers go, Iupati is the best of the best this year. Another immediate starter.

4. Eric Olsen, C, Notre Dame (6'4", 305-pound senior)
- If Buffalo's new regime digs versatility as much as the one currently on its way out, Olsen will be high on their board. He was a guard up until this season, when he shifted over to the pivot. He's had a great season and made the switch seem effortless. He's not a top-end athlete, but he's well-rounded enough to be a starter at either center or guard in the NFL for quite a while.

5. Mike Pouncey, OG, Florida (6'5", 320-pound senior)
- Yes, he's the brother of Maurkice. No, he's not as talented as his younger brother. But Mike is an excellent pro prospect in his own right - he plays the same physical style of football and is fluid enough athletically to block at all levels. He's not the borderline first-round prospect that every name on this list is (with the exception of Olsen), but he, too, has the look of a guy a team can plug in at guard immediately and let him play for a long time.

All-Big Ten Awards Announced, Swept Once Again By Toto

Oops Pow Surprise — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 13:00:45 -0000

by Charlie Neibergall - AP

about 1 month ago: Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz looks on during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Northwestern, Saturday, Nov. 7, 2009, in Iowa City, Iowa. Northwestern won 17-10. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

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Good news, everyone!* The Big Ten announced its picks for the all-conference teams. Naturally, the offensive and defensive player of the year are both Terrelle Pryor. Okay, not true; he's not even honorable mention.

But there's plenty of actual good news. First, the devil media named Kirk Ferentz coach of the year, and here he is reminding them that they can go suck it and he hasn't forgiven them for the slights of the regular season.

Such language, Kirk!

As for the players, here's the link to the voting results. The media named Bryan Bulaga to the first team on offense, while the second team featured four of his friends from the line: Rafael Eubanks, Dace Richardson, Kyle Calloway, and Tony Moeaki.

On defense, the first team had a little more Iowa representation; Adrian Clayborn, Pat Angerer, and Tyler Sash all received their no-brainer merits. On the second team, Brett Greenwood and Amari Spievey. Iowa put eight players on the media's honorable mention team: Ryan Donahue, Broderick Binns, A.J. Edds, Derrell Johnson-Koulianos, Karl Klug, Daniel Murray, Adam Robinson, and Ricky Stanzi.

Not surprisingly, the coaches had a slightly higher opinion of the Hawkeyes; here's the link to their voting results. Bryan Bulaga was named their offensive lineman of the year(!!!), an award the media doesn't give out. Bulaga is joined on the first team by Moeaki and Richardson, both of which are worthy selections. Calloway and Eubanks didn't make the second team--not sure why on Calloway--but Derrell Johnson-Koulianos snuck in on a three-player tie for second-team WR.

On defense, the coaches agreed with the media in putting Sash, Clayborn, and Angerer on the first team roster. They also added Amari Spievey; as coaches, they're more likely to know that the reason Spievey didn't have a ton of picks wasn't that he's not good at football, but that there's just no hope in throwing at him; Spievey was a machine this season, and we're starting to lose hope that he's got more than one game left in an Iowa uniform. A.J. Edds is the lone Hawkeye on the defensive second team.

For honorable mention, it's as follows:Christian Ballard, Kyle Calloway, Ryan Donahue, Brent Greenwood, Karl Klug, and Adam Robinson.

Full All-BXI teams and a few thoughts are after the break.

MEDIA

POS.	FIRST TEAM	SECOND TEAM
QB	Daryll Clark, Penn State	Mike Kafka, Northwestern
RB	Evan Royster, Penn State	Brandon Saine, Ohio State
RB	JOHN CLAY, Wisconsin	Ralph Bolden, Purdue
WR	Tandon Doss, Indiana	Blair White, Michigan State
WR	Keith Smith, Purdue	Zeke Markshausen, Northwestern
C	Stefen Wisniewski, Penn State	Rafael Eubanks, Iowa
G	Justin Boren, Ohio State	Jon Asamoah, Illinois
G	John Moffitt, Wisconsin	Dace Richardson, Iowa
T	Bryan Bulaga, Iowa	Kyle Calloway, Iowa
T	Gabe Carimi, Wisconsin	Dennis Landolt, Penn State
TE	Garrett Graham, Wisconsin	Tony Moeaki, Iowa
PK	Brett Swenson, Michigan State	Stefan Demos, Northwestern

