The Penn State Football Show

Looking back, I never really had any doubts about this game. I know this might sound trite, but I was more worried about staying dry and warm than I was about what might happen on the field. To me, Minnesota looked very slow on both sides of the ball. Thier LB's, who were supposed to be good, were no where to be seen on several of Royster's off tackle runs and their running game was non-existent. Weber moves with cinder blocks on his feet and Decker might want to start taking some soft-toss during pre-game because he has a better chance of playing baseball on Sundays. I will admit I did not know much about Minnesota coming in, but I think at this point Penn State is a team, like Rudy said, that can only beat themselves in these types of games.

While I agree that the snowball-throwing student section was extremely classless, I feel that it reflected the overall attitude toward this game...Who cares, its Minnesota. For example...why were the parking lots closed and tailgates prohibited? Would this have been the case if it were Ohio State or Michigan? Walking around campus before and after the game, there was no reason for this. There was a few inches of snow on the ground; what was the big deal? I cant believe they made a little mid-October snowfall into such a monster...it's State College, PA not Atlanta, GA!!! It snows here during football season! It has before and it will again. Guido D'Elia must have been kidnapped and locked in Holuba Hall for the weekend because "The Great Show" was average at best.

Specific Game Thoughts:

• This game was really more lopsided than the score indicated. Penn State did dominate. I think the total yards were something like 450 to 150 and the time of possession was 3 to 1. Clark made a lot of good reads and throws. I like how he puts the ball in places where only his player will get the ball. No pass interference on Moye in the 4th quarter and the score is 27-0. I think we could have used some style points.
• I like Stephfon Green but I don't think his absence will hurt as much as people are saying. Beachum is up to the challenge.
• This defense gets better and better each week. Lee looked like he was a step behind his normal pace though. Hopefully he will be ready to go against Michigan. I still cant wait to see the LB's at full-strength.
• Hats off to AJ Wallace for completely shutting down Eric Decker and limiting him to one catch. I'm not sure how good Decker really is but Wallace covered him well on the outside and took away Minnesota's only playmaker. Additionally, he helped preserve the shutout with a big 4th down goaline stand. Not bad for a guy who thinks the problem with college football is that the players are not paid enough! (Details here) I still would like to see him wrap guys up more in the open field.
• I'm not sure why Joe defends Collin Wagner so much. I don't think he's a bad kicker but lets face it...the kid has a weak leg. Short again on 49-yrd FG.
• Isn't it crazy that we have played 7 games and only 1 away from Beaver Stadium? I hope that doesn't come to hurt up at the Big House.

PS. I am looking for 4 Ohio State tickets. If anybody knows anyone selling, please let me know.

Penn State had a vice-grip of control last Saturday against Minnesota as they held the ball for more than two thirds of the game. Despite committing a season high 9 penalties, which is very uncharacteristic, PSU had no turnovers and made no mistakes outside of the infractions. Clark made good decisions, and Royster was extremely effective running the ball. The Gophers have a very good set of linebackers who were unable to stop the running game, and despite the weather conditions, Clark was able to complete a high percentage of passes and Penn State continued to be one of the best in the nation on third down. Several times Clark was able to convert on third down with a quick bullet over the middle to a blanketed tight end who was always able to shield the defender and make the grab. I was thoroughly impressed with the performance despite only putting up 20 points. It could easily have been more as the Lions settled for 3 field goal attempts.

Decker was a non-factor...as was the entire Minnesota offense. Lee returned and looked ok. I expect to see more out of him this weekend. Penn State's defense seemed to land huge hits on nearly every play. Receivers going over the middle paid a price with big knocks from Wallace, Timmons, and Bowman. Bowman blind sided a running back as well probably concussing him. This is a ferocious defense that is getting even better. Odrick and Ogbu were in the backfield all day disrupting the running game and just missing on several sack attempts before finally getting to Weber in the fourth quarter. The goal line stand displayed a terrific team effort with Hayes taking on two blockers, Bowman shedding a block and using great closing speed to help take down the runner, and of course Wallace who came from the other side of the field to make the big stick. Once again I was very impressed with Wallace. He's turned things around and I believe he is one of the better defensive backs in the Big Ten. Morris again got considerable playing time and made a good stop near the goalline on a screen pass.

