10 | TUESDAY, SEPT. 1, 2009
FOOTBALL PREVIEW
THE DAILY COLLEGIAN
1994. 2005. 2008. 2009?
If Penn State goes through the regular season unscathed, Daryll Clark could get a ticket to New York and the Heisman Trophy presentation. Although Clark doesn’t figure to put up gaudy video-game numbers like some of the Big 12 quarterbacks or Florida’s Tim Tebow, he did notch 29 total touchdowns last season, which was No. 1 in the Big Ten. Voters also have a tendency to sway toward quarterbacks, and a 12-0 record could mean a top-five
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The Backfield
finish. Clark may have generally inexperienced wideouts to throw to, but their size should help. Clark completed nearly 60 percent of his passes last season, and now with a full year of starting behind him, this has become his offense to lead. Even if he doesn’t throw for 2,500-plus yards again, his 19-to-6 touchdown-to-interception ratio could be repeated or even improved. The signal caller also has the luxury of handing the ball off to Evan Royster. The running back emerged as one of the top in the country at his position last season by rushing for 1,236 yards and 12 touchdowns. Expect more of the same this year — and maybe more yards — if coach Joe Paterno relies more on the ground game. Stephfon Green added 578 rush yards and four touchdowns as the backup but suffered from some fumble problems. He took most of the carries in the Rose Bowl and racked up 124 total yards after Royster left in the first quarter with an injury. Green also left the game himself with a right ankle injury in the fourth quarter. As long as Clark stays healthy, Penn State shouldn’t fall too far back in terms of production.
Collegian file photo
Daryll Clark (17) fakes a handoff to Evan Royster in a game last year.
The Linebackers
For a school known as “Linebacker U” what else would be expected but a top-notch unit? Penn State obviously has a rich history at this position with players like Shane Conlan, Jack Ham and Paul Posluzsny just three of the many AllAmerican honorees. Like most years, this season’s group has tremendous talent and depth. Sean Lee and Navorro Bowman should find themselves in the running for All-American contention, Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and national honors like the Butkus and Bednarik awards. Lee, a team captain, hasn’t played a down since the 2007 season, but he joins with Bowman to form perhaps the best linebacker tandem in the country. Lee should regain his 2007 form, when he finished second in the Big Ten with 138 tackles. Bowman notched 106 tackles and added 16.5 tackles for loss last season. His five tackles for loss in the Rose Bowl loss to USC were a team bowlrecord. With this duo returning and Tyrell Sales the only departure from last season, the unit should be even better. In the middle, Josh Hull figures to be the third starter again after he replaced Lee in the lineup in 2008. He will look to improve on his 75 tackles after filling in for Lee last season. Despite losing Mike Mauti for the season with a torn anterior cruciate lig-
Abby Drey/Collegian file photo
Sean Lee calls defensive signals from the bench.
ament (ACL) on Aug. 16, backups like junior Bani Gbadyu and sophomore Nathan Stupar add depth and are capable of starting for many other teams in the nation. So if there’s one position where Penn State could handle a season-ending injury, linebacker is probably it. With the unit’s experience and talent, Lee figures the group should assist the unproven commodities like the four new starting defensive backs. “That’s why I love linebacker, because I’m part of the back seven and I’m part of the front seven,” Lee said. “So seven-on-seven drills, we get to help out the secondary.”
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Yes, the non-conference schedule is laughable, but the Big Ten slate is also favorable. The Lions did lose to Illinois the last time they traveled to Champaign and the Illini possess a strong passing combination with quarterback Juice Williams and receiver Arrelious Benn. A road game at Michigan State to end the season could be the clincher for a conference title, but last year's 49-18 romp shows the Spartans may have a way to go before challenging for the Big Ten title. The other two trips should be easier, however, as even though Michigan won't be 3-9 again, it's still a shell of its former self. Penn State also plays Northwestern for the first time since 2006, but its
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The Schedule
offense isn't too imposing. Two of the top conference rivals in Iowa and Ohio State must play in Happy Valley. Penn State has won just once in the last seven games against the Hawkeyes, but the Lions hope to return the favor after Iowa upset the then-No. 3 squad last season. That, coupled with a night-game "Whitehouse" should mean a raucous atmosphere. Plus, for a team that's 26-2 at home since 2005, Penn State has the advantage of playing Ohio State at home. Since joining the Big Ten in 1993, the Lions have yet to beat the Buckeyes in consecutive seasons. If this game turns out to be for the conference title and a Rose Bowl berth, a Beaver Stadium record for attendance may be set.