POS.	FIRST TEAM	SECOND TEAM
DL	Adrian Clayborn, Iowa	Jammie Kirlew, Indiana
DL	Brandon Graham, Michigan	Thaddeus Gibson, Ohio State
DL	Ryan Kerrigan, Purdue	Cameron Heyward, Ohio State
DL	O'Brien Schofield, Wisconsin	Jared Odrick, Penn State
LB	Pat Angerer, Iowa	Ross Homan, Ohio State
LB	GREG JONES, Michigan State	Josh Hull, Penn State
LB	Navorro Bowman, Penn State	Sean Lee, Penn State
DB	Tyler Sash, Iowa	Brent Greenwood, Iowa
DB	Donovan Warren, Michigan	Amari Spievey, Iowa
DB	Sherrick McManis, Northwestern	Brad Phillips, Northwestern
DB	Kurt Coleman, Ohio State	David Pender, Purdue
P	Zoltan Mesko, Michigan	Jeremy Boone, Penn State

COACHES

POS.	FIRST TEAM	SECOND TEAM
QB	Daryll Clark, Penn State	Mike Kafka, Northwestern
RB	Evan Royster, Penn State	Brandon Saine, Ohio State
RB	John Clay, Wisconsin	Ralph Bolden, Purdue
WR	Eric Decker, Minnesota	Tandon Doss, Indiana*
WR	Blair White, Michigan State	Derrell Johnson-Koulianos, Iowa* Keith Smith, Purdue*
C	Stefen Wisniewski, Penn State	Rafael Eubanks, Iowa* Joel Nitchman, Michigan State*
G	Dace Richardson, Iowa	Jon Asamoah, Illinois
G	John Moffitt, Wisconsin	Justin Boren, Ohio State
T	Bryan Bulaga, Iowa	Rodger Saffold, Indiana
T	Dennis Landolt, Penn State	Gabe Carimi, Wisconsin
TE	Tony Moeaki, Iowa	Garrett Graham, Wisconsin
PK	Brett Swenson, Michigan	Stefan Demos, Northwestern

POS.	FIRST TEAM	SECOND TEAM
DL	Adrian Clayborn, Iowa	Jammie Kirlew, Indiana
DL	Brandon Graham, Michigan	Thaddeus Gibson, Ohio State
DL	Jared Odrick, Penn State	Cameron Heyward, Ohio State
DL	O'Brien Schofield, Wisconsin	Ryan Kerrigan, Purdue
LB	Pat Angerer, Iowa Linebacker	A.J. Edds, Iowa
LB	Greg Jones, Michigan State	Ross Homan, Ohio State
LB	Navorro Bowman, Penn State	Sean Lee, Penn State
DB	Tyler Sash, Iowa	Donovan Warren, Michigan*
DB	Amari Spievey, Iowa	Sherrick McManis, Northwestern*
DB	Brad Phillips, Northwestern	Brandon King, Purdue*
DB	Kurt Coleman, Ohio State	David Pender, Purdue* Jay Valai, Wisconsin*
P	Zoltan Mesko, Michigan	Jeremy Boone, Penn State

Okay. While we're quite happy that Bulaga got such high accolades for the season, we can't be alone in thinking that he was hardly the best lineman in Iowa City, much less the Big Ten. He was either on the sidelines or out of sorts for the majority of the season, and we still haven't seen the elephant-tusk-covered road grader from last season on display. He totally would have deserved a preseason OL of the year, but his performance over 2009 didn't merit such superlatives.

