SB Nation - Pat Devlin

Daryll Clark Posts 395.57 Passer Rating In Practice

Kevin HD — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:32:03 -0000

Clark is getting some press this week of the "he's not getting any press" variety:

ESPN has a video asking: so why can't he win the Heisman? (Answer in the form of a question: Who cares about the Heisman?)

Disrespect on paper: Clark didn't make the cut on the simis list.

Bill Kline is beginning to see a trend in Paterno's cryptic pressers:

This is how Paterno normally begins his campaigns for his players. He did the same with Courtney Brown, Larry Johnson and Michael Robinson, noting in October that each was the best player at his position in the country, which wasn't paying any attention.

Remember "former Nit Devlin"? Of course you do...and you thought the debate was over when he transferred:

"[Devlin is] more of a poised quarterback [than Clark], he's better in the pocket, he has good mobility," [scout.com draft analyst Chris Steuber] said. "Clark has good mobility, as well, but Devlin just gives you the presence you want out of a quarterback. "Devlin, to me, just has better arm strength, he has better awareness in the pocket, delivers the ball on time. More of a complete quarterback at this time. I think when you look at Devlin, you see upside. I think when you see Clark, you see a project."

Yeah, so so much for respect.

Thoughts? Northwestern previews out shortly...

Penn State's No. 1 Reason For Hope - Daryll Clark

BSD — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 13:00:11 -0000

What a difference a year makes.

It was almost exactly one year ago when we first learned that Daryll Clark would be the starting quarterback against Coastal Carolina. Up until that time he was consumed with just winning the starting job. Forget about beating Ohio State, or winning the Big Ten, or almost playing for the National Championship. Daryll Clark just didn't want to spend another year sitting on the bench. And before he was named the starter, you could tell in his interviews he was nervous about it.

He barely won the job to the chagrin of many Penn State fans. Many felt Pat Devlin gave Penn State the best chance to win, and doubted Clark had arm and intelligence of a big time quarterback. So Clark just went out and threw for 2592 yards, 19 touchdowns against six interceptions, rushed for another ten touchdowns ,and led his team to a conference championship and the Rose Bowl for the first time in 15 years. Not bad for a guy who didn't even know he would be the starter going into preseason camp.

Skip ahead to today, and this is a different man from the one we saw a year ago. Clark is no longer looking over his shoulder at Pat Devlin who left the program in December. He's no longer shaking off the criticism of the doubters who say he's just a glorified running back lining up under center. When you see him on camera he oozes confidence. He's dripping with moxie. He didn't spend the offseason trying to win a job. He spent the offseason trying to build a championship football team. Daryll Clark is the man. This is his team. And he knows it.

No single position in college football is more important than the quarterback. Without good quarterback play, you're stuck in the mud. You can win a lot of games with a good quarterback, but if you want to be truly great, you need a great quarterback. Daryll Clark is a great quarterback.

There's always an argument that goes like this: Is it easier to break in a new quarterback with an experienced group of receivers, or is it easier to break in a new group a receivers with an experienced quarterback. Though Clark was highly successful with three senior receivers last year, I believe it's easier to break in new receivers with an experienced quarterback. A reciever just needs to know his assignment, which is basically the route he's running and maybe his hot read if there's a blitz. A quarterback has to know the routes all of his receivers are running, but he also needs to know their hot reads, the coverages they're facing, and his blocking schemes. So if I have to choose between three guys knowing just their assignments versus one guy having to knowing everything, I prefer to have the experience at the quarterback position.

Potential Penn State Problem #3: The Cracked Eggshell

Run Up The Score — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 16:30:12 -0000

One of the most prominent themes throughout this offseason is the need for Daryll Clark to not sustain another concussion. Fans forget that Clark has sustained three concussions in his short Penn State career, not just the one that took him out of the game in Columbus and left him bewildered and outraged on the sideline. ESPN's Adam Rittenberg asked Clark about the concussion situation a few weeks ago:

How scary is that with the three concussions? You're still a young man. You know the statistics with concussions.

DC: It's kind of scary. Concussion, it's not fun, and it's tough to recover from. And also, it depends on how severe it is. Mine was a pretty bad one [last season] at Ohio State. You just be careful out there. You don't play timid like, 'Oh, don't do this.' You don't want to be too nervous where it takes away your game. Play your game, but just be smart out there.

Is that hard for you to change that, to slide more or go out of bounds more?

DC: I don't know how tough it's going to be until I get that live contact and see how it's going to be for us. I have a feeling it's going to take some adjustments.

Of course, last year Penn State had Pat Devlin ready in the bullpen if something happened to Clark. Devlin was essentially choice #1A for Joe Paterno last year, and you would be hard-pressed to find a closer or more controversial quarterback competition in Penn State's recent history. At the very least, you have to go back to Casey v. Thompson. You would also have a difficult time finding a better #2 quarterback anywhere in college football last year. Now, Devlin is at Delaware, where he'll have a chance at two full years as a starter. The safety net is long gone.

In case of emergency, the backup job now belongs to true freshman Kevin Newsome. He's reportedly been seeing a lot of practice reps this summer, but remains a raw quarterback prospect that isn't quite ready to lead a team down the field with his arm. After that, it's Walk-On City. Given the relative inexperience at wide receiver, losing Clark could bring the offense to a screeching halt against any decent opponent.

Concussions are serious business, so those who are advising Clark to do everything he can in order to limit his exposure to a fourth concussion have his best interests in mind. However, it is fair to wonder if all of the caution and discussion of the subject will have an impact on Clark's play. Will it affect whether he scrambles for first down yardage on 3rd and 4? Will it cause him to incorrectly perceive blind-side pressure when he's in the pocket? Nobody knows, but if something bad should happen to Daryll Clark, the entire Penn State offense could be in for a world of pain.

Nitt Picks Forgives And Kind Of Forgets

Run Up The Score — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 14:31:31 -0000

A truce, perhaps.