Moye is continuing to be a force. He uses his size well and I wouldn't be surprised to see him forgo his eligibility and immediately start his destined career as a hand model. Great hands. One concern is an ankle injury to Stephfon Green who was looking better, but luckily Penn State has depth at the RB position and if Green can't go against Michigan, look for Brandon "North-South" Beachum to spell Royster. All in all this was a positive sign for a team that had no measuring stick for how good they were. A bigger test will come this weekend, but I feel very confident in this team. They are improving not only in areas where they previously were weak (kick coverage, making field goals, offensive line play) but also in their strengths (linebacker, defensive line). If they can cut back on the penalties (a few that were suspect anyway) then this team can be a force, and they have shown great consistency over the last three weeks, something that is rare in today's Big Ten conference. The only way Penn State loses again this season is if they beat themselves.

I hope those idiots that picked Terrelle Pryor as preseason Big Ten offensive player of the year were watching him drop the ball like it was New Years in Times Square.

Can't wait for this Michigan game, I think the PSU defense matches up well if they play as physical at the corners as they did vs. Minnesota.

Before I get started on my analysis of the game, I must go on a tirade about something that made me absolutely livid on Saturday while I was at the game. I don't know how well this was covered on the television broadcast of the game, but students in the student section were throwing snow balls not only at each other, but on to the field throughout the entire first half of the game. Even after PA announcements asking them to stop, and pointing out that Penn State would receive a 15-yard penalty if they didn't stop, they ontinued to do so. They threw them at the cheerleaders, the dance team, at the Nittany Lion while he was doing his Thriller dance (which was awesome the first time but is really getting old now. Find another song.) It was so immature and disrespectful, I couldn't believe it. If you weren't there to see it, many of these snow balls made it onto the field of play and into the end zone and easily could have interfered with game play. I can not even put in to words how furious this made me.

Honestly, how stupid can these kids be? What good was going to come from throwing a snow ball onto the field? Were they hoping at least one of the star linebackers, Lee or Bowman, would trip over their snowball and re-aggravate their pre-existing injuries? Maybe they could get AJ Wallace to trip over one and give Minnesota an easy touchdown. And while we're at it, lets throw some snowballs at our beloved Nittany Lion. Don't they realize that the cheerleaders they were aiming for are thier fellow Penn State students? Real nice. What was the point of throwing snow balls on to the field? And you would think after just one announcement, they would stop. But they did not.

I grew up a Penn State fan, and have a lot of Penn State pride. I enjoy having friends come for a football game and marvel at the experience. I've been to college football games at other venues, and they don't compare. I take pride in the fact that Beaver Stadium is considered one of the toughest places to play, and I truly believe that the crowd does give the team an advantage. I've seen the noise from the crowd force the opposing team to call a timeout or even commit a false start. And the players certainly feed off of the emotion of the crowd. Penn State fans are so loyal and supportive, and that has only increased over the last few years with things like Paternoville. Kirk Herbstreit was right when he declared Penn State as the best student section in the country. I, like many Penn Staters, was very excited and proud to hear him say that. But he would without a doubt take that back if he saw what I saw on Saturday. Penn State was not the best student section in the country this weekend. I think you could very easily argue that they were the worst.

I can't imagine there were many other student sections that were actively threatening to penalize their own team. That's the exact opposite of what being a "fan" is. Can you imagine, if the team was penalized 15 yards because of THE FANS. Through no fault of their own, they could have gone from a 3rd and 1 to a 3rd and sixteen. Or given Minnesota an automatic first down instead of a fourth and long. Absolutely ridiculous.

I've seen a lot of Penn State students do stupid things, but this was definitely up there. I was embarassed and ashamed by the lack of respect the students showed for their team, their fellow students, and their university.

If you are a Penn State student reading this blog, the next time you see someone throw a snowball on to the field, punch them in the face.

