Same Stuff, Different Saturday

Next Saturday, I will put on my PSU jersey and my hat. I will put the Blue Band CD in the stereo. I will check Fight on State.com for the staff predictions. I'll probably still get nervous enough before the game to not want to eat. I will do everything I normally do before a Penn State game. Probably always will.

But, it's getting tougher and tougher to feel the same pride...to think that we are close to being the elite program we once were. No, I think I am starting to understand that we are now mentioned in the same breath as the Marylands, the Kansas States, the Auburns of the world. Usually a pretty decent team. Every once in a while a really good team. But, no longer a consistently dominant team. Even in our own conference we're not in the top tier. Heck, we are probably not in the second tier.

No once could fault the play calling today. 400 yards of offense should be good enough for most offenses. Three successive possessions beginning on the opponent's side of the 50 should mean a laugher...a rout. Not 3 points. Not 3 turnovers.

As I said last week, Anthony Morelli is not a Division 1 starting QB. Ok, he did look good in the first half. But, when there was pressure to make that one defining play, he came up well short (like his passes). Now, Joe is fiercely loyal to his seniors, but even he has to doubt whether or not his team can win (or will follow) with Morelli.

Kudos to Austin Scott for running hard. He definitely showed something. The running game was solid today...maybe should have been used more.

The defense looked unprepared to face an option offense. Not sure how this can be, since many of the same guys faced the same personnel in the same scheme last year...oh yeah, they struggled then, too. If the spread is so hard for Big Ten teams to face (see Michigan/App St), why don't more teams in the conference use it??

I'm not sure this team finishes .500 this year. They'd have to go 3-4 the rest of the way. With Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan State, and Indiana coming up, that might be a tall order.

For the Glory?

Same Old Story

Before I settle down too much...

Anthony Morelli is not a Division 1 starting quarterback. Joe needs to take off the loyalty blinders and get someone else in there. This guy just doesn't seem to get any better.

The offensive line is awful.

Austin Scott should get no more carries this season unless Penn State is up by 30 points.

I am tired of the big game letdowns. We haven't won a meaningful big game since 2005. With Morelli under center, look for 4-4 in the Big Ten...at best.

This offense is starting to remind me of the Zack Mills lead team in 2004...except this one HAS wide receivers that can make plays.

#10 in the country? No one who has watched this team play all year could seriously buy into that.

Come on Joe, what kind of team do you think you have now?

Buffalo Report Card/Michigan Prep

Well, I did correctly predict that PSU would score 45...I just didn't think they'd give up 24...

Quick recap and report card...

Quarterback: B
Morelli did have 4 TD's on the day, and did complete 20 0f 27 passes. But, he missed some easy throws, and Norwood bailed him out on the circus catch. His throws to Quarless were nice, and it shows that Quarless has the opportunity to be a big time receiving threat. Still waiting for Morelli to show the ability to consistently make the easy throws. Will be interesting to see if he has what it takes to put the team on his shoulders if they find themselves trailing in the 4th quarter on Saturday.

Running Backs: C/A-
The "C" is for Austin Scott. Bad exchange or not, he can't put the ball on the carpet like that. His grade would have been lower, but he did bust out a nice 40 yard touchdown run. The A- is for Kinlaw. What a nice job! This may be the one time where a running back by committee actually works.

Wide Receivers: B+
Norwood. Norwood. Norwood. Great catch. Butler had a nice game, too, though he was underthrown on the long pass in the 3rd quarter. Need to get him in the end zone. DWill still missing from the vertical passing game. And where the heck is Chris Bell?

O-Line: B+
Nice job run blocking, but still taking too long to assert themselves. I don't think they've given up a legitmate sack this season (aside from Morelli holding the ball too long).

Overall Offense: B

D-Line: They looked tired late in the game. They also had a lot of trouble defending the screen pass (as usual), and failed to put consistent pressure on the QB. Run defense was good again.

Linebackers: B
Connor and Lee were outstanding. Hayes and Sayles were tolerable. Too many third and longs given up. Lee's hit on the goal line was textbook.

Secondary: D+
No way Justin King can look that bad two weeks in a row. Where was his head?? The TD on the halfback option was laughable...

Overall D: C+
Too many lapses...ship's gotta get tighter against a now dangerous Michigan team.

More on Michigan soon.

For the Glory!

