SB Nation - John Urschel

Penn State Depth Chart and Injury Report: Temple Edition

Devon Edwards — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 14:00:51 -0000

Compared to the chaos of the last of these updates, this edition is pretty tame. No position changes or new injuries to speak of, though there's still uncertainty swirling around a number of key contributors, especially at the running back position.

Last week this time, both Bill Belton and Derek Day were listed as "Possible"--but neither, of course, saw any action in the win over Navy. Well, there hasn't been any movement on either of their statuses for Saturday. At his weekly presser, Bill O'Brien said they were both still day-to-day (no pun intended), though Day's closer to returning to the playing field--he even practiced with the running backs earlier in the week.

A little weirdness from last week's other conspicuous absence: Donovan Smith isn't listed on the official injury report, but after missing the Navy game with a leg injury, and not practicing too much during the week, it wouldn't seem to be much of a shock if he's not able to go Saturday.

Lastly, Pete Massaro and Nyeem Wartman--neither of whom played against Navy--are both listed as out for this week. Massaro's shoulder injury sucks on a personal level, especially for someone who's battled through so many ailments in his time at Penn State, but the rise of Deion Barnes helps ease the pain for the Penn State defense. But Wartman, who looked great as a backup and special teamer in the first couple games, might not be back for a while with a badly sprained knee, and that could lead to a medical redshirt for the true freshman.

Last note: after making his first career catch, Paul Jones slides up the depth chart as the #2 F-tight end, behind Kyle Carter. Expect to see plenty of Jones on Saturday. And starting opposite Allen Robinson at wide receiver will be Brandon Moseby-Felder, but expect to see a deep rotation opposite Penn State's emerging star wideout.

* denotes player listed on injury report.

Off.	First Team	Second Team	Reserves
HC	Bill O'Brien
QB	#11 Matt McGloin	#12 Steven Bench	#13 Paul Jones
RB	#24 Day/#5 Belton	#26 Curtis Dukes	#28 Zach Zwinak
FB	#9 Michael Zordich	#35 Pat Zerbe	#45 P.J. Byers
TE-Y	#89 Garry Gilliam	#18 Jesse James	# 42 Matt Lehman
TE-F	#87 Kyle Carter	#13 Paul Jones	#82 Brian Irvin
WR	#8 Allen Robinson	#15 Alex Kenney	#37 Evan Lewis
WR	#85 Brandon Moseby-Felder	#21 Trevor Williams	#80 Matt Zanellato
OT	#76 Donovan Smith*	#70 Nate Cadogan	--
OG	#65 Miles Dieffenbach	#66 Angelo Mangiro	#56 Anthony Alosi
OC	#54 Matt Stankiewitch	#62 Frank Figueroa	#55 Wendy Laurent
OG	#64 John Urschel	#75 Eric Shrive
OT	#78 Mike Farrell	#58 Adam Gress	#75 Eric Shrive
Def.	First Team	Second Team	Reserves
DE	#90 Sean Stanley	#86 C.J. Olaniyan	--
DT	#47 Jordan Hill	#84 Kyle Baublitz	--
DT	#91 DaQuan Jones	#93 James Terry	#99 Austin Johnson
DE	#18 Deion Barnes	#98 Anthony Zettel	--
OLB	#6 Gerald Hodges	#43 Mike Hull	--
MLB	#40 Glenn Carson	#33 Michael Yancich	--
OLB	#42 Michael Mauti	#38 Ben Kline	--
CB	#12 Stephon Morris	#3 DaQuan Davis	--
SS	#10 Malcolm Willis	#23 Ryan Keiser	--
FS	#7 Stephen Obeng-Agyapong	#27 Jake Fagnano
CB	#4 Adrian Amos	#39 Jesse Della Valle	#1 Jordan Lucas
Sp.	First Team	Second Team	Reserves
K	#97 Sam Ficken	--	--
P	#45 Alex Butterworth	--	--
KR	#4 Adrian Amos	#15 Alex Kenney	#21 Trevor Williams
PR	#37 Evan Lewis	#39 Jesse Della Valle	--
LS	#57 Emery Etter	#44 Michael Furman	--
H	#23 Ryan Keiser	#37 Evan Lewis	--

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Penn State Depth Chart and Injury Report: Navy Edition

Devon Edwards — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 14:45:04 -0000

This past week has been, from our perspective here at the depth-chart-and-injury report perspective, a rather tumultuous one. Coming off a pair of losses in its first two games, Penn State will look to get the ship righted against Navy (see what I did there?), but they'll be trying to do it after suffering even more losses to a roster already fraught with a lack of depth.

For starters, at running back there isn't one. Bill Belton is still day-to-day after missing the Virginia game with a sprained ankle, and Derek Day, who took that spot in his absence, is dealing with a banged-up shoulder that forced him to exit Saturday's game early. Both are listed as possible, and if they can't go, the Nittany Lions will have their third starter at tailback in three games--likely Zach Zwinak, though Curtis Dukes would likely figure into the equation.

But wait, there's more! Shawney Kersey is no longer a Nittany Lion, leaving Penn State with a hole at starting wide receiver, albeit one with a lot of options to fill it. And Matt Marcincin, a walk-on kicker who was Sam Ficken's backup, left the team. Oh, and Paul Jones moved to tight end (while continuing to sit in on the QB meetings, apparently). Am I missing anything else?

Yep. Starting left tackle Donovan Smith--who's missed time in each of the first two contests--missed practice this week with an ankle injury. So did Pete Massaro and Nyeem Wartman, due to shoulder and knee injuries, respectively. They're both possible. I really love how non-committal "possible" is.

But hey, it could be worse: Matt McGloin's elbow is just fine! So there's that.

One last note: TE/QB hybrid Paul Jones is now wearing #13, with freshman wideout Eugene Lewis taking his old #7, switching from #16, not that you noticed because he didn't play in the first two games! Whew.