Peter my friend, you have been watching too much Lou Holtz. What on God's green earth is prompting this? Of their four wins only only two are more than 3 points, one was Nevada and the other was by 7 over Washington that took overtime. You want that job at ESPN so bad you're willing to stoop to this? I never thought I'd see the day. And you should thank me for making such a commotion about this pick, because now I have guaranteed a Notre Dame victory. FML.

On to PSU. As the feller says, "It's time to grab your lunch pale and go to work." Time for Sean Lee to drop the headsets and buckle the chinstrap. Time for Royster to lower the shoulder and deliver the boom. And so on and so forth. And speaking of Lee with the headgear, either drop the shoulder pads or the ear piece. Nothing looks more retarded than him with the gloves on listening in on calls. Ridiculous. Anyways, I liken Lee and Bowman sitting out this game to LaDanian Tomlinson sitting out the playoffs. I don't doubt his toughness but sometimes you just have to lie to the medical staff. Gotta have those guys this weekend.

In regards to the Weber-Decker combo. I want Morris. Like Rudy said above all this kid is a gamer. If I know him at all which I don't, he is begging scrapiron to take this kid one on one all day. And if I'm scrap, I give him the chance. Screw your zones, screw your reads, screw trying to jump routes. #12 on #8. He moves you move. He takes a piss, you help. Lock. It. Down. I have no idea why but I have total faith in this kid. I think his instincts are enough to do it.

Now I'm going to pull a move I have often pulled the hate card on. It gives me no pleasure to do it but it must be said: I've just been way too busy with work to really follow whats going on. I feel unclean now. But honest to God I had to be reminded three times today that it was Friday. So please forgive me if I can't accurately analyze Minnesota. However, I was able to listen to the first half of their game against Purdue. They seem as mistake prone as us. Fumbles, interceptions, and busted plays. So as noted previously by Rudy and Pete, winning the turnover battle is huge.

Their defense is solid but they have allowed some points this year. I think our offense should be able to move the ball. But I took a small dump in my pants when I read about our defense not installing special packages for the Wildcat. This is an offense that will beat you to your knees without mercy if you let it. I honestly don't like the sound of that at all. Penn State has this belief they if they play the most disciplined zone coverage in the history of zone coverage that they will sometimes bend but never break. Marc Sanchez showed otherwise. Penn State's defense reminds me of an old school fighter in mixed martial arts. Everyone in the sport knows you need a little bit of everything, a little wrestling, a little punching, and some submission. Penn State is that guy who still thinks all he needs is boxing.

All that being said, the X's and O's can all be washed away for either side with two words and four syllables. Heated Benches. If Minnesota has them and we don't. We lose. If both teams or neither team has them, Penn State wins. They are calling for temps in the 30's and snow. Minnesota has already played a game in very cold temps and PSU has not. We didn't have heated benches or torpedo heaters against Iowa last year and our players were visibly stiff. I lamented about this last year and I will every year until we change. The only other teams at any level of football not doing this are the ones who can't afford it. Something tells me our players will only be afforded jackets this weekend.

Sorry boys I gotta do it, a warm and loose Wildcat offense runs rampant over the Lee-less and Bowman-less PSU defense, Gophers take it 17-13.

Minnesota has had their ups and downs over the last decade boasting one of the best running back duos in 2004 with Laurence Maroney and Marion Barber III, but also slumping to a 1-11 record in 2007. Last year under Tim Brewster they righted the ship and returned to postseason play, and they will most likely return to a bowl this year. They have a stud receiver that Pete mentioned, and Adam Weber, although not great, has a big arm and can make plays...particularly the long heave to Decker. Everyone in Minnesota thinks they have the best linebackers in the Big Ten, unfortunately they're dead wrong. This game will be a test for Penn State, but obviously one they should pass, and a statement could be made with an impressive victory.

