November 2009 Archives

With Chaz Powell injured, many figured that Curtis Drake would be more involved in the offense this weekend, maybe more so than ever before.

But a touchdown pass from the true freshman?

Of course, the kid was a high school quarterback, but he's been strictly a receiver since arriving in State College his past summer.

But early in the third quarter today Drake took a pitch right, ran a couple of steps and stopped.

He then looked to the end zone and lofted a nice pass to big tight end Andrew Quarless, who reached up and pulled it down in traffic for the go-ahead, 14-yard TD catch.

To be sure, the Penn State coaches know about Michigan State's not-so-good pass defense.

That's why Daryll Clark and teammates have been trying to get things going through the air in the first half, which ended at 7-7.

But, meanwhile, tailback Evan Royster has been putting up some good numbers on the ground in limited opportunities.

He carried only eight times in the first half but gained 71 yards with a couple of 20-yard breakaways.

Remember that the Lions have never lost when he's broken the 100-yard mark.

Slowly, bit by bit, the Penn State offense seemed to be gathering some momentum.

And with 2:10 left before halftime Daryll Clark found a wide-open Andrew Quarless sprinting down the left sideline, hitting him in stride for the 29-yard touchdown.

The Lions got the first lead of the day, 7-0.

The score came one play after the Lions were hit with a false start penalty to sophomore guard DeOn'tae Pannell.

It's safe to say that Penn State's kicking game has been a significant disappointment this season.

Collin Wagner just missed a 38-yard field goal midway through the second quarter that would have given the Nittany Lions a 3-0 lead.

For the season, Wagner has made only 11-of-17 attempts.

It's the middle of the second quarter and Penn State's Navorro Bowman continues to build his NFL resume.

With the Penn State offense unable to sustain anything, Bowman has led the defensive charge to keep things scoreless.

Already, the junior linebacker has three tackles for loss, including a sack that dropped quarterback Kirk Cousins for a key 9-yard loss.

Bowman, expected to leave early for the NFL Draft, also made a nice pass defense play, breaking up a third-down throw.

The Nittany Lions will be without two starters today in the regular-season finale against Michigan State.

Starting receiver Chaz Powell, a Susquehannock High grad, suffered a sprained AC joint in his shoulder last week and did not make the trip.

Starting cornerback A.J. Wallace made the trip to East Lansing but did not dress for the game after suffering an apparent concussion against Indiana.

True freshman receiver Curtis Drake expects to replace Powell; freshman Stephon Morris should replace Wallace.

We just arrived at Spartan Stadium, about 90 minutes before kickoff.

And the most interesting thing so far is the weather. Rarely, have the Nittany Lions seen the sun on their previous eight trips to East Lansing since joining the Big Ten. Often, a bitter wind and some light precipitation accompanies the gray.

But today is beautiful, perfect, whatever bad adjective you find fitting. Sunny skies and temperatures in the low- to mid-50s, at least.

Of course, we're not sure what that means for the Lions, who have always struggled here, no matter of weather. Both teams would like to throw the ball, especially the Spartans. Should be good conditions for that.

The big question could be quarterback Daryll Clark and his offensive line. If the line gives him some time and he doesn't get too ansty and try to do too much, Penn State's offense will be a handful to deal with.

If not? The Lions might not even be in striking distance by the beginning of the fourth quarter. That's how drastically this one could turn.

It was supposed to be the final game of the strangest regular season.

Go back to 2001 and the Nittany Lions were supposed to end things here, possibly launch themselves to a bowl game in East Lansing, Mich. on Thanksgiving weekend.

But after the 911 terrorist attacks happened the season was pushed back for everyone in the nation.

And, of course, Joe Paterno's Lions then somehow started 0-4, some figuring that they wouldn't win a game all season.

That's when the really weird stuff started happening, much of it pointing to East Lansing.

Just as bad as they were to begin things, the Lions turned it all around just as dramatically by winning four of their next five -- a streak that should have been five-straight if not for coughing up a 14-point lead at Illinois.

That brought things to Michigan State with the Lions' season on the line -- and still one more game to play, the makeup game on Dec. 1 at Virginia.

Lose to the Spartans and bowl dreams and a full recovery would be gone.

