PSU got handed a beating the other night in Tuscaloosa. A couple of things stood out to me.
First, The Penn State offense could be pretty good this year. However, we need the offensive line to play much better. This, however, is not a small problem. Royster has rushed the ball 16 times for 72 yards in the first two games. This is terrible. Not a terrible average (4.5/carry) but the Lions need more production out of the running back position if the team is going to be successful.
Second, Rob Bolden is going to be a very good football player. Right now, he is pretty good. He took some big shots and threw some passes he should have held on to. However, it is this kind of experience that will pay off down the road.
Alabama is a very good football team. They play a tough, physical brand of football.
Lastly, and I do this out of sour grapes, can I get a holding call? Please? Overall, I thought the refs were fine. However, when players rushing the quarterback are being tackled on every play it is time to throw some flags.
Go State! Beat Kent State!
Showing posts with label Offensive Line. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Offensive Line. Show all posts
Monday, September 13, 2010
Monday, July 13, 2009
Getting Fired Up!
Just re-watched PSU vs. Tosu 2008. It is as awesome as you remember.
Navarro was a goddamn bear. The thought of teams having to account for both him and Sean get me all pumped.
What really stuck out to me though was how (relatively) early in the game TP's fumble was. In my mind it sticks out as the play of the game and I remembered Rubin poking the ball away late in the fourth quarter to seal the win.
While it was the play of the game, the fumble occurred in the 3rd quarter and PSU was trailing at the time! The next drive is where Devlin leads the team down the field and then pushes the ball into the end-zone himself.
Which leads me to mourn the loss of Devlin all over again. Mr. Devlin was a good player who knew the offense and could clearly play at a high level in college. It was clearly illustrated as he just steps right in and leads PSU down the field on a game winning drive, on the road, on national TV. The guy could play.
If you need a reminder as to why offensive linemen are some of the most important players on the field just go and watch the last quarter of this game. Shipley and the gang completely took over the game. They just pushed the Buckeyes out of the way. The O-line is the reason why the Lions widened the lead to seven and probably won.
Also, they played Brandi Carlile's The Story which just made me go download it and get all fired up!
I feel like 2009 is going to be another good year.
I'm all jacked up on coffee and Penn State's excellence!
GO STATE!
Navarro was a goddamn bear. The thought of teams having to account for both him and Sean get me all pumped.
What really stuck out to me though was how (relatively) early in the game TP's fumble was. In my mind it sticks out as the play of the game and I remembered Rubin poking the ball away late in the fourth quarter to seal the win.
While it was the play of the game, the fumble occurred in the 3rd quarter and PSU was trailing at the time! The next drive is where Devlin leads the team down the field and then pushes the ball into the end-zone himself.
Which leads me to mourn the loss of Devlin all over again. Mr. Devlin was a good player who knew the offense and could clearly play at a high level in college. It was clearly illustrated as he just steps right in and leads PSU down the field on a game winning drive, on the road, on national TV. The guy could play.
If you need a reminder as to why offensive linemen are some of the most important players on the field just go and watch the last quarter of this game. Shipley and the gang completely took over the game. They just pushed the Buckeyes out of the way. The O-line is the reason why the Lions widened the lead to seven and probably won.
Also, they played Brandi Carlile's The Story which just made me go download it and get all fired up!
I feel like 2009 is going to be another good year.
I'm all jacked up on coffee and Penn State's excellence!
GO STATE!
Saturday, July 04, 2009
Rewatching The Iowa Game
I feel like this is something I need to do and I also feel like I'm ready to rewatch this game without being driven mad.
A quick thought on Royster; Royster has a peculiar ability to not only commit to the hole and run with power but he is equally capable of running "skinny" while in in traffic. By "skinny" I mean that he never seems to take direct and punishing contact he just turns his body and takes a glancing blow or spins off. Terriffic.
The offense in general looks great in the first half of this game. I have no idea how the Lions dropped this game.
Offensive line was great last year. Run blocking and pass blocking all members of the line were very solid. You have to figure if the starters were great last year that the younger players have to be pretty good behind them. Right? I mean, the Lions' line will be fine in '09, right?
Shonn Greene was a great college player. I hope he is able to stand up-right by the time he is thirty because Iowa gave him the ball every damn time and he gets hit three times per carry.
By comparison, Stepfon Green is just fucking fast. Stepf seems to have limitless potential to be a game-changer but there was something missing. I don't know if he will improve as he becomes more comfortable with the offense.
This game is the perfect example of missed opportunities costing a team. PSU was dominating Iowa through the first three quarters but the Nits had a really tough time putting the ball in the endzone and it came back to bite them. Sigh. I also think PSU will take heating machines on every road game from now on regardless of the forecast.
I could not be more excited to watch Bowman and Sean Lee get a chance to play together. The Defensive line had to be dominant in 2008, however, in 2009 as long as the D-line can occupy blocks Lee and Bowman will take care of the rest.
