Week 11 Prediction

This week the Nittany Lions travel to Memorial Stadium in Champaign, IL to take on the Fighting Illini of Illinois.  The game kicks off at noon (11am for the poor folks in Champaign) and will air on ESPN2.  I'll be blunt, Illinois is not a good football team.  In fact they're arguably worse than Temple and only slightly better than UMass, both teams Penn State has already beaten in convincing fashion.  Their record stands at 4-6 with only 1 Big Ten win, albeit an impressive upset victory over currently ranked Minnesota.  That's only the 2nd Big Ten win in Illinois coach Tim Beckman's entire tenure, and that pretty much sums up why he's on one of the hottest seats in college football.  A loss against Penn State would eliminate Illinois from qualifying for a bowl game and basically ensure his imminent unemployment status.  Enough about Illinois' crappy coach, let's get to the breakdown!

The Good
Due to injuries, Illinois has been forced to use 2 QBs this season and neither has been particularly effective.  Although Wes Lunt has the physical tools, he just doesn't have the players around him to live up to his potential.  Dual-threat Riley O'Toole, on the other hand, isn't a good enough passer to make the big plays.  The Illini have also used 2 kickers who have gone a combined 2 for 6 on the year.  Good job fellas.  Meanwhile, we have Mr Automatic Sam Ficken, so if the game comes down to FGs, it won't even be close.

Our offense will line up across from one of the worst defenses in college football.  Illinois currently has the 115th ranked rush defense in the country (dead last in the Big Ten), meaning Bill Belton and Akeel Lynch should have one of their easier outings.  This should hold especially true behind an offensive line that's finally at full strength with Miles Dieffenbach and Donovan Smith.  On defense, thanks to James Franklin's injury policy, we'll have to wait until kickoff to see if Trevor Williams will suit up at CB.  If not, we'll get to see the electric freshmen duo of Grant Haley and Christian Campbell again and find out whether or not their amazing performance against Temple was just a fluke.  Overall, Penn State's defense should be just as amazing as they've been all year.  Seriously, if you're still doubting these guys by this point, why don't you check (the stats) yourself before you wreck yourself.

The Bad
Let's see, it's a road game, so that's always a challenge.  But Memorial Stadium isn't exactly one of the more intimidating venues around, especially when their team sucks, at 11am local time, in late November.  Additionally, Penn State has already clinched it's spot in the post season, while Illinois needs to win out if they hope to even sniff a bowl game.  Maybe that will be motivation enough for them to rally the troops and pull the upset.  I wouldn't count on it, though.

One name to watch out for is freshman WR Mike Dudek.  He currently has 787 yds this season.  Although he's not terribly effective when Riley O'Toole is in the game, when former 4-star pocket passer Wes Lunt is playing (which he will be on Saturday), Dudek can be a serious weapon.  Lunt comes to Illinois by way of Oklahoma State where he played as a true freshman.  James Franklin actually admitted in his press conference earlier this week that he heavily recruited Lunt while he was the head coach at Vanderbilt and knows just how dangerous the QB can be when not hampered by injuries.  Nevertheless, expect Bob Shoop to have our secondary more than prepared.

The Story
When Beckman first took the job at Illinois, Penn State was right in the middle of the Sandusky scandal.  The NCAA had just handed down their sanctions against PSU and players were now free to leave without penalty.  Although a number of schools were more than willing to bolster their own rosters by jumping at the chance to steal Penn State's talent, they were at least quasi-professional about it.  Illinois, meanwhile, demonstrated a particularly brazen and unsportsmanlike approach to their "recruitment" efforts.  In total they brought 8 coaches to University Park and were anything but subtle as they openly harassed players outside their classrooms and dorms.  A few days later at Big Ten media days, Michael Mauti let his feelings be known, and when it was time to actually play the Illini, he raised hell!  2 interceptions and a whole lot of pain later, Mauti and the Nittany Lions walked out of memorial Stadium with a decisive victory and the sweet taste of revenge still on their lips.  Oh, but the best part of the whole ordeal was that after all that effort and damage to Beckman's reputation, he only managed to flip 1 backup player who frankly wasn't very good to begin with.  Moral of this story?  Kharma's a bitch... hear that NCAA?

The Prediction
For some strange reason Penn State is only favored by 7 points.  That just seems low given how bad Illinois has been.  However, given our offensive struggles even against poor defenses, this particular Penn State squad most likely isn't routing any Big Ten team, even the awful ones, so maybe that's what Vegas is thinking.  So what will happen?  Christian Hackenberg continues to struggle, but does technically improve from last week.  He gets his TEs involved a little more and Jesse James scores a TD.  The running game picks up where they left off last week as Bill Belton scores a TD too.  And James Franklin unleashes the Ficken at least twice just to rub it in Beckman's stupid face how terrible his own kickers are.  On defense, senior Mike Hull still remembers what Beckman's staff tried to do 2 years ago and does his best Mike Mauti impression, obliterating the Illini offense for 15 tackles and a fumble recovery after a monster hit.  Someone on defense even scores a TD.  In fact, I'm actually going to go out on a limb here and say our defense pitches a shutout.  Lions win, 27-0, because yeah, let's go with that.