Minnesota has played fairly well this season with their only losses coming against Wisconsin and then #8 California (now unranked after getting slapped around like a puck by USC and Oregon), and both games were pretty close. At times their defense has given up big yardage on the ground and other times through the air. Wisconsin ran all over them, Northwestern tossed it around, and overall they're giving up over 380 yards a game while only picking up just under 320. Last week's performance vs. Purdue showed an opportunistic team that struggled moving the ball but still found a way to win. Decker is a great receiver, but like Pete said, one receiver doesn't beat you. Other than that, there is really nothing spectacular about the Golden Gophers.

Penn State should be able to control the game and get some pressure on Weber who has been sacked 15 times this season. Reportedly they've got a bohemoth at right tackle weighing in at 360, but from what I've read he's not very good. It also appears that Sean Lee will get some action though how much is still up in the air. This is a huge boost for the team not only in terms of talent and leadership, but I think just having him out there will have a soothing effect on the defense. In terms of covering Decker, I would just deal with him like any other wideout. You get into trouble when you give someone too much attention, and Weber still needs to make the throws. With some good pressure I think Decker will be held in check although I expect at least one big play out of him. He is exceptional in jump ball situations and even when he is blanketed, Weber won't hesitate to see if he can make a play. Good coverage is the first step, but breaking up passes will be vital. I feel like AJ Wallace is going to have another pick and a big day. I've been pleased with what he's done recently. If Morris comes into the game, I doubt he will be on the same side of the field as Decker, but we will keep saying it...this kid is a player. Bowman also says he finally feels 100% so get excited.

On offense for Penn State they will have third string right tackle Ako Poti starting in place of Nerraw McCormack and DeOn'tae Pannell who both have ankle injuries. He did fine last week against Podunk University. Look for most of the runs to go left, and I have been pleased at times with Green and Royster recently, particularly in the Illinois game where Green played the best game of his career. I think PSU should be able to rack up 200 yards both on the ground and through the air. Clark will have a few QB draws early in the game to keep the Gophers off balance and open up the passing game. Chaz is getting more and more involved in the offense, and he's a reliable guy who is easy to get the ball to. He's good in open space and I expect big things from him. The only question mark for the game is this weather and special teams. Last week I paid close attention to Jeremy Boone's punts and I forget who mentioned it, but he most certainly does take an extra step into his punts. He needs to speed that up. I'd also like to see Breen on kickoffs despite Joe saying that he isn't accurate enough...I mean give me a break, this isn't one of those rigged carnival games...it's a kickoff, he's got 53.33 yards to work with. Minnesota also has the conference's best returner, so coverage MUST improve. This is not a dangerous team on paper, but they take advantage of the little things like special teams and turnovers. Taking care of those things will win the game for Penn State.

Pete it's nice to see you have VT losing to GT, but as much as I'd like to see that happen, I just don't believe it. VT is a sound defense that won't give up the big pass and should minimize damage in the run game. GT's defense has also been about as effective the cup holders in my car. And yes, I spilled a 40 ounce Coke all over the back seat. Smells great. Anyway, I wish I was up in State College this weekend to see some SNOW! I'm hoping to make it out to Minnesota next year for a trip to see their new stadium and to finally cross the Mississippi river. Prediction: Jared Odrick eats someone in the second quarter

Now we can finally get on with the heart of the season. From here on out, Penn State has a tough Big Ten test every week. Minnesota is a team that should provide some good competition for Penn State. but the Lions should beat them. And they would benefite greatly by beating them pretty soundly.

Minnesota is always well coached, and usually pretty solid. Their strength has always been in their offensive line and their ability to run the ball, but their o-line has struggled a little bit this year. The star of the team is without a doubt their stud wide receiver Eric "No Relation to Nate" Decker. Contrary to the opinion of most, I believe that this kid, and not Arrelious Benn, is the best wide receiver in the Big Ten. Sure, Benn will be the one drafted in the first round, but Decker is a very complete player that is very difficult to stop. Even when defenses game plan to shut him down, he puts up big numbers. He is big, physical, a good route runner, has great hands, and is just an all-around athlete. He plays outfield for the Minnesota baseball team and has been drafted twice for the MLB.

