Happy Monday! There was some big news over the weekend and I wanted to quickly share my thoughts.
Apparently week 6 of the college football season is when you take a good long look in the mirror and decide whether you're comfortable with the coaching path you're on. In 2 days, USC has fired their head coach, Lane Kiffin (they barely even let him get off the plane!), Connecticut has fired their head coach, Paul Pasqualoni (as part of an "overhaul"), and Texas is seriously considering dumping Mack Brown as their head coach (thanks to some vocal alumni like Earl Campbell).
Now don't get me wrong, all of these decisions are completely justified as each coach has more than under performed so far this season. But my problem here lies more in the timing of all this. If your coach is achieving less than stellar results on the field, at least let him finish out the season before you shit-can him. Even a lame duck coach that knows he's gone at season's end is better than an interim coach. Don't believe me? Who's your favorite interim coach of all time (besides Tom Bradley)? Don't worry, I'll wait... oh, you don't know any? That's because firing your head coach and appointing an interim coach is quite possibly the worst decision you can make. That's just science.
Whatever. The good news is that there appears to be absolutely no desire to look for a new coach in Happy Valley anytime soon. Outside of some initial hesitation about the dimple-chinned Bostonian, the Penn State community has embraced Bill O'Brien wholeheartedly since he came to town, and for good reason. He has said and done all the right things since stepping foot on our scandal-rocked campus and quite magically set the Nittany Lions up for a bright future. So I think it's safe to say Penn State is in good hands for the foreseeable future. Isn't it nice to be on the other side of turmoil for a change? Thank goodness there's always USC.
Great article about Bill O'Brien:
http://www.ydr.com/psu/ci_24202607/frank-bodani-its-whole-new-ball-game-obrien
Monday, September 30, 2013
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Bye Week Randomness
It's the bye week, so no game. But, a few things have been on my mind. So let's take some time and explore the mind of Optimus:
The NCAA sanctions
I'm sure that there is a time and a place to hash out the awful and complex details behind what Jerry Sandusky did at Penn State. This blog is neither. However, I do feel it necessary to express my thoughts on the football sanctions, seeing as this is a football blog, and in light of the recent actions taken by the NCAA. Obviously, what Sandusky did was heinous and he is paying for it. On the other hand, what a few Penn State officials knew about it, no matter what narrative you believe, is still a criminal matter. It has absolutely nothing to do with the academic or athletic endeavors of Penn State students. It should be noted that never in its history has the NCAA involved itself in criminal matters, although unfortunately there have been plenty of opportunities to do so (like the murder of a basketball player at Baylor by another player that was then covered up by the coaching staff). Yet, in a time of intense internal friction and heavy external criticism, the NCAA decided to prove how tough they were by kicking Penn State while they were down. It was nothing more than a school yard bullying tactic. And that is precisely why the sanctions against Penn State were wrong from the beginning. Penn State was tried by the media, given no due process, and severely punished without justification or proof. Additionally, the sanctions did nothing to punish the people responsible nor help a single victim. All these sanctions did was punish the wrong people in the most ineffective way possible. We teach young children a phrase so simple even they are expected to understand it, "two wrongs don't make a right." What the NCAA did was wrong, and it did not make things right. Tuesday's decision, however small, was at least a step in the right direction towards correcting that wrong.
The NCAA sanctions reduction
I'm going to use my robotic computational abilities to fully explain how the NCAA is reducing the scholarship portion of their sanctions against Penn State. Remember, this is just the scholarship portion. All other sanctions remain in place. This information has been surprisingly distorted by the media... well, maybe not so surprisingly.
Old sanctions:
- Penn State is only allowed to give 15 initial (recruiting) scholarships, instead of the normal 25, for the next 3 recruiting classes, including this current one.
- Penn State can only have 65 total scholarship players on their roster, instead of the normal 85. This would have taken effect next season and lasted 4 years (up through 2017)
New sanctions:
- Penn State is now allowed to give 20 initial (recruiting) scholarships, instead of the normal 25, for next year's recruiting class, and a full 25 scholarships for every class after that.
- Penn State can now have 75 total scholarship players on their roster for next season (2014), 80 scholarship players in 2015, and a full 85 scholarships by 2016.
The rumor:
- The NCAA will remove the bowl ban for next season as a continuation of reducing the sanctions. This is provided that Penn State stays on their best behavior (like we ever weren't).
The impact:
- Players good enough to earn a scholarship are almost always better than non-scholarship players (called "walk ons"). By only allowing Penn State to have 65 scholarship players, the NCAA was putting the current players in danger, as walk ons would be expected to play against bigger and stronger scholarship athletes at other schools. Additionally, the NCAA was effectively denying 20 young men a college education per year. Reducing this part of the sanctions was the right call for the NCAA to actually aid in fulfilling their mission statement.
UCF vs South Carolina
Remember that team that beat us a few weeks ago? I know, bad memories. But as tough as it was to lose, that team is doing really well and is undefeated going into this weekend's game against the South Carolina Gamecocks. When your team loses to an easy opponent, it looks bad. But when your team loses to a really strong opponent, it can almost be a good thing. South Carolina is really good, and if UCF can beat them, the story changes from "Penn State loses to unranked easy team" to "Penn State's only loss to very good ranked team." So, if you've turned into a Golden Knights fan like me, the game will be on ABC at noon this Saturday.
Here's what the SEC bloggers think about the matchup:
Chris Low - Talk about a game that has danger written all over it. The Gamecocks had betetr clean up their mistakes and take their A-game to UCF, or they're going to be in trouble. They've had an extra week to prepare, and Connor Shaw and the offense are clicking right now... South Carolina 31, UCF 21
Edward Aschoff - This isn't an easy road trip for the Gamecocks. UCF is undefeated and averaging more than 30 points a game. The bye week gave South Carolina time to rest, but this one will be closer than Steve Spurrier will like... South Carolina 31, UCF 24
And here's what South Carolina's head coach, Steve Spurrier, wants to fix in preparation:
http://espn.go.com/blog/sec/post/_/id/70854/video-spurrier-wants-to-fix-mistakes
Hockey in Happy Valley #OneTeam
In case you've been under a rock, Penn State got a $100 million donation from Buffalo Sabres owner Terry Pegula to build the brand new, state of the art, Pegula Ice Arena. This money also helped upgrade Penn State's men's and women's hockey programs to the Division I level. The new arena seats around 6,000 spectators and features a student section behind the visiting goalie's net that has the steepest stands allowed by code. That way the students are like a wall right behind poor visiting goalies (*evil laugh*)! Here is Penn State's very own goalie giving a tour of the new facilities:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LXcXdJLIKo
Even better, there are apparently serious talks to bring a professional hockey game to Beaver Stadium!
http://www.pennlive.com/sports/index.ssf/2013/09/a_hockey_game_at_beaver_stadiu.html
Unless, Terry Pegula has something to say about it...
http://www.sbnation.com/nhl/2013/9/25/4770256/winter-classic-penn-state-beaver-stadium-flyers-penguins
Alright, enjoy the bye week, watch some other teams play for a change, and be sure to follow me on Twitter @PSUOptimus for all the latest updates on Penn State football!
The NCAA sanctions
I'm sure that there is a time and a place to hash out the awful and complex details behind what Jerry Sandusky did at Penn State. This blog is neither. However, I do feel it necessary to express my thoughts on the football sanctions, seeing as this is a football blog, and in light of the recent actions taken by the NCAA. Obviously, what Sandusky did was heinous and he is paying for it. On the other hand, what a few Penn State officials knew about it, no matter what narrative you believe, is still a criminal matter. It has absolutely nothing to do with the academic or athletic endeavors of Penn State students. It should be noted that never in its history has the NCAA involved itself in criminal matters, although unfortunately there have been plenty of opportunities to do so (like the murder of a basketball player at Baylor by another player that was then covered up by the coaching staff). Yet, in a time of intense internal friction and heavy external criticism, the NCAA decided to prove how tough they were by kicking Penn State while they were down. It was nothing more than a school yard bullying tactic. And that is precisely why the sanctions against Penn State were wrong from the beginning. Penn State was tried by the media, given no due process, and severely punished without justification or proof. Additionally, the sanctions did nothing to punish the people responsible nor help a single victim. All these sanctions did was punish the wrong people in the most ineffective way possible. We teach young children a phrase so simple even they are expected to understand it, "two wrongs don't make a right." What the NCAA did was wrong, and it did not make things right. Tuesday's decision, however small, was at least a step in the right direction towards correcting that wrong.