Alright that should do it for my prediction.  I'm really trying to keep my new Facebook page up to date with all the latest news and notes on Penn State football, so be sure to head on over there and give me a like or even share it with all your friends.  Don't forget to follow me on Twitter @PSUOptimus where I attempt in vein to live tweet most games, and as always, go State!

Week 10 Awards

In case it wasn't made clear already, Penn State is going to a bowl game again!  We're not out of the woods yet, though, because how the Nittany Lions play over the next two weeks will go a long way towards determining which bowl game we're going to.  Personally, I'm hoping for the Pinstripe Bowl because it's close.  Anyway, time to roll out some awards!

With the way the season was going, I didn't think a RB would ever get an award.  Then we played Temple.  That's why this week, the Beast Mode Award goes to Akeel Lynch.  He had a season high 130 yds on 18 carries and threw in a TD for good measure.  I'm really hoping that the success of our RBs had something to do with the return of Smith and Dieffenbach to the offensive line.  If so, maybe there's hope for these guys over the next 3 games (yes 3, because we're going to a bowl game!).  If, however, it was just a fluke, we could be in trouble.

This week's Transformer Award goes to DT Austin Johnson because he needed to be recognized and I already gave away the Beast Mode Award.  Johnson had an outstanding game recording 4 tackles, 1 for a loss, a pass breakup, and a fumble recovery!  The 313 lb monster has been the perfect compliment to the undersized, yet agile Anthony Zettel, and the two have wreaked havoc on opposing RBs en route to the #1 rushing defense in the country!  Oh, and he's only a sophomore.

When you have the second youngest team in college football, finding an outstanding freshmen is fairly easy.  This week, the Matrix Award goes to CB Christian Campbell.  Starting in place of the injured Trevor Williams, Campbell recorded his first of what we hope to be many interceptions in his career as a Nittany Lion.  He also makes an impact on special teams as a gunner, helping to vastly improve our coverage teams from a year ago.  Keep up the good work rookie!

In a first on the blog, I'm doubling up on the In Disguise Award this week and giving it to both Adrian Amos and Jesse Della Valle.  The pair combined for 5 tackles and 2 INTs against the Owls.  While Zettel and Hull get most of the attention, these two senior safeties have quietly led a vastly improved unit that's been through it all.  Amos, a four year starter and the most veteran player on the entire Penn State roster, was a highly touted recruit who immediately started.  During the O'Brien years, Amos bounced back and forth between safety and corner, allowing a young crop of DBs to grow up.  Della Valle, meanwhile, didn't have nearly as much hype coming into college as Amos.  But he paid his dues and worked his tail off.  Now he's become a leader in the secondary while simultaneously taking on starting duties as the team’s punt returner.

Finally, the Megatron Award goes to Temple LB Tyler Matakevich.  My friend Josh warned us about him, and sure enough, he had a monster game.  13 tackles, 2 for a loss, a sack and an interception... those sound like Mike Hull statistics!  I'm not too proud to recognize talent when I see it, and this guy has it.

Ok, that will do it for Temple week.  Only 2 games left before the bowl game!  Check out my Facebook page and give it a like.  Don't forget to follow me on Twitter @PSUOptimus, and as always, go State!

Week 10 Grades

If you're one of the people who watched Saturday's game between Penn State and Temple and thought "man, both teams look terrible" then you either don't know much about football or you didn't actually watch the game.  Did Temple's offense look bad?  You bet.  But that was more a product of the continuing perfection that is Penn State's defense.  Did the Nittany Lion offense look bad?  Nope.  At least I didn't think so.  The offensive line looked better than it has all season, and we finally found ourselves a run game.  But one key player did have arguably his worst showing of the year, and it really affected people's perception of the entire team's performance.  Let's find out who it was as we roll out the grades!

Offense
QB: (F) NO MORE EXCUSES!  He had time, he had a competent running game backing him up, and on the rare occasion he put the ball anywhere near a receiver they came down with it.  Yet somehow, with everything working in his favor for a change, Christian Hackenberg fell apart, completing just 12 of 26 pass attempts for a measly 112 yds to go along with 2 more interceptions and no TDs.  I went into this more in yesterday's post, so check that out if you want my longer-winded opinion.  Suffice it to say, as one of Hack's biggest fans, I'm not happy right now.  I just hope he can clear his head before next year... maybe a nice bowl trip will help with that process!

OL: (A-) The big uglies up front (except for baby face Miles Dieffenbach of course) FINALLY looked like a coherent unit with their 2 most experienced players, Dieffenbach and Donovan Smith back in the line up together for the first time all season.  They gave Hackenberg plenty of time, at least compared to what they've done all season, and only allowed 2 total sacks, a far cry from the 5 or more we're used to this year.  More importantly they finally opened up some holes for both struggling RBs.  Which brings us to our next position...

