As always, via alionstale.com
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GO STATE!
Showing posts with label Coastal Carolina. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Coastal Carolina. Show all posts
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
What We Learned From Coastal Carolina
First, wasn't it great to see Penn State back on the football field? My God, the eight months between bowl games and the start of the season seems to get longer with every passing year. Regardless, we have finally gotten a look at what Penn State might look like this year. I'm going to try to look at what the offense did and what the defense did in the 66 to 10 route of the Chanticleers.
One also must consider that Coastal Carolina simply is not in Penn State's league. The Chanticleers aren't really a fair measuring stick for the Lions. We will certainly know after the Oregon St. game.
Offense:
The offense looked damn near unstoppable for a lot of the day. Lets start with the running game and then take a gander at the passing attack.
Royster looked great running the ball. Too be fair, pretty much whoever carried the ball for the
Lions looked great. PSU wracked up 334 yds on the ground spread out over 8 ball carriers and 43 carries (7.8 yds/carry). The running game also had yet to unveil any of the QB runs. It seems as though the offense, while terribly effective, was also fairly basic. I don't think we've seen all the Spread HD offense has to offer yet. What opened up these running lanes were some great blocking from the offensive line. However, what really stood out to me, was how well the receivers were blocking down field. This is exactly the kind of effort you need to propel a team to the next level.
On another side note, who the fuck is Chaz Powell and where have the staff been hiding him? He is listed as a backup Free Safety but certainly showed a flair for offense as he had two rushes: one for five yards and the second a 55 yard scamper for a TD! I mean, WTF!?!?! I completely missed this, but here is a recruiting video which shows that this kid might be special.
As Clark started to run the offense I was blown away at how polished he looked. I believe he completed his first four passes and ultimately went 11/14 for 146 and a TD. What startled me all the more was how Devlin looked just as good! Both Quarterbacks threw the ball effectively and efficiently. Clark completed 78.5% of his passes and Devlin 62.5%. This is the efficiency and accuracy that PSU has been missing over the last few years. Again, this wasn't against comparable talent, however, it is certainly a good sign. However, one must also consider that Morelli looked good in his opening games completing 61% of his passes against Fla. Int. in 2007 and 50% of his passes against Akron in 2006. Ammo also threw 3 TDs in each of those games. So, both QBs looked good but lets not go too overboard.
All the receivers looked good. I was particularly pleased to learn that Derrick Williams has re-learned how to break a goddamned tackle! Hallelujah!
(consider the possibility of having to rescind all prior criticism of Jay if the Spread HD actually works out. I mean, could it actually work out?)
Defense:
The defense gave me some concern. It seemed as though the linebackers were far less active than they have been in years prior. This surprised me, I thought that the talented defensive line would leave the linebackers free to make some big plays. I don't know if they couldn't get off their blocks or what but it seemed as though the play at LB needs to improve. This fact shows up in the defensive statistics, no LB broke 10 tackles on the game. Sales had seven, Bowman had six, Hull hardly did anything registering only 2 tackles.
People have speculated that Colasanti would unseat Hull as the starting MLB before the beginning of Big Ten play. This prediction certainly seems possible as Colasanti registered 2 tackles as well. If Colasanti improves between his first and second game, and he should show substantial improvement, he will be the starting MLB come September 27th.
The big surprise, for me, was Stupar logging 5 tackles and having one of the better games among the linebackers. He is looking to push Sales and Gbadyu for more PT at the OLB positions.
The Defensive line looked great. All three of Penn State's sacks were logged by the defensive line. The big boys up front consistently got pressure on the QB and penetration on almost every play.
The Secondary looked.....ok. The one big play which the Lions gave up came at the beginning of the second quarter. Trent Usher (WR) drifted into a vacancy the size of Rhode Island in the Penn State backfield. He was so wide open you had to know instantly that somebody completely blew an assignment. It was bothering me so I took a look at the video, ESPN has a good one. All three LBs are sent on a blitz which makes 2 of the weak-side WRs the responsibility of Scirrotto and Rubin. You can see Rubin rush far to the weak side to pick up the same WR which Scirrotto clearly has leaving Usher all alone in the middle of the field. This was by far the biggest mental mistake of the day. I know Rubin is trying his best but he will need to improve his instincts to shore up the safety position. Right now the Lions are missing Sukay and his injured foot.
GO STATE! BEAT THE BEAVERS!
One also must consider that Coastal Carolina simply is not in Penn State's league. The Chanticleers aren't really a fair measuring stick for the Lions. We will certainly know after the Oregon St. game.
Offense:
The offense looked damn near unstoppable for a lot of the day. Lets start with the running game and then take a gander at the passing attack.
Royster looked great running the ball. Too be fair, pretty much whoever carried the ball for the
Lions looked great. PSU wracked up 334 yds on the ground spread out over 8 ball carriers and 43 carries (7.8 yds/carry). The running game also had yet to unveil any of the QB runs. It seems as though the offense, while terribly effective, was also fairly basic. I don't think we've seen all the Spread HD offense has to offer yet. What opened up these running lanes were some great blocking from the offensive line. However, what really stood out to me, was how well the receivers were blocking down field. This is exactly the kind of effort you need to propel a team to the next level.