Pardoning QB14. Okay, we've had our fun with Anthony Morelli. He didn't take Penn State to any major bowl games. He may have driven you crazy on Saturday afternoons. But the facts are that he was able live his dream by playing football at a great institution, won two bowl games, married a pretty girl, and unlike many of his teammates at the time, didn't get arrested during his time in Happy Valley.

Maybe it's time to just be happy for the guy and wish him well while he waits for a phone call that may never actually come?

At 24, Morelli isn't closing the door on continuing his playing career. "Absolutely, that's my No. 1 goal, just to stay in football as much as possible," Morelli said. "Coaching is the way to go unless someone calls me up. "Right now, I'm just focused on these guys up there at the high school. I'm just getting into it and I love it. If those [playing] opportunities come up, that would be outstanding, but as of right now, I'm just focused on these guys."

"These guys" center on a tight four-way battle for the starting quarterback job. "He's doing an outstanding job with them," Sacco said.

"He's got a wealth of knowledge, with Penn State and the NFL. He's been through everything from when he was in high school to when he was in Arizona's camp. All through camp he learned a ton off Kurt Warner out there." Morelli is working outside of football now and is looking to get a job in his field. His major was recreation, parks and tourism management. But he still is hopeful to continue chasing his NFL dream.

Love Penn State football but don't get the Big Ten Network? Sucks for you. According to the Morning Call (which cites FightOnState.com), as many as five Penn State games won't escape the clutches of the BTN:

To date, Penn State's first three games are slated for Big Ten Network broadcast. Fightonstate.com is saying the Lions' fifth game, at Illinois, and still another Penn State game also could find their way onto BTN. (Click here) for the fightonstate.com story.) Penn State reports that at least three cable companies in eastern Pennsylvania -- including Blue Ridge, which is my cable supplier -- have not reached agreement to carry the Big Ten Network.

The other two are Service Electric Cablevision in the Hazleton-Birdsboro-Sunbury region and Service Electric in Wilkes-Barre and Mahanoy City. According to fightonstate.com, which talked to the Big Ten Network president, Armstrong cable and Atlantic Broadband. both in western Pennsylvania, also are not carrying the network.

There is hope for some Pennsylvania residents. The Illinois game is the real sticking point here, of course. It's no surprise that The Mouse wants to stay away from Penn State's opening three bloodbaths. Hey, schedule a good opponent and maybe someone will want to broadcast it!

Jinxie Says "Don't Worry". David Jones has an article trying to comfort Penn State fans who are already convinced that the non-conference schedule has already eliminated the Lions from the BCS Championship Game. In a sense, he's right.

If PSU finishes 12-0 alone or with one other team, it's going to be awfully difficult to exclude them from the championship game. If there are three undefeated teams, prepare for the screwing. My theory on this, barring a monumental Big Ten resurrection this year, is that an undefeated season will be treated as an undefeated season just like any other year, but one loss almost certainly moves a Big Ten team to the back of the one-loss pecking order among the BCS teams. One loss might as well be two losses for either Penn State, Ohio State, or whichever other Big Ten can reach that level in 2009.

Yes, It's August, And We Have PSU Basketball Items. Two Collegian articles on the hoops team. First, the veterans are trying to get used to seeing so many new faces in the locker room. More interestingly, Talor Battle is trying to deal with being The Man:

Last year, Penn State point guard Talor Battle didn't hesitate to go to his older teammates for advice. This summer he is the one being sought out for questions. "All the guys are coming to me with questions, it's different but I'm getting used to it," Battle said of his incoming rookie teammates. "It's a respect level now that guys really trust that I know what's going on. They ask me questions and I answer to the best of my abilities."

...

While the experience with his teammates is new, Battle is no stranger to having others look up to him. Of his eight siblings, six are younger than he is. The point guard's family recently moved to Boalsburg, and since returning from Serbia -- where he played in the World University Games -- Battle has been able to spend more time with his brothers and sisters.

In Scores Of Other Games: Kevin HD lends a hand to a PSU preview over atWe Will Always Have Tempe. Pat Devlin still exists. Larry Johnson Jr. is feigning contentment in K.C. Current running back recruit Marcus Lattimore is ranked the #1 recruit by the Sporting News and is #10 in ESPN's 150. Penn State reserve lineman Andrew Radakovich, who really didn't have any business on the roster anyway, has transferred to Youngstown State.

Four Star Quarterbacks, Success, Failure, and What Michigan Football can Expect out of Tate Forcier

Maize n Brew Dave — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 17:33:59 -0000

As a general rule, highly rated quarterback recruits are the crown jewel of any school's recruiting class. Sure you can bring in a #1 Linebacker or a #1 Offensive Tackle, but those guys don't score points and their faces aren't plastered all over ABC or CBS every fall Saturday. Offenses simply don't work without an able bodied/minded signal caller under center.

But high school kids rarely turn out to be the person we thought they'd be coming out of high school. While Dr. Saturday has pointed out on numerous occasions (link no longer available) that a 5* player is far more likely than a 4* or 3* player to make the NFL, for some reason a 5* is far more likely to get himself arrested than a 4* or 3* (from the 2005 class at least). You get your five star flame outs (Ryan Perrilloux) far more often than your #1DC's like Matt Stafford, and you're just as likely to be starting a three star quarterback that you recruited as "insurance" than your four/five star savior.

For Michigan, this is not welcome news. Since the departure of five star rated Chad Henne, Michigan has gone from five star rated Ryan Mallett to no star rated Nick Sheridan to four star rated Steven Threet, back to Sheridan, then to two star Justin Feagin, to Threet, to Sheridan, and now, finally, to four star rated Tate Forcier. Looking at the preceding list, it's easy to disillusioned by the rankings process. Mallett transferred, Threet transferred (again), Sheridan was basically useless, and Feagin is being switched to receiver. As a result, Michigan will be starting a first year quarterback for the second straight year.