The NCAA sanctions reduction
I'm going to use my robotic computational abilities to fully explain how the NCAA is reducing the scholarship portion of their sanctions against Penn State. Remember, this is just the scholarship portion. All other sanctions remain in place. This information has been surprisingly distorted by the media... well, maybe not so surprisingly.
Old sanctions:
- Penn State is only allowed to give 15 initial (recruiting) scholarships, instead of the normal 25, for the next 3 recruiting classes, including this current one.
- Penn State can only have 65 total scholarship players on their roster, instead of the normal 85. This would have taken effect next season and lasted 4 years (up through 2017)
New sanctions:
- Penn State is now allowed to give 20 initial (recruiting) scholarships, instead of the normal 25, for next year's recruiting class, and a full 25 scholarships for every class after that.
- Penn State can now have 75 total scholarship players on their roster for next season (2014), 80 scholarship players in 2015, and a full 85 scholarships by 2016.
The rumor:
- The NCAA will remove the bowl ban for next season as a continuation of reducing the sanctions. This is provided that Penn State stays on their best behavior (like we ever weren't).
The impact:
- Players good enough to earn a scholarship are almost always better than non-scholarship players (called "walk ons"). By only allowing Penn State to have 65 scholarship players, the NCAA was putting the current players in danger, as walk ons would be expected to play against bigger and stronger scholarship athletes at other schools. Additionally, the NCAA was effectively denying 20 young men a college education per year. Reducing this part of the sanctions was the right call for the NCAA to actually aid in fulfilling their mission statement.
UCF vs South Carolina
Remember that team that beat us a few weeks ago? I know, bad memories. But as tough as it was to lose, that team is doing really well and is undefeated going into this weekend's game against the South Carolina Gamecocks. When your team loses to an easy opponent, it looks bad. But when your team loses to a really strong opponent, it can almost be a good thing. South Carolina is really good, and if UCF can beat them, the story changes from "Penn State loses to unranked easy team" to "Penn State's only loss to very good ranked team." So, if you've turned into a Golden Knights fan like me, the game will be on ABC at noon this Saturday.
Here's what the SEC bloggers think about the matchup:
Chris Low - Talk about a game that has danger written all over it. The Gamecocks had betetr clean up their mistakes and take their A-game to UCF, or they're going to be in trouble. They've had an extra week to prepare, and Connor Shaw and the offense are clicking right now... South Carolina 31, UCF 21
Edward Aschoff - This isn't an easy road trip for the Gamecocks. UCF is undefeated and averaging more than 30 points a game. The bye week gave South Carolina time to rest, but this one will be closer than Steve Spurrier will like... South Carolina 31, UCF 24
And here's what South Carolina's head coach, Steve Spurrier, wants to fix in preparation:
http://espn.go.com/blog/sec/post/_/id/70854/video-spurrier-wants-to-fix-mistakes
Hockey in Happy Valley #OneTeam
In case you've been under a rock, Penn State got a $100 million donation from Buffalo Sabres owner Terry Pegula to build the brand new, state of the art, Pegula Ice Arena. This money also helped upgrade Penn State's men's and women's hockey programs to the Division I level. The new arena seats around 6,000 spectators and features a student section behind the visiting goalie's net that has the steepest stands allowed by code. That way the students are like a wall right behind poor visiting goalies (*evil laugh*)! Here is Penn State's very own goalie giving a tour of the new facilities:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LXcXdJLIKo
Even better, there are apparently serious talks to bring a professional hockey game to Beaver Stadium!
http://www.pennlive.com/sports/index.ssf/2013/09/a_hockey_game_at_beaver_stadiu.html
Unless, Terry Pegula has something to say about it...
http://www.sbnation.com/nhl/2013/9/25/4770256/winter-classic-penn-state-beaver-stadium-flyers-penguins
Alright, enjoy the bye week, watch some other teams play for a change, and be sure to follow me on Twitter @PSUOptimus for all the latest updates on Penn State football!
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Week 4 Awards
Wow, I'm sure you've all heard the incredible news by now. The NCAA has decided to restore the scholarships they stole from Penn State as part of the sanctions levied against the school last summer. The restoration will occur over the next 3 years. I'll get more into that in a post later this week, once things settle down and I can really analyze everything. In the meantime, it's time for my version of the Emmy's, the week 4 awards!
This week the Beast Mode Award goes to Akeel Lynch who is proving to be the future of Penn State's running back position. He had 14 carries on Saturday and went for a career best 123 yds including a long of 43. Lynch is the hybrid between Zwinak's bruising, down-hill style, and Belton's shifty, speedster style and that kind of player is invaluable!
The Transformer Award tends to change meaning every week, but this week I'm giving it to senior safety Ryan Keiser who transformed his game and came up with a sack, an interception, and 3 passes blocked. This coming a week after the secondary was embarrassed by UCF. Someone had to step up and return a little dignity to the defensive backfield, and Keiser was apparently just the guy to do it.
The Matrix Award goes to a freshman who is making a name for himself. Von Walker already had a cool name, now he's just making sure we get to hear it more often. The freshman isn't climbing the RB depth chart anytime soon because of the talent ahead of him, but he is showcasing his skills on special teams. On Saturday, he took a punt return and a kick return, and he didn't look half bad at either. I expect nice things in the future from him.
The recipient of the In Disguise Award and Saturday's unsung hero is Brandon Felder who has quietly become a solid #2 receiving option opposite Allen Robinson. Felder had 3 catches in the rain for a respectable 35 yds. Keep it up!
And finally, the Megatron Award goes to the rainy weather which caused Christian Hackenberg to tank his completion percentage and caused fans to flee Beaver Stadium by halftime. The wet ball also lead to 2 almost-fumbles by Hackenberg that were luckily ruled incomplete. I don't know about you, but I was having flashbacks to the 2009 Capital One Bowl during this mudfest.
Welp, that'll do it. Remember to follow me on Twitter @PSUOptimus for all the latest news regarding the news about scholarships today! And come back later in the week for my full post on it. We Are!!!
This week the Beast Mode Award goes to Akeel Lynch who is proving to be the future of Penn State's running back position. He had 14 carries on Saturday and went for a career best 123 yds including a long of 43. Lynch is the hybrid between Zwinak's bruising, down-hill style, and Belton's shifty, speedster style and that kind of player is invaluable!
The Transformer Award tends to change meaning every week, but this week I'm giving it to senior safety Ryan Keiser who transformed his game and came up with a sack, an interception, and 3 passes blocked. This coming a week after the secondary was embarrassed by UCF. Someone had to step up and return a little dignity to the defensive backfield, and Keiser was apparently just the guy to do it.
The Matrix Award goes to a freshman who is making a name for himself. Von Walker already had a cool name, now he's just making sure we get to hear it more often. The freshman isn't climbing the RB depth chart anytime soon because of the talent ahead of him, but he is showcasing his skills on special teams. On Saturday, he took a punt return and a kick return, and he didn't look half bad at either. I expect nice things in the future from him.
The recipient of the In Disguise Award and Saturday's unsung hero is Brandon Felder who has quietly become a solid #2 receiving option opposite Allen Robinson. Felder had 3 catches in the rain for a respectable 35 yds. Keep it up!
And finally, the Megatron Award goes to the rainy weather which caused Christian Hackenberg to tank his completion percentage and caused fans to flee Beaver Stadium by halftime. The wet ball also lead to 2 almost-fumbles by Hackenberg that were luckily ruled incomplete. I don't know about you, but I was having flashbacks to the 2009 Capital One Bowl during this mudfest.
Welp, that'll do it. Remember to follow me on Twitter @PSUOptimus for all the latest news regarding the news about scholarships today! And come back later in the week for my full post on it. We Are!!!
Monday, September 23, 2013
Week 4 Grades
Ok, so even robots get a little confused sometimes. Contrary to yesterday's post, I will not be doing awards today. I will, however, be handing out my weekly grades! Awards are on deck for tomorrow. I'm trying to space the posts out a little bit this week since there's no game, and therefore, no Friday predictions post. Anyway, I've got my red pen out... let's roll out some week 4 grades:
Offense
QB: (C+) Saturday wasn't exactly Christian Hackenberg's best performance. In fact, it was statistically his worst showing to date. He completed just 13/35 for 176 yds, that's a mere 37% completion percentage, a far cry from the 71% he came into the game with. On the plus side, we may have found a replacement for Alex Butterworth at punter! Hackenberg has punted twice for an average of 42.5 yds; meanwhile Butterworth is only averaging 39 yds... seriously.