This is hardly a new development from these postseason lists, however; generally, the lists are crafted off of the preseason lists, and anybody whose knee blew out with more than four games left was excised and replaced by someone else. After all, Bulaga was only a second-team All-BXI player last season, even though he was by far the best lineman on the team in 2008. Seth Olsen, meanwhile, had the good fortune to be a first-teamer to start the year, so he was on the first team after 2008, despite a relatively blah senior campaign; we'd have put him about fourth on the list of Iowa linemen for 2009, behind the two bookends at tackle and Rob Bruggeman at center.

Essentially, Bulaga won the award in 2009 for his play in 2008.

At the end of the day, this comes down to stats; there aren't any for linemen, despite the ill-fated attempt to get the "pancake" introduced about a decade ago (for this, we blame Orlando Pace). It's assumed that linemen are sure things, and that as long as they stay healthy, the narrative has stayed true. After all, without stats, most scribes have no time (or no idea) how to watch linemen individually.

Frankly, though it's a subjective stat, we'd love to see how linemen grade out per play (remember that Blake Larsen famously graded at 100% during his senior season at Atlantic; lord, had those knees survived...) Without having the means to undertake such an activity ourselves, we'd imagine that if you graded each Iowa offensive lineman, Kyle Calloway or Dace Richardson would probably be at the top.

If they're not, which is possible, then it would probably be the guy who didn't even get an honorable mention: Riley Reiff. He was stout in relief of Bulaga--hell, we're pretty sure O'Brien Schofield would not have batted Reiff around like a catnip mouse, unlike some Iowa linemen--and he basically forced his way into the starting lineup even before Big Dace went down. But since he wasn't even a projected starter, to say nothing of a preseason honoree, Reiff didn't have much of a chance for postseason mention. Shame, really; dude is legit, and he hasn't even filled out his frame yet.

As for the skill players, it's a little disappointing that Stanzi only made one honorable mention team. But we get how that can happen. Spievey only making second team in the media is flatly ridiculous. If he'd put together that same season in an Ohio State uniform, he'd be getting All-American talk.

Other than that, we don't have a ton of beef; Stanzi killed himself by leading the conference in interceptions when he went down to injury, and the rest of the offensive skill players were far too inconsistent or hurt to merit much consideration. Jeremiha Hunter not getting any honorable mention love is a little disconcerting, but the BXI was lo-ho-hoaded at linebacker this season; we're not quite sure whom we'd place him above. He'll get some love in 2010 if he stays healthy. Also--given the play of Jeff Tarpinian in relief--if Hunter stays healthy between now and next September, there's no position battle at weakside backer next season, right?

So, all in all, a fair list, even if the voting on offensive linemen is basically a year behind schedule. It's a year behind for everyone else, after all. Anybody else that you folks think got shafted? Did Marvin McNutt deserve a nod, or is he still a year away from recognition?

*/Farnsworth'd

Saturday NFL Draft watch notes

Mocking Dan — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 15:42:51 -0000

More photos » by Bill Haber - AP

3 months ago: LSU wide receiver Brandon LaFell (1) gets away from Louisiana-Lafayette linebacker Devon Lewis-Buchanan in the second half of an NCAA college football game in Baton Rouge, La., Saturday, Sept. 19, 2009. LSU defeated Louisiana-Lafayette 31-3. (AP Photo/Bill Haber)

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• Even though they don't face off against each other, being on the same field could be enough to raise the gameplay of both Nebraska's Ndamukong Suh and Oklahoma's Gerald McCoy. Both are top five talents, but Suh is considered the better player by most.

One of the most disappointing players for me this season has been Oklahoma left tackle Trent Williams. He's showed he's a better player on the right side, which he played previously in his career. He could be given some trouble against Nebraska end Pierre Allen, a relentless player who doesn't quit until the whistle blows.

• Don't look now but Florida's Carlos Dunlap has four sacks in the last two games. He brutalized a bad Mississippi State team on Oct. 24 but has been pretty pedestrian this season. If he doesn't have a strong game against Vanderbilt, expect more dissenters to emerge.

