Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Week 13 Awards

Welcome to Thanksgiving Eve here on the Prime Penn State Football Blog!  Tomorrow is Turkey Day but this whole week might as well be Football Week.  There is football (pro or college) on TV every single day this week and Friday’s schedule is nearly as jam packed as Saturday’s.  To top it off, it’s rivalry week.  Now unfortunately Penn State no longer plays Pitt (that’s changing soon!) so we don’t have a designated rival, but there are still plenty of other hate-fueled matchups occurring around the country, most notably Ohio State – Michigan in the Big Ten and Alabama – Auburn in the SEC.  However, getting back to Thanksgiving, this is the time of year when we all take a moment to reflect on what we’re thankful for.  I’m personally thankful for Energon, laser cannons, and of course, Penn State football.  I would've been thankful for a win this past Saturday, but that didn't happen and we haven’t invented a time machine… yet.  Luckily, win or lose, there’s always awards, so let’s roll them out!

For the 3rd week in a row the Beast Mode Award goes to Zach Zwinak.  Over these past 3 weeks he has rushed for 149 yds, 150 yds, and 149 yds.  That’s about as consistently awesome as you can get.  It’s not just the yardage, it’s the number of carries he’s been asked to handle – 35 this week alone!  He’s become a true workhorse back and we love it!

The Transformer Award this week goes to Jesse James.  The sophomore tight end had 3 catches for 56 yds including a magnificent sideline-hugging touchdown reception in which he transformed into a freight train and easily shed a would be tackler with an epic stiff arm.  It was glorious.

For the 3rd time this season, the Matrix Award goes to Christian Hackenberg.  The freshmen was ironically outstanding on Senior Day as he threw for 217yds and 2 TDs before running in a 3rd.  His play earned him his 4th Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors.  Not bad for a self-proclaimed “game manager.”

This week’s unsung hero and In Disguise Award winner is Malcolm Willis.  A senior safety, Willis was 1 tackle away from leading the team against Nebraska with 9 total.  But the reason he gets this award is because of his 2nd quarter forced fumble on the goal line preventing the Huskers from gaining any points on a promising drive.  It wasn't enough to win the game, but it was still pretty awesome.

Finally, the Megatron Award for biggest headache goes to Nebraska WR Kenny Bell.  The afro-aficionado had a solid game with 5 catches for 33 yards, but it was his 99 yd kick off return for a touchdown in which he leaped over poor Sam Ficken’s attempted tackle that earns him this award.  He made it look too easy.

That will do it for Senior Day coverage.  Be sure to come back after you've awoken from your turkey coma and braved the crowds on Black Friday to check out my prediction for Saturday’s game against Wisconsin.  There will be plenty of football to keep you entertained in the meantime, including Matt McGloin’s 3rd start for the Raiders on Thanksgiving day against the Cowboys.  Don’t worry, Sean Lee is injured, so we don’t have to worry about him trying to sack McGloin.  Have a happy Thanksgiving everyone, and as always, go State!

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