OL: (A) When your top running back has 2 straight 3 TD games, the O-line is probably doing something right. The "big uglies" have consistently gotten better as the year progresses, opening up huge holes for the RB trio and slowly dropping their sacks/game. Hackenberg had all day to throw on Saturday and he'll need it once Big Ten play starts.
RB: (A+) The classic line is, "if you have 2 quarterbacks, you actually have 0." Well what about if you have 3 running backs? Zwinak, Belton, and Lynch are holding up the entire team's scoring offense right now. So far this season they have rushed for a combined 813 yds and 11 TDs (plus 1 rec TD). Saturday was no different as Lynch ran for 123 yds (his 2nd 100+ game) and Zwinak scored 3 TDs (his 2nd such game). This is the strongest part of the team right now, hands down.
WR: (B-) I spoke too soon last week when I said the receivers are pretty much guaranteed an "A" every week because of Robinson. Against Kent State, he only grabbed 3 catches for 43 yds, which still made him the top receiver of the day. This group does get a pass, however, because of the rain, and the good news is Brandon Felder's 3 catch, 35 yd performance shows he's the clear #2 target right now. But I'm still waiting to see Geno Lewis, Alex Kenney, and Matt Zanellato step up and make their presence felt.
TE: (A-) Last week I joked that the Nos 2, 3, & 4 receivers were all tight ends. Things didn't change much this week as the Nos 3, 4, & 5 receivers were all tight ends. What has intrigued me thus far is James appears to distinguishing himself as the outlet for Hackenberg when plays break down, while Carter and Breneman are more big play threats. To quote a writer for Onwardstate.com, "it's surreal hearing Dean DeVore say 'Christian Hackenberg's pass complete to Adam Breneman... FIRST DOWN Penn State!'"
Defense
DL: (A) They held Kent State to only 56 rush yds on 24 attempts... uh, yes please. After getting torched by Storm Johnson (still an awesome name!) last week, it was great to see the front 4 come out strong. Oh, and Deion Barnes finally came to life and recorded his first sack of the season! Let's hope that was just the first of many.
LB: (A) ZERO offensive points for the 2nd time this season... nuff said. Mike Hull didn't play, but let's face it, he didn't need to against Kent State. He'll heal up over the bye week and this unit should be in prime (see what I did there?) form come Big Ten play. Linebacker U!!!
DB: (A+) After last week's shellacking at the hands of Blake Bortles, the secondary came out fired up this week. Senior safety Ryan Keiser emerged with 1 sack, 1 interception, and 3 passes defended. Between him, Willis, Amos, and Obeng-Agyapong, can we just make our whole secondary safeties?
Special Teams
K: (A+) Ok seriously, where the f*** did this kid come from?! Mark it down now, Sam Ficken is going to the NFL. Who would've thought that a year ago? Ficken broke his personal record for the second week in a row, this time nailing a 54 yarder in the pouring rain. Even better, that's the longest FG by a Penn State kicker since 1979!!! GO FICKEN!
P: (C+) See my comments in the QB section above. Butterworth is good enough for now, but once we get into the inevitable slobberknockers of Big Ten play, the Lions are going to need him to pin people deep. As of right now, it doesn't look like he's good enough to do that consistently. Guess we'll have to wait and see...
Overall: (A-) The passing game was a little flat because of the weather, but the running game and defense made up for it big time. Hmmm, sounds like good ol' fashioned Penn State football to me. Glad to see that back in Beaver Stadium! Still, we'll need everyone to take it to the #NextLevel during the off week if the Nittany Lions hope to win what will surely be a shootout against Indiana on Oct 5th.
Offense
QB: (C+) Saturday wasn't exactly Christian Hackenberg's best performance. In fact, it was statistically his worst showing to date. He completed just 13/35 for 176 yds, that's a mere 37% completion percentage, a far cry from the 71% he came into the game with. On the plus side, we may have found a replacement for Alex Butterworth at punter! Hackenberg has punted twice for an average of 42.5 yds; meanwhile Butterworth is only averaging 39 yds... seriously.
OL: (A) When your top running back has 2 straight 3 TD games, the O-line is probably doing something right. The "big uglies" have consistently gotten better as the year progresses, opening up huge holes for the RB trio and slowly dropping their sacks/game. Hackenberg had all day to throw on Saturday and he'll need it once Big Ten play starts.
RB: (A+) The classic line is, "if you have 2 quarterbacks, you actually have 0." Well what about if you have 3 running backs? Zwinak, Belton, and Lynch are holding up the entire team's scoring offense right now. So far this season they have rushed for a combined 813 yds and 11 TDs (plus 1 rec TD). Saturday was no different as Lynch ran for 123 yds (his 2nd 100+ game) and Zwinak scored 3 TDs (his 2nd such game). This is the strongest part of the team right now, hands down.
WR: (B-) I spoke too soon last week when I said the receivers are pretty much guaranteed an "A" every week because of Robinson. Against Kent State, he only grabbed 3 catches for 43 yds, which still made him the top receiver of the day. This group does get a pass, however, because of the rain, and the good news is Brandon Felder's 3 catch, 35 yd performance shows he's the clear #2 target right now. But I'm still waiting to see Geno Lewis, Alex Kenney, and Matt Zanellato step up and make their presence felt.
TE: (A-) Last week I joked that the Nos 2, 3, & 4 receivers were all tight ends. Things didn't change much this week as the Nos 3, 4, & 5 receivers were all tight ends. What has intrigued me thus far is James appears to distinguishing himself as the outlet for Hackenberg when plays break down, while Carter and Breneman are more big play threats. To quote a writer for Onwardstate.com, "it's surreal hearing Dean DeVore say 'Christian Hackenberg's pass complete to Adam Breneman... FIRST DOWN Penn State!'"
Defense
DL: (A) They held Kent State to only 56 rush yds on 24 attempts... uh, yes please. After getting torched by Storm Johnson (still an awesome name!) last week, it was great to see the front 4 come out strong. Oh, and Deion Barnes finally came to life and recorded his first sack of the season! Let's hope that was just the first of many.
LB: (A) ZERO offensive points for the 2nd time this season... nuff said. Mike Hull didn't play, but let's face it, he didn't need to against Kent State. He'll heal up over the bye week and this unit should be in prime (see what I did there?) form come Big Ten play. Linebacker U!!!
DB: (A+) After last week's shellacking at the hands of Blake Bortles, the secondary came out fired up this week. Senior safety Ryan Keiser emerged with 1 sack, 1 interception, and 3 passes defended. Between him, Willis, Amos, and Obeng-Agyapong, can we just make our whole secondary safeties?
Special Teams
K: (A+) Ok seriously, where the f*** did this kid come from?! Mark it down now, Sam Ficken is going to the NFL. Who would've thought that a year ago? Ficken broke his personal record for the second week in a row, this time nailing a 54 yarder in the pouring rain. Even better, that's the longest FG by a Penn State kicker since 1979!!! GO FICKEN!
P: (C+) See my comments in the QB section above. Butterworth is good enough for now, but once we get into the inevitable slobberknockers of Big Ten play, the Lions are going to need him to pin people deep. As of right now, it doesn't look like he's good enough to do that consistently. Guess we'll have to wait and see...
Overall: (A-) The passing game was a little flat because of the weather, but the running game and defense made up for it big time. Hmmm, sounds like good ol' fashioned Penn State football to me. Glad to see that back in Beaver Stadium! Still, we'll need everyone to take it to the #NextLevel during the off week if the Nittany Lions hope to win what will surely be a shootout against Indiana on Oct 5th.
Sunday, September 22, 2013
Week 4 Wrap Up
Some would call the cold and rainy conditions in Happy Valley yesterday "perfect football weather." I don't know about all that, especially since it sure managed to keep the crowds away. But all that really matters is Penn State swam out of Beaver Stadium with another W and improved their record to 3-1. Saturday's game marked the end of the non-conference schedule and the Nittany Lions will enjoy a much deserved bye week before they begin Big Ten play against Indiana on Oct 5th.