And, sure enough, with super frosh quarterback Zack Mills on the bench with a bad ankle, the Lions fell behind by 17 points quickly to MSU.

Enter Mills in a rainy, raw Spartan Stadium. All he did was produce 28-straight points and lead one of the wildest victories in the season, a 42-37 thriller.

Somehow this team had evened its record at 5-5 and seemed squarely set on going to the Alamo Bowl with a victory the following week over the Cavaliers.

We all remember how that worked out, though.

But that Thanksgiving weekend eight years ago, the one with thunderstorms pounding all around on the flight back home?

At least, then, these guys still had one more week to enjoy one of the greatest season turnarounds in school history.

Back on the road with the Nittany Lions means returning to the one place we're still just not sure about after all these years.

East Lansing, Michigan.

We do try to make this work, we really do. And so do the folks at the team hotel, a former Sheraton property that is now the Lexington Lansing Hotel by Vantage.

There's a very friendly, outgoing hotel staff. Glass elevators. And the best part? A small INDOOR basketball court that's good enough for games of two-on-two.

Maybe that's enough to save the trip.

The problems?

Last weekend the Nittany Lions earned a 31-20 victory over the Indiana Hoosiers. Instrumental in that win was Penn State linebacker Navorro Bowman, who ran an interception back for a touchdown.

Take a look at this Big Ten Network video as Bowman talks about last week's play against the Hoosiers, reflects on Penn State's season and looks ahead to this week's matchup against Michigan State.

Below is this week's Lion Truth video.

This week, Penn State players tell what they like most about Thanksgiving.

Penn State's 31-20 victory Saturday against Indiana, however sloppy, still put an end to the Hoosiers' bowl dreams.

Purdue is in the same situation. Despite promising wins against Big Ten foes Ohio State and Michigan, the Boilermakers find themselves out of the postseason.

That doesn't mean that there's nothing to play for this weekend. The Old Oaken Bucket is still up for grabs, and the Hoosiers and Boilermakers can't wait to take the field to fight for it. Purdue won last year's game, 62-10. (The Boilermakers' celebration with the Bucket is at right)

For a look at the Old Oaken Bucket rivalry, check out this story by Associated Press writer Michael Marot.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Indiana's goal was to finish this season in a bowl game. In the Hoosiers' minds, they still can.

On Saturday, Indiana and Purdue will square off for the 85th Old Oaken Bucket -- or in this ever-changing world, what some would dub the first Old Oaken Bucket Bowl.

"This is our bowl game, right here," senior defensive end Jammie Kirlew said Tuesday. "This is our last game, the last time the senior class will play together."

Chat live with everybody's favorite Penn State beat reporter, Frank Bodani at 8:00 p.m.

Only one more regular season game left, so bring your toughest questions...

Then there's this:

Linebacker Navorro Bowman did it all for the Nittany Lions last Saturday.

And so the Big Ten rewarded him for his game-changing efforts against Indiana.

Bowman, a junior, made a team-high 12 tackles and returned an interception 73 yards for a touchdown in the 31-20 victory over the Hoosiers. He added two tackles for loss, a sack and a pass breakup in the superb effort.

His interception return broke a 10-10 tie and ignited a slow-starting Penn State effort.

And so the All-America candidate earned his second Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week award.

His is now second on the team this season with 12 tackles for loss and 74 tackles (8.2 per game.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- Among the visitors to Ohio State's practices this week was Sgt. Sean Clifton, a 36-year-old Army intelligence officer with Company B, 2nd Battalion, 19th Special Forces Group of the Ohio National Guard. Clifton was in Afghanistan last May 31 when he was caught in a firefight in an Afghanistan village.

He survived, but bullets went through his sciatic nerve and almost all of his abdominal organs were damaged. He was left with pain and little movement in his right leg.

Clifton was invited to speak to the players on Wednesday after practice.

"It's amazing, man, what the troops do for us, for the United States of America," Buckeyes QB Terrelle Pryor (right) said. "It's just crazy. We don't realize what we have. Just to hear from the guy tell about how he got shot. He was saying it was like it felt like nothing: 'I got shot here and I got shot here.' He didn't complain. He knew he had his team with him, and he preached on team a lot and it has the same to do with us."