RB: (A) Where the hell has this been all year?  Everything in the running game just seemed to work against an overmatched Temple front seven, even the wildcat!  Akeel Lynch led the way with 135 yds on 18 carries, while senior Bill Belton just missed out on the century mark with 96 yds on 19 carries.  Their efforts would pay off big as each also scored a TD.  Even Cole Chiappialle got into the game on the final series and ran for a respectable 15 yds and a 1st down on only 2 carries.  Whether they were sprinting to the outside for a big gain, or barreling right up the middle for the tough yds, the RBs looked like classic Penn State.  This is what we've been waiting for, let's just hope it continues.

WR: (C) When the QB has an off day, you can be pretty sure the receivers aren't having the best day either.  It all started so promising when 3 different receivers caught passes on the opening drive.  Then something went horribly wrong and the passing game never recovered.  Daesean Hamilton had 4 catches for 26 yds, Chris Godwin brought in 2 catches for 31 yds, and Lewis also had 2 but for only 15 yds.  Saeed Blacknall did not record a catch.  A "C" grade is appropriate as those aren't terrible numbers, but they're not great either.  Once Hack shakes the cobwebs out, I think you'll see the WR production improve as well.

TE: (C) Similar to the WRs, the TE performance can be directly tied to Hackenberg.  Jesse James was the only TE to record a catch, pulling in 2 for 30 yds.  Mike Gesicki and Kyle Carter were each targeted at least once, but most of what Hack can't seriously be considered passing.  How one manages to overthrow a 6' 8" TE (James) whose reach has to be nearly 10 feet before jumping, is completely beyond me.  Overall I'm just going to assume that these guys were working on their blocking for this game, and that's another reason the line performed so well... yeah, that's the ticket.

Defense
DL: (A-) The defensive line was instrumental in holding Temple to only 69 yds rushing on 20 attempts.  Those are the kinds of rushing numbers our guys were putting up before this game.  DT Austin Johnson led the group with 4 tackles, 1 for a loss, 1 pass breakup, and even a fumble recovery!  His partner Anthony Zettel added 3 tackles, including 1 for a loss and the defense's lone sack of the day.  Deion Barnes and the backups had a combined 6 tackles.  CJ Olaniyan surprisingly did not have any tackles.  We'll chalk that up PJ Walker's elusiveness.  Overall, another dominating effort.

LB: (A) Mike Hull is back to his old tricks, leading the team with 10 tackles.  Brandon Bell was second with 5.  Those two happened to combine for the best tackle of the day, wrapping up a RB in mid-air.  Nyeem Wartman brought up the rear statistically with only 2 tackles, but if you were paying attention you could find him blitzing the QB all afternoon long, and forcing some of the bad throws that lead to interceptions.

DB: (A+) Speaking of interceptions, 4 members of the secondary, including 2 true freshmen, picked off poor PJ Walker on a day he most likely wants to forget.  Safeties Adrian Amos and Jesse Della Valle, as well as CBs Grant Haley and Christian Campbell all got invited to the INT party, with Haley's interception going for 6 points!  Amos, Campbell, Haley, and Jordan Lucas all had 3 tackles apiece, while Della Valle and Marcus Allen each had 2.  Yes, it was a banner day for this group, and a sign that they will be extremely formidable for many years to come.

Special Teams
K: (A-) Sam Ficken hit 3 FGs including a 50 yd beauty, but once again had 1 blocked as well.  That makes 4 on the season, but continues Ficken's streak of being perfect when the ball crosses the line of scrimmage.  Meanwhile, Grant Haley continues to get better on returns, averaging an impressive 24 yds on 3 tries.  He and Christian Campbell have also made a mark as very impressive "gunners" on the coverage units ("gunners" are speedsters who can race down the field and make open-field tackles in space).

P: (B-) Daniel Pasquariello is improving.  Although he only averaged 38 yds on 5 punts, he had a nice 49 yarder in there and didn't shank a single one.  Jesse Della Valle only had the chance to field 1 punt all game, and only took it 5 yds.  That contributed to the B- grade.

Today's bonus grade is a team grade of B, which of course stands for BOWL GAME!  Because in case I forgot to mention it, the Penn State Nittany Lions are headed back to the post season for the first time since 2011!  Take that NCAA!  You tried to kill our program and you failed miserably, just like you seemingly do with everything.  Now these seniors will have the chance to go out in style and the Penn State fanbase will get to party the holidays away in exotic destinations like New York or Detroit... ok, so those aren't the best places to spend late December, but hey, it's better than sitting at home again watching everyone else have a good time.

Well, that will do it for your Monday grades.  Check back tomorrow as we wrap up Temple week with the awards.  Join all the cool kids and like my Facebook page.  Don't forget to follow me on Twitter @PSUOptimus, and as always, go State!