The game itself was about as pretty as the dark cloudy skies. Thankfully for the mistake-prone Lions, Kent State was in town and fulfilled their duty as warm-up opponent du jour rather nicely. After a number of stalled drives, Bill Belton finally scored with only 9 seconds left in the 1st quarter and Penn State never looked back cruising to a 34-0 victory over the hapless Golden Flashes.
Even Coach O'Brien admitted after the game that he called too many pass plays, especially given the heavy rain that fell throughout the afternoon. All those pass plays contributed to a surprisingly poor offensive performance, especially by Christian Hackenberg who went a mere 13/35 for 176 yds and severely damaged his 71% completion percentage compiled in the first 3 weeks. Even stud receiver Allen Robinson had trouble catching the wet football, grabbing only 3 catches for 43 yds. When they were called upon, however, the running backs continued to show their improvement from week 1 as Akeel Lynch got 14 carries for a personal best 123 yds, and Zach Zwinak scored 3 touchdowns for the second week in a row, this time in a winning effort.
The defense, as predicted, took out their frustrations on Kent State's sputtering offense (missing star RB Dri Archer due to injury) as Deion Barnes got his first sack of the season and safety Ryan Keiser emerged from a secondary that was embarrassed in week 3 by getting both a sack and an interception. The shut out was the first since... oh look at that, Kent State in week 3 of the 2010 season. Although, it should be pointed out that Eastern Michigan did not score an offensive point 2 weeks ago; they're lone 7 points came off a fumble returned for a touchdown. Maybe this defense isn't as bad as we thought?
So overall, a solid performance for PSU in sloppy conditions. The few small injuries that remain should be healed up over the bye week and best of all, the team takes a 3-1 record into conference play instead of the 2-2 record they had at this time last year.
Now to humbly review my prediction:
To be fair, I had no idea about the rain, and my prediction may have been significantly more accurate had the sun been shining. But either way, I got within 4 points of Penn State's score, which isn't bad. I did give Kent State waaaay too much credit on offense, spotting them 13 points instead of the 0 they earned. As for individuals: Hackenberg didn't get anywhere close to 300 yds (rain), nor did Robinson approach 100 yds (rain), and the two only connected for 1 TD instead of 2 (probably rain). Zwinak went for 1 more TD than I anticipated and it was Lynch who actually surpassed 100 yds, mostly in garbage time. Belton scored a TD and nearly doubled my 50 yd prediction with 90 yds on 13 carries. Barnes recorded his first sack of the season, but the secondary only managed 1 interception, not 2. So yeah, not my best effort. I'll be sure to check the weather report next time.
Check back tomorrow for awards!
Friday, September 20, 2013
Week 4 Prediction
Happy Friday everyone! Tomorrow is GAMEDAY! This week the Nittany Lions host the Kent State Golden Flashes (yes, that's seriously their mascot... apparently it's a bird or something). Not much in the way of storylines in this one, so let's just get right to the break down.
The Good
Kent State comes to Beaver Stadium by way of the MAC, the same conference as Week 2 pinata Eastern Michigan. Overall, the Big Ten has an 85% winning percentage against MAC opponents. Now, to be fair, last year Kent State went 11-1 in the regular season and were looking at a possible BCS berth before losing in 2OT to Northern Illinois in the MAC Championship game. But, the good news for Penn State is that head coach Darrell Hazell left to become the head man at Purdue and the Golden Flashes' best offense weapon, RB Dri Archer, appears to be out for this week's game due to injury. Paul Haynes, a Kent State grad, takes over head coaching duties and looks to rebound after 2 straight losses (their only win so far was over Liberty, an FCS school).
The Bad
Haynes will look to capitalize on a leaky Penn State defense that allowed 507 yds of total offense last week. Additionally, Big Ten teams have a tendency to overlook their mid-western little brothers from time to time. Akron gave Michigan a scare just this last week. However, that was a post-win let down. Penn State is facing a post-loss rebound. We should be safe.
The Story
Um, yeah, we're going to win, and it might get ugly. Now, I know I predicted in week 2 that the back ups would see ample playing time. That didn't happen. I guess I forgot that an 18 yr old true freshman QB might need a few games to get into a rhythm. Well, Christian Hackenberg found his rhythm, so expect some fireworks against an overmatched opponent. I'm once again predicting (with a little more certainty this time) that Tyler Ferguson and the #2s will get to see the field plenty.
The Prediction
*note* All of the following predictions assume that the second team doesn't come in too early and ruin the starters' stats.
Hackenberg throws for 300+ yds and 2 TDs, at least 1 of which goes to Allen Robinson who cruises easily to 100+ yds... again. Zwinak gets 2TDs and 100+ yds, Belton also gets a TD and goes for 50+ yds. Deion Barnes finally shows his pretty face to the QB recording his first sack of the season and the secondary that was picked apart last week does some picking of their own grabbing 2 interceptions.
Penn State 38, Kent State 13
The Good
Kent State comes to Beaver Stadium by way of the MAC, the same conference as Week 2 pinata Eastern Michigan. Overall, the Big Ten has an 85% winning percentage against MAC opponents. Now, to be fair, last year Kent State went 11-1 in the regular season and were looking at a possible BCS berth before losing in 2OT to Northern Illinois in the MAC Championship game. But, the good news for Penn State is that head coach Darrell Hazell left to become the head man at Purdue and the Golden Flashes' best offense weapon, RB Dri Archer, appears to be out for this week's game due to injury. Paul Haynes, a Kent State grad, takes over head coaching duties and looks to rebound after 2 straight losses (their only win so far was over Liberty, an FCS school).
The Bad
Haynes will look to capitalize on a leaky Penn State defense that allowed 507 yds of total offense last week. Additionally, Big Ten teams have a tendency to overlook their mid-western little brothers from time to time. Akron gave Michigan a scare just this last week. However, that was a post-win let down. Penn State is facing a post-loss rebound. We should be safe.
The Story
Um, yeah, we're going to win, and it might get ugly. Now, I know I predicted in week 2 that the back ups would see ample playing time. That didn't happen. I guess I forgot that an 18 yr old true freshman QB might need a few games to get into a rhythm. Well, Christian Hackenberg found his rhythm, so expect some fireworks against an overmatched opponent. I'm once again predicting (with a little more certainty this time) that Tyler Ferguson and the #2s will get to see the field plenty.
The Prediction
*note* All of the following predictions assume that the second team doesn't come in too early and ruin the starters' stats.
Hackenberg throws for 300+ yds and 2 TDs, at least 1 of which goes to Allen Robinson who cruises easily to 100+ yds... again. Zwinak gets 2TDs and 100+ yds, Belton also gets a TD and goes for 50+ yds. Deion Barnes finally shows his pretty face to the QB recording his first sack of the season and the secondary that was picked apart last week does some picking of their own grabbing 2 interceptions.
Penn State 38, Kent State 13
Monday, September 16, 2013
Week 3 Awards
Another week down, and unfortunately, Penn State's first loss. Don't expect many defensive players to get awards this week. But, nonetheless, the awards have to go to someone!
The Beast Mode Award this week goes to Allen Robinson. Check my Week 3 grades to see the kind of numbers he put up; let's just say they're crazy good! I can't say enough about Robinson, who will most likely be off to the NFL after this season. Let's just enjoy him while we have him! This award would've gone to Zach Zwinak had it not been for that costly fumble at the end of the game. Maybe next week big guy.
The Transformer Award goes to Geno Lewis who, besides being a very serviceable wide receiver, is also turning out to be an outstanding kick returner. He took 4 kicks for 106 yds including a long of 44 yds. We may have found some special teams!
The Matrix Award for outstanding first year starter goes to Richy Anderson. The undersized freshman is turning into the new Jordan Norwood and is arguably the best slot option on the team right now. He only caught 2 passes for 21 yds (compared to, say, Adam Breneman who had 4 catches), but he's also been overthrown by Hackenberg at least twice. Wait until they hit him in the numbers.
The In Disguise Award for unsung hero goes to Malcolm Willis, who took advantage of a rare miscue by UCF's Blake Bortles when he intercepted him. That interception was the first for Bortles in well over 200 attempts!