• Pittsburgh quarterback Bill Stull has been gaining a good bit of attention as a draftable prospect. He's had an average career but is putting together a great season. If he can stay composed against Syracuse's front four, he could have another banner day.

• Entering the season, LSU wide receiver Brandon LaFell was considered the best senior wide receiver in the nation and a first round player. While the latter is still true, it's not a guarantee he gets taken in the first 32 picks. Alabama's cornerbacks, Kareem Jackson and Javier Arenas, are the best LSU will see this season. To improve his stock, LaFell needs to show he can beat physical coverage and make plays in the air.

• Penn State junior Stefen Wisniewski is arguably the best center in the nation. His signal calling will really be put to the test against Ohio State's experienced and crafty defensive line.

Against a very good Penn State offense today, Ohio State strong safety Kurt Coleman can really showcase his all-around skills. He's a borderline NFL starter who can make plays all over the field.

• This could be the day that Cal's Tyson Alualu becomes an early round pick. A gap-shooting high-motor player, Alualu could feast on an Oregon State offensive line that is 101st in the nation in sacks allowed.

• Few talk about him, but Arizona State junior cornerback Omar Bolden is loaded with talent and athleticism. He can get people talking today against USC, which features NFL talent at every starting receiving spot.

• Remember Georgia Tech defensive end Derrick Morgan? He of five sacks in the first two games of the year? He's come back on with three sacks in the last four games and could have another banner contest against Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons allow a lot of pressure on their quarterbacks and Morgan can take advantage.

• People keep telling me I'm missing the boat on Duke quarterback Thaddeus Lewis. The senior is clearly having a good season. But let's see what he can do against North Carolina's rush-heavy defense.

Note: I will not be around today. I'll be at the Akron/Kent State game, which starts at 3:30 p.m. With tailgating before that and watching MMA afterward, there won't be time to get online.

It won't be a completely lost day, however. Kent has a couple possible NFL prospects. Tight end Konz Jameson is very athletic and reportedly runs a 4.4 40-yard dash. He's undersized but worth watching. Junior middle linebacker Cobrani Mixon is also worth checking out on the Flashes. He's a Michigan transfer and a great all-around player. By the time today ends, Mixon could have more than 100 tackles on the season.

Grading the Penn State Offense Against Northwestern

BSD — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 13:15:14 -0000

More photos » by Nam Y. Huh - AP

about 1 month ago: Penn State's Evan Royster(22) runs for a touchdown during the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game against Northwestern in Evanston, Ill., Saturday, Oct. 31, 2009. Penn State won 34-13. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

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It was slow to get started, but eventually the Penn State offense came to life in the fourth quarter and scored three touchdowns on three consecutive offensive snaps.

Quarterbacks

Another fantastic stat line for the senior captain.

vs Northwestern / 10.31.09	Passing					Rushing
	Comp	Att	Pct	Yds	TD	Rush	Yds	Avg	TD
Daryll Clark	22	31	70.0	274	1	6	16	2.7	1

It shocks me to see commentary on some of the Penn State message boards about Daryll Clark not looking very impressive. Excuse me, but, what else do you want? He's on pace to smash just about every single season passing record in Penn State history. He's about to take the career passing touchdown record. He's leading the conference in passing efficiency, and he's No. 14 in the nation. He has now gone three games without throwing an interception, and he's only thrown one interception in his past five games. I don't see how he can play much better than this.

On Saturday, I can't think of any glaring mistakes. He made good decisions. His throws were right on time with the pattern. He tucked the ball and ran when he needed to. He spread the ball around completing passes to ten different recievers. Even his fakes score points. Royster's long touchdown run was set up by a pump fake to a wide receiver in the flat. It froze the linebackers and pulled the safeties out of position opening up the middle for Royster's scamper. Clark is just playing at an incredibly high level right now.

Final Grade: A

Receivers

It's hard to believe that Derek Moye is just a sophomore. Saturday was his third 100 yard receiving game of the season. He and Daryll Clark appear to be completely in sync right now. Take a look at his stats for the season.