On another side note, who the fuck is Chaz Powell and where have the staff been hiding him? He is listed as a backup Free Safety but certainly showed a flair for offense as he had two rushes: one for five yards and the second a 55 yard scamper for a TD! I mean, WTF!?!?! I completely missed this, but here is a recruiting video which shows that this kid might be special.
As Clark started to run the offense I was blown away at how polished he looked. I believe he completed his first four passes and ultimately went 11/14 for 146 and a TD. What startled me all the more was how Devlin looked just as good! Both Quarterbacks threw the ball effectively and efficiently. Clark completed 78.5% of his passes and Devlin 62.5%. This is the efficiency and accuracy that PSU has been missing over the last few years. Again, this wasn't against comparable talent, however, it is certainly a good sign. However, one must also consider that Morelli looked good in his opening games completing 61% of his passes against Fla. Int. in 2007 and 50% of his passes against Akron in 2006. Ammo also threw 3 TDs in each of those games. So, both QBs looked good but lets not go too overboard.
All the receivers looked good. I was particularly pleased to learn that Derrick Williams has re-learned how to break a goddamned tackle! Hallelujah!
(consider the possibility of having to rescind all prior criticism of Jay if the Spread HD actually works out. I mean, could it actually work out?)
Defense:
The defense gave me some concern. It seemed as though the linebackers were far less active than they have been in years prior. This surprised me, I thought that the talented defensive line would leave the linebackers free to make some big plays. I don't know if they couldn't get off their blocks or what but it seemed as though the play at LB needs to improve. This fact shows up in the defensive statistics, no LB broke 10 tackles on the game. Sales had seven, Bowman had six, Hull hardly did anything registering only 2 tackles.
People have speculated that Colasanti would unseat Hull as the starting MLB before the beginning of Big Ten play. This prediction certainly seems possible as Colasanti registered 2 tackles as well. If Colasanti improves between his first and second game, and he should show substantial improvement, he will be the starting MLB come September 27th.
The big surprise, for me, was Stupar logging 5 tackles and having one of the better games among the linebackers. He is looking to push Sales and Gbadyu for more PT at the OLB positions.
The Defensive line looked great. All three of Penn State's sacks were logged by the defensive line. The big boys up front consistently got pressure on the QB and penetration on almost every play.
The Secondary looked.....ok. The one big play which the Lions gave up came at the beginning of the second quarter. Trent Usher (WR) drifted into a vacancy the size of Rhode Island in the Penn State backfield. He was so wide open you had to know instantly that somebody completely blew an assignment. It was bothering me so I took a look at the video, ESPN has a good one. All three LBs are sent on a blitz which makes 2 of the weak-side WRs the responsibility of Scirrotto and Rubin. You can see Rubin rush far to the weak side to pick up the same WR which Scirrotto clearly has leaving Usher all alone in the middle of the field. This was by far the biggest mental mistake of the day. I know Rubin is trying his best but he will need to improve his instincts to shore up the safety position. Right now the Lions are missing Sukay and his injured foot.
GO STATE! BEAT THE BEAVERS!
Saturday, August 30, 2008
I Love Penn State Football!
The Lions finally take the field today to face the Chanticleers. I will be unable to watch the game live so I'll be watching it on TV at the Okatie Ale House with the rest of my PSU Alumni Group.
I previously predicted that PSU would win 53-13. I see no reason to soften this position now.
I love you all. I love Penn State football!
GO STATE!
I previously predicted that PSU would win 53-13. I see no reason to soften this position now.
I love you all. I love Penn State football!
GO STATE!
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Get Your "Rapist" Signs Ready!
Coastal Carolina WR William Chandler has been arrested for:
Chandler is a Frosh WR for the Chanticleers. Currently, there is nothing up on their official website regarding his status.
This sounds serious. Austin Scott serious. What will it mean ultimately? Nobody knows. What does it mean short term? CCU is having a worse summer than PSU in the behavior dept. and this kid won't be playing next Saturday.
GO STATE!
third-degree assault with intent to commit criminal sexual conduct.Translation: Rape.
Chandler is a Frosh WR for the Chanticleers. Currently, there is nothing up on their official website regarding his status.
This sounds serious. Austin Scott serious. What will it mean ultimately? Nobody knows. What does it mean short term? CCU is having a worse summer than PSU in the behavior dept. and this kid won't be playing next Saturday.
GO STATE!
Friday, May 02, 2008
Breaking Down: Coastal Carolina
We are back to the endless stretch of road between spring practice and the start of the College Football season. In order to pass the time and to brush up on who PSU will be facing in 2008. I will be breaking down each of Penn State's opponents (poorly). These Break Downs will go in order of the schedule and, just like PSU's schedule, there will be one up every week.
First, PSU takes on the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers in Happy Valley on 8/30/08. Coastal Carolina is a Div II school who plays in the Big South Conference. If you are terrified of PSU opening its season against a Div II school....I wouldn't be. That isn't to say that Coastal Carolina should be overlooked, however, they are not Appy. St.
