Week 9 Awards

Indiana was no match for a Penn State defense that is becoming the stuff of legends.  The Lions move to 5-4 (2-4) with a victory in Bloomington and are only 1 game away from going bowling for the first time since 2011.  With the 4-game losing streak monkey off their back, things feel like they've returned to some kind of normalcy in Happy Valley.  So today we celebrate by handing out the weekly awards!

But before we begin, I've got some recruiting news!  In an apparent attempt to add insult to injury, not only did James Franklin’s Nittany Lions beat Indiana in their own stadium on Saturday, but they walked out with the Hoosiers’ 2015 QB recruit as well.  Tommy Stevens, a 3-star dual threat from Indianapolis, originally committed to Indiana back in June.  He was on the sidelines for the Penn State-Ohio State game and even got in on a selfie with James Franklin, OT commit Sterling Jenkins, and uncommitted OG Matthew Burrell.  Clearly he liked what he saw and flipped to the Lions on Monday.  Stevens’ style of play is a better fit for the kind of offense Franklin likes to run, so he could have a very bright future at PSU.  Welcome Tommy!  

Now back to the awards!

This week’s Beast Mode Award goes to LB Nyeem Wartman.  Along with his fellow LB Mike Hull, Wartman co-led the team in tackles with 7, had an interception, and almost had a fumble recovery that slipped through his hands.  On an impressive day for the entire linebacking corps, he was all over the field making plays.  And he’s only a junior!

Always the hardest to pinpoint, this week's Transformer Award goes to RB Bill Belton for his 92 yd TD run that transformed him into the record holder for longest rushing score in Penn State history.  Belton also became the first RB on the roster to go over 100 yds in a single game this season and generally had one of his best games so far.  I still think Akeel Lynch might be the best option for the team right now, but against Indiana, Belton sure made his case to remain the starter.

The Matrix Award for impact freshman goes to TE Mike Gesicki.  Although he only had 1 catch, it was really nice; a 28 yarder right down the middle of the field.  Gesicki is an athletic freak, as his highlight film can attest to, who also used to play basketball.  So despite his size, he can definitely move.  If he can work on his blocking, and become more consistent with catching the ball, he’ll be unstoppable.

This week's In Disguise Award goes to someone truly under the radar, P Chris Gulla.  Gulla took over place holding duties on FG attempts from the injured Ryan Keiser.  Most people don’t realize just how important the holder is to a kicker’s success (and if you need an example, watch Ace Ventura).  Last year when Keiser went down with an unrelated injury, Sam Ficken suddenly went from hot streak to cold streak overnight.  This year with Gulla holding the ball, Ficken has just kept on kickin, only missing the blocked FG against Indiana.  Gulla will most likely take over kicking duties once Ficken graduates after this season, so it's good to see him learning directly from Mr. Automatic in the meantime.

Last and certainly least, the Megatron Award goes to Indiana QB Zander Diamont.  Although he didn't do much in the passing game, he did make Mike Hull look like a chump on at least 2 plays, juking and jiving his way around the backfield before finally being gang tackled.  For a freshman on a struggling team, he sure has a lot of heart and almost willed his team to victory.  But it wasn't enough.

Alright, that will do it for Hoosier week.  I'll be heading up to State College this weekend for the Temple game and I have a surprise planned for my prediction post, so definitely check back on Friday.  If you enjoy this blog, why don't you stop on over to my new Facebook page and give it a like or a share.  Don't forget to follow me on Twitter @PSUOptimus, and as always, go State!