On to the depth chartery!

* denotes player listed on injury report.

Off.

First Team

Second Team

Reserves

Bill O'Brien

#11 Matt McGloin

#12 Steven Bench

#13 Paul Jones(?)

#24 Day*/#5 Belton*

#28 Zack Zwinak

#26 Curtis Dukes

#9 Michael Zordich

#35 Pat Zerbe

#45 P.J. Byers

TE-Y

#89 Garry Gilliam

#18 Jesse James

# 82 Brian Irvin

TE-F

#87 Kyle Carter

#84 Matt Lehman

#13 Paul Jones

#8 Allen Robinson

#37 Evan Lewis

#85 Brandon Moseby-Felder

#15 Alex Kenney

#10 Trevor Williams

#7 Eugene Lewis

#76 Donovan Smith*

#70 Nate Cadogan

#65 Miles Dieffenbach

#66 Angelo Mangiro

#56 Anthony Alosi

#54 Matt Stankiewitch

#66 Angelo Mangiro

#55 Wendy Laurent

#64 John Urschel

#75 Eric Shrive

#62 Frank Figueroa

#78 Mike Farrell

#58 Adam Gress

#79 Kevin Blanchard

Def.

First Team

Second Team

Reserves

#90 Sean Stanley

#86 C.J. Olaniyan

#47 Jordan Hill

#84 Kyle Baublitz

#91 DaQuan Jones

#93 James Terry

#99 Austin Johnson

#18 Deion Barnes

#59 Pete Massaro*

#98 Anthony Zettel

OLB

#6 Gerald Hodges

#43 Mike Hull

MLB

#40 Glenn Carson

#5 Nyeem Wartman*

#33 Michael Yancich

OLB

#42 Michael Mauti

#38 Ben Kline

#12 Stephon Morris

#3 DaQuan Davis

#10 Malcolm Willis

#23 Ryan Keiser

#7 Stephen Obeng-Agyapong

#27 Jake Fagnano

#4 Adrian Amos

#39 Jesse Della Valle

#1 Jordan Lucas

Sp.

First Team

Second Team

Reserves

#97 Sam Ficken

#45 Alex Butterworth

#4 Adrian Amos

#15 Alex Kenney

#37 Evan Lewis

#39 Jesse Della Valle

#57 Emery Etter

#23 Ryan Keiser

#37 Evan Lewis

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Penn State Depth Chart & Injury Report: Virginia Edition

Devon Edwards — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 12:03:22 -0000

Last week might have been a perfect illustration of the phrase "adding insult to injury." Not only did Penn State limp out of its season opener 0-1, but it also saw a key players miss significant playing time. On a hot, humid day, the culprit that kept Gerald Hodges and Donovan Smith off the field was cramps; and Derek Day lost his helmet and ended up with a bloody gash on his head. But all three made their way back onto the field after a series or two, and their statuses for Saturday's game isn't in jeopardy.

Bill Belton and Stephon Morris aren't quite so lucky. Morris had to be carted off the field after injuring his left ankle, while Belton hobbled off with a right ankle sprain. Morris, though, has been back at practice this week, and his status for Virginia seems to be probable. It's a little more doubtful for Belton, who didn't make it on to the field at Lasch, and even if he can go, it'll be in a reserve role--Bill O'Brien announced Thursday that Day would get the start at running back.

Here's what the depth chart looks like, assuming Belton won't go:

Off.	First Team	Second Team	Reserves
HC	Bill O'Brien
QB	#11 Matt McGloin	#7 Paul Jones	#12 Steven Bench
RB	#24 Derek Day	#28 Zack Zwinak	#26 Curtis Dukes
FB	#9 Michael Zordich	#35 Pat Zerbe	#45 P.J. Byers
TE-Y	#89 Garry Gilliam	#18 Jesse James	--
TE-F	#87 Kyle Carter	#84 Matt Lehman	#82 Brian Irvin
WR	#8 Allen Robinson	#37 Evan Lewis	#85 Brandon Moseby-Felder
WR	#81 Shawney Kersey	#15 Alex Kenney	#10 Trevor Williams
OT	#76 Donovan Smith	#70 Nate Cadogan	--
OG	#65 Miles Dieffenbach	#66 Angelo Mangiro	#75 Eric Shrive
OC	#54 Matt Stankiewitch	#66 Angelo Mangiro	#55 Wendy Laurent
OG	#64 John Urschel	#75 Eric Shrive	#62 Frank Figueroa
OT	#78 Mike Farrell	#58 Adam Gress	#79 Kevin Blanchard
Def.	First Team	Second Team	Reserves
DE	#90 Sean Stanley	#86 C.J. Olaniyan	--
DT	#47 Jordan Hill	#84 Kyle Baublitz	--
DT	#91 DaQuan Jones	#93 James Terry	#99 Austin Johnson
DE	#18 Deion Barnes	#59 Pete Massaro	#98 Anthony Zettel
OLB	#6 Gerald Hodges	#43 Mike Hull	--
MLB	#40 Glenn Carson	#5 Nyeem Wartman	#33 Michael Yancich
OLB	#42 Michael Mauti	#38 Ben Kline	--
CB	#12 Stephon Morris	#3 DaQuan Davis	--
SS	#28 Malcolm Willis	#23 Ryan Keiser	--
FS	#27 Jake Fagnano	#7 Stephen Obeng-Agyapong
CB	#4 Adrian Amos	#39 Jesse Della Valle	#1 Jordan Lucas
Sp.	First Team	Second Team	Reserves
K	#97 Sam Ficken	--	--
P	#45 Alex Butterworth	--	--
KR	???	--	--
PR	Not Gerald Hodges	--	--
LS	#57 Emery Etter	--	--
H	#37 Evan Lewis	--	--

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2012 Football Previews Week 2: Penn State Nittany Lions

TikiUVA — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 16:05:13 -0000

Having finished off an undermanned Richmond squad, the Hoos look to continue their success against a Big Ten opponent. Penn State is also undermanned, the result of NCAA sanctions limiting the team to just 65 scholarships a year for the next 4 years.