I will attempt to give you a reasonable look at the Passing Game, Running Game, and Defense for your 2008 Chanticleers.
PASSING:
Coastal Carolina returns Sr. starting QB William Richardson who comes off a fairly productive Jr. Season where he completed over 57% of his passes, threw for nearly 1600 yds, 13 TDs, and 7 Ints. However, if you are fearing some sort of dual threat menace you can stop that right now. Richardson is a pocket QB with good size (6'5" 230) but he lacks the mobility to be a dual threat. Richardson carried the ball 67 times in 2007 for only 80 yards. While this may be significantly better than AMMO's 48 rushes for -13 yds it does not make Richardson a legitimate running threat.
Graduation has taken its toll on the Chanticleer's wide receiving corps. The two best receivers in 2007 have graduated. And by best I mean most yards, receptions, and touchdowns. Of those two, clearly the loss of Jerome Simpson hurts the most as he led the team in receptions, yards, yds/reception, and TDs (11). In fact, Simpson caught 11 of the team's 14 passing TDs (that's 78%, homes!).
Coastal Carolina desperately needs at least two WRs to step up to replace the yawning chasm of talent left because of graduation. Look for the Chanticleer's to go to WR Jamar Anderson who has shown hints of big play potential but seems unreliable.
RUSHING:
CC lost their leading rusher from '07, Mike Tolbert, who racked up 748 yds, averaging 6.7/touch, and scoring 9 TDs. CC will probably look to two players SR RB Jaime Fordham and So RB Eric Oneal. Both should have solid seasons as, from what I can tell, every single offensive linemen returns for the '08 campaign. This should mean good holes for these two players to exploit.
DEFENSE:
The Chanticleer's gave up 25.9 pts/game in the Big South in 2007. They did not play a Bowl Championship Division Team. However, CC seems very young on the Defensive side of the ball so, if anything, I would expect and improved Chanticleer defense for the '08 Season.
How PSU and CCU Matchup:
PSU will be CCU's biggest game of the year. They will be playing in front of 100,000 fans and countless more on the BTN. These kids are going to be fired up. However, CCU does not run any sort of spread offense and will be undersized and out-gunned at virtually every position on the field. The PSU starters will not play past the first half giving some younger players some game experience. PSU will win and win big.
PREDICTION:
PSU: 52
CCU: 13
GO STATE!
First, PSU takes on the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers in Happy Valley on 8/30/08. Coastal Carolina is a Div II school who plays in the Big South Conference. If you are terrified of PSU opening its season against a Div II school....I wouldn't be. That isn't to say that Coastal Carolina should be overlooked, however, they are not Appy. St.
I will attempt to give you a reasonable look at the Passing Game, Running Game, and Defense for your 2008 Chanticleers.
PASSING:
Coastal Carolina returns Sr. starting QB William Richardson who comes off a fairly productive Jr. Season where he completed over 57% of his passes, threw for nearly 1600 yds, 13 TDs, and 7 Ints. However, if you are fearing some sort of dual threat menace you can stop that right now. Richardson is a pocket QB with good size (6'5" 230) but he lacks the mobility to be a dual threat. Richardson carried the ball 67 times in 2007 for only 80 yards. While this may be significantly better than AMMO's 48 rushes for -13 yds it does not make Richardson a legitimate running threat.
Graduation has taken its toll on the Chanticleer's wide receiving corps. The two best receivers in 2007 have graduated. And by best I mean most yards, receptions, and touchdowns. Of those two, clearly the loss of Jerome Simpson hurts the most as he led the team in receptions, yards, yds/reception, and TDs (11). In fact, Simpson caught 11 of the team's 14 passing TDs (that's 78%, homes!).
Coastal Carolina desperately needs at least two WRs to step up to replace the yawning chasm of talent left because of graduation. Look for the Chanticleer's to go to WR Jamar Anderson who has shown hints of big play potential but seems unreliable.
RUSHING:
CC lost their leading rusher from '07, Mike Tolbert, who racked up 748 yds, averaging 6.7/touch, and scoring 9 TDs. CC will probably look to two players SR RB Jaime Fordham and So RB Eric Oneal. Both should have solid seasons as, from what I can tell, every single offensive linemen returns for the '08 campaign. This should mean good holes for these two players to exploit.
DEFENSE:
The Chanticleer's gave up 25.9 pts/game in the Big South in 2007. They did not play a Bowl Championship Division Team. However, CC seems very young on the Defensive side of the ball so, if anything, I would expect and improved Chanticleer defense for the '08 Season.
How PSU and CCU Matchup:
PSU will be CCU's biggest game of the year. They will be playing in front of 100,000 fans and countless more on the BTN. These kids are going to be fired up. However, CCU does not run any sort of spread offense and will be undersized and out-gunned at virtually every position on the field. The PSU starters will not play past the first half giving some younger players some game experience. PSU will win and win big.
PREDICTION:
PSU: 52
CCU: 13
GO STATE!
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