The Final Tuneup

Imagine my surprise when I read in the paper that Penn State's opponent tomorrow was the University of Buffalo, and not the Buffalo Bills. Here I thought we'd get Poz back in Happy Valley one more time.

Even Joe would have trouble painting this game as anything other than a tuneup. Turner Gill (yes, that Turner Gill) brings his undermanned squad into Beaver Stadium for what should be a laugher. Yeah, I know that Buffalo hung 42 on Temple last week. Yes, I know that certain Big Ten schools have struggled with lesser foes. But I will go on record and predict a comfortable Lions win on this one...just how comfortable will depend on a couple of things.

--The Lions can't look ahead to UM. If they do, a repeat of the 1994 game vs Indiana is possible.
--The Lions have to put up 30+ in the first half. FIU was still somewhat in the game midway through the second quarter.
--The O-line needs to get nasty early. Buffalo will throw some things at them, but it shouldn't matter.
--Joe can't pull the reigns back. If the offense can put up 80 (see Cincinnati in 1991), then do it.

In the end, I think the Lions don't impress anyone by starting slowly. They pour it on in the third quarter and roll to a 45-3 win. The real season starts next Saturday against a desperate Michigan team.

In other news...

--Congrats to Dave and Monica on their recent engagement. Dave entrapped Monica by proposing at Disney World (like she would even say no there). Very happy for both of them.
--The Phillies are a game and a half out of the wildcard. Can you imagine their rotation should they get into a best of five series? Hamels, then um....Moyer?? Is Bobby Munoz available?
--The Eagles are a 7 point favorite Monday night vs the Redskins. Listening to the media here (in DC), you would think that this was the biggest affront to the Redskins ever. I take pleasure when the Redskins lose...especially when the Eagles beat them.
--Peyton (my oldest) graduates from green belt to purple belt in Tae Kwon Do tomorrow...she can no longer practice on me, since she can officially kick my butt.
--Peyton is also playing soccer for the first time this year. The league here is a lot different than when I played for the Hot Spurs in Holland PA. No goalie, no keeping score...what's up with that? Next they'll stop teaching the flop and the cleats up slide tackle.

More later....For the Glory!

When a 21 point blowout is disappointing

One hurdle (if even a small one) down, 3 to go. Saturday's 31-10 win over hapless Notre Dame brought a small bit of redemption from last year's debacle....but not much. If Penn State's offense was even remotely decent, the Lions would have hung a 50 spot on the Irish.

Let's not forget that this game was 14-7 at the half.

On to the grades from this weekend...

Quarterback: C
Morelli made mistakes that will cost Penn State games later in the season. The interception wasn't awful...those things happen. But the fumble before the half and the constant high throws are things that need to be addressed. The throw to Bell was nice, but could have been broken up. Morelli needs a tuneup before the conference slate...welcome Buffalo!

Running Backs: B+
Scott took a while to get going, then fumbled on his first decent carry of the game. But, to the coaching staff's credit, they kept him involved in the game. His performance in the second half was reminiscent of Tony Hunt's in the Outback Bowl last year. Kinlaw needs more carries, and Royster needs playing time.

Wide Receivers: B
They didn't have much to work with. I'm still waiting for that one WR to instill fear in the opponent's defenses. Norwood made a nice adjustment on the TD catch, and Bell had a momentum-changing grab. Is DWill even playing WR anymore? When he signed with PSU, I expected him to be the deep threat that constantly found himself behind the secondary. Hmmm.

O Line: B
Pass protection was outstanding, run blocking continues to get better. This unit may not be spectacular, but they are definitely not a weak point yet.

Defense: A++++
For the second week in a row, the Lions have the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week. LB Dan Connor (12 tackles, 1 sack) also picked up the national award. The entire unit was solid. The D line is fast, mean, and relentless...right Jimmy? They are getting better daily, and will be the best in the conference when all is said and done. The LBs are solid. Lee and Sayles complement Connor nicely. The secondary is serviceable...but, I will be more sold on them when they face a QB that goes downfield.

Special Teams: A
Punt return for a TD....65-yard kickoff return...not bad. Except for the one long return they gave up to Zbikowski, the special teams were solid. Kelly continues to impress on kickoffs.

Coaching: B
Hey, they know what is working right now.