	Receiving
G	Rec	Yds	Y/G	AVG	TD
9	39	648	72.0	16.6	5

With three games and a bowl game, he only needs 88 yards per game to eclipse 1000 yards on the year. He can pass the mark in the regular season with 117 yards per game. If you're counting at home, Bobby Engram has the school record for single season receiving yards with 1084. It's a difficult mark to reach from here, but it's achievable.

Graham Zug had an off day. He had four catches for 34 yards, but he also dropped a wide open pass that would have gone for a big gain, and dropped an easy touchdown in the endzone. Also, what's up with fair catching a punt at the six yard line?

Eight other guys caught passes in the game. It was a really good team effort.

Final Grade: B+

Running Backs

Royster had trouble finding room to run through much of the game. Northwestern was stuffing the box with eight defenders to slow him down. Many of his early yards came when he ran away from the designed direction of the play. But the deep pass to Moye loosened things up. Northwestern was paying a ton of attention to the flankers, so when Clark pump faked a bubble screen and handed Royster the ball on a draw play, there was nothing but 69 yards of grass between him and the endzone.

vs Northwestern / 10.31.09	Rushing				Receiving
	Rush	Yards	Avg	TD	Rec	Yards	Avg	TD
Evan Royster	15	118	7.9	1	1	7	7	0

Brandon Beachumeven got in the game for a few carries to give Royster a rest. He finished with an impressive 25 yards and a touchdown on only four carries.

Final Grade: A

Offensive Line

Once again I was not impressed. I mentioned that many of Roysters yards came on his own. They did a lot of pulling with Landolt and Troutman, but Wisniewski and Eliades weren't getting much push so the end effect was Landolt and Troutman just getting in Royster's way. But then Northwestern only recorded three TFL and one sack, and the Wildcats were stuffing the box, and Penn State did manage 163 yards rushing, so maybe it's not as bad as I think it is. But I'm scared as Hell thinking about the Buckeye defensive line this Saturday.

Final Grade: B

Offensive Coaching

I wasn't impressed with the play calling in the early going. It was a lot of running into the eight man brick wall and short passes designed to pick up six or seven yards. This was partly due to Penn State's poor starting position on the field the entire first half. We all know Joe Paterno hates to take chances on his 20 yard line.

But the key drive started with just under seven minutes to go in the second quarter. That's when Penn State said, "Screw it. We're done trying to run the ball." They took over at their own 7 yard line and tried to pass the ball on every play of a 93 yard drive that ended in a touchdown. They came out and tried to pass on three straight plays of their next drive. Though that drive went three and out, the message was sent loud and clear to Northwestern. If you are going to stack the box, we will throw on every single down if we have to. Penn State found the Northwestern defense much easier to work with in the second half because of it.

The touchdown pass to Moye and the draw play to Royster were brilliantly set up and executed.

Final Grade: B

The Still Life Dies In The Trenches

BSD — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 18:52:03 -0000

Organizing Hogs Is Not Easy

Posted on behalf of resident BSD x's and o's expert, carolinaeasy...

The Still Life is back this week for another helping of strategic insight, despite my best efforts to quit football all together this week. I was 0-4 as a football person/coach this week. My high school team, college team, pro team, and my fantasy team all took a fat L this weekend. In three of the four cases it was one culprit: the offensive line. Yep that age old adage of you're only as good as your line came to the forefront this week in Happy Valley as the Lions line stunk up the joint. In today's post I will examine a play that really illustrates the struggles of the line the past several weeks and also raises some questions about the running backs as well.

The play in focus today is Evan Royster's -1 yard carry out of his end zone in the first half of the Iowa game. This was a play in which the Lions narrowly averted a safety (a safety which we all know came seconds later). This was actually a very good play call given the situation, but as we will soon see, the lack of execution on the play lead to this disaster.