And finally, the Megatron Award for biggest headache goes to the aforementioned Blake Bortles. Honorable mentions here go to missed tackles and UCF running back Storm Johnson (awesome name!) who gashed the defense for 117 yds and 2 TDs. But tonight was all about Bortles, a legitimate NFL prospect who went 20/27 for 288 yds as he expertly picked apart Penn State's secondary. Got to give credit where credit is due on this one.
The Beast Mode Award this week goes to Allen Robinson. Check my Week 3 grades to see the kind of numbers he put up; let's just say they're crazy good! I can't say enough about Robinson, who will most likely be off to the NFL after this season. Let's just enjoy him while we have him! This award would've gone to Zach Zwinak had it not been for that costly fumble at the end of the game. Maybe next week big guy.
The Transformer Award goes to Geno Lewis who, besides being a very serviceable wide receiver, is also turning out to be an outstanding kick returner. He took 4 kicks for 106 yds including a long of 44 yds. We may have found some special teams!
The Matrix Award for outstanding first year starter goes to Richy Anderson. The undersized freshman is turning into the new Jordan Norwood and is arguably the best slot option on the team right now. He only caught 2 passes for 21 yds (compared to, say, Adam Breneman who had 4 catches), but he's also been overthrown by Hackenberg at least twice. Wait until they hit him in the numbers.
The In Disguise Award for unsung hero goes to Malcolm Willis, who took advantage of a rare miscue by UCF's Blake Bortles when he intercepted him. That interception was the first for Bortles in well over 200 attempts!
And finally, the Megatron Award for biggest headache goes to the aforementioned Blake Bortles. Honorable mentions here go to missed tackles and UCF running back Storm Johnson (awesome name!) who gashed the defense for 117 yds and 2 TDs. But tonight was all about Bortles, a legitimate NFL prospect who went 20/27 for 288 yds as he expertly picked apart Penn State's secondary. Got to give credit where credit is due on this one.
Week 3 Grades
Week 3 was a disappointing week as Penn State suffered its first loss of the season. Although the offense played admirably, the defense couldn't provide a single key stop all game. But I think my wrap up yesterday did a good job of summing up what went down, so let's roll out some week 3 grades!
Offense
QB: (A-) Christian Hackenberg was named the Big Ten Freshman Player of the Week for the 2nd time in 3 weeks, and deservedly so. All the 18 year old true freshman did was go 21-28 for 262 yds through the air. Week after week, he just keeps getting better and showing off why he was so highly recruited. Let's just hope Ferguson doesn't get frustrated and transfer.
OL: (B+) Hackenberg is still getting rushed too often, although on a number of plays he seemed to have all day to throw. This line is big, powerful, and has outstanding chemistry. They've set themselves up for success, now we just need to see it translate into consistent play on the field. Still, overall you have to give them credit for opening up big holes for Zach Zwinak and the running game. Speaking of which...
RB: (A-) All Zwinak did on Saturday was run the ball 21 times for 128 yds. That's more than 6 ypc! Oh, and he scored 3 TDs too. He was Penn State's workhorse all night long and the reason PSU even stood a chance at a comeback. But Optimus, why doesn't he get an A+ then? That's simple; his fumble at the end of the game almost single-handedly killed the comeback. For all the good he did, sometimes it's that one mistake that people remember.
WR: (A+) It's hard to imagine a game this season where the receivers aren't going to get an A of some kind, simply because they have Allen Robinson. And what more do you really need? The guy is ridiculously good and was yet another bright spot in this game, snagging a conference leading 9 catches for 143 yds. He's statistically the 4th best receiver in the country and currently #1 in the Biletnikoff Award fan voting. Not much more I can say.
TE: (B) It's very interesting when the Nos 2, 3, & 4 receivers are all tight ends. Together they accounted for 8 catches and 75 yds. That's amazing for most teams, but for some reason, I'm not impressed. I expect bigger production from Bill O'Brien coached TEs. One great thing is that Hackenberg's recruiting buddy Adam Breneman is finally showing off his skills and seems to be Hackenberg's new favorite outlet with 4 catches on the night. Here's hoping the group continues to improve.
FB: (A) Pat Zerbe is Penn State's lone scholarship fullback. The only time I honestly noticed him was on one of Zwinak's TD runs. He cleared a nice hole for Zwinak up the middle which lead to the score. I figured he deserved a shoutout for his efforts.
Defense
DL: (D) No sacks, and no pressure all night allowed Blake Bortles to pick apart a young and inexperienced secondary all night long. In addition, a defensive line that gave up less than 60 yds to each of their previous 2 opponents gave up 219 yds... that's just inexcusable. Even Da'Quan Jones, who continues to lead the team in tackles, was rendered more or less useless. Still, as long as Larry Johnson is in charge of this line, I expect the appropriate adjustments to be made and a dominant DL to emerge again.
LB: (C) The good news is Mike Hull and Ben Kline are back! The bad news is Linebacker U was no help with either the passing or running games against UCF. But again, given who their position coach is, I don't expect ongoing issues with this unit.
DB: (D) The 2 first year starters at CB (Jordan Lucas and Trevor Williams) were simply no match for Blake Bortles and his receivers. They were doomed from the opening play, so much so that defensive coordinator John Butler had to move Adrian Amos back to CB halfway through the game. When your starting CB is your leading tackler, you have a big problem. We may have depth in the secondary now, but it's obvious we still need more talent. The lone bright spot was Malcom Willis picking off Bortles for the first time in over 230 passes, too bad it made little difference.
Special Teams
K: (A-) Sam Ficken set the record for consecutive FGs made at 15 with a personal best 47 yarder, but then missed on a 57 yarder that, frankly, was wishful thinking to begin with. Still he is proving to be a great kicker and an even better comeback story. The other good news is that we may have found our kick returner for the foreseeable future. Geno Lewis ran back 4 kicks for 106 yds, averaging 26 yds per return... not bad, Geno, not bad at all.
P: (B) Alex Butterworth is a decent enough punter whose stats are skewed because of all the short punts he's made. But if you look at his ability to pin the opponent within their own 20, his stats look a little better.
Overall: (C) The offense actually played really well, especially considering this is a Penn State offense we're talking about here. Unfortunately, the defense played uncharacteristically un-Penn State defense and we lost to a team that we really shouldn't have lost to. Thankfully, next week the Lions play MAC punching bag Kent State and follow that up with a bye week. Plenty of time to lick their wounds, heal up, fix their mistakes, and get ready for Big Ten play!
Offense
QB: (A-) Christian Hackenberg was named the Big Ten Freshman Player of the Week for the 2nd time in 3 weeks, and deservedly so. All the 18 year old true freshman did was go 21-28 for 262 yds through the air. Week after week, he just keeps getting better and showing off why he was so highly recruited. Let's just hope Ferguson doesn't get frustrated and transfer.
OL: (B+) Hackenberg is still getting rushed too often, although on a number of plays he seemed to have all day to throw. This line is big, powerful, and has outstanding chemistry. They've set themselves up for success, now we just need to see it translate into consistent play on the field. Still, overall you have to give them credit for opening up big holes for Zach Zwinak and the running game. Speaking of which...
RB: (A-) All Zwinak did on Saturday was run the ball 21 times for 128 yds. That's more than 6 ypc! Oh, and he scored 3 TDs too. He was Penn State's workhorse all night long and the reason PSU even stood a chance at a comeback. But Optimus, why doesn't he get an A+ then? That's simple; his fumble at the end of the game almost single-handedly killed the comeback. For all the good he did, sometimes it's that one mistake that people remember.
WR: (A+) It's hard to imagine a game this season where the receivers aren't going to get an A of some kind, simply because they have Allen Robinson. And what more do you really need? The guy is ridiculously good and was yet another bright spot in this game, snagging a conference leading 9 catches for 143 yds. He's statistically the 4th best receiver in the country and currently #1 in the Biletnikoff Award fan voting. Not much more I can say.
TE: (B) It's very interesting when the Nos 2, 3, & 4 receivers are all tight ends. Together they accounted for 8 catches and 75 yds. That's amazing for most teams, but for some reason, I'm not impressed. I expect bigger production from Bill O'Brien coached TEs. One great thing is that Hackenberg's recruiting buddy Adam Breneman is finally showing off his skills and seems to be Hackenberg's new favorite outlet with 4 catches on the night. Here's hoping the group continues to improve.