While Penn State lost just a handful of established players due to the sanctions, their depth was severely hampered. This became clear last week, when the Nittany Lions lost at home to Ohio in a game that they led 14-3 at halftime. These issues are exacerbated by the new coaching staff and new systems that the players have to learn. As the season goes on, these problems will begin to rectify themselves as the players become accustomed to the new schemes and the younger players get up to speed.

All of that is a very long-winded way of saying that I'm happy to be playing Penn State early this season, because I expect them to get better as the season goes on.

Of course, I also expect the Hoos to get better as the season goes on. Nine true freshmen played last week, and while some of them played only a few snaps on special teams, others are expected to be contributors this season. Guys like Eli Harold and Maurice Canady are only going to get better as the season progresses.

So, the Hoos are 1-0 and the Nittany Lions are 0-1. The Hoos are at home, and are favored by 10 points. Should we be confident in a win?

Virginia on Offense

Penn State's defense returns much of last year's 20^th ranked defense. However, former Defensive Coordinator Tom Bradley resigned in January, and former Duke head coach Ted Roof was hired to lead the new defense. Roof was previously Auburn's defensive coordinator, but had resigned before the bowl game to take the same position at UCF, which he held for just over a month. They also lost the 2011 Big Ten Defensive Player of the year, DT Devon Still, to graduation.

One thing that won't change much is the defensive scheme. It will still be pretty basic 4-3, with dominant DTs and big, fast LBs. A lot of 4-3 teams generate pass rush mostly from the DEs, but Penn State has long had pass rushers at the DT positions. This year will be no different, as senior Jordan Hill will be asked to step into Still's shoes as the leader of the DL. Hill, 6'2" 292 LBs, was nearly as good as Still last year, finishing with 3.5 sacks and 8 TFLs (Still had 17 TFLs and 4.5 sacks). Next to Hill will be junior DaQuan Jones (6'3" 324). Senior James Terry (6'3" 316) will also see snaps next to Hill. Jones and Terry aren't the pass rushers that Hill is, and are used mostly in support of Hill. They are both big bodies, and will take up blockers while Hill pushes into the backfield. When Hill comes off the field, the drop off is large, as sophomore Kyle Baublitz (6'5" 287) is still learning how to play DT after playing LB and TE in High School.

All 3 LBs from a year ago return, and all 3 can play. Senior OLB Michael Mauti tore his ACL last September, but is back to 100% and led the team with 12 tackles against Ohio. The other OLB is fellow senior Gerald Hodges. Hodges moved from the weak side to the strong side in the spring, with Mauti out, and this year the two seniors will switch back and forth. In the middle is junior Glenn Carson.

All 3 LBs are similar in stature, about 6'2" and 235 lbs and all are fast, running in the 4.5-4.6 range. Hodges is a former safety, and is probably the quickest of the 3. He led the team in tackles last year, and is also a good cover guy. Hodges may well be on Perry Jones duty a lot. Mauti was one of the top prospects in the nation in 2009, but has suffered two season ending knee injuries already. Still, he's a very good run stopper and can handle flat zones. . Carson is the least heralded of the LBs, but he's also probably the steadiest performer. He isn't going to blow anybody away with his play, but he'll always be in the right place, and he will make the tackle when he's there.

The Penn State secondary, much like the Virginia secondary, is very thin on experience. Penn State actually lost all 4 starters from a year ago, and returned only 2 players with any real playing experience. The leader of the group is senior Stephon Morris (5'8" 188), who has 13 career starts, including 2 last year. The other CB is sophomore Adrian Amos (6'0" 205), who played in every game last year as a true freshman and was 3^rd on the team in tackles last week. Both players are talented, but obviously lacking in experience. Neither looked great last week.

The safeties are two seniors, Malcolm Willis and Jake Fagnano. Junior Stephen Obeng-Agyapong will also see time there, and is likely the nickel back in passing situations. Willis is the better cover guy, while Fagnano is better at stepping up in run support. Again, none of the 3 looked great this past week.

Ohio rushed for 175 yards and threw for 324 against a defense that finished last season ranked 20^th overall, 42^nd against the rush and 6^th against the pass. They were 26^th in the nation in sacks last year, and they recorded 1 last week, by reserve DE Deion Barnes. They recorded 26 turnovers last year (in 13 games) and didn't record one last week. Suffice it to say, last week was out of the norm. The question is, can they right the ship? Can this defense become what it has been over most of past 30 years?

Despite the 175 yards rushing, Ohio was actually under 4 yards per carry. If the Hoos can run the ball 47 times, as the Bobcats did, it will be because they are comfortably ahead. The 324 yards passing is more concerning for the Nittany Lions defense. Ohio QB Tyler Tettleton is more mobile than Michael Rocco, but he isn't a better passer. And Virginia's receivers are much more talented than Ohio's are. If the Penn State defense isn't able to generate more pass rush than they did against Ohio, and isn't able to cover our WRs, Michael Rocco should have another big game.

I still expect the Hoos to use the run to open up the passing game. The offensive line wasn't great last week, but they weren't bad. A better performance will be needed, because Penn State's DL is much better than Richmond's. If Penn State is able to shut down our running game with just the DL, Rocco is going to have a tough time.

Virginia on Defense

While the Penn State defense should be embarrassed about giving up 500 yards to Ohio, their offense struggled as well. The difference is, their offensive struggles weren't a surprise. Last year, PSU's offense was 95^th in the nation, and 110^th in scoring. And that offense had one of the top backs in the nation in Silas Redd. Redd has transferred to USC, leaving the Nittany Lions' offense looking for playmakers.