Samantha M. Shal/Collegian file photo
A cheerleader leads the student section in a cheer last year.
Meagan Kanagy/Collegian file photo
Jack Crawford (81) tries to record a sack.
The dominance of Maurice Evans, Josh Gaines and Aaron Maybin helped the defense post 33 sacks last season, including at least one in every game. Although all three are gone, the line still might not skip a beat. Maybin was a first-round pick by the Buffalo Bills in this year’s NFL Draft but the unit should continue to be one of the best in the conference and maybe even the nation. Defensive tackle Jared Odrick had 4.5 sacks last season and returns after being named first team
The Defensive Line
All-Big Ten. Sophomore Jack Crawford, who came to the United States from England in 2005, could be a new force at defensive end. Ollie Ogbu returns at the other tackle spot. He made 10 starts last season and is one of the more veteran players on the line. Jerome Hayes returns from an ACL injury for the second time and will hold down the second end slot. If the unit plays up to its potential and makes up for the 19 sacks lost from last season’s trio, Penn State could
stretch its streak to five consecutive seasons of surrendering fewer than 100 yards rushing per game. The unit, combined with the linebackers, gives the Lions one of the best front sevens in the game. If opponents’ running games are stifled and quarterbacks are under duress, there will be less pressure on the new defensive backfield.
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The Predictions
By Matt Brown
Record: 11-1 Bowl game: Rose Bowl Offensive player of the year: RB Evan Royster Defensive player of the year: DT Jared Odrick Freshman of the Year: DB Gerald Hodges Outlook: The question has been the same all offseason: Will Penn State MY OPINION reload or be forced to rebuild? Given the amount of talent on the roster — not to mention the schedule — rebuilding probably wouldn’t result in a poor season. Think Capital One Bowl or Outback Bowl. But what a team with so many question marks needs is strong leadership, and the Lions have that in captains Daryll Clark and Sean Lee, along with other veterans like Jerome Hayes and Jared Odrick. The secondary may pose a problem, and while the Big Ten has good quarterbacks, don’t expect any repeats of the passing show put on by Mark Sanchez in the Rose Bowl. The defensive front seven will be dominant, with Odrick and underrated tackle Ollie Ogbu anchoring the line, and Lee and Navorro Bowman making plays all over the field at linebacker. Meanwhile, offensively, the line holds the key to the season. Protecting Clark is priority No. 1, and three new starters up front will be counted on to open holes for a deep backfield led by Evan Royster. Chemistry is an issue, but the first three games should give the group time to get through inevitable struggles. If the O-line successfully gels, go ahead and book your trip to Pasadena.
By Wayne Staats
Record: 11-1 Bowl game: Rose Bowl Offensive player of the year: QB Daryll Clark Defensive player of the year: LB Navorro Bowman Freshman of the Year: DB Gerald Hodges Outlook: In a season that starts with Penn State's highest preseason MY OPINION ranking since 1999, it's going to take some time before the country finds out just how good the Lions are. The non-conference slate is a breeze and there are just four road games this season, including just one prior to an Oct. 24 trip to Michigan. Thanks to Clark's leadership and a strong backfield, the Lions' offense should be potent. It won't score more than 38 points per game again but is still one of the league's best. The defense will again allow fewer than 20 points a game but may experience some growing pains early in the season. However, the unit has three games to settle in before the schedule gets tougher in Big Ten season. If Penn State does beat Ohio State for the second straight season, a slip up somewhere else may not ruin chances for another Rose Bowl appearance. As for whether a game in the Rose Bowl will be on New Year's Day or a week later in the BCS title game depends on toppling two big roadblocks. The first is the secondary and whether it comes together or even exceeds expectations. The second is if the Lions can post an undefeated road record for the first time since 1994.