FB: (A) Pat Zerbe is Penn State's lone scholarship fullback. The only time I honestly noticed him was on one of Zwinak's TD runs. He cleared a nice hole for Zwinak up the middle which lead to the score. I figured he deserved a shoutout for his efforts.
Defense
DL: (D) No sacks, and no pressure all night allowed Blake Bortles to pick apart a young and inexperienced secondary all night long. In addition, a defensive line that gave up less than 60 yds to each of their previous 2 opponents gave up 219 yds... that's just inexcusable. Even Da'Quan Jones, who continues to lead the team in tackles, was rendered more or less useless. Still, as long as Larry Johnson is in charge of this line, I expect the appropriate adjustments to be made and a dominant DL to emerge again.
LB: (C) The good news is Mike Hull and Ben Kline are back! The bad news is Linebacker U was no help with either the passing or running games against UCF. But again, given who their position coach is, I don't expect ongoing issues with this unit.
DB: (D) The 2 first year starters at CB (Jordan Lucas and Trevor Williams) were simply no match for Blake Bortles and his receivers. They were doomed from the opening play, so much so that defensive coordinator John Butler had to move Adrian Amos back to CB halfway through the game. When your starting CB is your leading tackler, you have a big problem. We may have depth in the secondary now, but it's obvious we still need more talent. The lone bright spot was Malcom Willis picking off Bortles for the first time in over 230 passes, too bad it made little difference.
Special Teams
K: (A-) Sam Ficken set the record for consecutive FGs made at 15 with a personal best 47 yarder, but then missed on a 57 yarder that, frankly, was wishful thinking to begin with. Still he is proving to be a great kicker and an even better comeback story. The other good news is that we may have found our kick returner for the foreseeable future. Geno Lewis ran back 4 kicks for 106 yds, averaging 26 yds per return... not bad, Geno, not bad at all.
P: (B) Alex Butterworth is a decent enough punter whose stats are skewed because of all the short punts he's made. But if you look at his ability to pin the opponent within their own 20, his stats look a little better.
Overall: (C) The offense actually played really well, especially considering this is a Penn State offense we're talking about here. Unfortunately, the defense played uncharacteristically un-Penn State defense and we lost to a team that we really shouldn't have lost to. Thankfully, next week the Lions play MAC punching bag Kent State and follow that up with a bye week. Plenty of time to lick their wounds, heal up, fix their mistakes, and get ready for Big Ten play!
Sunday, September 15, 2013
Week 3 Wrap Up
It's always hard to do a write up after a tough loss, but that's exactly what I'm going to attempt to do...
In case you weren't paying attention, Penn State lost its first game of the season 31-34 to the Golden Knights of Central Florida. A lot of people were calling for the upset here, so I guess they saw something I didn't. You see, when I look at this Penn State team, I see loads of talent on both sides of the ball that should be able to easily manage a team like UCF. Still, it is a young team, and the ever present elephant in the room is the NCAA sanctions, which have lead to a noticeable lack of depth at nearly every position. That lack of depth is exactly what forced the coaching staff to turn to "thud tackling" over the summer instead of regular tackling during "full contact" drills. This was done in an attempt to limit the number of injuries on a thin roster. Now, defensive coordinator John Butler can try to downplay the effect of thud tackling all he wants, but anyone who saw the grotesque number of missed tackles throughout the game last night knows exactly what Penn State's biggest problem is right now.
The game started off bad and basically never got better. Central Florida, lead by their veteran signal caller Blake Bortles marched down the field and scored 7 points on their opening drive. Although Penn State tied it up at 7 shortly thereafter, that was the closest this game got until the very end. Frankly, the game as a whole was not as close as the score indicates. Although the offense put up points and yards all night, it simply couldn't keep up with what UCF's offense was doing. The Lions' defense was manhandled all night long. Mike Hull (fresh back from injury) was clearly not 100%, Deion Barnes was absolutely nowhere to be found, and the young secondary was picked apart by Bortles' NFL caliber arm. It wasn't pretty, and unless something magical happens, this was just the first of many times we're going to see a performance like this (remember, we have high powered Ohio State, Indiana, and Nebraska teams still left to play).
I'll write about the good news on offense when I get to my grades later tonight. Right now, I think I just want to end this wrap up by saying... don't lose hope. This was 1 game after all, and next week's game against a MAC punching bag should be a great outlet for a Penn State team trying to get back on track. They follow that up with a bye week and a game against Indiana, the only team in the Big Ten to have never beaten the Nittany Lions. PSU can still play spoiler by knocking off Ohio State, and even win the last ever Leaders Division title (even though we can't go to the Big Ten Championship Game). There are goals, there are things to play for. But it's going to a long weak of reflection after a humbling loss like that :(
Oh, as for my prediction:
Penn State did lose and I wasn't even close on UCF's score. However, Christian Hackenberg did go over 200 yds, Zach Zwinak did score 2 TDs, Sam Ficken added a career long 47 yarder to set the record at 15 consecutive FGs made (although he later missed a 57 yarder that was wishful thinking to end his streak), and Malcolm Willis did intercept Blake Bortles, ending his 200+ consecutive passes without an interception streak in the second quarter. So overall, I did pretty darn well thank you very much!
In case you weren't paying attention, Penn State lost its first game of the season 31-34 to the Golden Knights of Central Florida. A lot of people were calling for the upset here, so I guess they saw something I didn't. You see, when I look at this Penn State team, I see loads of talent on both sides of the ball that should be able to easily manage a team like UCF. Still, it is a young team, and the ever present elephant in the room is the NCAA sanctions, which have lead to a noticeable lack of depth at nearly every position. That lack of depth is exactly what forced the coaching staff to turn to "thud tackling" over the summer instead of regular tackling during "full contact" drills. This was done in an attempt to limit the number of injuries on a thin roster. Now, defensive coordinator John Butler can try to downplay the effect of thud tackling all he wants, but anyone who saw the grotesque number of missed tackles throughout the game last night knows exactly what Penn State's biggest problem is right now.
The game started off bad and basically never got better. Central Florida, lead by their veteran signal caller Blake Bortles marched down the field and scored 7 points on their opening drive. Although Penn State tied it up at 7 shortly thereafter, that was the closest this game got until the very end. Frankly, the game as a whole was not as close as the score indicates. Although the offense put up points and yards all night, it simply couldn't keep up with what UCF's offense was doing. The Lions' defense was manhandled all night long. Mike Hull (fresh back from injury) was clearly not 100%, Deion Barnes was absolutely nowhere to be found, and the young secondary was picked apart by Bortles' NFL caliber arm. It wasn't pretty, and unless something magical happens, this was just the first of many times we're going to see a performance like this (remember, we have high powered Ohio State, Indiana, and Nebraska teams still left to play).
I'll write about the good news on offense when I get to my grades later tonight. Right now, I think I just want to end this wrap up by saying... don't lose hope. This was 1 game after all, and next week's game against a MAC punching bag should be a great outlet for a Penn State team trying to get back on track. They follow that up with a bye week and a game against Indiana, the only team in the Big Ten to have never beaten the Nittany Lions. PSU can still play spoiler by knocking off Ohio State, and even win the last ever Leaders Division title (even though we can't go to the Big Ten Championship Game). There are goals, there are things to play for. But it's going to a long weak of reflection after a humbling loss like that :(
Oh, as for my prediction:
Penn State did lose and I wasn't even close on UCF's score. However, Christian Hackenberg did go over 200 yds, Zach Zwinak did score 2 TDs, Sam Ficken added a career long 47 yarder to set the record at 15 consecutive FGs made (although he later missed a 57 yarder that was wishful thinking to end his streak), and Malcolm Willis did intercept Blake Bortles, ending his 200+ consecutive passes without an interception streak in the second quarter. So overall, I did pretty darn well thank you very much!
Friday, September 13, 2013
Week 3 Prediction
Happy Friday everyone! it's week 3 on the college football calendar and this week the Nittany Lions are taking on the Golden Knights of Central Florida. There's all kinds of interesting story lines in this one. UCF's head coach, George O'Leary, is Bill O'Brien's coaching mentor, having given him his first coaching position during their time back at Georgia Tech in the late 90s. UCF is also Penn State's opponent for next year's Croke Park Classic in Dublin, Ireland. This game will be the first night game of the season, and University officials are calling for a student section Whiteout. Should be a good one, let's get to the break down!