Pre-Snap Read: Penn State lines up in an I formation with the TE to the right. Iowa is lined up in a 4-3 with the linebackers shifted over to the tight end (see circled). They are in a pretty vanilla defense right now. The interior linemen are in a "31 technique" which means outside shade on a guard and inside shade on a guard. The ends are playing outside shoulder of the tackles or "5 technique". The defensive end away from the tight end has contain (meaning he cannot let anyone run outside of him on his side, if this happens it is usually a big gain). The circled linebacker has contain on the opposite side. In many ways this is a 5-2 formation with 4-3 personnel.

Snap of the football: Look at the steps taken by the offense. Everyone is moving to their right. The offensive linemen are all taking angle steps to their right. This is clearly a zone run play based on what the offensive line is doing. In a zone run you want your offensive line to overtake the defensive man's play side half of his body and get him turned towards the backside. The only exception to this is when a linebacker over runs a play then you wall him off and hit the cutback lane for a big run. In this particular play we would want to see the offensive line turn the defense to the left and create a seam for the running back to run. One person I want you to take note of is number 50 DeOn'tae Pannell; his right foot is moving backwards and his shoulders are opening up ever so slightly. This will be a major factor in the development of this play.

Next Steps: Here we can see the defense react to the offense. At this point they are all reading run and moving towards their left. Everything is looking pretty good for the Lions here. Royster has three possible reads at this point; between the center and guard, off tackle, or outside the tight end. The two blocks he needs to read are in the yellow boxes. If Wisniewski, number 61, gets his man turned to the offense's left this will most likely be a dive up the middle. If he cannot make this block it bounces outside to one of the other reads. Once again take a look at Pannell. Is he overtaking his man and turning him to the left?

Here we can a seam developing: Eliades, number 77 has walled off an over pursuing linebacker, Pannell has created a wall as well by not overtaking his defensive end. Johnnie Troutman has blocked the backside linebacker as well. The one block that has not been made is by our best returning lineman Stefen Wisniewski number 61. Look at the head of the defensive lineman it is in the hole and that alone scares Royster away from the developing hole and forces him to bounce outside.

Now we can see why Royster did not run it up the middle even though most of the hole is still developed there even this late. At this point his next read is off tackle. Unfortunately Pannell is not getting the job done here and there is a ton of the Iowa defensive end in the hole. Pannell needs to continue to fight to get his right hips around the DE's body. When he does not, Royster's only choice is to out run him to the edge.

Now Pannell is completely lost his defensive end, who is also about to tackle Royster for a safety. Take another look at where Wisniewski has ended up with his man.

No real analysis here just a tackle taking place here while Pannell watches. I wonder if he yelled "look out!". That would have been the polite thing to do.

Finally we have the tackle. The Lions were VERY fortunate not to get a safety here on this play.

My Take: This play could have gotten positive yardage if Royster would have turned it up in the seam we see in the early pictures. Yes Wisniewski does not get a great block, but it would have been two to three yards at the minimum and know what we do now about the ensuing plays that could have been all the difference. Instead he looks spooked when he sees a piece of the defensive tackle and bounces it outside where Pannell is not getting the job done. I feel based on looking at the play in these shots that Royster is more to blame for this failure than the offensive line. Was this an A effort from the line? Absolutely not, but it was good enough for 4 yards if the back would hit the hole. The line took a ton of heat this week. But looking at this play I wonder how much of it was the backs not hitting the holes and taking what they could get at three to four yards a clip and looking for the big run instead and just not being effective. Maybe that was why we saw Greene come in midway and run somewhat effectively for a few plays.

Joe Paterno Tries To Regroup After Last Week's Defeat

Oops Pow Surprise — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 06:03:32 -0000

Scene: a practice field in the early fall afternoon. The air is turning crisp, and the sun's in more of a hurry to duck out every day. A small old man wanders amid a group of about 15 young men in football pads. He looks bewildered.

WHAT IN THE NAME OF MERCURY'S TAINTCANKERS IS THIS ABOUT

PRACTICE IS AT 3:30 AND IT IS NOW A QUARTER-HOUR UNTIL FOUR

I SEE A POLACK'S DOZEN PLAYERS, HARDLY A FULL SQUADRON

SECRETARYYYYY

She's not out here, coach. She never is.