THE DAILY COLLEGIAN
FOOTBALL PREVIEW
TUESDAY, SEPT. 1, 2009 | 11
In the hunt for a second consecutive Big Ten title, the Lions have plenty of reasons why their season could go either way.
The Secondary
Opponents will have a field day picking apart this ripe defensive unit. Four brand new starters are being plugged in as the last line of defense, and it’s a dicey combination of youth and veterans who haven’t seen much time. Sophomore strong safety Nick Sukay has been riddled with injuries his first two years in the program. A.J. Wallace has taken up residence in Paterno’s doghouse for cutting summer classes and is listed as the back-up to senior Knowledge Timmons at left cornerback. Athletically, the cornerbacks have the speed and physicality to compete in pass defense. But coach Joe Paterno has raised questions about their instincts, saying hesitation and learning coverage schemes are holding a few guys back. Fans don’t nitpick defensive coordinator Tom Bradley’s bend-butdon’t-break defensive scheme in a winning effort, but they pull their hair out when the defensive backs give opposing receivers a cushion and watch them catch out-route after out-route on the way to a game-winning drive. Bradley’s unlikely to change that, and with so much inexperience in the secondary, he won’t call for corner and safety blitzes often, instead depending on pocket pressure from the front seven.
Nathan A. Smith/Collegian file photo
Knowledge Timmons (4) makes a tackle in the Rose Bowl.
But some of Penn State’s toughest opponents have cohesive offensive lines, and quarterbacks, when they aren’t flushed from the pocket, can stand back and pick apart a defense. Illinois has the conference’s most explosive aerial attack with Arrelious Benn and Jarred Fayson on the flanks. Minnesota’s Eric Decker has the best pair of hands in the league. Even Akron has a pair of wideouts capable of making Nittany Lion fans uneasy about their team’s pass defense.
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In a conference as physical as the Big Ten, games are won in the trenches. That’s why Joe Paterno was so quick to voice his concerns on media day about his offensive line, and it’s why this unit is Penn State’s biggest question mark as it looks to repeat as Big Ten champions for the first time. Only Dennis Landolt and Stefen Wisniewski return from last season, one in which the Lions were ranked No. 2 in the Big Ten in rushing offense and No. 4 in the nation in fewest sacks allowed. But even Landolt and Wisniewski will man new positions this season, with Landolt making the switch from right to left tackle to
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The O-Line
replace two-year starter Gerald Cadogan, who is currently fighting for a roster spot in Carolina Panthers’ training camp. Wisniewski, meanwhile, is moving from right guard to center to replace Rimington Trophy winner A.Q. Shipley, who was drafted by the Steelers in April. While teammates have raved about the leadership of Landolt and Wisniewski, there will still be three newcomers on Saturday making their first collegiate starts. Talented as they may be, tackle De’Ontae Pannell and the trio of guards fighting for a pair of open starting spots will still lack the cohesion that last year’s unit developed from playing two full seasons together. Luckily for this line, Evan Royster may be the most patient running back in college football.
Abby Drey/Collegian file photo
Tackle Dennis Landolt (73) blocks in last season’s win at Syracuse.
The Backup QBs
Collegian file photo
Kevin Newsome (12) attempts to evade end Jack Crawford in April’s Blue-White game.
It’s no secret: If Daryll Clark goes down with an injury, Penn State’s conference title hopes go out the window. Reserves Kevin Newsome and Matt McGloin have not taken a collegiate snap, and the coaching staff has taken precautions since spring to limit contact with Clark. Come Sept. 5, all bets are off. And with no bye week, even the minor injuries may impact performance. Coach Joe Paterno offered little insight into whether the staff will call fewer designed quarterback runs because it may be dictated by defenses.