Replacing Redd in the backfield is Bill Belton, a 5'10" 202 lb sophomore. Last year, Belton played WR and took a number of snaps as a wildcat QB. Look for that formation to be a possibility in this game, as PSU looks for ways to make plays offensively. Obviously, for a former WR, Belton is also a threat as a receiver out of the backfield. Belton is a quality back, with good speed and outstanding open field skills. Still, he's no Silas Redd. Belton's backup is Derek Day, who is similar to Belton, but not as talented. Day and Belton basically split carries against Ohio, but neither was particularly effective.

The QB for the Lions offense is senior Matt McGloin. McGloin is a game manager type, somewhat similar to Rocco. He doesn't wow anybody with his athleticism or skills, but he makes good solid decisions. Last week, he set career highs in just about every passing metric, completing 27/48 for 260 yards and 2 TDs and 1 INT. The 56% completion rate isn't very good, but is about on par with his 54% completion percentage last season. He also had an 8:5 TD:INT ratio, which isn't very good. Last year, McGloin shared snaps with dual threat QB Rob Bolden, but Bolden transferred (to LSU), taking a big weapon away from the Lions' offense. The other QB we may see is sophomore Paul Jones. Jones hasn't played a single play yet in his career, but at 6'5" 250 lbs and with a canon arm, he has a much higher ceiling than McGloin. McGloin played pretty well last week, so barring injury, I doubt we see Jones. But if there is any garbage time snaps to be had, Jones may get in.

Perhaps one of the reasons for PSU's offensive struggles last week is related to the fact that they lost their top 7 pass catchers from last year. The top returning receiver is junior Shawney Kersey, who had all of 5 catches for 108 yards last year. That is an impressive 21.6 yards per catch, and Kersey will start at one WR spot. At 6'1", 197 pounds, and with very good vertical speed, Kersey is a big play threat. PSU actually lists 3 starting WR positions. They also list a FB and a TE, which means they list 12 starters on offense. The FB is senior Michael Zordich, who is a solid blocker but isn't much of a threat in the passing or rushing game. He did have 1 carry for 3 yards against Ohio.

The other two starting WRs are sophomores Allen Robinson and Alex Kenney. Robinson, at 6'3" 201, is the possession guy. Robinson is a big leaper, so watch for him on jump balls around the endzone. Kenney is the fastest of the group, and at 6'0" 192, is still strong enough to go over the middle. Kenney is the type of guy who will take a quick toss and turn it into a big play.

Those 3 WRs combined for 16 catches and 153 yards last week, but the longest play was a 21 yard catch from Robinson. We'll need to a similar job of avoiding the big play if we're going to be successful. The big WRs present a challenge to our smaller DBs. Keeping everything in front of them and making sure tackles is going to be very important.

One other weapon PSU has is redshirt freshman TE Kyle Carter. While not listed as the starter at TE, Carter was the 2^nd leading receiver last week, with 6 catches for 74 yards. Senior Garry Gilliam is listed as the starter, but he is more of a blocking TE. Carter is actually listed third, with true freshman Jesse James listed 2^nd. James is a bit like Jake McGee, in that he is still developing the size and strength as a blocker, but has good speed for a 6'7" 250 pound guy. Carter is the biggest weapon of the 3, due to his speed and ability to get open. With the safeties focused on the WRs, LaRoy Reynolds will have to keep an eye on Carter.

The OL is led by 5^th year senior C Matt Stankiewitch. Next to Stankiewitch are sophomore Miles Dieffenbach at LG and junior John Urschel on the right. The OTs are senior Mike Farrell on the right and redshirt freshman Donovan Smith at LT. This is the same unit that started last week, and struggled to consistently open up holes for the RBs. Smith was one of the top OTs in the nation coming out of HS in 2011, but he's untested at LT. That could provide a good matchup for our young DEs Eli Harold and Mike Moore, who are also still getting their feet wet in college football.

The OL as a unit averages 6'4" and 306 pounds. That isn't much bigger than Richmond's front 5, but this unit is more mobile than Richmond's. Richmond struggled to get anything going on the ground against the Virginia defense, finishing with just 28 yards on 21 carries. I expect Penn State to use a similar offensive gameplan to Richmond's. This will consist of short, quick passes, designed to get the ball out before the DL can pressure the QB. This allows the talented WRs to make some plays against a young, small, inexperience secondary. The running game will come off of that, and will probably be focused largely on the edges, trying to use Belton's quickness.

If our secondary is able to keep things in front of them and avoid the big play, we should be ok. Getting some pressure on McGloin would also be great, because he has a tendency to throw interceptions. Demetrious Nicholson is going to be a very important factor in this game, because he is our best DB.

Conclusion

Many fans will remember when an undermanned 2001 Virginia team defeated Penn State 20-14 in Charlottesville, keeping PSU from going bowling. This year, the tables are turned a bit, as Penn State is the team with a new coach and Virginia is the more talented team. We still have the home-field advantage, and we obviously looked better last week.

So I go back to the question I asked at the beginning. How confident should we be?

Penn State is still a proud program. They are going through some turmoil, and are in the beginning of a rebuilding process under a new coaching staff. Their defense should still be solid, although they got torched by Ohio. Our offense is certainly capable of a similar performance. Penn State's offense is a mess right now, playing without some of their top playmakers. Then again, last year their offense struggled, and they had all those playmakers.

I can't see Penn State playing as poorly as they did last week. But, I also think we are capable of playing better than we did last week. We have more talent, we have more depth, and we are at home. I think that is enough to pull out a win and a cover.

Prediction: Hoos 34, Nittany Lions 23

Poll

What will be the outcome of the Virginia-Penn State game?

