The Lions beat Indiana by 27 (unanswered) points today.
I was feeling down after the Iowa game so PSU's drubbing of Indiana made me feel significantly better. Also, seeing them flash up the 10-1 record up on the board was great. Two 10+ win seasons in four years truly establishes Penn State as being "back" after the dark times in the early 2000s.
The defense played really well today. Indiana completed under 50% of their passes, threw 0 TDs and was picked off. The Lions also held the Hoosiers under 200 yards of total offense.
It may have taken a while for the Spread HD to get going today but the Lions really took care of business and have a little momentum going into the Michigan St. game.
On a side note, could Clark fumble the ball any more?
GO STATE! BEAT SPARTY!
Showing posts with label Indiana. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Indiana. Show all posts
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Indiana at The Half
PSU still looks hungover from last week's loss to Iowa. Not even home-cooking could revive the Lions as PSU has been anemic on offense.
To be fair, missed opportunities are the big problem not just mediocre offensive play. Clark's fumble at the goal line was ridiculous. Kelly's missed field goal. This game could easily be 17-7 right now but for the missed opportunities.
Aside from giving up one huge play, the defense is playing well.
Hopefully the Lions will pull away in the second half. If they don't, it could be a long day of drinking for this guy.
GO STATE! BEAT INDIANA!
To be fair, missed opportunities are the big problem not just mediocre offensive play. Clark's fumble at the goal line was ridiculous. Kelly's missed field goal. This game could easily be 17-7 right now but for the missed opportunities.
Aside from giving up one huge play, the defense is playing well.
Hopefully the Lions will pull away in the second half. If they don't, it could be a long day of drinking for this guy.
GO STATE! BEAT INDIANA!
Monday, November 10, 2008
Picking Up The Pieces
Things went wrong for the Lions this weekend. Dropped passes, wild passes, and poor blocking were responsible, but what can the statistics teach us?
First and foremost, the defense played terribly on third down. The Lions allowed Iowa to convert on seven out of ten third downs. This is the beginning of a disturbing trend as PSU allowed Ohio State to convert on eight of fifteen third downs in late October. It seemed to me that PSU's blitzes were completely ineffective. Bradley will need to retool the PSU blitz packages and get the defense off the field for PSU to return to form.
I know DC is taking the blame, and he did only pass for 109 total yards on 41% passing, but PSU still had better numbers on offense. Bottom line, the PSU defense should have stopped Iowa on the final drive.
Now for some well earned wallowing. PSU fell in the AP Poll to #7 and #8 in the BCS. Which begs the question, WHAT THE HELL DOES THAT MEAN AS FAR AS A BOWL GAME?
Good question. PSU, MSU, and TOSU are all tied for first in the Big Ten Standings. PSU still has a chance to beat MSU but we would need TOSU to drop a game if the Lions are to take home an outright Big Ten Title. The similarities to 2005 are disturbing. Regardless, PSU still has a shot at the rose bowl or another BCS bowl should they win out.
Also, let us not forget that before the season we all thought 10-2 would have been an extremely successful season for the Lions. The Lions still have a shot at 11-1 and this season would still outshine our initial expectations.
GO STATE! BEAT INDIANA!
First and foremost, the defense played terribly on third down. The Lions allowed Iowa to convert on seven out of ten third downs. This is the beginning of a disturbing trend as PSU allowed Ohio State to convert on eight of fifteen third downs in late October. It seemed to me that PSU's blitzes were completely ineffective. Bradley will need to retool the PSU blitz packages and get the defense off the field for PSU to return to form.
I know DC is taking the blame, and he did only pass for 109 total yards on 41% passing, but PSU still had better numbers on offense. Bottom line, the PSU defense should have stopped Iowa on the final drive.
Now for some well earned wallowing. PSU fell in the AP Poll to #7 and #8 in the BCS. Which begs the question, WHAT THE HELL DOES THAT MEAN AS FAR AS A BOWL GAME?
Good question. PSU, MSU, and TOSU are all tied for first in the Big Ten Standings. PSU still has a chance to beat MSU but we would need TOSU to drop a game if the Lions are to take home an outright Big Ten Title. The similarities to 2005 are disturbing. Regardless, PSU still has a shot at the rose bowl or another BCS bowl should they win out.
Also, let us not forget that before the season we all thought 10-2 would have been an extremely successful season for the Lions. The Lions still have a shot at 11-1 and this season would still outshine our initial expectations.
