Welcome back folks. Before we get into the awards today, I wanted to share this really great piece, written about Saturday's game from an Irish perspective. Besides the wonderful writing, I think it highlights the attitude and demeanor of Irish people quite well. Although I only stayed in Ireland for a week back in March 2013, I did my best to fully explore the country while I was there and I think I got a pretty good read on its people. My biggest take away was that the Irish are by far the friendliest people I've ever been around, without exception. Literally every person I met there was a joy to be around. I also noticed that they all had jobs in some way tied to the service sector. They worked in shops, hotels, restaurants, pubs, and bars. They were cab drivers, bus drivers, tour guides, and visitor's center employees. And all of them seemed very happy to see Americans. I guess that's what happens when your entire economy seemingly revolves around tourism; you end up being much nicer to tourists. They were also much more laid back and carefree. That might explain the writer's shock at Americans' passion for football. Anyway, it really is a wonderful place to visit, and if you ever have the means I would totally recommend it. Now, let's roll out some awards!
The first Beast Mode Award of the season goes to star QB Christian Hackenberg, who broke a 12 year old record and became the first QB in Penn State history to throw for more than 400 yds in a single game. He put up video game numbers against one of the better defenses in the country, so I can't wait to see what he does against a weaker team.
This week's Transformer Award goes to kicker Sam Ficken. Kicken Ficken (aka Mr Automatic) has slowly transformed himself from beleaguered goat to beloved clutch performer. His 4 field goals on against UCF were the complete opposite of the 4 field goals (and an extra point) that he missed in the Virginia game back in 2012. You're unlikely to find a better underdog story in all of college football than Ficken.
The Matrix Award for breakout underclassman obviously goes to WR Daesean Hamilton who was the definition of an impact freshman on Saturday. I've been wondering when Hamilton would finally break out since he stepped foot on campus last year. However, because he was redshirted during the 2013 season, most people forgot about him until now. His 11 catches led the team and his 165 yds set the single-game freshman receiving record. The only downside is he may have set expectations a little too high in his first game. Now he needs to meet or exceed those numbers every game or people will start to question if this game was just a fluke.
Next up, I present the In Disguise Award to Anthony Zettel. He doesn't get a lot of attention because he plays on the defensive side of the ball, but the converted DT was finally unleashed on the hapless Knights in Dublin and never let up until the final whistle. Just look at these stats: 6 tackles, 3 for a loss, 1 sack, 1 pass breakup, and 1 fumble recovery. Unbelievable! If he can stay healthy, he'll have people talking all season long.
Finally, the Megatron Award goes to the Penn State running game. Running back has always been a position of strength in Happy Valley, but on Saturday the Lions' rushing attack looked absolutely anemic against a stout UCF defensive front. Belton's shifty style of play had no chance of succeeding behind an offensive line which struggled to open any meaningful holes. Zwinak's power run game seemed to work slightly better, but not much. Hopefully the boys rebound this week against a significantly weaker defense and in front of a true home crowd. Otherwise, we may have just found the Achilles heel of this offense.
And as a bonus today, we have offensive line coach Herb Hand giving a little film review session via Vine/Twitter. Is there no end to his social media prowess?! If you've ever wondered what exactly to look for when analyzing offensive line play, then Coach Hand's got your back.
Well that will do it for today. Check back in on Friday for my weekly prediction. This week, the Nittany Lions come back home to take on the Akron Zips. Don't forget to follow me on Twitter @PSUOptimus, and as always, go State!
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