Hoos win in a blowout

49 votes

Hoos win a close game

147 votes

PSU wins in a blowout

8 votes

PSU wins a close game

32 votes

236 votes | Poll has closed

Penn State 2012 Position Preview: Offensive Line

bscaff — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 13:00:13 -0000

More 2012 Position Previews…
Running Backs (Cari) - 8.13.12
Linebackers (Mike) - 8.14.12
Defensive Tackles (Jared) - 8.15.12
Special Teams (Tim) - 8.16.12
Offensive Line (bscaff) - 8.17.12
Tight Ends (Devon) - 8.20.12
Defensive Ends (Jared) - 8.21.12
Wide Receivers (Dan) - 8.22.12
Quarterbacks (Jeff) - 8.23.12
Defensive Backs (Cari) - 8.24.12

These are large, unusually smelly men who sweat a lot and push people around on Saturday afternoons. They do not boast aesthetically pleasing figures. Generally speaking, they won't wow an average spectator with feats of sheer athleticism - they won't run someone down from behind, or body slam a QB, or leap over the line of scrimmage. They're typically only mentioned when they false start, or get flagged for holding. Wholly under-appreciated, they are the heart - backbone? soul? brain? some other connotation for vitally important component - of any offense. All the 'skill' (read: little fast guys) position players matter little without a strong offensive line. And they're the smart ones, too. Try finding GPA's like this in any other position group on a football team.

Last year's line was, in the BSD tradition, often criticized. But they were actually very, very good. They allowed just 14 total sacks in 13 games; they cleared running room without a fearsome passing attack; and they won the Iowa game in the 4th quarter through some serious drive blocking. They improved as the season wore on, averaging more yards rushing per game in the BigTen (178) than in the non-conference portion of the schedule (137), which included Indiana State and Eastern Michigan. They were one of two teams all year that rushed for more than 100 yards against Alabama - and they didn't allow a sack in that game.

This year's line has four new faces, just one returning senior starter, just 17 total combined starts, a (super cool) new offensive playbook, and will be increasing their focus on zone blocking. So, only a few things to deal with this season. It's not all bad, though; tackles do get to meet with Guards and Centers now, and Bill O'Brien is on record that this group of offensive lineman has been a very pleasant surprise. They also opened some pretty big gaps in the Blue-White scrimmage. So the expectations don't change: 1) lead the offense; 2) keep the QB clean; 3) clear running lanes; and 4) remain anonymous. Let's try to change that 4th one.

At the Tackles

#76 Donovan Smith - RS FR from Owings Mills, MD, home of the Baltimore Ravens facilities, where he likely watched a guy named Jonathan Ogden growing up. He was a high school All-American with lots of recruiting stars. As a true freshman last season, he redshirted but is rumored to have run with the second team in practice. He played Right Tackle in the Blue-White game this spring, and dang - he looked like a natural left tackle. He made his pass sets look effortless, and he showed a hint of nastiness in the run game. At the conclusion of spring practice, he'd earned his way to the top of the depth chart at left tackle. There haven't been very many freshman starting tackles at Penn State, usually for good reason. It's an incredibly challenging position, and I highly doubt that Bill O'Brien's playbook is read-option easy. So knowing the plays, staying consistent each week, and being able to learn from mistakes will be key for the young fella. But what a bright future.

#58 Adam Gress - JR from West Mifflin. Gress came from the back end of the depth chart in December to a starting right tackle position at the end of spring practice. He's been frequently cited by the coaching staff as one of the hardest workers and biggest gainers from the Fitzy off-season program. He played left tackle in the Blue-White game and dang - he looked like a prototypical right tackle. He has excellent size, is a solid athlete, and showed good awareness in the zone runs. If he continues working hard and improves his pass sets, he could leave Penn State as a two-year starter with a spot in an NFL training camp. He's scheduled to graduate this December.

#78 Mike Farrell - SR from Shady Side Academy. Farrell saw a lot of time last year subbing for RT Chima Okoli as Chima battled injuries. He's prototypical Penn State - a tough, smart, football-playing dude. He's also been President of Uplifting Athletes the past two seasons, holds a 3.41 GPA, and is scheduled to graduate this December. He's reliable, can play either tackle spot, and gets his job done. A great guy to have on your squad.

#70 Nate Cadogan - JR from Portsmouth, OH. Nate is the younger brother of Gerald. Nate's flipped back and forth between OT and TE, catching a touchdown pass against Northwestern in 2010 (he didn't spike the football or do a dance). Because of the position switching, we haven't seen much of Nate at OT. But standing 6'5" and weighing somewhere in the neighborhood of 300 lbs, and having played TE, and with an older brother who was a 2-year starter at left tackle...anecdotal evidence would point to positive reviews. He was listed behind Smith at left tackle on the 2-deep heading into training camp, and will be working to earn the starting spot. Nate's scheduled to graduate in May.

At the Guards

#64 John Urschel - JR from Williamsville, NY. John got his first start in 2010 against Indiana at FedEx field. Last season he split time with Pannell at right guard, and this season he's taken ownership of the spot heading into training camp. Though he's a junior-eligible, he already graduated (in 3 years) with a 4.0 in Mathematics. Urschel is the Alex Gibbs prototype for a zone-scheme guard. He's on the smaller side at 'just' 280 - 290 lbs, but moves well laterally and to the second level. Bill O'Brien is a pretty big fan of his work, too; he selected Urschel to represent Penn State at BigTen media days, and has dropped his name as a certified NFL-level guard on a few occasions. Maybe John will get a few more starts at FedEx Field, blocking for Evan Royster in a couple of years.

#65 Miles Dieffenbach - SO from Fox Chapel. Miles was a highly recruited lineman out of high school. He's listed at 6'3", 300lbs, but that might be cheating the stat sheet just a little bit. For his first two years on campus he worked as a center, and may take the pivot after Stank graduates. But entering fall camp, he's positioned himself as one of the best five, and will be looking to lock down the left guard spot.

