The Penn State Football Show

After stuffing my face with mounds of turkey and taters and collecting my emotions in preparation for Tim Tebow's collegiate finale, I finally have some time to post about the Michigan State game, the BCS debate, and the upcoming Penn State bowl game.

It was great to see the Lions finally put it all together up in East Lansing and deliver the performance of the season with a pounding of Sparty. Lots of good things to take from this game as we head into the Bowl Season. I thought Penn State was finally clicking on all cylinders and, despite a few errant throws in the first quarter, Daryll Clark redeemed himself for some of his previous week's disappointments. Good way to end the season.

With the conclusion of the regular season, I feel it necessary to recognize some of the outstanding players and moments of the season. In other words, this is my Penn State Football Show version of the Dundies! Feel free to give them a unique name!

• Offensive MVP: Daryll Clark...A football team lives and dies with its QB and Penn State mostly lived and lived luxuriously with DC17 this season. Aside from a lousy 4th quarter against Iowa and the Ohio State game, Clark put up big numbers for this offense and the success of the offense was mostly on Clark's shoulders. The fact that he ranks, statistically, among PSU's best in only two seasons of play is a testament to his ability and leadership.
• Defensive MVP: Sean Lee-Navorro Bowman-Josh Hull...The nastiness of all three of these guys took a lot of pressure off the reconstructed secondary and was the place where opposing running games went to die. I think this is one of the few positions at PSU that re-loads rather than rebuilds so hopefully the loss of these three will not be as devastating, but you gotta give some props to the careers of these three.
• Top Newcomer: D'Anton Lynn...This kid stepped right into an athletically demanding position with almost no experience and proved to be on his way to being one of the better corners in recent PSU history. He likes to hit and he can tackle in the open field, something our corners are notorious for lacking. I envision a very successful career for DL8.
• Top Freshman: Curtis Drake and Stephon Morris...Correct me if I'm wrong, but this was the first year since 2005 that true freshmen have gotten significant playing time. Both of these kids are extremely athletic and played nothing like 18-year-olds in their first semester away from home. Drake brings versatility on offense and Morris is a tough corner who can go stride-for-stride with anybody and probably didn't get the recognition he deserved coming out of high school because of his size. Either way, I cant wait to watch these two develop and play over the next three years.
• Player who will be missed the most: Andrew Quarless...The obvious choice here would be Daryll Clark but its against PSFBS policy to win more than one award. I think Quarless' presences in the passing game as well as the run blocking often went undernoticed and will be greatly missed. LB's cant cover him and attention from DB's opened things up on the outside for the recievers. He finally shook his childish habits and was just coming into his own this season. I think he will get even better if given a shot in the NFL. I don't know if/when we will see another TE with the physical presence and abilities of AQ10.
• Mr. Hustle: Patrick Mauti...A career special teams player, PM84 seemed to always be around the ball on punts and kickoffs. A WR by trade, I don't know if he ever caught a pass as a Lion but his work ethic is unparalleled.
• Best Moment/Play...60-yard TD pass from Clark to Quarless at Michigan that started the romp of the Wolverines.
• Worst Moment/Play...TD pass from Terelle Pryor to DeVier Posey vs. Ohio State that basically put the game out of reach.