GO STATE! BEAT INDIANA!
Monday, October 22, 2007
Where We Stand
The Lions managed to get out of Indiana with a Win, a fresh ranking of 24 in the AP Poll, and a head full of steam for the Ohio St. game.
Aside from one indredibly boneheaded pass, Anthony Morelli had a very good game. He completed 68% of his passes and threw two TDs. This is just the kind of performance Morelli needs to continue to have for PSU to be successful. Granted, he missed some open receivers and consistently three the ball behind receivers in the flat but he still managed an excellent game. Relive all the good times with the following video.
Despite repeated red-zone failures the offense played well enough to get the win. Royster and Kinlaw both scored TDs and both rushed for nearly 70 yards. Royster definitely looked like the better back on Saturday, however, he fumbled the ball twice which will definitely not get you more PT from Joepa. If Royster can hold onto the ball he is definitely PSU's best backfield option.
The Defense gave up too many points to a team that consisted almost entirely of Lewis and Hardy. Hardy man-handled Justin King on route after route. It was clear by the end of the day that Hardy is a big time WR who will be playing on Sunday but also that his size and athleticism was too much for King to handle.
Before this post goes any further I have to comment on Maurice Evans newly elevated status from DE to being a FUCKING BEAR! He sacked a very mobile Lewis 3.5 times on saturday raising his sack total to 10.5 on the year. Oh, and Evans is only a sophomore and he is already a goddamn bear.
It is great to see PSU back in the standings and I could not be more fired up for the Ohio St. game. Get your Whites ready and ready your tent because it is time to White Out The Buckeyes!
GO STATE! BEAT THE BUCKEYES!
Aside from one indredibly boneheaded pass, Anthony Morelli had a very good game. He completed 68% of his passes and threw two TDs. This is just the kind of performance Morelli needs to continue to have for PSU to be successful. Granted, he missed some open receivers and consistently three the ball behind receivers in the flat but he still managed an excellent game. Relive all the good times with the following video.
Despite repeated red-zone failures the offense played well enough to get the win. Royster and Kinlaw both scored TDs and both rushed for nearly 70 yards. Royster definitely looked like the better back on Saturday, however, he fumbled the ball twice which will definitely not get you more PT from Joepa. If Royster can hold onto the ball he is definitely PSU's best backfield option.
The Defense gave up too many points to a team that consisted almost entirely of Lewis and Hardy. Hardy man-handled Justin King on route after route. It was clear by the end of the day that Hardy is a big time WR who will be playing on Sunday but also that his size and athleticism was too much for King to handle.
Before this post goes any further I have to comment on Maurice Evans newly elevated status from DE to being a FUCKING BEAR! He sacked a very mobile Lewis 3.5 times on saturday raising his sack total to 10.5 on the year. Oh, and Evans is only a sophomore and he is already a goddamn bear.
It is great to see PSU back in the standings and I could not be more fired up for the Ohio St. game. Get your Whites ready and ready your tent because it is time to White Out The Buckeyes!
GO STATE! BEAT THE BUCKEYES!
Saturday, October 20, 2007
PSU Steals One!
The Lions go in and Steal one from IU on the road despite several missed opportunities. I'm incredibly fired up that the team was able to win a tough road game, the first one in a while. Now we get to look forward to getting the Buckeyes at home next week.
WHEW!
GO STATE! BEAT THE BUCKEYES!
PS
I hate Mark May.
WHEW!
GO STATE! BEAT THE BUCKEYES!
PS
I hate Mark May.
Halftime Update
Penn State's offense and defense are both playing well.
Rushing
Royster's play has really helped to elevate the rushing game. Kinlaw started the game but only rushed for 38 yds on 11 carries (3.5 yds/carry) where as Royster came in later and promptly ran the ball 8 times for 45 yards. Lets just be blunt, Royster is the superior back and should be getting the majority of the carries.
Passing
Anthony got off to a slow start throwing a very poor jump ball in the first quarter which resulted in a pick for the Hoosiers. Since then Ammo has been playing like a man possessed. He finished the half completing 16 of 20 passes for two TDs. This is what we have been waiting to see out of big #14. These passes included several big time third down completions to keep drives going or to get in the endzone.
Defense
The Secondary is struggling against some big time IU WRs. However, later in the half the Lions were able to get great penetration on Kellen Lewis and disrupt the passing game and get some sacks. The Defense needs to keep getting three and outs for the offense to get some more points!