WHO THE HELL ARE YOU

Hi, I'm star running back Evan Royster, of the Penn State Nittany Lions. When I'm not on the gridiron making plays, I

STOP IT

WHERE IS EVERYBODY

Well, in case you hadn't noticed, we're all taking the loss pretty hard.

HOW SO

For starters, Stefan Wisniewski

AN AWFUL PERFORMANCE

Yeah, he sort of reverted to a 14-year-old state and is now watching Twilight and wanting to be a vampire. He's in his room watching all that stuff and blogging about Robert Pattison or whatever that guy's name is.

WHAT THE HELL IS BLOBBING

Oh, he wanted me to ask you: if you impregnate a girl while wearing vampire teeth, does the kid come out at least half-vampire

WHAT A STUPID QUESTION

OF COURSE THEY DO

IF YOU BIRTH A CHILD UNDER THE PRETENSE THAT YOU ARE A VAMPIRE, THAT CHILD WILL SUCK MORE THAN YOU CAN POSSIBLY IMAGINE

Hahaha, zing!

I TOLD YOU NO MORE SPEAKING IN THE CHINAMAN'S TONGUE

WHERE IS EVERYONE ELSE

Well, then there's Daryll Clark.

I TOLD HIM TO DRIVE INTO A MOVING TORNADO

Yeah, he did that.

GOOD

THAT IS DEFERENCE TO AUTHORITY, A RARE CHARACTERISTIC IN A PLAYER. WHY, BACK IN THE EARLY DAYS, WE HAD A SITUATION WHERE LYDELL MITCHELL WAS INVOLVED IN A NUCLEAR KARATE GANG. WE TOLD HIM TO KNOCK IT OFF, BUT IT WASN'T UNTIL CAPPALLETTI GOT A HOLD OF HIM AND SMACKED HIM AROUND THAT THE SHENANIGANS CEASED

Wait, what the hell is nuclear kar

SHUT UP YOU TROLLISH KRAUT SWEDE COMMIE

I DON'T EVEN SEE JUNIOR HERE

Oh yeah. Seeing as how his quarterback shit the bed for the second straight year against Iowa, then somehow killed himself in a meteorological phenomenon that doesn't even happen this late up here at your behest, and plus Pat Devlin graduated, he's picked up a drinking habit.

THAT'S MY BOY. WHAT IS HIS VICE OF CHOICE

IT HAD BETTER BE JIM BEAM AND RANCID ORANGE JUICE

I CALL THAT 'BUKOWSKI DIARRHEA'

Well, actually, last we saw, he was sitting in his office and dipping Oreos into his White Russians.

--- In JayPa's office ---

Hahahaha, wheeeeee! OM NOM NOM glug glug glug baaaaarp!

Don't you wanna slow down a bit?

NOOOOO! Youdontellmewhaddado!

(barfs a grey-brown sugarpaste)

Ewwww!

YOU SHUT UP AND CLEAN THIS, WOMAN

Boy, you are not your father.

(ponders the myriad implications of her statement)

(cries uncontrollably)

WAAAAAAAAAAAH

Oh, hell.

--- at the field ---

I'M SURE HE'S FINE

I WENT INTO THE PRESS CONFERENCE AND WAS TALKING AFTER THE GAME WAS OVER. ANSWERED ALL THE QUESTIONS THAT SEEMED IMPORTANT TO THE PEOPLE WHO WERE ASKING THEM. BUT THEY WEREN'T EXACTLY IMPORTANT TO ME. I'M SITTING THERE. FINALLY AT THE END I SAID, "NOW, LOOK, LET'S GET THIS STRAIGHT. I THINK IF WE PLAYED TEXAS FIVE TIMES, THEY'RE GOING TO BEAT US FOUR TIMES. NOW I'M GOING TO GO HOME AND BEAT UP MY WIFE.