Clark is a prototypical dual-threat quarterback. Babying him with safer play calls only hampers the offense’s potential. The senior quarterback is acting like his feet will be prominently featured in the Spread HD offense, knowing he has to shield himself from harm’s way to live another down. This means stepping out of bounds or sliding to avoid taking a hit and risking another concussion. But Clark is captain of this football team. If he needs to lower his shoulder and risk injury to extend a potential game-winning drive, he will.
And Newsome and McGloin aren’t incapable of managing the offense — besides turning and handing off to Evan Royster. Newsome is an unpolished thrower with speed. McGloin — despite the long run in the Blue-White game — is more of a traditional, drop-back passer. When it comes down to it, both are scholarship quarterbacks for Penn State. But neither makes the offense anywhere near as efficient Clark does.
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Brett Brackett, Derek Moye, Chaz Powell and Graham Zug all saw action last season, easing the minds of many fans mourning the graduations of Deon Butler, Jordan Norwood and Derrick Williams. No one is denying that this new quartet is capable of stepping in and producing in key situations (well, no one except Joe Paterno). The shortest of the bunch, Powell (6-foot-1) is still taller than
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The Receivers
any of last year’s top three. On top of that, the experience these four gained last year should give them enough chemistry with Clark to be capable receivers. Regardless, it would be unreasonable to assume that the new receiving corps will match the statistics and leadership of last year’s trio. Williams, Butler and Norwood are all now in NFL training camps and in comes the new collection of wideouts, a group of taller, lankier receivers with the benefit of catching passes from the Big Ten’s best quarterback. It should make for a successful season, one that will elevate Clark to another level on the national scale and maybe even put one or two of these receivers into the spotlight. That could all easily happen, but the record books will likely remain unedited this year. And even if these receivers surpass expectations, it will be impossible to not recognize a dropoff from the receivers’ production in the last four seasons.
Abby Drey/Collegian file photo
Graham Zug (5) tries to break a tackle against Michigan State.
The Predictions
By Matt Fortuna
Record: 10-2 Bowl game: Orange Bowl Offensive player of the year: QB Daryll Clark Defensive player of the year: LB Navorro Bowman Freshman of the Year: WR Devon Smith Outlook: Call this a conservative pick. With all the unknowns on too MY OPINION many positions, I’m just not comfortable picking this team to repeat as Big Ten champs. I see the Land of Lincoln being its kryptonite, with Juice Williams having a field day against the untested secondary and a hungry Northwestern squad taking advantage of Penn State in a trap game before the Ohio State showdown. But then I think — the Lions do have Daryll Clark. And they do have Sean Lee. And Jared Odrick. And Navorro Bowman. And Evan Royster. They may just have the leadership and the talent to play over their heads and win another conference title, maybe even run the table to give JoePa another shot at a national title. But then I come back to the unknowns. There’s the offensive line that’s never played together. There are the four new starters in the defensive backfield. There is the lack of depth at the quarterback position. And finally, a new crop of receivers must replace three program legends. With all of that, I’m just not sold yet. One thing is for sure: It should make for compelling theater in an interesting season that can go in several directions.
By Nate Mink
Record: 9-3 Bowl game: Outback Bowl Offensive player of the year: QB Daryll Clark Defensive player of the year: LB Sean Lee Freshman of the year: WR Shawney Kersey Outlook: A veteran, cohesive offensive line has been the common MY OPINION thread in all three of Joe Paterno’s Big Ten championship teams. It’s the unit both coaches and players agree takes the longest to gel, and three halves of football — the first team likely won’t see the field much longer than that in any of the opening three games — is not enough prep time for a Big Ten title contender in late September. You can’t gauge Penn State’s chances at repeating as league champs until after the Iowa game. Clark and Royster can be the best quarterback-tailback combo in the conference, but if Clark is forced to rush throws to an inexperienced crop of receivers and the gaps Royster sees are quickly clogged, the Spread HD offense will be a one hit wonder. Talent-wise, the Lions return some of the conference’s best playmakers. And with Clark and Lee as captains, a fourth conference crown or BCS Bowl bid isn’t out of the question. But when more than half the starters haven’t seen many meaningful minutes, placing such lofty expectations on the team before a single game has been played is outlandish.