GO STATE! BEAT INDIANA!
Rushing
Royster's play has really helped to elevate the rushing game. Kinlaw started the game but only rushed for 38 yds on 11 carries (3.5 yds/carry) where as Royster came in later and promptly ran the ball 8 times for 45 yards. Lets just be blunt, Royster is the superior back and should be getting the majority of the carries.
Passing
Anthony got off to a slow start throwing a very poor jump ball in the first quarter which resulted in a pick for the Hoosiers. Since then Ammo has been playing like a man possessed. He finished the half completing 16 of 20 passes for two TDs. This is what we have been waiting to see out of big #14. These passes included several big time third down completions to keep drives going or to get in the endzone.
Defense
The Secondary is struggling against some big time IU WRs. However, later in the half the Lions were able to get great penetration on Kellen Lewis and disrupt the passing game and get some sacks. The Defense needs to keep getting three and outs for the offense to get some more points!
GO STATE! BEAT INDIANA!
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Blue White Roundtable Week of Indiana
Chris from RUTS brings us the questions this week. My answers can be found below but more learned responses can be found at BSD, TNL, WWN, and TNN. On to the brutal examination of my knowledge of the Nittany Lions!
I think the answer is clear. Evan-fucking-Royster! Before Royster hit the field against Iowa the RBs weren't playing with any kind of urgency. Scott seemed perfectly happy to fumble on every other carry and Kinlaw wasn't playing much better. All of a sudden Royster comes in the game nd starts ripping off big runs which in turn loosens up the passing game for Morelli, which then yields bigger runs for Royster and Kinlaw. Evan Royster's emergence is the single best thing to happen to Penn State football so far this year. In fact, every PSU fan should have a tiny bronzed Royster statute on the dash of their car. Give in to your man-crush on Evan Royster, you know you want to!
You probably HAVE to hire from within the program and make the hire the day Paterno retires. You can't allow a massive search with Ryan Seacrest going door to door to find the next head coach at Penn State. Then, once the individual is hired you have to have the patience to let that coach go without being on the hot-seat for a couple of years. I've heard conventional wisdom say that three years is enough time for a coach to get things going the way he wants, well, I want the new coach to be given a 5-6 year contract with no hint of pressure until at least year 5.
1. The Illinis will have to lose two more conference games. The most promising opportunities for them to do so are Michigan this week and @ Tosu in a month.
2. Michigan needs to drop at least two conference games. The most likely losses for them are @ Illinois this week, @ Wisconsin on 11/10, and Tosu at home on the 17th.
3. Tosu would need to lose at least one more game (assuming they lose to us on the 27th) that could come when they play wisconsin at home in 3 weeks or @ Michigan to close the season.
The moral of the story is that all PSU can do is win out and even if the Lions do that a Big Ten title might still evade them.
Sweet Jesus, I hope not!
GO STATE! BEAT THE HOOSIERS!
1. Two consecutive games, two dominating performances by the Nittany Lion running game. Why the drastic change in production?
I think the answer is clear. Evan-fucking-Royster! Before Royster hit the field against Iowa the RBs weren't playing with any kind of urgency. Scott seemed perfectly happy to fumble on every other carry and Kinlaw wasn't playing much better. All of a sudden Royster comes in the game nd starts ripping off big runs which in turn loosens up the passing game for Morelli, which then yields bigger runs for Royster and Kinlaw. Evan Royster's emergence is the single best thing to happen to Penn State football so far this year. In fact, every PSU fan should have a tiny bronzed Royster statute on the dash of their car. Give in to your man-crush on Evan Royster, you know you want to!
2. Since the departure of Tom Osborne before the 1998, Nebraska quickly fired Frank Solich, hired a bad NFL coach, and on Monday fired its Athletic Director. Is there any way to avoid this sort of fiasco when Joe Paterno eventually retires?Yes, there are several things one can try to do to avoid such a calamity. Sadly, none of them will guarantee success but you have to give the new coach the best opportunity to succeed.
You probably HAVE to hire from within the program and make the hire the day Paterno retires. You can't allow a massive search with Ryan Seacrest going door to door to find the next head coach at Penn State. Then, once the individual is hired you have to have the patience to let that coach go without being on the hot-seat for a couple of years. I've heard conventional wisdom say that three years is enough time for a coach to get things going the way he wants, well, I want the new coach to be given a 5-6 year contract with no hint of pressure until at least year 5.