A quick thought on Royster; Royster has a peculiar ability to not only commit to the hole and run with power but he is equally capable of running "skinny" while in in traffic. By "skinny" I mean that he never seems to take direct and punishing contact he just turns his body and takes a glancing blow or spins off. Terriffic.
The offense in general looks great in the first half of this game. I have no idea how the Lions dropped this game.
Offensive line was great last year. Run blocking and pass blocking all members of the line were very solid. You have to figure if the starters were great last year that the younger players have to be pretty good behind them. Right? I mean, the Lions' line will be fine in '09, right?
Shonn Greene was a great college player. I hope he is able to stand up-right by the time he is thirty because Iowa gave him the ball every damn time and he gets hit three times per carry.
By comparison, Stepfon Green is just fucking fast. Stepf seems to have limitless potential to be a game-changer but there was something missing. I don't know if he will improve as he becomes more comfortable with the offense.
This game is the perfect example of missed opportunities costing a team. PSU was dominating Iowa through the first three quarters but the Nits had a really tough time putting the ball in the endzone and it came back to bite them. Sigh. I also think PSU will take heating machines on every road game from now on regardless of the forecast.
I could not be more excited to watch Bowman and Sean Lee get a chance to play together. The Defensive line had to be dominant in 2008, however, in 2009 as long as the D-line can occupy blocks Lee and Bowman will take care of the rest.
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
Early Spring Scrimmage
The Lions had an early scrimmage this weekend in which we got a little peak at the the depth chart as it stands today. The CDT has the story, however, what does it all mean?
The CDT relates that Clark looked good throwing both short routes and deep balls very accurately. Great. I am glad. The simple fact of the matter is that Clark should be an accurate passer and he should look really good in spring practice when he is the only player wearing a red jersey. What is interesting is how the rest of the QBs on the roster looked.
This is what the CDT had to say about Kevin Newsome:
Working with the second team for all but a few snaps, true freshman Kevin Newsome had an up-and-down afternoon. His passes, thrown with a three-quarter, sidearm motion, had zip but often missed his intended targets. He seemed jumpy in the pocket, though defensive linemen from both the first and second-team defenses gave him little time to throw. Newsome looked much more comfortable — and more efficient — as a ball carrier, displaying good patience, vision and speed with a low-to-the- ground style.
I am not surprised that Mr. Newsome looked "jumpy" as this was his first time in a game-like situation with players with college speed and size bearing down on him. All this without the benefit of a red jersey. I think that is enough to make anybody "jumpy". Regardless of how he felt in the pocket I am more concerned with the description of his delivery: sidearm. As players get bigger and bigger the proper mechanics will help to keep the ball away from the paws of defensive linemen. I know that there have been plenty of successful QBs who haven't had perfect mechanics; however, it certainly doesn't help. Newsome's ability to run the ball is, of course, what we were all excited about when we recruited him. Also, while the kid's mechanics may not be perfect, athletic freakishness cannot be taught. Better passing mechanics can be worked out over the next year. Let's not forget that Newsome is only practicing right now because he enrolled in school early. This extra spring package certainly gives him a lot of extra experience with the offense to try to become the back up QB.
Matt McGloin also took several snaps.
Redshirt freshman walk-on Matt McGloin showed the difference between a freshman and a player with a year of college experience, even if that experience came on the scout team. Though he lacked the arm strength of Clark and Newsome, McGloin was accurate on short balls and deep balls, at one point connecting with fellow walk-on and Philipsburg-Osceola alumnus J.D. Mason for considerable gains on consecutive plays.
This is what I want to see out of McGloin. He doesn't have to be flashy, but the Lions definitely need a guy who can come in and throw the ball accurately when the team needs him too. A better understanding of the offense --- as well as accuracy --- seems to point to McGloin being the back up QB for the 2009 season. It is impossible to comment on McGloin's ability to run the ball, however, should he not be as effective running as passing it would be interesting to see Newsome come in to run a limited "Wild Lion" package at some points.
Zug, Moye, and Brackett all saw a lot of snaps at WR. WR is a position that the Lions really need to develop nicely this spring after the departure of the most productive WR corps in Penn State history. Now, every one of these guys is going to have to show us significant development if the Lions want to be as productive through the air as they were last year. One interesting thing to note is that every one of these guys is over six feet tall, in fact, Brackett and Moye are 6' 6" and 6' 5" respectively. How interesting will it be to go from a decidedly undersized group of WRs to a very large group of players. Jump Balls here we come!
Needless to say, the newly assembled OL will have to play very well for PSU to have a great season. I am not expecting a dominating year from the OL as they are young but they are particularly young on the left side of the line.
The firstteam offensive line included sophomore DeOn’tae Pannell at left tackle, redshirt freshman Matt Stankiewitch at left guard, Stefen Wisniewski at center, junior Lou Eliades at right guard and Dennis Landolt at right tackle.