Despite Michigan's string of bad luck under center last year, it has failed to temper the enthusiasm of the Wolverine faithful when talking about Tate Forcier's first snaps. While (thankfully) this enthusiasm hasn't gone all Beano Cook, it is palpable when you talk to a Michigan fan. And to his credit, Forcier has done something to stoke that fire. Four passing touchdowns and one running touchdown in your spring game, your first anything against college competition, will get people excited.

Oddly, in watching that video the first thing that jumps out at me is not, OMG Savior!, it's "our defense is going to be baaaaaaaaaaad." But I digress. Watching this video is incredibly reassuring for any Michigan fan who had to sit through or pour over bad video of last year's spring practice. Combined, IIRC, Threet and Sheridan combined for 6 turnovers and no touchdowns via the air in 2008. And that performance was turned in against what proved to be the worst Michigan defense in Michigan history. I'm just saying.

So it's kind of hard to truly judge what we can expect out of Forcier against live competition, you know, the kind that will actually try to tackle him. Last year's quarterback play set the bar very low. But, Forcier seems to have the unique abilities required to run Rodriguez system. Tate showed the ability to throw on the run. Go deep. Scramble out of a sack. Not spike himself. These are good things.

Last year Michigan quarterbacks combined to go an abysmal 165/338 for 1718 yards, 11TD/12INT and a miserable combined QB rating of 95.2. Nick Sheridan's numbers alone make you cringe, a QB rating of 81.1 and a 2/5 TD/INT ratio despite starting a handful of games. If you just threw up a little in your mouth, you're not alone. Say what you want about changing systems, these guys were not and are not good quarterbacks in any system with numbers like that. Last year Forcier's numbers look like a shiny beacon in comparison. 208/326 for 3424 yards, 23/15 TD/INT ratio, 783 yards rushing on 92 attempts, and 12 rushing TDs. But lets break this down a bit.

For context on the competition, Forcier's High School, Scripps Ranch, is a Division II South school in California. Scripps is in the middle tier high school division for California schools with enrollment between 2400 and 1100 kids. The bigger Division I schools have enrollment from 2400 and up [some almost reaching 5000 enrollment]. Scripps is one of the larger Division II schools with enrollment around 2100. So he definitely facing decent competition, he's just not facing a Long Beach Poly kind of talent pool (4600+ kids).

Now, onto the numbers. One thing that jumps out at me is the 2 to 1 TD/INT ratio in 2008. Forcier, if you look at his numbers, had his best season as a HS junior where he was 21/5 TD/INT. But that's two years ago, with different personnel. Last year in 12 games, Forcier had just three games without an INT, and threw 2 picks or more in five games. Tate's playoff numbers were a mixed bag, throwing for over 300 yards in one game, but tossing a combined 5 picks in both play off games he played in. The glass half empty kind of person can take that as Tate wilting under pressure.

But the reality is that's far from the case. Scripps was a good, but not great team last year going 8-4. Their second round bow-out from the DII playoffs was against 12-0-1 Oceanside, the defending state champs, who won their fifth consecutive Division II section title in 2008. Forcier scored both TDs in the loss for Scripps, and a look at the boxscore shows there's not a lot you can do when you give up 28 points in the 4th quarter. Looking at the results, you'll note a couple of games where Scripps gave up 40+ points, including 70(!) to the eventual state champs, Cathedral. FWIW, Forcier was 21/36 for 295 yards, 4TDs and 1INT in the Cathedral game.

What all this means is Michigan is getting a kid who has taken his lumps, knows what it's like to get planted, and has played well against higher levels of competition. Is he the Rich Rod savior we've been hoping for? Chances are we're not going to know for a while. After the jump you'll find the Rivals rankings for every quarterback receiving four stars or higher since 2005, and a few three stars of note. Of this group, over five years, you're only going to find five or six quarterbacks that jump off the page at you. Three of those page jumpers are: Tebow, Bradford, and McCoy. Surprisingly, Bradford and McCoy were three star recruits.

If it seems like things are a little off moving towards 2005, you're right. In '05 Rivals handed out only thirteen four star plus ratings to quarterbacks. In 2009, Rivals handed out twenty five four star plus ratings, nearly double the 2005 amount. In my opinion, this might have something to do with the precipitous drop in production from 4* plus players. When you're handing out high ratings like candy, eventually you degrade the overall effect of that rating. It also explains why I'm nervous about anointing a four star quarterback, even a good one, as a program savior or more modestly as an offensive savior.

So what do these numbers mean for Michigan and Tate? It means we should all cool our jets a tad. Given the number of four and five star flameouts over the last five years, a four star QB is statistically more likely to be a bust than a success. Further, regardless of pedigree, even the best of the best get hammered in year one. Everyone remembers the lumps Chad Henne took as a first year starter, the bad throws, the bailouts by Braylon. And Chad was one of the highest ranked QB recruits in the country at the time. Sam Bradford's been a starter since day one but he got beaten down fairly regularly too. What helped Braford, and what is a major question mark for Forcier, is Bradford's OU defense was AWESOME that year and Bradford often had the opportunity to fix things when he messed up.

Tate's in that middle ground between OMG SHIRTLESS and good, solid prospect. On the negative side, he's shorter than we'd like. He's got good, but not great arm strength. He's shown a propensity, at least at the High School level to throw some picks. On the positive, he has shown great escapability. Great instincts. Good decision making. Has a resume jam packed with awards and MVPS. And an arm that is more than capable of delivering the ball down field and into tight pockets mid field. But all this is conjecture before he plays a single game. So before we all start bringing offerings to his temple, let's allow the kid to show us what he can do in a real game environment.