Coach Jim Tressel said it was a learning experience for everyone.

Penn State's Jerome Hayes and his fellow Nittany Lions endured a tough loss last week against Ohio State. This week they must rebound against Indiana.

Take a look as the senior defensive end discusses the disappointment against the Buckeyes and looks ahead to this week's game against the Hoosiers during this Big Ten Network interview.

After so many times exploring the lighter side of the Penn State football team, it's time for Frank Bodani to answer the tough questions. His singing "Hurts So Good."

This weekend, the Wisconsin Badgers (7-2, 4-2 Big Ten) have a rare oppportunity. They are looking to take a little revenge on the struggling Michigan Wolverines (5-5, 1-5). The No. 20 Badgers have been walked over by the Wolverines for years, and the Wisconsin faithful aren't likely to forget.

To get a better understanding of why the Badgers are out for Wolverine blood, check out this column by Michael Hunt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

During Barry Alvarez's 1-10 first season in 1990, Michigan came into Camp Randall Stadium ranked No. 3. After squeaking by the Badgers, 41-3, the Wolverines were soon elevated to No. 1.

Probably not wanting to waste reeds on the occasion, Michigan did not bring its marching band to the game. And that was a good thing for the smallish house that didn't particularly need to hear "The Victors," I don't know, 50 or 60 times.

But wouldn't you know it. A lone Michigan fan, holding aloft a boom box like John Cusack in "Say Anything," blasted the one fight song you cannot get out of your head with a crowbar each and every time Big Blue scored.

Join Frank Bodani for a chat about Penn State football at 8 p.m. tonight.

Read Frank's Monday column about how Penn State has failed to play well in big games of late.

Struggling Michigan is coming of a disheartening loss to Purdue, and its bowl hopes seem to be fading by the week. In order to become bowl-eligible, the Wolverines, who have now lost three in a row and five of their last six, must upset either Wisconsin or dreaded rival Ohio State.

Never fear, however, Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez says his team is "undaunted" by that challenge.

To read more on the Wolverines' struggles and their bowl aspirations, check out this story by Larry Lage of The Associated Press.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) -- Rich Rodriguez has to lead Michigan to an upset at Wisconsin or in the Big House against rival Ohio State to earn bowl eligibility -- and perhaps patience from fed-up fans.

"The University of Michigan is not used to this, but neither am I or my staff," Rodriguez said Monday. "We're all kind of going through this process.

"We're not daunted by the challenge. It's just a bigger challenge than a lot of people think."

No. 11 Penn State (8-2, 4-2) lost it second Big Ten contest of the season in a thumping, 24-7, at the hands of No. 16 Ohio State (8-2, 5-1). The usually sturdy Penn State defense had no answer for Buckeyes quarterback Terrelle Pryor, who had two touchdowns through the air and another on the ground. Daryll Clark had a pedestrian afternoon and Graham Zug was the only receiver to do much of anything.

Below you'll find a postgame roundup video from York Daily Record reporters Frank Bodani and Jim Seip.

To view Joe Paterno's press conference, click below.

Welcome to the York Daily Record's tenth Penn State live chat of the season. The No. 11/10 Nittany Lions (8-1, 4-1 Big Ten) will continue Big Ten play after breezing by Northwestern in the second half of what was a close game last week for 30 minutes. Today's game is the biggest of the season as the No. 15/12 Ohio State Buckeyes (7-2, 4-1) come to Happy Valley. Today's game will kick off at 3:30 from Beaver Stadium, in what will be the 300th game in the history of the stadium.

The all-time series between the Nittany Lions and Buckeyes is tied at 12-12, with Penn State winning last season in Columbus, 13-6.

Daryll Clark's legacy on the line against OSU...

The most criticized player in the nation will lead the Buckeyes today

Penn State's Daryll Clark and Brandon Beachum share an common bond.

Last chance for Penn State seniors against OSU.

Pat Devlin, the hero of last season's game against Ohio State, is at peace in Delaware.

Strength from tragedy for OSU's Coleman.