The Good
Although Central Florida is arguably Penn State's toughest out-of-conference opponent this season, at the end of the day they still come from the American Athletic Conference (aka, the old Big East, aka, the older Conference USA). No matter how well coached they are, there should theoretically be a sizable talent gap in Penn State's favor. Also, as mentioned above, it's a night game in Beaver Stadium with the best student section in the country decked out in their Saturday whites. The running game should maintain some momentum from last week's outstanding performance, Hackenberg should continue to grow in his role as the starting QB, and of course Allen Robinson is always good for at least one touchdown. The defense is playing lights out right now and gets Mike Hull back in the rotation. So things are looking good for a strong showing on both sides of the ball.
The Bad
Don't kid yourself, this Central Florida team is really good. As I said, most people in the know are calling this Penn State's biggest challenge of the first 4 weeks. Black Bortles is a seasoned starter at quarterback and a bonafide NFL prospect who threw for 3,000+ yards last year. Even O'Brien appears impressed with this kid. If PSU's young secondary isn't 100% ready come Saturday night, Bortles is going to pick them apart. Additionally, the Golden Knights starting tailback Storm Johnson (awesome name!) is a scoring machine with 5 TDs in just 2 games. On the other side, UCF's defense has only allowed 7 points so far this season and they like to play a very physical style of football that's capable of stopping PSU's trio of running backs dead in their tracks. Now it should be pointed out that UCF's opponents so far have been Akron and Florida International... not exactly elite competition. But don't write these guys off, they could pull the upset if the Lions don't come to play!
The Story
This is the game where Penn State's players are going to get a chance to really prove how good they are against a decent opponent. Really, anything could happen. Both QBs could go on a hot streak and we could see an old fashioned shootout. Or both defenses could step up their game and we could see a low scoring slobberknocker. Either way, it's going to be fun and there's absolutely nothing in this world that compares to night time at the Beav with a Whiteout on tap. Also, with their history, expect a longer than normal handshake between these old coaching friends at midfield.
The Predication
Hackenberg gets off to a much faster start than he did the prior two weeks and ends another great game with 200+ yds and 2 TD strikes. The running backs punch it in for 2 more and Sam Ficken adds onto his consecutive FG record. The defense lets a few plays get by them but generally speaking, holds their own. The secondary picks off Bortles for the first time in over 200 attempts to seal the victory.
PSU 34, UCF 20
The Good
Although Central Florida is arguably Penn State's toughest out-of-conference opponent this season, at the end of the day they still come from the American Athletic Conference (aka, the old Big East, aka, the older Conference USA). No matter how well coached they are, there should theoretically be a sizable talent gap in Penn State's favor. Also, as mentioned above, it's a night game in Beaver Stadium with the best student section in the country decked out in their Saturday whites. The running game should maintain some momentum from last week's outstanding performance, Hackenberg should continue to grow in his role as the starting QB, and of course Allen Robinson is always good for at least one touchdown. The defense is playing lights out right now and gets Mike Hull back in the rotation. So things are looking good for a strong showing on both sides of the ball.
The Bad
Don't kid yourself, this Central Florida team is really good. As I said, most people in the know are calling this Penn State's biggest challenge of the first 4 weeks. Black Bortles is a seasoned starter at quarterback and a bonafide NFL prospect who threw for 3,000+ yards last year. Even O'Brien appears impressed with this kid. If PSU's young secondary isn't 100% ready come Saturday night, Bortles is going to pick them apart. Additionally, the Golden Knights starting tailback Storm Johnson (awesome name!) is a scoring machine with 5 TDs in just 2 games. On the other side, UCF's defense has only allowed 7 points so far this season and they like to play a very physical style of football that's capable of stopping PSU's trio of running backs dead in their tracks. Now it should be pointed out that UCF's opponents so far have been Akron and Florida International... not exactly elite competition. But don't write these guys off, they could pull the upset if the Lions don't come to play!
The Story
This is the game where Penn State's players are going to get a chance to really prove how good they are against a decent opponent. Really, anything could happen. Both QBs could go on a hot streak and we could see an old fashioned shootout. Or both defenses could step up their game and we could see a low scoring slobberknocker. Either way, it's going to be fun and there's absolutely nothing in this world that compares to night time at the Beav with a Whiteout on tap. Also, with their history, expect a longer than normal handshake between these old coaching friends at midfield.
The Predication
Hackenberg gets off to a much faster start than he did the prior two weeks and ends another great game with 200+ yds and 2 TD strikes. The running backs punch it in for 2 more and Sam Ficken adds onto his consecutive FG record. The defense lets a few plays get by them but generally speaking, holds their own. The secondary picks off Bortles for the first time in over 200 attempts to seal the victory.
PSU 34, UCF 20
Sunday, September 8, 2013
Week 2 Awards
Week 2 is in the books and it's time to hand out the awards!
The Beast Mode Award is given to a player who went into full blown Beast Mode during the game. This week, it goes to: Da’Quan Jones (DT) whose 9 tackles, 2 TFL, and 1 sack are even better than his predecessor Jordan Hill, a 2nd round NFL draft selection. Penn State's DL tradition looks safe in his hands.
The Transformer Award went to a versatile player last week, but this week I think it goes to a player that's transformed his game, and that would be: Bill Belton (RB). Belton didn't have the best season last year (minus the Iowa game) and he struggled academically is the Spring, but all those issues appear to be gone as he's improved his grades and rushed for 108 yds
(a personal best) and 2 TD this week.
The Matrix Award goes to a first year starter who had a breakout game. I think it's safe to say this week's award goes to: Akeel Lynch (RB) who had his coming out party this week rushing for 108 yds and 1 TD. He'll serve as a wonderful rushing threat that Hackenberg can utilize for years to come.
The In Disguise Award goes to the unsung hero of the game. This week's award goes to: Sam Ficken (PK) who quietly set the school record for most consecutive field goals made with 14, including last year. He's come a LONG way from his 4 missed FG game against Virginia last season and we couldn't be prouder!
And finally, the Megatron Award goes to the opposing team's player that gave us the biggest headache... unfortunately none of EMU's players were good enough. So instead, it will go to the aspect of the team's game that they need to work on for next week: penalties and turnovers made this game closer than it needed to be in the early going. Clean that up and we're in for a very memorable season!
Week 2 Grades
Week 2 proved to be a much better showing for Penn State than a shaky week 1, although they faced admittedly weaker competition. The defense stepped up big, posting a shutout, and their grades reflect as much. The offense again started off slow and ineffective, including a costly fumble that gave Eastern Michigan its only points of the game. But once the jitters subsided, true freshman quarterback Christian Hackenberg yet again showcased the talent that his 5-star recruiting rating carries, breaking a record in the process.
So let's roll out some week 2 grades!
Offense
QB: (B+) Say what you want about the early mistakes,
Hackenberg lit it up in the 2nd half and showed why he’s the future, throwing for 311 yards and setting the freshmen single game record in the process (beating Zach Mills).
Still, he’s a freshman and the butterfingers fumble and tendency to overthrow was pretty sloppy. Ferguson also played well in garbage time and will serve as an excellent backup in case of emergency.
OL: (A) Much better than last week! The line opened up great holes all day, keeping Hackenberg's jersey relatively clean and allowing for the awesome rushing stats we saw.
RB: (A+) Speaking of rushing stats, I'll let them do the talking: Zwinak 43 yds/2 TDs, Belton 108 yds (personal best)/2 TDs, Lynch 108 yds/1 TD… are you kidding me?! Great job guys!
WR: (A) 6 different receivers caught a pass, along with 2 TEs
and 2 RBs. The offense caught a total of 25 passes for 323 yds, and that’s just fun to see. Although Hackenberg overthrew them a
bunch early, when he settled down and got the ball to them, the receivers straight up made plays. Oh, and that guy Allen Robinson was scary good as always (7 recs/129 yds/1 TD).
TE: (B) With Lehman out for the season, we're going to see more of Breneman eventually. But all we saw of him on Saturday was a holding call that brought back a decent Zwinak run. James and Carter combined for 4 catches and 62 yds, but frankly, given O'Brien's reputation, I expected to see a little more production from this group.
Defense
DL: (A-) Da’Quan Jones was an absolute beast! But Barnes continued to be noticeably absent in the first two games. Usually it's the DT who takes up blockers and allows the DE to put up stats... somehow these two have reversed that trend. Still, Eastern Michigan's total of 61 rush yds shows what this group pulled off.