But here's where the realistic fan in me comes out; it's really hard not to get excited about what he's shown so far. On the basis of his high school career, spring performance, and Rodriguez offense, 2,300 passing yards, 700 rushing yards, 15/9 TD/INT, 6 Rushing TD seems like a reasonable expectation. Juice Williams threw for 3,000 plus last year while running for 700 yards on a bad team. Having seen both players throw, I like Forcier considerably more than Williams as a passer. The rushing numbers will be comparable just because of the nature of the offense. Forcier's going to run the ball. It's a necessity in this offense. So he'll have every opportunity to gain rushing yards.

I may be underselling the passing a tad, but I don't know how well our receivers are going to play this year. They should be a solid group, but there were a lot of dropped and misplayed balls last year. If the receivers play better, I think Tate can get them the ball and my projection would go up from there.

Thoughts?

Here's the list of ranked quaterbacks from 2005 forward. Help me fill in the blanks on these guys if you can.

Rivals.com dual-threat quarterbacks 2009

1Russell Shepard 5* LSU

2Tyrik Rollison 4* Auburn

3Eugene Smith 4* West Virginia

4Kevin Newsome 4* Penn State

5Tate Forcier 4* Michigan

6Cody Green 4* Nebraska

7Nathan Scheelhaase 4* Illinois

8Shavodrick Beaver 4* Tulsa

9Casey Pachall 4* TCU

10Jordan Reed 4* Florida

11Raymond Cotton 4* Ole Miss

Not included – 14 Denard Robinson 4* ATH - Michigan

Rivals.com pro-style quarterbacks 2009

1Matt Barkley 5* USC

2Garrett Gilbert 5* Texas

3Aaron Murray 4* Georgia

4Tajh Boyd 4* Clemson

5Bryn Renner 4* North Carolina

6Richard Brehaut 4* UCLA

7AJ McCarron 4* Alabama

8Tom Savage 4* Rutgers

9Andrew Maxwell 4* Michigan State

10Allan Bridgford 4* California

11Zach Mettenberger 4* Georgia

12Tyler Russell 4* Mississippi State

13Josh Nunes 4* Stanford

14Ryan Mossakowski 4* Kentucky

Rivals.com dual-threat quarterbacks 2008

1Terrelle Pryor 5* OSU – You may have heard of him

2E.J. Manuel 4* Florida State

3MarQueis Gray 4* Minnesota - eligibility issues

4Robert Griffin 4* Baylor - Starter

5Matt Scott 4* Arizona

6Darron Thomas 4* Oregon - Bench

7Curt Phillips 4* Wisconsin

8B.J. Daniels 4* South Florida

9Kody Spano 3* Nebraska

10Jaybo Shaw 3* Georgia Tech - Included for awesome name

Rivals.com pro-style quarterbacks 2008

1Blaine Gabbert 5* Missouri - sorta starter

2Dayne Crist 5* Notre Dame - Bench

3Mike Glennon 4* N.C. State - starter

4Andrew Luck 4* Stanford

5Star Jackson 4* Alabama

6Landry Jones 4* Oklahoma

7Jacory Harris 4* Miami - Starter

8Jordan Jefferson 4* LSU

9Tyler Wilson 4* Arkansas

10Kyle Parker 4* Clemson

Rivals.com dual-threat quarterbacks 2007

1Tyrod Taylor 5* VTech – Starter

2Cameron Newton 5* Florida

3Aaron Corp 4* Southern Cal - Starter

4Stephen Garcia 4* South Carolina - washout?

5Willy Korn 4* Clemson - Starter

6Keith Nichol 4* Oklahoma - Bench/transfer?

7Chris Forcier 4* UCLA - Washout/transfer

8Kodi Burns 4*Auburn

9Josh Nesbitt 4* Georgia Tech - starter

10Logan Gray 4* Georgia

11Kellen Kiilsgaard 4* Stanford

12Bradley Starks 4* West Virginia

Rivals.com pro-style quarterbacks 2007

1Jimmy Clausen 5* Notre Dame - Starter

2Ryan Mallett 5* Michigan – Transfer/Starter

3John Brantley 4* Florida

4Mike Paulus 4* North Carolina

5Peter Lalich 4*Virginia

6Pat Bostick 4*Pittsburgh - Bench

7Jarrett Lee 4* LSU - sorta starter

8Robert Marve 4* Miami-FL - washout/transfer

9Steven Threet 4* Georgia Tech – Sadly, washout/Transfer x2.

10BJ Coleman 4* Tennessee - nothing

Rivals.com: Dual-threat quarterbacks 2006

1Tim Tebow 5* Florida (Football Jesus)

2Demetrius Jones 4* Notre Dame Washout/Transfer – Now a linebacker at NIU

3Jevan Snead 4* Texas – Transfer/Starter at Ole Miss

4Jake Locker 4* Washington – Punching bag/Starter

5Jeremy Ricker 4* Maryland

6Austen Arnaud 4* Iowa State

7Garrett Green 4* Southern Cal - bench

8Sherrod Harris 4* Texas - bench

9Antonio Henton 4* Ohio State – Who?

11Rick Stanzi 3* Iowa – Starter/Manzi

14Adam Weber 3* Minnesota - Starter

15Nate Davis 3* Ball State - NFL

16Todd Reesing 3* Kansas – Marky M says Balla.

Rivals.com Pro-style quarterbacks 2006

1Matthew Stafford 5* Georgia 1DC

2Mitch Mustain 5* Arkansas Washout

3Isiah Williams 4* Illinois Starter

4Josh Freeman 4* Kansas State Starter/washout/NFL?

5Pat Devlin 4* Penn State washout/transfer

6Kevin Riley 4* California sorta starter

7Neil Caudle 4* Auburn bench

8Chris Smelley 4* South Carolina sorta starter/washout

9Zach Frazer 4* Notre Dame washout

10Tyler Lyon 3* Arizona Bench

11Greg McElroy 3* Alabama – Starter (sorta)

12Sam Bradford 3* Oklahoma (Heisman winner)

Rivals.com Pro-style quarterbacks 2005

1Mark Sanchez 5* Southern Cal - NFL

2Jonathan Crompton 4* Tennessee - sorta starter

3Harrison Beck 4* Nebraska

4Derek Shaw 4* Arizona State

5Willie Tuitama 4* Arizona - One Time Stater/washout

6Rob Schoenhoft 4* Ohio State - bench

7Joe Cox 4* Georgia - bench?