But one player, especially a wide receiver, is not enough to win games. And there is nothing particularly scary about this Golden Gopher team. They have good linebackers, and they use the wildcat often -- which will be a good test for Penn State's defense. I am interested to see how they well they react to Wildcat and if it causes problems for them. From what I have heard in interviews during the week, they have not put in a special package to defend against the Wildcat. They plan on just sticking with their base defense no matter what formation they see. They may need to make some adjustments if they struggle to stop it.

Minneosta's quarterback, Adam Weber, is experienced, but unspectacular. He has a great rapport with Decker, but has not really been having a great season so far.

Here is what I will be paying attention to:

-Penn State's ability to run the ball and control the line of scrimmage. The o-line has been under a lot of scrutiny. They struggled against Iowa, but have rebounded the last two games against weaker opponents. Minnesota will provide a tougher test. How will they do?

-Can Penn State force some turnovers? If they can get Weber into third and long, they might be able to get some pressure and force some turnovers.

-Playing time for young guys. A lot of freshmen have played already this season. Let's see who the coaches are serious about using from here on out. Will Justin Brown be a weapon on offense? Will he continue to return punts? Will Stephon Morris continue to be trusted in coverage on key situations? Is Gerald Hodges going to see extensive playing time at linebacker?

-How does PSU plan to cover Decker? Will they just assign their top corner to guard him all game? If that's the plan, who would this be? Lynn? Wallace? This could tell us a lot about what the coaches think of some of the young corners.

I don't think Penn State will have a problem defeating Minnesota. If they do, they are in for a long season. I'm hoping they handle them and defeat them soundly.

I agree with Drew on this one...this is/was a senseless game for Penn State. There used to be a Big Ten rule that teams could not play out of conference games once conference play began. I think this still needs to be the case. And, yes, if we are going to play 12 games, why not play a nineth conference game?

• Kevin Newsome (QB #12)...Why was he not in at QB to start the 2nd half? Either way, this kid is still very raw and is a work-in-progress. As we all know, he can run the ball and runs with good speed and agility and is a strong kid for only being 18 or 19 years old. But, Kevin, you gotta tuck the ball in when you run! Hopefully his fumblitis taught him a lesson. Furthermore, why didnt the coaches let him throw the ball around a little bit? I was dissappointed to see them clip the wings of the young fellow. This is where he needs work. If DC17 gets hurt, he will need to come in and throw the ball. I feel he is where Clark was three years ago...if/when he comes into the game, our whole offense changes. Either way, I'm still not sold on #12. I'm not fully sure what these QB recruits have to offer, but I think the 2010 QB competition has already begun.
• Brandon Beachum (RB #3)...Ran the ball very well when he was in there. Strong, tough runner and, like Rudy said, fits the mold of the Penn State Tailback. Almost reminds me a little bit of Tony Hunt. I think the coaches should not sleep on this kid because he could be valuable in tough yardage situations that Royster and Green sometimes cannot handle. If Royster decides to cash in for the NFL, I feel confident that Beachum can handle the role of a full-time featured back.
• Gerald Hodges (Saf/LB #6)...Had some big hits when he was in there. I think this kid can be good. Very strong and aggressive for a freshman. Should be interesting to see whether he ends up at Safety or LB...he has the tools to play either.
• Did anybody notice Ryan Breen's (#49) kickoff in the 4th quarter? IT WENT 7 YARDS INTO THE ENDZONE! I'm just saying...
• I SPY...Josh Hull's Mustache! Have you guys seen this thing? It's rivaled only by St. Louis Cardinals SS Brendan Ryan for best lip sweater on the major sports scene (Photo here). I have to say, this type of man-scaping takes a great deal of testicular fortitude...especially when you are hanging around 40,000-plus 18-22 year olds on a daily basis. I would love to hear some of the comments he gets walking down College Ave! Regardless, this classic "flavor-savor" must be fueling Josh's fire (no pun intended) this season because he is turning into a solid MLB. To date, he leads the team in total tackles and solo tackles and has been very tough against the run (his pass protection is still suspect though). I'm not sure if Josh can play football at the next level but he certainly will draw attention from the adult film industry scouts!