LB: (A-) There was nothing fancy here (aka no forced fumbles), but they just got the job
done, as a defensive shutout would indicate. Wartman played great in the first
half and looks to have the makings of the next great Penn State LB.
DB: (A-) Just like the linebackers nothing fancy (no interceptions), so the only big
stat was the defensive shutout. Things started out a little sketchy in the 1st
quarter with EMU getting into PSU territory 3 consecutive times, mostly on short passes, but the defensive backfield settled in nicely the rest of the game.
Overall: (A-) A nice early season blowout never hurt
anyone. It was a solid performance all
around. Even though Hackenberg's nerves got the best of him to start, once everything settled down we saw why this team has so much potential.
Saturday, September 7, 2013
Week 2 Wrap Up
It took way longer than expected due to some early game
jitters by Christian Hackenberg in his Beaver Stadium debut, but eventually he
settled down and the blowout was on as Penn
State cruises 45-7 over Eastern Michigan .
Tyler Ferguson didn't get as many in-game reps as many would've hoped
for, but he did get some playing time late in the 4th including a
nice strike to Geno Lewis and a handoff to Akeel Lynch for a late touchdown.
As for my prediction, I was off by a touchdown and I figured
the defense would give up at least 2 FGs in garbage time; I was very wrong. Instead, the defense did not allow a single
point all game (EMU’s 7 points came on a fumble returned for a TD), and the
offense exploded in the second half putting up 45 unanswered points on the
hapless Eagles. I did call Hackenberg
for a 300+ yd game, and although I nailed Robinson and Belton for 100+ yd
games, it was Akeel Lynch who secured the 100 yd hat-trick for PSU, not Zwinak. Still, Zwinak did “make it a double” as I
predicted, so I doubt he’s too upset. It
was awesome to see the #HackRobConnection (trademark!) in full swing, but they
only managed 1 of the TDs I predicted.
And finally, a big hand to Belton who ran for a personal record 108 yds
and had 2 TDs to my predicted 1.
Things are looking really good for the night game against
UCF next week, but overall the team needs to clean up the mistakes if they hope
to beat the Golden Knights.
Friday, September 6, 2013
Week 2 Predition
Alright, it's week 2 and we're taking on the Eastern Michigan Eagles. Let's face it folks, this will most likely be a blowout. However, if you're expecting some kind of 60+ point offensive spectacular, you need to hold your proverbial horses. Instead, allow me to break it down for you:
The Good
In their comparatively short time playing college football, Eastern Michigan has pretty much been a laughing stock, even by MAC standards. Don't expect this year to be any different. The good news is, we're going to win this game, the starters will get a chance to rest a little bit in the second half, and we'll get to see what the 2, and maybe even 3, deep looks like. With the reduced scholarships, resting our starters and giving the second string valuable in-game reps is priceless.
The Bad
It's a noon kickoff, which means don't expect the student section to be full until halftime... if ever. Similarly, don't expect the still sleepy alumni to be very loud, but that's to be expected. Hackenberg will NOT play this entire game! Sorry folks, but O'Brien isn't that stupid. He won't risk getting Hack injured and he knows that if he wants to keep Ferguson around as the backup, he'll need to give him plenty of quality reps.
The Story
All of the stars on this team (Hackenberg, Robinson, Zwinak, Carson, Amos, etc) will see ample bench time, so don't expect monster stats. I do, however, expect to see 2 TDs courtesy of the Hack-Rob connection (trademark!). Zwinak will get at least 1 TD, and if the offensive line can improve its play from week 1, he could make it a double. Other potential TD candidates include Belton, Lewis, or any of the TEs because it's really a crap shoot. Let's face it, this offense is loaded with talent and it's pretty nice when your only real problem is figuring out how to distribute the touches to this many weapons. Whenever the second team hits the field, production will drop off dramatically, but it will be interesting to see how Ferguson does with more than one series.
The Prediction
Hackenberg 300+ yds, Robinson/Zwinak/Belton 100+ yds each, and Trevor Williams gets another interception.
PSU 38, EMU 13
The Good
In their comparatively short time playing college football, Eastern Michigan has pretty much been a laughing stock, even by MAC standards. Don't expect this year to be any different. The good news is, we're going to win this game, the starters will get a chance to rest a little bit in the second half, and we'll get to see what the 2, and maybe even 3, deep looks like. With the reduced scholarships, resting our starters and giving the second string valuable in-game reps is priceless.
The Bad
It's a noon kickoff, which means don't expect the student section to be full until halftime... if ever. Similarly, don't expect the still sleepy alumni to be very loud, but that's to be expected. Hackenberg will NOT play this entire game! Sorry folks, but O'Brien isn't that stupid. He won't risk getting Hack injured and he knows that if he wants to keep Ferguson around as the backup, he'll need to give him plenty of quality reps.
The Story
All of the stars on this team (Hackenberg, Robinson, Zwinak, Carson, Amos, etc) will see ample bench time, so don't expect monster stats. I do, however, expect to see 2 TDs courtesy of the Hack-Rob connection (trademark!). Zwinak will get at least 1 TD, and if the offensive line can improve its play from week 1, he could make it a double. Other potential TD candidates include Belton, Lewis, or any of the TEs because it's really a crap shoot. Let's face it, this offense is loaded with talent and it's pretty nice when your only real problem is figuring out how to distribute the touches to this many weapons. Whenever the second team hits the field, production will drop off dramatically, but it will be interesting to see how Ferguson does with more than one series.
The Prediction
Hackenberg 300+ yds, Robinson/Zwinak/Belton 100+ yds each, and Trevor Williams gets another interception.
PSU 38, EMU 13
Welcome!
Hello my fellow Nittany Lions!!!
I am Optimus Prime (although not really if Hasbro comes knocking). I am the leader of the Autobots, a faction of transforming robots from the planet Cybertron... but more importantly I'm a HUGE Penn State football fan!
You know, keeping up with your favorite college football team can feel like a full time job these days; especially a program as big and filled with tradition as Penn State. Luckily for those who stumbled upon this blog, I'm here to do all the hard work for you! I promise you, the rabid (yet time-crunched) fan, that I will roboticly scour the internet, obsessively checking Twitter, Facebook, blogs, and news sites to find you ALL of the best Penn State coverage. No mindless personal details here, just straight-up football! So instead of checking 1,000 different websites, sifting through all the garbage, and hoping to find a few good PSU stories, just sit back, relax, and let good ol' Optimus be your one-stop shop for all the latest news and notes about the Blue and White.
Now, it's pretty hard to do all that on a blog. That's why, for best results, follow me on Twitter @PSUOptimus where I'll post links, articles, pics, commentary, and more from the best Penn State beat writers and even some of the players and coaches. You can also email me at PSUOptimus@gmail.com with questions or comments.
Additionally, each week during the season I'll bring you my Friday prediction for that week's game, my Sunday wrap up, and my Monday grades and awards for the top performing Nittany Lions.
So welcome to Prime Penn State Football... LET'S ROLL OUT!!!
I am Optimus Prime (although not really if Hasbro comes knocking). I am the leader of the Autobots, a faction of transforming robots from the planet Cybertron... but more importantly I'm a HUGE Penn State football fan!
You know, keeping up with your favorite college football team can feel like a full time job these days; especially a program as big and filled with tradition as Penn State. Luckily for those who stumbled upon this blog, I'm here to do all the hard work for you! I promise you, the rabid (yet time-crunched) fan, that I will roboticly scour the internet, obsessively checking Twitter, Facebook, blogs, and news sites to find you ALL of the best Penn State coverage. No mindless personal details here, just straight-up football! So instead of checking 1,000 different websites, sifting through all the garbage, and hoping to find a few good PSU stories, just sit back, relax, and let good ol' Optimus be your one-stop shop for all the latest news and notes about the Blue and White.
Now, it's pretty hard to do all that on a blog. That's why, for best results, follow me on Twitter @PSUOptimus where I'll post links, articles, pics, commentary, and more from the best Penn State beat writers and even some of the players and coaches. You can also email me at PSUOptimus@gmail.com with questions or comments.
Additionally, each week during the season I'll bring you my Friday prediction for that week's game, my Sunday wrap up, and my Monday grades and awards for the top performing Nittany Lions.
So welcome to Prime Penn State Football... LET'S ROLL OUT!!!
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