Check out this great video by Brad Jennings on what song players would sing in front of their teammates at a karaoke bar:

And here's the pregame video by Frank Bodani and Jim Seip:

Penn State's Daryll Clark has been hitting his stride with the Nittany Lions lately. He boast a 66.4 completion percentage and has racked up 14 touchdowns in Penn State's last five wins.

The Big Ten Network sat down with Clark after last weekend's win over Northwestern to talk about the game and some of the decisions Clark made that led to Nittany Lion scores. Clark breaks down his touchdown pass to Derek Moye and discusses the decision he made to hand off to Evan Royster, which led to Royster's 69-yard touchdown scamper.

The Nittany Lions and their veteran coach take on the Ohio State Buckeyes this weekend at Beaver Stadium. Joe Paterno is 391-128-3 in 44 seasons at Penn State. In a story leading up to this weekend's game, The Associated Press pulled the following tidbits from Joe Posnanski's profile of the 82-year-old Penn State coach which appeared in Sports Illustrated last month:

"You know Don Shula? He won more professional games than any other coach. He retired 14 years ago. Joe is older than Don Shula.

"Gordie Howe, Mr. Hockey, played his first season in the NHL in 1946. Joe is older than Mr. Hockey. Arnold Palmer won his first Masters more than 50 years ago, back when the whole idea of golf on television seemed ludicrous. Joe is older than Arnold Palmer.

"Here's another one: David Bell played 12 years in the major leagues and retired in 2006. His father, Budd Bell, played in the bigs 18 seasons. His father, Gus Bell, played in the majors for 15 seasons and retired 45 years ago. Joe was born before Gus Bell.

"Joe was born before Shirley Temple, before Andy Warhol, before James Dean, before Buddy Holly, before Mikhail Gorbachev. People celebrate Neil Armstrong's walk on the moon 40 years ago; Joe is older than Neil Armstrong.

People commemorate Martin Luther King day; Joe was born before Martin Luther King. Elvis impersonators still haunt the Vegas strip; Joe was born before the King of Rock and Roll."

.Penn State's Jared Odrick takes the field for the Lions every week with a seemingly unstoppable energy. And the defensive tackle has the numbers to prove it.

Odrick, a senior from Lebanon, Pa., is among the Big Ten leaders in sacks (6.0) and tackles for loss (10.0). He anchors a run defense that is fifth in the nation, allowing just 84 yards per game.

For a more in-depth look at Odrick and his value to the Nittany Lions this season, check out this story by Philadelphia Inquirer writer Joe Juliano

In this week's Lion Truth, Penn State players say which karaoke song they'd sing in front of their teammates.

Knowledge Timmons' answer takes the prize.

A fun stat from the Associated Press...

The Ohio State-Penn State matchup will be the first regular-season game involving two head coaches with more than 600 wins combined.

Joe Paterno is 391-128-3 in 44 seasons, all at Penn State. Jim Tressel is 225-78-2 in 24 years as a head coach. He's 90-21 in nine years at Ohio State, and was 135-57-2 in 15 years at Division I-AA (now FCS) Youngstown State.

When Florida State's Bobby Bowden (377 wins at that time) and Virginia Tech's Frank Beamer (214) met last Oct. 25, they combined for 591 career wins between the coaches.

An interesting story on Ricky Stanzi from the AP that we couldn't fit in the dead-tree edition...

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- Don't like the way Iowa quarterback Ricky Stanzi is playing? Give it a little time.

At times, Stanzi can look awful. Like last week, when he threw four interceptions in the third quarter against Indiana to help put the eighth-ranked Hawkeyes in a 10-point hole.

Then there is Good Ricky, the guy who bailed Iowa out by tossing two long TDs on consecutive throws to give his team a lead it would not relinquish in beating the Hoosiers 42-24.

Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz has long since tired of defending Stanzi and he never considered pulling him against Indiana despite all those picks.

Ferentz views Stanzi as the resilient leader of a team that keeps finding ways to win, and though Stanzi's individual numbers aren't pretty -- like the Hawkeyes -- it's tough to dispute Ferentz's belief in him.

Join Frank Bodani for a chat about Penn State football at 8 p.m. tonight.

Read Frank's Monday column about how Saturday's game could affect Daryll Clark's legacy.

Come ready with questions tonight for Frank, who's all geared up for the Ohio State game.