Week 10 Wrap Up

An offensive explosion coupled with a suffocating defense put little brother in their place as Penn State beat Temple 30-13.  The Nittany Lions move to 6-4 on the season and we're officially going to a bowl game ladies and gentlemen!  That's right, for the first time since 2011, Penn State will be involved in the post season.  Even James Franklin, who normally tries to maintain his "no game is more important than another" philosophy, knew this was a special occasion.  He admitted in his post game press conference that he felt especially proud for the seniors who stuck out the sanctions and would now be rewarded with a well-deserved post season birth.  Before that press conference, though, he got so excited on the field that he began tackling people, because you know, football.

Let's start with some of the peripherals.  It was military appreciation day in Beaver Stadium in celebration of Veterans Day earlier in the week.  Military themed events were staged all around the stadium throughout the afternoon.  However, my favorite scene by far was the S-zone in the student section which added a red U and A.  Very classy students!

Now what would football be without tailgating and good food, especially in Happy Valley?  Nothing, that's what!  As I mentioned in my prediction post, I participated in a chili cookoff after the game.  It went off without a hitch and good times were had by all.  This was actually the first time I've ever attempted making chili, so I was excited to hear that everyone seemed to like it.  Clockwise in the picture below we have 1. a stereotypical super spicy chili, 2. a decent entry that kind of had the texture of refried beans, 3. white rice, 4. a sweet santa fe style chili with black beans and corn, 5. my classic tex mex style chili, and 6. a very interesting shredded chicken "white" chili."  A big thanks to my fellow Blue Band alums for putting that together!

So what about the game?  In the first half, turnovers were the big issue for Penn State's offense giving up a fumble and an interception.  Temple, on the other hand, was having their own issues with penalties.  They would end the game with 10 total penalties, twice as many as PSU, including 3 offsides and 2 false starts that indicated the Beaver Stadium atmosphere was getting to them.  In the second half, though, it became all about Penn State's defense as they smothered the Owls and at one point forced a turnover on 5 out of 6 consecutive drives!  Both of Penn State's freshmen CBs, Christian Campbell and Grant Haley, had interceptions while filling in for the injured Trevor Williams; Haley's even went for a TD!  Adrian Amos and Jesse Della Valle also had interceptions, and Austin Johnson recovered a fumble.  It doesn't even need to be said anymore, this defense is ridiculous.  As one of my fellow chili-eaters put it, they're playing like someone kidnapped their daughter and now they have to use their special set of skills to destroy opposing offenses.  Mike Hull had the hit of the game when Temple's RB attempted to hurdle Brandon Bell.  Hull would have none of it and nailed the RB in mid-air.  One interesting note, Anthony Zettel's sack was the only one of the day.  A number of other players came close, but as my friend Josh warned us, PJ Walker is a very elusive dual-threat QB.  Throughout the game he could be found scrambling in the backfield, narrowly escaping defenders and making plays out of nothing.  Temple fans should be really excited about the future with this kid.  In the end, Walker may have won numerous battles, but Penn State's defense won the war.

There were plenty of takeaways from this game.  We'll start with the continued regression of Christian Hackenberg.  He went 12-26 (under 50% passing) with 2 interceptions (1 in each half), no TDs, and one of his lowest yardage totals of the year with 112.  As we'll get to in a second, it seemed like everyone else on offense stepped up their game on Saturday.  However, that's what made it all the more apparent that Hackenberg was the problem du jour and any victory over Temple was going to come in spite of him, not because of him.  Things started out well enough and it was clear the receivers weren't the problem.  On the opening drive Lewis, Hamilton, and Godwin all had completions as the offense clicked early and worked its way down the field.  An ill-advised penalty would doom the drive to a FG, but overall it was good.  After that, though, Hack started to overthrow, underthrow, and miss his targets completely.  Yet, unlike past games, there were no excuses on this day.  He had time and wasn't faced with constant 3rd and longs due to an anemic rushing attack or costly penalties.  Everything was working except him.  I think it might be time for even the most avid Hackenberg apologists (which I admit I can be at times), to finally face the music and just admit that he's not very good this year.  I still don't think these issues are permanent, and most will likely be corrected in the offseason.  Nevertheless, they will probably last the rest of the season, and possibly even bleed over into the bowl game.  My advice would be to simply relax and enjoy watching this defense in the meantime.

As alluded to already the offensive line played very well, allowing only 1 sack in each half.  With Donovan Smith and Miles Dieffenbach back, the line was inspired, but was also forced to change their lineup once again.  From left to right, they now look like this: LT Smith, LG Dieffenbach, C Wendy Laurent, RG Angelo Mangiro, RT Andrew Nelson.  That means Nelson moves back to RT, but Mangiro moves to Guard instead of back to Center.  Very interesting, and clearly it worked!  Hackenberg had more time to go through his reads, and more importantly, we finally found our running game!

Speaking of which, both Akeel Lynch and Bill Belton were on fire right out of the gates and didn't slow down until the backups went in on the final drive.  By game's end, the RBs had accumulated more yds (254) than Temple's entire offense (248)!  And unlike the UMass game, Temple is actually a decent team with an above average defense.  Also, for a team that has relied heavily on its passing attack the last 2 years, it was interesting to see the rushing yds more than double the passing yds.  Even the wildcat was working in limited use, picking up at least one 1st down on an Akeel Lynch sneak.  The electric performance was not without it's controversies.  Lynch's "fumble" (he was down!) in the first half was upsetting, but get this, it was the first fumble by any Penn State RB all year!  They may have had trouble getting us yds this season, but at least they've been taking care of the football.