#73 Mark Arcidiacono - JR from St. Joseph's. Mark is competing for the left guard spot with Dieffenbach, and was listed as a co-starter exiting spring, despite missing most of spring practice and all of the Blue-White game with a foot injury. Will left guard be Pittsburgh (Miles) or Philly (Mark)? We'll likely get to see both this season.

#75 Eric Shrive - JR from West Scranton. Eric was another player cited early by the staff as having made huge gains in the Fitzgerald weight room. A highly recruited high school teammate of starting QB Matt McGloin, Eric will be working to earn time primarily at right guard. He's on schedule to graduate in May. He also serves as the current Vice President of Uplifting Athletes, and has been the top fund raiser each of the past two seasons.

At Center

#54 Matt Stankiewitch - SR from Blue Mountain. Stank is the sole returning full-time starter on this season's offensive line, bringing 15 of the squads' 17 total career starts. He saw time early in his career at guard before staking his claim to the pivot. Tough? Yes - he missed exactly zero offensive snaps last year. Dependable? Yes - he had exactly zero bad snaps last year. Smart? Of course - he graduates this December, and currently holds a 3.42 GPA. A Penn Stater? All the way.

#60 Ty Howle - SR from Wake Forest, NC and #62 Frank Figueroa - JR from San Antonio, TX will likely be backing up Stank this season. Howle played in every game each of the last two seasons, handling the long-snapping duties for field goals and extra points. He graduated this past May (3.5 years) with a 3.59 GPA. He also served as Head of Operations for Uplifting Athletes this season. Frank will also see time this season, and - not to be outdone - is also scheduled to graduate this December (in 3.5 years).

Next Men Up

#50 Anthony Stanko FR from Warren (Howland), OH
#55 Wendy Laurent FR from The Hun School
#56 Anthony Alosi FR from The Hun School
#66 Angelo Mangiro FR from Roxbury, NJ
#68 Bryan Davie SO from Greenbelt, MD
#77 Patrick Christie SO from Boiling Springs
#79 Kevin Blanchard FR from Katy, TX

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Previewing the 2012 Penn State Nittany Lions

Husker Mike — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 16:00:24 -0000

Last year when I previewed Penn State, I stated that "unless Penn State is ready to give Paterno the Jimbo Fisher treatment, Paterno will likely stay on the sideline as long as the Good Lord keeps him on the earth."

Nobody (outside of the grand jury or a few attorneys in Pennsylvania) had a clue what was about to unfurl the week prior to the Nebraska/Penn State game. In the six months after that preview, Paterno first lost his job and then lost a brief battle with cancer. The legend's legacy is forever sullied by the revelation that Paterno and other Penn State administrators covered up for a pedophile who used to be an assistant coach.

In July, the NCAA stunned the college football world by dropping the hammer on Penn State. A four year bowl ban and scholarship reductions that essentially reduce Penn State to 1-AA status over four years. And worst of all, all Penn State players were released from their scholarship commitment to Penn State; they are free to transfer to escape the sanctions. Which is only fair to the players; they had absolutely nothing to do with this scandal. But that makes this penalty even more severe on the players that stay faithful to their program as the program begins an extended period of decimation. What will Penn State have left this season? That's a good question.

Going into this season, the plan for Penn State was to likely rely on junior running back Silas Redd, who rushed for 1,241 yards last season. But Redd fled to Los Angeles to escape the NCAA's sanctions, leaving a smoldering crater in the Penn State offensive plan. It appears that Penn State will turn to sophomore Bill Belton, who rushed 13 times for 65 yards in some late-season action - primarily out of the Wildcat. Belton came to Penn State to play wide receiver, but new head coach Bill O'Brien moved him to running back. Now, he's slotted to start. The former high school quarterback stands 5'10" and 195 pounds, which should raise some questions about his durability...but it's not like Penn State has a lot of options. Junior Curtis Dukes missed the spring to concentrate on academics, and now must try to pick up the new offense this fall. He's a bigger back (6'1", 242 pounds) who rushed for 237 yards last season.

Rob Bolden transferred to LSU this summer, so the quarterback job is Matt McGloin's to lose. McGloin started last year because he simply wasn't as bad as Bolden. McGloin completed 54% of his passes for 1,571 yards, eight touchdowns, and five interceptions. Who else could challenge McGloin? Sophomore Paul Jones just might; the 6'3" 245 pounder has a big arm and stands out because, well, he's not McGloin or Bolden. Sometimes when your are faced with two bad options, sometimes you just have to go off the board and just take whatever is behind door #3. The Black Shoe Diaries bloggers tended to lean towards Jones after the spring game, FWIW.

Coming out of spring practice, Penn State's receiver corp probably would have been led by seniors Justin Brown and Devon Smith. Brown has since transferred to Oklahoma while Smith left the team for "personal reasons." So now Penn State's leading returning receiver is 6'1" 199 pound junior Shawney Kersey with five catches for 108 yards last season. Good speed and decent size, yes. Experienced, no. 6'3" 199 pound sophomore Allen Robinson caught 3 passes for 29 yards as a freshman, and likely will start at the other receiver position. Assuming that O'Brien wants to utilize tight ends like he did at New England, look for 6'6" 277 pound tight end Garry Gilliam to be a prime target. He's recovering from two years worth of ACL injuries. O'Brien sure wishes he also had junior Kevin Haplea, but he bolted for Florida State.

Senior center Matt Stankiewitch is the only returning starter on the offensive line. Junior Adam Gress is sliding over to tackle from guard. Redshirt freshman Donovan Smith looks to start at left tackle, though it's always possible they'll switch sides again. Junior right guard John Urschel started one game last year, while expected sophomore left guard Miles Dieffenbach didn't play last year. That pretty much sums up the Penn State: a whole bunch of players who haven't played before. At the start of the summer, it looked like Penn State had five returning starters on offense, but now it's down to two.