A lot of folks are complaining about the 2009 schedule as it is very heavy on the cupcakes early in the year. However, that schedule will be a giant help to a very young offensive line and give them an opportunity to get some consistency up front. With a little experience this crew could start to play some good ball when PSU gets to the meat of its schedule.
Ahh spring, a time of unbridled potential and possible delusion.
I just can't wait for the Blue/White game!
GO STATE! PRACTICE HARD!
The CDT relates that Clark looked good throwing both short routes and deep balls very accurately. Great. I am glad. The simple fact of the matter is that Clark should be an accurate passer and he should look really good in spring practice when he is the only player wearing a red jersey. What is interesting is how the rest of the QBs on the roster looked.
This is what the CDT had to say about Kevin Newsome:
Working with the second team for all but a few snaps, true freshman Kevin Newsome had an up-and-down afternoon. His passes, thrown with a three-quarter, sidearm motion, had zip but often missed his intended targets. He seemed jumpy in the pocket, though defensive linemen from both the first and second-team defenses gave him little time to throw. Newsome looked much more comfortable — and more efficient — as a ball carrier, displaying good patience, vision and speed with a low-to-the- ground style.
I am not surprised that Mr. Newsome looked "jumpy" as this was his first time in a game-like situation with players with college speed and size bearing down on him. All this without the benefit of a red jersey. I think that is enough to make anybody "jumpy". Regardless of how he felt in the pocket I am more concerned with the description of his delivery: sidearm. As players get bigger and bigger the proper mechanics will help to keep the ball away from the paws of defensive linemen. I know that there have been plenty of successful QBs who haven't had perfect mechanics; however, it certainly doesn't help. Newsome's ability to run the ball is, of course, what we were all excited about when we recruited him. Also, while the kid's mechanics may not be perfect, athletic freakishness cannot be taught. Better passing mechanics can be worked out over the next year. Let's not forget that Newsome is only practicing right now because he enrolled in school early. This extra spring package certainly gives him a lot of extra experience with the offense to try to become the back up QB.
Matt McGloin also took several snaps.
Redshirt freshman walk-on Matt McGloin showed the difference between a freshman and a player with a year of college experience, even if that experience came on the scout team. Though he lacked the arm strength of Clark and Newsome, McGloin was accurate on short balls and deep balls, at one point connecting with fellow walk-on and Philipsburg-Osceola alumnus J.D. Mason for considerable gains on consecutive plays.
This is what I want to see out of McGloin. He doesn't have to be flashy, but the Lions definitely need a guy who can come in and throw the ball accurately when the team needs him too. A better understanding of the offense --- as well as accuracy --- seems to point to McGloin being the back up QB for the 2009 season. It is impossible to comment on McGloin's ability to run the ball, however, should he not be as effective running as passing it would be interesting to see Newsome come in to run a limited "Wild Lion" package at some points.
Zug, Moye, and Brackett all saw a lot of snaps at WR. WR is a position that the Lions really need to develop nicely this spring after the departure of the most productive WR corps in Penn State history. Now, every one of these guys is going to have to show us significant development if the Lions want to be as productive through the air as they were last year. One interesting thing to note is that every one of these guys is over six feet tall, in fact, Brackett and Moye are 6' 6" and 6' 5" respectively. How interesting will it be to go from a decidedly undersized group of WRs to a very large group of players. Jump Balls here we come!
Needless to say, the newly assembled OL will have to play very well for PSU to have a great season. I am not expecting a dominating year from the OL as they are young but they are particularly young on the left side of the line.
The firstteam offensive line included sophomore DeOn’tae Pannell at left tackle, redshirt freshman Matt Stankiewitch at left guard, Stefen Wisniewski at center, junior Lou Eliades at right guard and Dennis Landolt at right tackle.
A lot of folks are complaining about the 2009 schedule as it is very heavy on the cupcakes early in the year. However, that schedule will be a giant help to a very young offensive line and give them an opportunity to get some consistency up front. With a little experience this crew could start to play some good ball when PSU gets to the meat of its schedule.
Ahh spring, a time of unbridled potential and possible delusion.
I just can't wait for the Blue/White game!
GO STATE! PRACTICE HARD!
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
The Offensive Line
I thought the Offensive line looked OK during the Blue-White game, particularly when all the starters were in, there is definitely one true bright spot. The big guy, right in the middle, A.Q. Shipley! Shipley is on the watch list for the 2007 Rimington Trophy! (WTF is that? The award for the best center college fooball).
Only Buckeye sacrifices will appease my rage!
If the offensive line is to be a bright spot for PSU Shipley will be a major reason why.
GO STATE! PREPARE FOR EXCELLENCE!
Only Buckeye sacrifices will appease my rage!
If the offensive line is to be a bright spot for PSU Shipley will be a major reason why.
GO STATE! PREPARE FOR EXCELLENCE!
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