Finally, there's a big time youth movement at Penn State, especially in the defensive secondary.  I think I've already mentioned it in the past, but Penn State is statistically the second youngest team in college football.  And all those freshmen, both true and redshirt, are contributing in a big way.  Think about this, on offense you have freshmen either starting or heavily contributing at RT, LG, TE, and 3 WR spots, and on defense at DT, DE, LB, S, and 2 at CB.  I've said it before, I know it sucks to be patient, but over the next 2 years or so these guys are going to grow up and everyone else better be on high alert.  James Franklin's championship talk may not have been as far off as we thought.

Alright, so what about my prediction.  Well, I got the winning team correct but I wasn't close on the score and I shouldn't have bet against the spread since we beat it.  The offensive line definitely had their best performance of the year, but all that extra time didn't seem to help Hackenberg who threw 2 INTs instead of the 2 TDs I anticipated.  I also doubted the running game, although I'm more than willing to look like an idiot if it means we get to see more of that for the rest of the year!  So definitely not my best showing, but the W is all that matters.  Oh yeah, and in case I didn't mention it, WE'RE GOING TO A BOWL GAME!!!

Tune in tomorrow for the weekly grades post.  My Facebook page is a thing and could always use your likes.  Don't forget to follow me on Twitter @PSUOptimus, and as always, go State!

Week 10 Prediction

In the annals of Pennsylvania collegiate football history, there are only two major teams and only one big game: Penn State vs Pitt.  However, that series, which is enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame as one of the best rivalries in football, has been on hiatus since 2000.  Have no fear, it will return in 2016.  But in the meantime, the Nittany Lions have had to settle for beating up poor little brother Temple, playing the team from Philly every year from 2006-2012.  How will Hackenberg and company handle the Fightin Bill Cosbys this week?  Let’s find out in a shortened version of this week’s breakdown! (Then I have a surprise!)

The Penn State/Pitt rivalry at the College Football Hall of Fame in 2006.

The Good

Unfortunately, I’m only familiar with one player on Temple’s roster, star WR Jalen Fitzpatrick.  Luckily for the Penn State secondary, Fitzpatrick is currently injured and will be a game time decision.  On our own injury front, both Miles Deiffenbach and Donovan Smith should be back in action!  Hopefully their return will once again spark our beleaguered offensive line.  The only other good thing you need to know is that Penn State is the better team, with better players, better coaches, and oh yeah, we’re playing at home in Beaver Stadium in front of the best fans in college football.  Also, I’ll be there cheering them on, and that’s got to count for something, right?

The Bad

Our offense downright sucks at the moment and continues to struggle putting points up on anyone, regardless of their talent level on defense.  That trend will probably continue this week in spite of any talent gap that may exist on the field.  Like every game so far, this will probably be an ugly, low scoring, punt heavy game that no one outside of the Keystone State will be paying much attention to.

The Story

Despite playing a total of 42 games to date, Temple has only won 3 of them.  The last time Temple beat Penn State was in 1941 - 10 years before Joe Paterno joined the PSU staff, and nearly 25 years before he was head coach.  Speaking of coaches, Temple’s head coach, Matt Rhule, is not only a State College native, having gone to State College High School, but also played LB at Penn State for the late Joe Paterno from 1994-1997.  Coincidentally, current Penn State LB Nyeem Wartman was recruited by Temple… after he already had an offer from Penn State.  Nevertheless, the Owls wanted Wartman to attend a camp to get a look at him before they extended him an offer as well.  His response was classic, “You get a Penn State offer, you don’t need to go to a Temple camp to prove yourself.”  Plenty of guys on Temple's roster have had the exact opposite experience, so in spite of the one sided nature of this "rivalry", expect there to be a little tension going into this one.

The Interview

And now, my surprise!  I'll be honest, since I'm heading up for the game this week I didn't have a lot of time to go too deep into the Temple Owls.  So instead, I decided to let a good friend of mine do the work for me!  Besides being a friend of the blog, Josh Godshall is also a Temple University alumnus who follows the team closely.  Although he eventually obtained an IT degree, he began his studies at Temple in the Journalism department.  We grew up together in Quakertown, PA where Josh covered sports for the local paper, The Free Press, as early as high school.  Unlike me, he played football, so he should be able to provide a unique perspective on this match up.

Optimus: Hey Josh, let's start with the obligatory pleasantries; how have you been? 

Josh: Pretty good, just living the American dream.  Paying off school loans and fixing people's computers mostly.  And the Eagles are looking pretty good, so that helps. 

O: Good to hear!  Now, given recent events I have to start with this; can we expect a hand shake from your guys before the game this week?

J: Of course!  Al Golden is still a God around here... we couldn't insult his alma mater like that.