The defense is a little better off...a little...with four returning starters. Up front, Penn State will sorely miss all-American Devon Still, who's off to the Cincinnati Bengals. His partner inside, 6'1" 298 pound defensive tackle Jordan Hill is. He earned honorable mention all-Big Ten honors after a 59 tackle season last year. He's a solid run stopper who'll be asked to step up and lead the defense. 6'1" 247 pound senior defensive end Sean Stanley was a part-time starter last year with 30 tackles. He's a pass rusher by trade, and he'll be asked to be wreak more havoc off the edge. On the other side, 6'4" 263 pound senior defensive end Pete Massaro is expected to return after missing last season due to an ACL injury. In 2010, Massaro started eleven games and had 37 tackles.

A lot of Penn State's reputation took a beating over the last year, but Linebacker U. still exists. Senior Gerald Hodges led Penn State with 106 tackles last season, earning him first team all-Big Ten honors. Junior Glenn Carson added 74 tackles at middle linebacker. And if senior Michael Mauti is able to play again, Penn State should be loaded at linebacker. Mauti started the first four games (21 tackles) last season before tearing an ACL, earning him a hardship ruling.

In the secondary, all four starters are gone. Sophomore Adrian Amos was a spot starter against Iowa, and totaled 13 tackles last season. He'll likely start at one safety position. Senior cornerback Stephon Morris has started 10 games throughout his career; injuries limited him to just 19 tackles last season. Senior safety Malcolm Willis had 33 tackles as a backup, and probably will start as well.

How bad did the departures from Penn State get over the last month? Even the kicker left. Junior Anthony Fera was a second-team all-Big Ten kicker last season transferred to Texas. With all of the inexperience on offense, look for junior punter Alex Butterworth to see plenty of action this season. He's averaged 38.3 yards on 20 punts.

Even before the NCAA penalized Penn State, there were serious concerns about Penn State this season due to inexperience. Bill O'Brien has quite the task ahead of him, but one has to wonder whether he's the right guy for Penn State. O'Brien has no connections to the program, and the Bill Belichick coaching tree has been notoriously unfruitful. Charlie Weis is the most successful of Belichick's former assistants with a 35-27 record. That wasn't good enough for Notre Dame. Weis somehow was hired by Kansas after a spectacular failure as Florida's offensive coordinator last season. Is O'Brien going to turn this around? The odds are stacked against O'Brien until after the NCAA sanctions end. It's going to be a long five or six years for Penn State fans to wait for these sanctions to end and the subsequent rebuilding to take effect.

Poll

What happens when Penn State visits Nebraska

All Penn State has to play for is to ruin everybody else's season. They'll do just that in Lincoln by upsetting Nebraska.

67 votes

Penn State will grit one out and keep it close in Lincoln, but the Huskers will still win.

89 votes

Too many holes for Penn State to compete this season; Nebraska wins handily.

295 votes

451 votes | Poll has closed

ESPN Blog: NO Penn State Players at Big Ten Media Days

Mike Pettigano — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 16:50:24 -0000

Via the ESPN Big Ten Blog, no Penn State players will be attending the Big Ten Media Days that start tomorrow. It was previously speculated here and elsewhere that travel to Chicago explained why Silas Redd was not at the team statement announcement this morning.

Hmm. RT @ESPN_BigTen: No PSU players will attend Big Ten media days. Silas Redd, John Urschel and Jordan Hill had been scheduled to attend
— Devon Edwards (@Devon2012) July 25, 2012

I'm waiting for a response from Penn State about this. When we get one, we'll let you know. My guess is that it would be to much of a three ring circus. Constant "SILAS! SILAS! ARE Y---SILAS! ARE YOU STAYING?!"

Today is just getting crazier by the minute.

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Big Ten Media Days: What would you ask?

Salt Creek and Stadium — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 15:46:29 -0000

Our long national nightmare is almost at an end. Like Gandalf the White appearing at Helms' Deep, the Big Ten Media Days arrive to herald the end of summer. Soon we'll be treated to FOOTBALL, FOOTBALL and more FOOTBALL.

The Big Ten Media Days run tomorrow and Friday and will include lots of questioning of 18-22 year olds and their coaches. Courtesy of the Big Ten, here is a list of the players attending. I also provided the head coaches for each team as well.

West Division	East Division
IOWA (Kirk Ferentz) James Ferentz, Sr., C* Micah Hyde, Sr., DB* James Vandenberg, Sr., QB	ILLINOIS (Tim Beckman) Michael Buchanan, Sr., DE* Graham Pocic, Sr., C* Nathan Scheelhaase, Jr., QB
MICHIGAN (Brady Hoke) Jordan Kovacs, Sr., S* Taylor Lewan, Jr., OT* Denard Robinson, Sr., QB*	INDIANA (Kevin Wilson) Larry Black, Jr., Sr., DT Will Matte, Sr., C Adam Replogle, Sr., DT
MICHIGAN STATE (Mark Dantonio) Max Bullough, Jr., LB* Andrew Maxwell, Jr., QB Chris Norman, Sr., LB*	OHIO STATE (URBZ) Zach Boren, Sr., FB Etienne Sabino, Sr., LB John Simon, Sr., DL*
MINNESOTA (Jerry Kill) Keanon Cooper, Sr., LB MarQueis Gray, Sr., QB Ed Olson, Jr., OL	PENN STATE (Bill O'Brien) Jordan Hill, Sr., DT* Silas Redd, Jr., TB* John Urschel, Jr., OG
NEBRASKA (~~Bob Devaney~~ ~~Tom Osborne~~ Bo Pelini) Rex Burkhead, Sr., RB* Will Compton, Sr., LB* Kyler Reed, Sr., TE	PURDUE (Danny Hope) Ricardo Allen, Jr., CB* Kawann Short, Sr., DT* Caleb TerBush, Sr., QB
NORTHWESTERN (NU) (Pat Fitzgerald) Kain Colter, Jr., QB* Brian Mulroe, Sr., OL* David Nwabuisi, Sr., LB	WISCONSIN (Brett Bielema) Montee Ball, Sr., RB* Mike Taylor, Sr., LB* Ricky Wagner, Sr., LT*

* - indicates previous All-Big Ten selection

**UPDATE: Penn State players will not be attending.

While we can obviously anticipate that the "professionals" will ask questions concerning Penn State (most of them groan worthy) or Urban Meyer, there will certainly be time for other more informative intelligence gathering.