8Arkelon Hall 3* Washington St.

9Domenic Natale 3* Michigan State

10Sean Canfield 3* Oregon State

11Bill Stull 3* Pittsburgh - starter

12Evan Sharpley 3* Notre Dame - Graduated

14Dustin Sherer 3* Wisconsin - sorta starter

15Colt McCoy 3* Texas - Starter Heisman Candidate

Rivals.com: Dual-threat quarterbacks 2005

1Ryan Perrilloux 5* LSU - Washout of spectacular fashion

2Jake Christensen 4* Iowa - Washout

3Ike Whitaker 4* Virginia Tech - Washout

4Josh Portis 4* Florida - ?

5Kyle Reed 4* California - ?

6Chase Daniel 4* Missouri - NFL?

7Jimmy Johns 3* Alabama - Proveyor of Fine Powdered Products

10Zac Robinson 3* Oklahoma State - Starter

Being Billy Devaney - QB

Tackle Box — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 17:27:35 -0000

Well, here we are, trying to fill out the roster, create some depth, and maybe even try to build some potential for the future. If things go as planned, by the time the Rams draft in the 5th round, we'll have all (well, maybe most) of our most pressing needs filled and will be looking to make a great steal late on the 2nd day.

While the subject of Marc Bulger is controversial (to say the least) around here, can we all accept he's going to be our quarterback this season? You might not like it, but there's about a .00001% chance there will be someone other than Bulger lining up under center when the Rams take the field for their season opener.

I for one fall into the category of a Bulger supporter. I'm just putting that out there. However, I'm not blind to the fact that he'll be 32 when the season starts and isn't going to be any younger the following season. We've got a young offense (2nd youngest in the league at press time) so it makes sense that we're going to have to start developing a quarterback, right? Is this the year to start that? I'm not sure. A lot of it depends on what is available in the later rounds, and is what is available going to be a better bet than what will be available at the top of the draft next year? That's a good question, no?

So, let's start with looking at our roster after the jump.

Marc Bulger - 6'3" 212 - Signed through 2013 - Bulger still has a lot of guaranteed money left which will count against the cap this year and next ($22.5M in 2009 and $18M in 2010). I can now tell you how he's still a good quarterback, but ultimately that's my opinion. He's been battered for the past couple of seasons and that's definitely taken its toll on him. How he responds to much better protection and a run-centric offense is still a mystery, but at this time the team can't afford to not bet on him to succeed.
Brock Berlin - 6'1" 215 - Signed through 2009 - Berlin is a backup quarterback, plain and simple. Anyone who thinks or tells you he deserves a legit shot to win the starting job at any point in the next year is letting their disdain for Marc Bulger interfere with rational thinking. There's nothing special about Berlin other than maybe he's fun to be around. If the Rams have to turn to him at any point this season, then a top 5 draft pick is definitely in our future.

After Bulger and Berlin, the Rams are suspected to be interested in and on the verge of signing Gus Frerotte. Sexy? Not in the least bit. But he can pick up offenses quickly, is a professional about himself, and played in a similar offense last season to what the Rams are going to install this year. He's a one year filler. Nothing more, nothing less. He's not here to compete for the job but can do the job if he has to and at age 38, he's a much better option than turning the reigns over to Brock Berlin.

And that's our Quarterbacks. Not pretty, but with Bulger hopefully we have some upside to look forward to. If he fails this season (or falls short of expectations), it's not the end of the world. I expect a major improvement this season, but I'm realistic. That improvement should result in a better record (how could it not, right?), but we're going to have to watch the games to see the little things. Simply looking at the record and forming an opinion is being short-sighted.

So, with that being said, should the Rams draft a quarterback this year? Is it worth it? We've already got a full stable of QBs (assuming they sign Frerotte) so they wouldn't be filling out the roster. If they do draft a QB, you can kiss Mr. Berlin goodbye but I don't think there will be any demonstrations at the Dome or demands of season ticket money being returned as a result.

But, I ask again, is it worth it to draft a Quarterback this year when drafting for depth on either of the lines or at Cornerback or Tight End or Running Back or wherever might benefit the team much more? Well, one reason might be that you can start to teach the new QB the system and get him some time with the team. Is that a benefit? Eh. Matt Ryan doesn't seem to think so, but then again he was a 1st round draft pick. We won't have that luxury here of such a high profile addition, so maybe it is better. Who really knows, right? Either way, let's see what's going to be available in the later rounds of this year's draft (rounds 5 through 7).