O: We'll get to him later, but it's great to hear he left a classy legacy behind (must have gotten that from his college coach).  So overall, can you give us a sense of this year's Temple team?  What are some of their strengths, and what are some of their weaknesses? 

J: Of all the Temple teams I've followed, this is easily one of the hardest to sum up.  This group of Owls is one of those squads that somehow finds ways to win games they probably shouldn't, so if anything that makes me feel optimistic going into Saturday.  On paper, Temple is near the bottom of the American Athletic Conference in just about everything.  In the 11 team league, Temple ranks 10th in total offense, and 8th in total defense.  We’re dead last in rushing as an offense, and second to last in passing.  Dismal numbers aside, though, the Owls have an AAC leading 14 sacks, and can generate enough pressure on the line to mask some of their issues in the secondary.

Despite a lack of game changing playmakers, this team has a knack for busting long offensive touchdowns that keep them in the game.  When Quarterback P.J. Walker is having an on-game, he elevates everyone around him, and usually mediocre players like running back Kenneth Harper start looking like Bernard Pierce reincarnated.  Still, Walker is only a sophomore, and is yet to play in an environment like a packed Beaver Stadium.  He’s shown some poise so far this year, and definitely doesn't lack in confidence, but I wouldn't be surprised to see him get caught up in the moment a bit in front of such a big crowd.  Penn State’s biggest goal should be to get him rattled early and often. 

O: Oh, I think our defense will be just fine getting pressure, especially in front of a home crowd.  Moving on, who are some of the impact players Penn State should watch out for on this Temple squad?

J: Defensively, keep your eyes on #8.  Tyler Matakevich (Jr. LB) is an absolute stud in run support, and sets the tone for the entire defense.  Last year Matakevich led the NCAA with 8.8 solo tackles per game, and was second in the NCAA in total stops per game.  This is nothing new…the guy had 15 tackles (12 solo) and 2 for a loss in his first game as a true freshman.  On Saturday, he should continue to add to his 83 total tackles so far in 2014.  I just really wish he didn't look like a constipated Andy Dalton.

Offensively, the Owls live and die by which P.J. Walker shows up.  A true dual threat QB, he’s still the best offensive weapon Temple has but has been extremely inconsistent in 2014 (1679 passing yards, 11 TD/10 INT, 54.4 CMP%).  He's still very raw, but has shown himself to be clutch when needed, as evidenced by all 3 of his rushing TDs this year coming on critical drives in the game.  I’m anxious to see how he handles an environment like the one that the PSU crowd brings.  If he can cut down on the sacks he takes (15 on the year so far), he’s a talented enough athlete to catch the Lions by surprise.

O: Don't worry, we know all about QB struggles.  Our guy has more INTs (12) and has taken more than double that number of sacks (35)... but I digress.  On to coaching!  Temple already had one former Nittany Lion as their head coach in the aforementioned Al Golden.  After a brief time with Steve Addazio, you now have another former Lion in Matt Rhule.  Is there a particular reason you guys keep tapping Penn Staters to lead your program?

J: Temple’s ties to the Penn State program come down to a few factors.  For starters, simple geography.  Both schools share more or less the same recruiting footprint, and often are after some of the same players.  When it comes time for Temple to make a hire, it makes sense to try to grab some coaches from programs already familiar with the areas you recruit in.  Also, historically, both schools have been built around tough defense and a commitment to the ground game.  Again, this familiarity is a big factor in why PSU coaches get phone calls when a coaching spot at TU opens up. 

O: Temple beat Vanderbilt (James Franklin’s old team) earlier in the year.  Is there any advantage to be gained now that you’re playing Franklin’s new team? 

J: Personally I've never bought too much into this line of thinking.  When it comes down to it, Franklin wasn't on the sideline when Temple beat Vandy this year.  Good coaches adapt to the team they have at their disposal, so to think Franklin is doing all the same things in Happy Valley that he did at Vandy would be a mistake on Temple’s part.  I think if anything, the fact that Temple has played Penn State at Beaver Stadium a few times in recent seasons is a bigger game day advantage than anything that the Vanderbilt win offers.

O: Ok, fair enough.  You guys also beat ECU, which was definitely impressive.  How did the Owls manage that one?  Also, what did it feel like to finally beat a ranked team?  I know you guys don't do that very often. 

J: The ECU win came down to one simple thing: turnovers.  When you force 5 fumbles and block a kick, you’re going to win more often than not.  Doing it against the AAC’s best offense was just icing on the cake, but the Owls have struggled to recapture the defensive dominance they had on November 1st.  Interestingly, it was one of the Owls' worst days on offense in a while.  If it wasn't for 2 Kenneth Harper TDs (one of which included an absolutely dirty spin move), P.J. Walker and his 70 yards of passing on the day would have probably spoiled what ended up being a great win.   