Wife-beating? For real? Okay, wait, I'm lost

YOU ARE DAMN RIGHT YOU LOST THE GAME

WHERE DID EVERYONE ELSE GO

Huh? Oh, I thought we told you. We all saw the tape of that Iowa dude blasting Narrew McCormack and they just straight up quit.

GOD DAMN IOWA

Grading The Offense: Nittany Lions Put The Turd In Saturday

Run Up The Score — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 20:06:50 -0000

More photos » by Carolyn Kaster - AP

2 months ago: Iowa's Broderick Binns (91) closes in on Penn State quarterback Daryll Clark (17) during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2009, in State College, Pa. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Browse more photos »

Seemed like it would be a pretty easy night after that first offensive play from scrimmage and the 20-play, ten-plus minute field goal drive, didn't it?

First, the drive chart (from espn.com):

When you hear the old cliche about football games being won in the trenches, Exhibit A should be Saturday night's game. On the 20-play drive, Penn State wasn't necessarily dominating Iowa's defensive line, but was certainly getting a consistent push. That trend slowly eroded toward the end of the drive, as Iowa generated increased pressure on Clark when Penn State entered the red zone. You can see what happened throughout the rest of the game.

Quarterback Grade: D. The numbers are horrific. 12/32, 198 yards, 1 TD, 3 INT. The opening strike to Chaz Powell was a thing of beauty, and Clark was perfectly fine on the field goal drive. As Iowa began getting pressure on Clark, however, he clearly couldn't deal with it. By the second half, Clark was simply imagining pressure in the rare instances that Iowa's defensive linemen weren't in the backfield. This led to a number of plainly awful throws on what should've been relatively simple throws. Even on Clark's final interception, which was deflected at the line by the tenacious Karl Klug, Clark tried to impossibly fit the ball into an area between three Iowa defenders. It never would've had a chance even if Klug didn't get a piece of it. Clark remains an above-average college quarterback, but he just doesn't perform well when things start to break down around him. Too many physical and mental mistakes under pressure. He's not a superstar, and it's time to acknowledge it.

Running Backs Grade: C-. Royster ran for 69 yards on 17 carries, but his fourth quarter fumble squashed Penn State's last, best chance at tying the game. It seems that the lack of blocking has taken its toll on Royster's decision making, as well. He's known for making the right cut at the right time, but it's not happening for him so far this season. His mishandling of a short Clark pass led to a backbreaking interception. Stephfon Green got a few series as the feature back. Nothing really happened.

Spectacular 100mph Train Crash Test (via diagonaluk)

Offensive Line Grade: D-. Yes, Iowa deserves credit here, but it's hard to oversell how awful Penn State's offensive line was in the final three quarters of the game. DeOnt'ae Pannell was utterly owned by Broderick Binns on two plays, the second of which led to Iowa's safety. Nerraw McCormack came in for Pannell on the next series and promptly drew a holding penalty that wiped out a big gain to Derek Moye. Stefen Wisniewski often looked lost, and his shotgun snaps are still consistently low, making Clark work a little harder to scan the field. His move to center seems like a worse idea as the weeks go by. This section could go on forever, so here's the summary: too often, the offensive line doesn't know who to block, and when they do know their assignments, they aren't getting the job done with alarming frequency. Temple caused them problems, so it's no surprise that Iowa blew them up. Spells big trouble against a team like Ohio State.

Wide Receivers: B-. Hard to get a read on their performance because there were so many breakdowns by the offensive line and quarterback. Chaz Powell created nice separation on his long touchdown catch and run. Derek Moye still looks very, very good. Everyone else was missing in action.

Coaching Grade: D. Hey, it's easy to say that the players on the offensive line aren't getting the job done, but it's up to the coaching staff to get the proper personnel on the field and make adjustments in protection. That never happened. Passing plays often too slow to develop, given the pressure that was being put on Clark. A stunning lack of emotion on the field, even when things were still going well.

Next Week: Illinois' defense was bad before they lost Martez Wilson for the season. If Penn State can't move the ball and score points against them, start planning on a third-tier bowl game in Orlando or Tampa.

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