Rhett Bomar - Sam Houston State - 6'2" 215 - Had a pretty good season for the Bearkats with 3,355 yards, 27 TDs, and 13 INTs. Was originally an Oklahoma Sooner (when he was the top quarterback recruit in the nation) but was kicked off the team after taking money from boosters. Resurfaced at Sam Houston and salvaged his career. He has the ability to play in the NFL, but comes with some character question marks, I suppose.
Nate Davis - Ball State - 6'2" 217 - Once considered to be a possible 2nd round lock in this year's draft, Davis has seen his stock slip over the last month or so. Many are questioning his decision to leave school early especially after his struggles in his last two games at Ball State. He has a big arm and is extremely athletic but apparently many teams doubt his ability to lead an NFL team. Only one team (Indianapolis Colts) sent a representative to Davis' Pro Day workout (Muncie is like an hours drive away from Indy). Scouts also have concerns about his height, but in my opinion 6'2" isn't all that short. Just ask Drew Brees.
Mike Reilly - Central Washington - 6'3" 214 - The 49ers seem pretty interested in Reilly saying he's "Not a high-round guy, but a middle-round guy that's got some upside" Had a great season for the Wildcats compiling 3,706 yards, 37 touchdowns, and 6 INTs. He's got a big arm and has plenty of confidence. Also has a lot of upside. If he's available in the 6th round (he probably won't be), it'd be hard for the Rams to pass him up if they're serious about developing someone with great talent and tons of upside.
Nathan Brown - Central Arkansas - 6'1" 217 - Put up great numbers through his career at Central Arkansas (10,558 yards, 100 TDs) and has been considered by some to be the best college quarterback to ever play in the state of Arkansas. That's one heck of a compliment for a guy virtually no one has ever seen play. Could be a great pick late in the draft.....could be nothing more than a backup. It's hard to tell.
Mike Teel - Rutgers - 6'4" 220 - Was red hot to end the season for the Scarlet Knights who has the size NFL teams covet at this position. He struggled for about the first half of last season, but the finish he put up might have convinced some teams he can play at the next level. Frankly, it's guys like this that concern me. I'd prefer a QB who very rarely struggled and didn't take half a season to get it figured out before I went and spent a draft pick (and every pick of ours this year are extremely valuable to the rebuilding process) on him.

After Teel, you'll be looking at guys like Graham Harrell (Texas Tech), David Johnson (Tulsa), Hunter Cartwell (Louisville), Cullen Harper (Clemson), and Tom Brandstater (Fresno State). Some of these guys might even go un-drafted, which means you could pick them up as a free agent. Personally, outside of maybe Nate Davis or Mike Reilly, I'd probably pass on this bunch. I just feel we'd be wasting a pick on a backup quarterback when someone who could play special teams might be more valuable.

Depending on how the season plays out, it's probably a better idea to wait until next season to draft a QB. I'm not overly excited about the 2010 class of QBs, but next year we should have a better handle on the roster and much less holes to fill making a reach or a high draft pick much easier to swallow. Plus, we will still probably have Bulger on the roster in 2010 so you probably wouldn't expect any of these guys to step in on day one.

Anyway, here's a look at what's probably going to be available next year.

Sam Bradford (Oklahoma), Jevan Snead (Mississippi), Tim Tebow (Florida), Colt McCoy (Texas), Jimmy Clausen (Notre Dame), Pat Devlin (Deleware), Tim Hiller (Western Michigan), Zac Robinson (Oklahoma State), Dan LeFevour (Central Michigan), Jake Locker (Washington), Juice Williams (Illinois), Jarrett Brown (West Virginia), and Daryll Clark (Penn State)

I have to admit right now of my man crush on Dan LeFevour. I've probably seen him play 3 or 4 times (once in person) and he has always impressed. He's got good size, a heck of an arm, and has great feet. He can beat you in so many ways.

So, what do you guys think? I know there are probably people who would love to see the Rams trade for Jay Cutler but a move like that would totally hamstring any chances the team has of having any roster flexibility for the next 3 years. So....do we draft this year and if Bulger falls on his face we can then replace him next sesaon, or do we put our faith in our curent QB and look at acquiring his replacement next year when we can pick a guy a little higher in the draft?

There Will Be Fallout And Accusation

Run Up The Score — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 15:02:35 -0000

Perhaps the weirdest part of a high-profile quarterback transfer is the collective need to assess blame. You know, like, "THIS IS JAY PATERNO'S FAULT." Or, "DEVLIN LEFT THE TEAM HANGING FOR THE ROSE BOWL." Okay, fine. The outrage is useful for a few moments.

(photo credit: Princeton University)

So yes, the story is confirmed, Pat Devlin is gone. Jeff McLane reached Devlin's high school coach, Mike Matta (who, earlier this year, said Devlin was "not a transfer guy"):

The Lions were trailing, 6-3, but Devlin guided the offense to a go-ahead touchdown and later an additional three points as Penn State won, 13-6, to improve to 9-0. He scored the winning touchdown on a 1-yard run.

"He was riding high," a source close to Devlin said.

But Devlin continued to experience rough patches and doubts over his future, because Clark, a junior, is slated to return next year. The source said Devlin was never comfortable with quarterbacks coach Jay Paterno and relied more on the advice of wide receivers coach and former Penn State quarterback Mike McQueary and offensive coordinator Galen Hall.

"The relationship was never forged with him and his quarterbacks coach," said Mike Matta, Devlin's coach at Downingtown East.

A message left with Jay Paterno was not returned last night.

The same quarterbacks coach, of course, who helped welcome Devlin to Penn State even after the highly-prized recruit had chosen exotic Miami as a college destination, before a coaching shakeup there steered Devlin to his parents' alma mater in State College.

Does any second-team quarterback think he has a great relationship with the quarterbacks coach?

Anyway, the details are juicy:

According to a source close to Paterno, Devlin, along with his parents, Mark and Connie, visited with the 81-year-old coach on Monday to express their displeasure over their son's situation. The Devlins brought with them a list of issues they had about Penn State's handling of their son.

By the end of the meeting, Pat Devlin had informed Paterno that he was leaving, the source said. With one game to play, however, Devlin's decision over whether he would play in the Jan. 1 Rose Bowl against Southern Cal was left dangling.

Yesterday, according to another source close to the team, Paterno asked Devlin if he had reached a verdict. The sophomore said he had not. Paterno made the decision for him, and by the end of the day, Devlin's locker was cleaned out.

Totally fine with the parents getting involved, by the way. We're talking about Super Coaching Icon Joe Paterno here, a guy with a long history of outsmarting, intimidating, and outlasting his adversaries. That guy vs. a 20 year old kid, facing the most important decision of his young life. Devlin's parents were heavily involved in his decision to choose PSU at the last minute, they may as well be involved in this part of the proceedings as well.

Still, I would love to know what was on that "list of issues". I bet JoePa just loved that.