3. Terrelle Pryor is on the verge of crossing Penn State off his list, if he hasn't already. Does Penn State absolutely have to sign a quarterback in this class, or can we afford to wait until next season?Penn State can wait one more year. Both Clark and Devlin will compete for the job in the spring, I think Clark will earn the starting job and Devlin will be a very able backup (though I've been wrong before Devlin could win the job). It would certainly be great to get Pryor but I just don't think the sky will fall if he goes some where else.
Lightning RoundFirst, Penn State needs to beat Indiana as they have the same 2-2 record in conference as we do, however, assuming the Lions beat Indiana and Tosu the following will have to occur.
Describe a scenario in which Penn State ties for the conference title. Obviously, Penn State has to beat Ohio State. What other dominoes need to fall?
1. The Illinis will have to lose two more conference games. The most promising opportunities for them to do so are Michigan this week and @ Tosu in a month.
2. Michigan needs to drop at least two conference games. The most likely losses for them are @ Illinois this week, @ Wisconsin on 11/10, and Tosu at home on the 17th.
3. Tosu would need to lose at least one more game (assuming they lose to us on the 27th) that could come when they play wisconsin at home in 3 weeks or @ Michigan to close the season.
The moral of the story is that all PSU can do is win out and even if the Lions do that a Big Ten title might still evade them.
Will Penn State have its typical lazy start in a noon road game?
Sweet Jesus, I hope not!
GO STATE! BEAT THE HOOSIERS!
Monday, October 15, 2007
Penn State's Wild Ride
certainly continued this weekend as the Lions crushed, stomped, ran over, steam-rolled, beaten-down, hosed, brutalized a Wisconsin team that never got it's legs under them. The Lions were very effective passing the ball, running the ball and breaking P.J. Hill's will to live. Crushing the paper-Badgers was not enough to catapult the Lions into the Top 25, falling 12 votes short of the 25th spot.This season has been peculiar on both the national level and on a personal level for the Lions. The season started with dizzying expectations only to have them dashed against the rocks of a 3-2 start. Now, after all only five teams remain undefeated in the Top 25 and there are 7 teams with 2 losses. This, and two straight Big Ten victories, have restored the hope of a good season and a quality bowl appearance.
Several challenges remain for the Lions including, dealing with continuing off-field problems, oh and having to play now #1 Ohio State. Not surprisingly, yet another season will ride for both PSU and Tosu on their matchup in October. I suppose they have to play their "rivalry" game against Michigan too but that isn't really that big a deal.
However, PSU needs to take care of business next week against Indiana and the road has not been kind to the Lions this year. Proving that they can win in a hostile environment in the Big Tenwill do a lot for this years team. I couldn't be more fired up for the rest of the year, next week, and the Ohio State game!
GO STATE! BEAT INDIANA!
Friday, July 27, 2007
Breaking Down: The Indiana Hoosiers
In week 8 Penn State girds its loins and rolls over to Indiana to face the Hoosiers on their turf 
(The Rock). The Hoosiers enter the 2007 season with heavy hearts after the death of Terry Hoeppner. Bill Lynch will have to grab the reins and continue the momentum coach Hep had built at Indiana. While Indiana has suffered a devastating loss there is reason to be excited in the "Crossroads of America". Indiana returns 9 starters on offense and 7 on defense. If they can rally around/move past/get over/deal with/be inspired by their former coach the Hoosiers have a chance of ending the longest bowl drought in the Big Ten (1993). Below you will find my terrifyingly accurate insight into the 2007 Hoosiers. For everything Hoosiery check out The Hoosier Report.
In Hep We Trust!
Hoosier Passing:
Kellen Lewis returns under center and this time he has a year of experience to his credit. Last year, Lewis passed for 2221 yds, 14 TDs and 7 INTs. However, 11 of those 15 TDs came in three games. Lets just say consistency is a bit of a problem for Mr. Lewis. However, with another year of experience, consistency is something on which he can improve. Another feather in the Hoosier's cap is James Hardy; The Hoosier's leading receiver in receptions, yards, and TDs. In short, if drop him from the team Lewis would have to throw passes to himself. The Hoosier passing game is strong at the top but lacks depth and could have problems getting started against a talented secondary.