To you high and mighty PSU’ers, beating a ranked team probably seems like nothing more than a solid victory, but to struggling programs like Temple, these wins can be important recruiting foundations.  You can only beat the team lined up across from you, so to have Temple rise to the occasion and knock off their toughest opponent yet could prove important for not just this group of Owls, but also for what group of Owls Matt Rhule is able to attract to North Broad Street going forward.

O: Good point.  Sorry for the jab, hope you don't mind another.  Penn Staters have never really felt like anyone's “little brother” but I would assume Temple fans feel that way toward PSU.  Do you guys have an inferiority complex with regard to Penn State?  If so, how do you handle it?

J: It pains me to say this, but yes.  Honestly, I think it has more to do with being a “Philly thing” than anything related specifically to Penn State.  Philly loves feeling like an underdog.  We love feeling cheated and forgotten.  We love being able to complain about it, and truly don’t know how to handle it when we win.  Just like how Philly as a city is constantly in the shadow of the bigger, taller skyscrapers of NYC, Temple as a football program is neatly nestled in the shadow of the PSU program.  You guys are simply too close geographically and too successful historically for that shadow to not reach us.

This inferiority complex isn't necessarily the worst thing, though.  It is no secret that many of the guys on the Temple squad probably had Penn State at the top of their list of dream schools to play at.  Some may have been snubbed by PSU completely, while others may have willingly chose a chance to start at Temple over being a benchwarmer for the Lions, but the result is the same; Temple players bring their all against the Lions.  Winning against Penn State would be the next best thing to actually playing for them in a lot of these guys' minds, so expect pride to be a big factor on the field come Saturday.

O: What’s with the whole diamond obsession?  I'm guessing there's a back story. 

J: I actually remember this from freshman orientation, here’s the scoop… 

Temple was founded for the simple purpose of providing Philadelphians with an affordable way to receive higher education.  The University has its roots as a night school started by Russel Conwell, a minister at the original Baptist Temple building on Broad Street.  Interestingly, the fact that all classes took place at night is what led to early Temple students being referred to as “night owls”, a mascot that has stuck to this day.

Anyways, before beginning his work at the Baptist Temple, Conwell made a name for himself as an inspirational speaker.  His most famous speech was called “Acres of Diamonds.”  Conwell’s core message in “Acres of Diamonds” is simple: one does not have to look far for the opportunity or resources needed to achieve greatness…the community around you is a literal acre of potential diamonds just waiting to be mined for their greatness.

Conwell would go on to deliver this speech more than 6,150 times around the world.  It was with the income that he earned from “Acres of Diamonds” that he would later go on to use in founding and establishing Temple University in 1884. 

O: I don't care what those Ivy League idiots at Penn think, Temple is the TRUE team of Philadelphia!  Alright, how about a score prediction?

J: Penn State wins 24 - 14

O: As Lee Corso would say, "great pick!"  Finally, we’ll get you out of here on a really controversial question.  Where’s the best place to get a cheesesteak in Philadelphia?

J: Mark Sanchez got it wrong on Sunday night…he should have gone to Tony Luke’s.

The Prediction

Well there you have it!  Hopefully that provided a nice inside look at this week's opponent from a completely different perspective than normal.  So what do I think is going to happen?  Well, Penn State is currently favored by 11 points.  With this offense, I'm finding it hard to envision we'll even score 11 points, let alone win by that many.  Josh mentioned a suspect secondary, though, so I'm going optimistic on this one.  I think the offensive line is inspired by the return of their two leaders and has its best game yet.  With decent protection, Hackenberg throws for over 200 yds and a TD to big Jesse James.  Hamilton also gets his second TD of the season.  The running game, however, still can't get going.  Penn State's defense is their usual self, but allows Temple's mobile QB to sneak a TD in somewhere and a FG happens.  Penn State wins, but can't cover the spread: 20 - 10

It's supposed to be nasty weather for this game, and it snowed last night, so I'm not looking forward to sitting in an open air stadium for 3 1/2 hours.  However, the combination of a win, bowl eligibility, and the chili cookoff I'll be attending after the game should warm me right up.  While I'm gone, be sure to go like and share my page on Facebook.  Don't forget to follow me on Twitter @PSUOptimus, and as always, go State!

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!

Week 9 Grades

Contrary to what James Franklin said after the game, his team's efforts against the Hoosiers were anything but "pretty."  Terrible offense by both teams led to punt after punt after punt.  Nevertheless, the Nittany Lions are now just 1 game away from bowl eligibility, and that's pretty awesome.  Before I jinx them, let's roll out some grades!

Offense
QB: (D+) I went into this in depth yesterday, so I won't bore you again today.  Plain and simple, Hackenberg has regressed.  He's in the middle of a perfect storm - sophomore slump, no offensive line, no running game, all new receivers, all new coaching staff, all new scheme, the departure of his assumed mentor to the pros, etc.  It's a recipe for disaster, so most people are willing to give him a break this year.  Even so, when you have your 5th consecutive game with an interception, this time for a TD, you're not getting a very good grade from me.