Paterno did the right thing, by the way. You can't have a guy on the team who quite obviously has one foot out the door. Besides, Joe Paterno isn't the kind of guy who takes kindly to being left hanging. Paul Cianciolo is your backup for the Rose Bowl, and he should be.

This is a situation where everyone did what was best for themselves. The coaches chose Clark as the starter in August. Many of us disagreed with the selection, including myself, but Clark proved to be the correct choice for this particular style of offense. Did Jay Paterno choose Clark because Jay has a bad track record with pro-style quarterbacks? I mean, maybe. But his job is to place the proper personnel in position to win college football games, not create a feeder system fo the NFL's needs. This isn't a football camp.

Devlin did what was best for himself, as well. Frankly, I'm still surprised that he stuck around after Clark was named the starter in August. Despite losing the quarterback competition, Devlin was assured a slice of playing time. Initially, he received it. He threw 35 passes in the first four games of the season, but never found the field against Illinois or Purdue. That would be a theme throughout the Big Ten schedule, and he'd never throw more than five passes in a game at Penn State again.

There were happier days. (photo credit: lehighvalleylive.com)

As for initial player reaction, the York Daily Record caught up with hometown guy, Knowledge Timmons:

The news apparently filtered through a team workout on Wednesday, catching at least some by surprise.

"We all came to work out today, and somebody said that Pat might be leaving," said Knowledge Timmons, the William Penn High grad who is a Nittany Lion defensive back. "And I was like, 'What is he leaving for?'

"It's still fresh to everybody. ... I guess (he figured) he's not going to be the starter (next season) so he wants some playing time."

When asked about the timing of the possible transfer, Timmons said, "We're doing good, so it is kind of distracting now. I'm kind of surprised about hearing about it."

Of course, this is just the first or second layer of the onion. There will be more details in the upcoming days and weeks -- jockeying in the press, stories of how the villainous Paternos conspired to screw Pat Devlin, and all sorts of other fun. For now, on the field, the important part is keeping Daryll Clark upright for sixty minutes against USC. Off the field, the coaching staff better be putting every second of their collective spare time into landing an highly-rated quarterback for this current recruiting class. Cianciolo turns in his equipment after the Rose Bowl. Clark has one year of eligibility remaining. After that, there's walk-on Matt McGloin and the intriguing Brett Brackett, who will almost certainly have to shift back to his high school position of quarterback if the coaches strike out on the quarterback recruiting front. Again.

[Late Update: Funny to watch this particular video now.]

Internet Rumbling: Pat Devlin Has Left The Program

Kevin HD — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 00:55:58 -0000

FightOnState is reporting that Pat Devlin has left the program.

He came in highly recruited out of eastern PA but apparently never convinced the coaches he was a better option than Clark. Without him, though, the teams chances of pulling ahead and then holding on against Ohio State would have decreased dramatically.

It sounds like he is already gone, meaning Paul Cianciolo will be the backup in the Rose Bowl. This is a major setback in my opinion. Yeah, he isn't contributing as a starter, but we have very few options should anything happen to Clark.

He always seemed to have a very good attitude and I'm sorry he felt the need to leave, he will be missed as the probably back up in 2009 and leaves an enormous, Pacific Ocean size hole at the position in 2010. The coaches had better hope this helps us recruit one of the remaining QBs that will sign this spring, because otherwise it's big trouble.

We of course wish Devlin nothing but the best wherever he ends up.

Update: According to the Seattle Post, it's official:

The school released a statement saying Devlin informed coach Joe Paterno of his intention to transfer.

Officially Official: Donnie Collins passes this along from the PSU Athletic Department:

"Sophomore quarterback Pat Devlin has informed Coach Joe Paterno that he intends to transfer. He will not participate with the team in the Rose Bowl. The Penn State football program wishes him well at his new school."

Until The Ride Comes To A Complete Stop

Run Up The Score — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 14:33:40 -0000

The moment of truth for a nervous roller coaster enthusiast occurs at the loud clack of the safety harness locking into place. Protest all you want at that point, but you're in for the ride, no matter how harrowing it may be.

Like it or not, this is the point Penn State is at with respect to the quarterback position. Protest all you want, Joe Paterno has officially dug in his heels.

Q: Daryll Clark has three turnovers today, are you worried about his confidence?

A: No, that is one of the reasons I kept him in there. I figured he has to work his way through some of that. We are going to talk a lot about the fumbles. He had the two fumbles and that's just carelessness. Sometime you have those days. He has had some problems, but I think he needs to work his way through it.

Clark's play has clearly declined since the Wisconsin game. However, a case could be made to support Clark in most of those games. Against Ohio State, the offense went conservative in a tough environment. The combination of Iowa's excellent defense and the wind made passing difficult last week. The Indiana game was played in a frigid swamp on Saturday. These things are all true. That said, it's going to be cold next Saturday and Michigan State is ranked 12th nationally in pass efficiency defense. As Daryll (and PSU fans everywhere) learned after the Iowa game, excuses really only fly after victories.

Besides, it's not just Clark's play that has dropped off. We have learned that the Penn State offense does not respond well to pressure. Opposing defensive coordinators know it, too. The offensive line has done a very poor job of picking up blitzes lately, which has led to Clark becoming increasingly jittery when things begin to break down. Receivers have dropped passes at very bad times. Wind. Rain. Faulty protection. Bad throws. Drops. All of that stuff has contributed to decreased offensive production. Does that mean Pat Devlin should stay glued to the bench?

Unless Clark massively screws up in the first half against Michigan State, yes. He is your quarterback, and all of the bitching and moaning will only result in further frustration, because the head coach's mind is made up. Think of the last two seasons. Now, do you really think a guy who has led the team to a 10-1 record is going to be benched?