Hoosier Running:
Kellen Lewis returns under center and this time he has a year of experience to his credit. Last yaer, Lewis rushed for 441 yards on 124 TDs and 5 Tds. Yes this is the same Kellen Lewis you just read about. Yes it makes him a threat in the running game, however, if your QB is your leading rusher you are playing with fire. Especially if your second leading rushing is listed at WR. Wow. I don't know what those crazy Hoosiers are doing but bless their hearts they seem to be enjoying it.
Hoosier Defense:
Remember how Indiana is returning 7 starters on defense? Well, those 7 starters helped give up an average of nearly 33 pts/game. Yikes. If you defense gives up more than 4 TDs on average you have more issues than Lindsay Lohan. (BURN!) Careful fellas, she might look good but there is a seething cauldron of instability just below the surface! Similarly, Indiana has their fair share of issues as they are more combustible than some sort of pile of kindling.
Prediction:
This is a tough game for the Lions as it comes right after the Wisconsin game, is on the road, and Ohio State looms on the horizon the next week. If PSU looks past Indiana there could be serious trouble. However, if you look at Indiana
on offense, if you have a defense that can contain the talented Mr. Lewis and one shut-down corner then you two can turn Indiana's offense into a whimpering kitten. Fortunately for PSU, Justin King hasn't been tossed into the Sarlaac pit and will, in my opinion, crush Jimmy Hardy's hopes and dreams. In short, Indiana simply won't have the firepower to put up serious points against a very talented Penn State defense. Penn State will finish the game +2 on turnovers and the game will never be in doubt.
I'll get you next time J-King!
Final Score:
PSU: 52
IU: 17
GO STATE! GET FIRED UP FOR THE FALL!
(The Rock). The Hoosiers enter the 2007 season with heavy hearts after the death of Terry Hoeppner. Bill Lynch will have to grab the reins and continue the momentum coach Hep had built at Indiana. While Indiana has suffered a devastating loss there is reason to be excited in the "Crossroads of America". Indiana returns 9 starters on offense and 7 on defense. If they can rally around/move past/get over/deal with/be inspired by their former coach the Hoosiers have a chance of ending the longest bowl drought in the Big Ten (1993). Below you will find my terrifyingly accurate insight into the 2007 Hoosiers. For everything Hoosiery check out The Hoosier Report.In Hep We Trust!
Hoosier Passing:
Kellen Lewis returns under center and this time he has a year of experience to his credit. Last year, Lewis passed for 2221 yds, 14 TDs and 7 INTs. However, 11 of those 15 TDs came in three games. Lets just say consistency is a bit of a problem for Mr. Lewis. However, with another year of experience, consistency is something on which he can improve. Another feather in the Hoosier's cap is James Hardy; The Hoosier's leading receiver in receptions, yards, and TDs. In short, if drop him from the team Lewis would have to throw passes to himself. The Hoosier passing game is strong at the top but lacks depth and could have problems getting started against a talented secondary.
Hoosier Running:
Kellen Lewis returns under center and this time he has a year of experience to his credit. Last yaer, Lewis rushed for 441 yards on 124 TDs and 5 Tds. Yes this is the same Kellen Lewis you just read about. Yes it makes him a threat in the running game, however, if your QB is your leading rusher you are playing with fire. Especially if your second leading rushing is listed at WR. Wow. I don't know what those crazy Hoosiers are doing but bless their hearts they seem to be enjoying it.
Hoosier Defense:
Remember how Indiana is returning 7 starters on defense? Well, those 7 starters helped give up an average of nearly 33 pts/game. Yikes. If you defense gives up more than 4 TDs on average you have more issues than Lindsay Lohan. (BURN!) Careful fellas, she might look good but there is a seething cauldron of instability just below the surface! Similarly, Indiana has their fair share of issues as they are more combustible than some sort of pile of kindling.
Prediction:
This is a tough game for the Lions as it comes right after the Wisconsin game, is on the road, and Ohio State looms on the horizon the next week. If PSU looks past Indiana there could be serious trouble. However, if you look at Indiana
on offense, if you have a defense that can contain the talented Mr. Lewis and one shut-down corner then you two can turn Indiana's offense into a whimpering kitten. Fortunately for PSU, Justin King hasn't been tossed into the Sarlaac pit and will, in my opinion, crush Jimmy Hardy's hopes and dreams. In short, Indiana simply won't have the firepower to put up serious points against a very talented Penn State defense. Penn State will finish the game +2 on turnovers and the game will never be in doubt.I'll get you next time J-King!
Final Score:
PSU: 52
IU: 17
GO STATE! GET FIRED UP FOR THE FALL!
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