Up next, Buffalo. The Bulls were routed by Rutgers in week 1, but destroyed Temple last week. Early line has PSU favored by 34.

For the glory...

Uneasy feeling--ND Game Time

I wish folks had this game pegged to be a close one. I'm not comfortable with the calls for a woodshed beating. There is no way that ND will be as bad as they were last week. And, I'm not sure that Penn State is anywhere near as good as they looked last week. Kirk Herbstreit and Lee Corso both picked PSU to win big. Maybe they know something I don't.

If Penn State can run the ball, they should be ok. If the line comes out flat like they did vs FIU, don't be surprised to see the Lions down at the half. Morelli has to make a play or two early to get some confidence. A quick 3 and out on their first series will make for a long day.

The defense has to pressure Clausen early. Hit him...hit him hard...hit him again. Stop the run, and he will have no where to go.

Really unsure prediction: Penn State starts fast, fades, and regroups late for a 27-21 win over a very determined and underrated ND team.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to use the restroom...

I Guess it's Too Late for More Previews

Unlike some other Big Ten programs, Penn State had little trouble with it's first foe this weekend. After a relatively pedestrian 59-0 dismantling of Florida International, it's hard to find worthwhile nuggets to glom on to. Nevertheless, here is the first installment of the Lion's Report Card.

Quarterback: B+
Morelli had a decent numbers day (23-28, 295, 3,0), but that should've been the case anyway. I think John Schaeffer would have put up good numbers against this overmatched opponent. However, Morelli still showed disturbing signs that he hasn't quite gotten over his penchant for holding the ball too long. Big Ten Network analyst Glen Mason echoed the sentiments of many fans when he urged Morelli to take the open, underneath stuff rather than going for the big play every time. More improvement needed next week.

Clark looked decent in mop-up time, and I guess we know who the third stringer is (Devlin).

Running Backs: B
Don't let the 200+ yards in team rushing fool you. Austin Scott and Rodney Kinlaw looked very mediocre in the first half when the game was still respectable. How much of that has to do with the O line is up for debate, but neither looked decisive when they hit the hole. Scott looked downright slow. The one bright spot for me was the play of Evan Royster. My money is on him being the starter in 4 weeks. He's fast, he can block, and he showed good vision. Lions must be able to run vs Notre Dame or there will be a lot of unhappy fans in the stadium.

Wide Receivers: B+
This group has the ability to make Morelli look really good. Norwood showed that an offseason playing basketball didn't hurt his hands, and Deion Butler looked good. He should have had a touchdown had he not been underthrown early. Chris Bell looked a little shaky, but could be good. Hooray for Mickey Shuler. Not exactly a Jerame Tuman-type TE, he showed flashes of competence. Quarless should still get the nod when he gets out of the doghouse, though.

Thought DWill looked very poor. Slow on the end around, and a big 3rd down drop on the sidelines. He may have come into the season 10 pounds lighter, but he doesn't look any faster.

O-Line: B
Pass protection was phenomenal. Early run blocking was atrocious.

Overall Offense: B/B+

D Line: A
Lots of depth. Looks like they have a healthy mean streak, too. Outside rush has to do a better job of containment, but the speed and power are definitely there. Odrick is a Jay Alford clone...which is a good thing.

LBs: A
These three (four, if you count Jerome Hayes) have a chance to be the best in the country. Connor and Lee were constantly making plays. No worries on this front.

DBs: B+
Their performance looked good, since the FIU QB had little time to throw and no running game to help take the pressure off. Lydell Sargent looked tough.

Overall Defense: A

Special Teams: A
Jeremy Boone looked good punting, and Kelly's kickoffs were routinely fielded around the goal line.

Coaching: A
I like the game plan to get Morelli off to a fast start. Not much to go on here, given the opponent.

Some ramblings:

--Good to see Joe run out with the team...wonder how sore he was Sunday
--Big Ten network debut was not good. Bad camera work, dead air...the saving grace is that most Lion fans didn't get to see it. Glen Mason might end up being a good analyst, but he needs some work
--Tough weekend for the Big Ten. Minnesota gets beat by the team that gave Paterno wins #100 and 300 (Bowling Green). Michigan....ugh...nevermind.
--No way that Notre Dame is that bad.
--Had my fantasy draft this weekend...my running backs are so bad, I'm thinking of picking up Christian Okoye

For the Glory....BEAT ND!