When the quarterback competition was settled back in August, Joe Paterno told us that Pat Devlin would receive ample playing time. That actually happened for a while, and Devlin was permitted to do much more than handoff to third-team running backs. As the season trudged onward, Devlin's meaningful snaps steadily disappeared:

#7 Devlin, Pat	Comp-Att-Int	Pct	Yards	TD	Long	Sack-Yds	Effic
Coastal Carolina	5-8-0	62.5	83	0	40	0-0	149.65
Oregon State	0-3-0	0.0	0	0	0	0-0	0.00
Syracuse	8-13-0	61.5	130	2	28	0-0	196.31
Temple	5-11-0	45.5	47	0	17	1-9	81.35
Wisconsin	2-5-0	40.0	27	0	19	0-0	85.36
Michigan	1-1-0	100.0	80	1	80	0-0	1102.00
Indiana	2-2-0	100.0	18	0	11	1-6	175.60
TOTALS	23-43-0	53.5	385	3	80	2-15	151.72

Certainly, there's an argument to be made that Devlin could have received more meaningful playing time once the conference schedule started, but remember that Clark was playing at an exceptionally high level until the Michigan game.

It will take an injury to Clark or multiple, brainlocked turnovers for Devlin to get in the game. Devlin is the #2 quarterback, not #1A, not #1B, or whatever half-cocked designation you wish to pin upon him. This will probably not change next season, either. His job is merely to sweep the stage clean after the main performance has concluded, and if you see him taking crucial snaps in either the Michigan State game or the bowl game, something very awful will have already happened to the PSU offense.

Grading the Offense Against the Iowa Hawkeyes

BSD — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 21:15:38 -0000

(AP Photo by Charlie Neibergall)

This isn't going to be pretty. Let's just get to it.

Quarterbacks

Daryll Clark had his game of the season. There is no other way to put it.

vs Iowa / 11.8.08	Passing						Rushing
	Comp	Att	Pct	Yds	TD	INT	Rush	Yds	Avg	TD
Daryll Clark	9	23	39.1	86	0	1	5	6	1.2	0

From the opening series he seemed tentative and unsure of himself. He seemed like he was struggling with his reads, his timing was off, and he often overthrew his receivers. This is a problem that has plagued him all season. This week it finally bit him with the interception in the redzone. Jason Avant had an eleven-foot-tall imaginary friend named Tacopants. Derrick Williams must have an eleven-foot-tall imaginary friend as well. Any ideas on what we should call him?

You have to feel sorry for the kid. It was hard to watch him being interviewed after the game. He manned up and took all the blame for the loss. You have to admire him for that. Sadly, he's correct in that his play was a large part of the reason we lost.

Final Grade: F

Running Backs

It's hard to really find anything wrong here. Royster did the most he could with what he was given. There were some plays where the offensive line completely broke down and there was nothing he could do. He just buried his head and got what he could. At least he didn't fumble the game away.

Stephfon Green was a pleasant surprise gaining 31 yards on 3 carries. Makes me wish he had more. And of course Derrick Williams looked good gaining 53 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries.

vs Iowa / 11.8.08	Rushing				Receiving
	Rush	Yards	Avg	TD	Rec	Yards	Avg	TD
Evan Royster	26	90	3.5	1	0	0	0	0
Stephfon Green	3	31	10.3	0	1	9	9.0	0
Derrick Williams	12	53	4.4	1	4	43	10.8	0

Final Grade: B

Recievers

You can't help but feel bad for Derrick Williams. Since the day he committed to Penn State back in 2005 no player had been more committed to this program. He promised to bring Penn State a national championship and everything he did on and off the field was committed to that end. He played his heart out last night, and he deserves better. His name won't be plastered all over the record books when he leaves, but he should go down as one of the greatest Penn Staters of all time.

Everyone else sucked. Butler couldn't get open. Norwood dropped the few opportunites he had. And then he walked back to the bench like he didn't care. If I don't see Andrew Quarless on the field again I'll be ok with that. I don't think there is a player on this team whose performance has failed to live up to their God-given athletic ability like Quarless. He's a waste of a scholarship as far as I'm concerned. Mickey Shuler does three times as much with one-third of the physical gifts.

Final Grade: F (except for Williams who gets an A for his all-around performance)

Offensive Line

They just looked out of sync all night. Gerald Cadogen looked slow on his pulls. Shipley and Wiz were releasing their men and advancing to the second level too quckly leaving Royster to get swallowed up in the backfield. Ohrnberger was getting pwned by Mitch Kin. Landolt and Ohrnberger each got called for holding that killed two PSU drives in Iowa territory. The run blocking was ok in the first half, but Iowa adjusted at halftime and we had no answer for it. The pass protection was terrible all day. Iowa had seven tackles for loss (one sack) and seven QB hurries.

Final Grade: D

Offensive Coaching

I'm still trying to figure out what our gameplan was. I'm sure they were on the field before the game started, so they must have known they were starting out heading into a 34 degree 25 mph wind. So why do we come out trying to throw the ball on the first three plays? It was a colossal failure to observe the conditions and adapt. We came in with a script and by-Gawd we were going to stick to it.

All day long I couldn't figure out which part of the Iowa defense we were trying to attack. We came out throwing. Then we ran the ball with success, but kept stalling in the redzone. In the second half we got away from the power running game that worked in the first half and started throwing the ball again. It was like they spent the bye week just putting in gimmick plays for Derrick Williams instead of examining Iowa and developing a game plan to attack their defense. This wasn't the Penn State offense we saw all year long. When Williams wasn't taking the snap they ran up the middle and threw to the sidelines. Where was the originality? Why did we limit ourselves?

The decision to switch Stefen Wisniewski and Rich Ohrnberger on the offensive line completely backfired. Mitch King was owning Ohrnberger all day. I don't understand why they didn't adjust and try switching them back. I'm also disappointed they didn't pull Clark in the fourth quarter and give Pat Devlin a shot. It was pretty obvious Clark was struggling and the offense needed a spark. Maybe Devlin could have provided that. I certainly doubt he would have overthrown Williams that horribly on our final drive.

Final Grade: F