(It should be noted that I'm pretty sure by NCAA rules (even the amended ones for this particular instance) coaches cannot talk about their pursuits of Penn State transfers.)

So for today's discussion, let's ask the following: if you could ask questions that have nothing to do with the Penn State scandal and transfers, what would those questions be?

To help get you started, I've provided some of the questions brought up by the staff here at CornNation after the jump:

For the Big Ten in general:

Why is the Big Ten so lackluster in their bowl games? Is it talent? Or is it the distraction of traveling south of the Mason-Dixon line?
How much does traveling affect the play on the field?
How does game preparation differ between preparing for a non-conference opponent (like UCLA), a cross-over division opponent (like Wisconsin) and a division opponent (like Iowa)?
Which Big Ten team is Chicago's Big Ten team this season?
What does each coach think of the new playoff format?
Can the Big Ten catch the SEC without over-signing?
If you were a tree, what kind of tree would you be?

For each team:

For Tim Beckman, how much of MACTION (explosive offense paired with a porous defense) does he intend to replicate in the Big Ten?
For Hoke, what difficulties does he foresee for Alabama? Will having to travel to JerryWorld be a distraction for the Wolverines?
Also for Hoke, will Michigan continue to transition into the pro-offense Al Borges prefers? Or will they stick with the spread offense they've been running with Dennard? (I think it's a spread.)
For Urban Meyer and Bill O'Brien, how do you keep the players motivated this season with no championship game or bowl game to play for?
For Dantonio, how will he manage the high expectations for his Spartans this fall?
For Bielema, how has the transition to a new offensive staff gone so far? Can we expect to see some new wrinkles in the Badgers' playbook? How is Danny O'Brien fitting in?
For Kevin Wilson and Danny Hope, what has his team been focusing on in the off-season?
For Jerry Kill, Coke or Pepsi?
For Kirk Ferentz, will Greg Davis be implementing the spread look from Texas or will Iowa's offense continue as is? Has Iowa considered abandoning the running back position?
For Fitzgerald, how goes the push for facilities upgrades at Northwestern? Does he think those upgrades would allow Northwestern to compete with the top of the Big Ten? What's his secret for making Northwestern such a scrappy underdog?

And of course, for Bo Pelini:

How helpful is it for Nebraska that they'll be playing essentially the same conference slate as last season?
Defensively, how difficult is it to prepare for the Big Ten versus the Big 12?
Have you seen Taylor's throwing motion? No really...HAVE YOU SEEN HIS THROWING MOTION???
Have you considered allowing Taylor Martinez to try out for the Nebraska shot put team?
Has Rex Burkhead's sweat been tested for it's magical qualities? If so, what were the results?
Who would win in a fist fight, Rex Burkhead or Chuck Norris?
Have you considered bubble wrapping your defensive tackles this offseason to avoid more injuries there?
Tell us more about Taylor Martinez's throwing motion please.
Since the spring game was cancelled, please tell us who we should have been unnecessarily hyping over the summer.
Does Jamal Turner understand what a post route is yet?
Is Rex Burkhead's favorite superhero Rex Burkhead?
Will you continue to be (mostly) unnaturally calm?

So how about you? As actual fans of the sport, what questions would you have? If you were a betting person, what would you peg our chances of getting our hypothetical media credentials revoked for asking the above?

Questions, comments, cat pictures and concerns go below. Not a member of Corn Nation? Join today and give us your thoughts!

-Salt Creek and Stadium

UPDATED: Penn State Players Reaffirm Commitment; Redd Noticeably Absent

Mike Pettigano — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 13:48:30 -0000

Today at about 9:30 on the Holuba Hall practice field, an estimated 30 Penn State football players stood together to reaffirm their commitment to the program. The one figure everyone was looking for--star running back Silas Redd--did not appear for the group statement.

Before the Penn State nation takes a collective jump off the bridge, it was entirely possible that Redd was missing from the event due to his traveling west for the Big Ten Media Days in Chicago, which start tomorrow. At last check, only one of the three team reps for the media days--John Urschel--was confirmed to be there. However, the third team rep--Jordan Hill--was not confirmed to have attended.

As I'm typing this, Bill O'Brien is on ESPN2/ESPN Radio talking with Mike & Mike. O'Brien said he can't say whether every single player will stay, but the core of the team is on board.

Just before I was going to hit publish on this post, O'Brien also mentioned that not all opposing coaches who want to recruit Penn State players during this process, have not given him the courtesy of calling him first. Your guess on who those shady coaches might be.

Seems like grabbing at threads right now, but with details still coming out, stay tuned for more updates.

UPDATE 1 (9:53 A.M.) - Jeff Rice tweeted that Redd missed the event because he is in fact on his way to Chicago for the Big Ten Media Days. Whether or not that means he's staying for good remains to be seen. But it's a positive sign.

UPDATE 2 (12:54 P.M.) - According to a report, no Penn State players will be attending the Big Ten Media Days.

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Only John Urschel Until Penn State Football 2012

Dan Vecellio — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 08:00:06 -0000

Undoubtedly the smartest player on the Penn State football team, John Urschel also brings football wits to the Penn State offensive line this season after gaining starting experience with both the 2010 and 2011 Nittany Lion teams. A guard from the great city of Buffalo, NY (miss you, Pete), Urschel graduated with a 4.0 GPA in mathematics and is now pursuing graduate work in statistics during his redshirt senior season.

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