OL: (C+) Also addressed at length in the wrap up yesterday.  For the most part, it was more of the same on Saturday.  But there was noticeable improvement at times, especially with the return of Miles Deiffenbach to boost the line's spirits.  As Miles gets worked back into the starting lineup more and more, and as Donovan Smith returns, expect even better improvement bordering on competency.

RB: (B) There are sparks: Belton's 92 yd TD obviously, his 16 yd wildcat run, Akeel Lynch's 20 yd run to the outside, and his serendipitous catch of a Hackenberg drop which turned into positive yardage.  However, these only look good when compared to the total body of work for the season.  Any other RB group in the country would probably get an F for a performance like this.  For every 1 good play, there are at least 3 plays where the RBs are stuffed at the line or even for a loss.  Unfortunately, expect more of the same until the issues on the offensive line are worked out.

WR: (B-) Things started off pretty bad with 3 drops on the opening possession, but did get slightly better as the day went on.  Geno Lewis led the way with 4 catches for 39 yds, while Daesean Hamilton has become a shell of his former self, only pulling in 2 catches for 33 yds.  Chris Godwin also had 2 catches for 25 yds, while fellow freshman Saeed Blacknall had just 1 catch, but it was for 11 yds and a 1st down.  In fact, all 4 WRs had a 1st down grab in the game, keeping the chains moving for a sputtering offense.

TE: (C) Jesse James did not look like his normal self, dropping several difficult but definitely catchable balls.  Eventually he got back on track with 2 catches for 32 yds, but it was still concerning.  With Adam Breneman out for the season, freshman Mike Gesicki has tried to fill his shoes.  He only had 1 catch, but it was a big one going for 28 yds right up the middle and keeping a promising drive alive.  Neither Kyle Carter nor Brent Wilkerson had receptions.  Yet, at certain times against Indiana, James Franklin had upwards of 4 TEs in the game simultaneously, proving just how deep this group is.  They need to continue using their size to force matchup problems for opposing defenses, and they still need to help more with blocking especially given our offensive line troubles.

Defense
DL: (A) Listen to these stats: Indiana never reached the redzone on Saturday, did not score a single offensive point, had their Heisman candidate RB held to a season low and his first sub-100 yd game of the season, and were forced to punt the ball a total of 11 times.  Now that wasn't entirely the work of the defensive line, but it definitely starts with these guys.  CJ Olaniyan and Austin Johnson led the way with 6 tackles each, while Deion Barnes and Anthony Zettel each added 3, including Zettel's tackle for a loss and sack.  The back ups continue to impress, combing for 4 tackles, 2 for a loss, and even a forced fumble by Tyrone Smith!

LB: (A+) Indiana's QB Zander Diamont may not be very good at throwing the ball, but the kid is elusive as all hell.  On at least two occasions, he somehow evaded the usually sure-handed clutches of one Mike Hull, making the senior potential All-American LB look downright silly.  Speaking of Mike Hull, he was not pleased with what he viewed as dirty play by Indiana's offense, and it wound up costing him a personal foul.  Even with that, he once again led the team in tackles, although this time he tied his fellow LB Nyeem Wartman for that honor with 7.  Wartman had one of his best days ever, almost recovering a forced fumble, and snatching an interception from Diamont that effectively sealed the win for Penn State.  Brandon Bell wasn't far behind his fellow LBs, racking up 6 tackles of his own including 2 for a loss.

DB: (A+) Jordan Lucas is playing at an exceptionally high level right now, shutting down his side of the field and making opposing offenses one dimensional.  He tied Marcus Allen for 2nd place on the team tackles list with 6.  Allen, a true freshman safety, continues to fly around the field making plays everywhere and looking like a veteran.  Fellow safety Adrian Amos had 3 tackles including 2 pass breakups.  And Jesse Della Valle did technically record an interception, although it came on a garbage Hail Mary pass to end the 1st half.

Special Teams
K: (A-) Sam Ficken hit 2 more FGs against the Hoosiers, but did have his 3rd block of the season.  Those 3 blocks are the only "misses" he's had.  Grant Haley gives this unit the minus as he continues to refuse touchbacks.  Belton's 92 yd TD came immediately after Haley inexplicably tried to field a kick off and only made it to the 8 yd line.  The freshman is clearly talented and most of Nittany Nation can tell he's right on the verge of breaking one for a TD, but right now we're all just waiting.

P: (B) The punters continue to struggle, even with the switch to Dan Pasquariello; but man is this punt coverage team good!  Grant Haley and fellow freshman CB Christian Campbell are the definition of "gunners" as they fly down the field and give opposing returners exactly nowhere to go.  With how often our defense forces punts, covering them has become very important, and those two have come up big nearly every time.  Oh, and Jesse Della Vallee had one of his best returns of the season for 24 yds... right before Hackenberg threw that pick 6 and ruined it.

I was going to do a bonus grade for Indiana's attendance, but that would just be cruel.  Instead I'll remind you that you can always send questions or comments to PSUOptimus@gmail.com.  Check me out on Facebook and please like and share my page if you enjoy this blog.  Don't forget to follow me on Twitter @PSUOptimus, and as always, go State!