I'm Drunk On Spring Football.... And Wine

This is what I'm talking about.

ESPN has caught the fever. I'm personally rocking a fever of a hundred and three.

The only cure? More Penn State Football. Will I last another 3.5 months? Stay tuned.

However, this is a love that needs to be sung from the highest point known to man...space. I love Darryl Clark. I may also have a man-crush on Sean Lee. Apparently, Adam Rittenberg shares my man-love, not really. He is a "journalist", I am but a lowly blogger. Regardless. I am fired up in a way that only a bottle of wine and the high-expectations-of-spring can bring.

Mr. Rittenburg makes a good point. The Lions need to post another championship season in order to assert the alpha-position of the Big Ten. Like many packs, force is necessary to run the show.

There are some folks on ESPN who think that PSU will finish no better than third in the Big Ten. I think PSU will be first or second. I see the Buckeyes as the only real threat to the Lions' chances to win the conference championship. Disagree? Post your gripes below.

GO STATE!

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!

No News Is Good News

We are in the doldrums of the year when it comes to college football. Spring practice isn't underway, the spring game/draft is a month away, all is quiet in Nittany Nation. This is exactly the way a Penn State Football fan should want it. Let's examine the situation. Off-field news is almost always bad news. This time of year all news about the Lions is off-field news. No off-field news is good news.

The past few off-seasons have been full of juicy gossip and drama involving fights, trials. Last year we were in the throws of the Pryor-Sweepstakes, T. Sales got arrested, rumors were swirling regarding Joe choosing a successor, Quarless got a DUI during State Patty's Day, Chris Bell was kicked off the team for attacking another player, Pringle was fondling himself in the stacks, it was a busy off-season to say the least.

This year we are treated to the lovely silence of players behaving nicely and not getting into legal trouble. It is nice isn't it? News is so slow that BSD is covering PSU baseball! Soon, cats and dogs will live in harmony and Penn State will make it into the NCAA tournament! I mean, for the love of god, Joe must be on cloud 9 right now!

Life is good.

Oh yeah, by the way, Sean Lee is a goddamn bear!

GO STATE!

Blue/White Live Blog

I'm going to be sitting in my den watching the game online because I'm too lame to go a regular guy and, I figure, since I'm right here I might as well post my reactions to what is going on.

I AM READY!

LETS GO STATE!

***The Live stream just kicked on at the Big Ten Network. Looks like a huge crowd!

The crowd is fired up! It is great to see everybody so fired up for the game. It feels like this is more than a scrimmage.

GLADIATOR!

Looks like D-will and Lucian are out for the coin flip.

WOW, these announcers are terrible.

Devlin gets the ball first! Show me something PAT!

HOLY SHIT! STEPFON GREEN IS THE FASTEST GUY ON THE TEAM! He just ran right by the first team defense. Home run threat = confirmed!

Nice run by Clarke, a little razzle dazzle out of Williams.

We see a little option and Royster takes it into the endzone. We aren't seeing a lot out of the Defenses though. Two possessions, two touchdowns.

There is a little Defense! Good tackle by Koroma getting Stepf in the backfield.

Devlin stared that receiver down the whole time. That won't cut it.

Sczerba looks good and seems to be Devlin's favorite target.

Looks like Hull, Gbhadyu, are in at LB.

Come on Wagner! Dammnit. You gotta hit those.

Carter seems to be our tough yards back. He isn't flashy but he sure can move the pile!

You gotta love that pass to D-will!

Beachum lookin' good. But you HAVE TO HOLD ON TO THE FOOTBALL! That won't earn you more PT.

SCZERBA AGAIN! He is having the best day thus far of all the WRs. He doesn't seem to have the speed of Quarless but he give the QB an excellent target and he catches the ball!

Lets see what Clarke can do with the second team.

Good sack by maybin.

Green is certainly fast but he seems to tap dance a little in the hole.

man, 2 sacks by Ogbu. He is starting to dominate!

HALFTIME!

Not a good read by Clarke.

Oh come one Schuler! You have to catch those.

Sack by Maybin, his second of the day if I remember.

Greene is just plain fast. A good broken tackle also.

Well, we are clearly learning what Devlin's weakness is: He stares at the WR that he wants to throw to. He seems to be very accurate but some good DBs could create easy turnovers if he doesn't look them off.

Colasanti and Stupar are in there for the Blue.

Stupar hits like a truck. He just leveled Green.

The both defensive squads seem to be getting a lot of pressure without any additional blitzers. S testament to the depth on the D-line!

OH! 73,000 in for the BW game! Is that the highest attendance for a spring game this year?

I don't know if this is the Spread HD offense but it looks incredibly similar to what was run last year. The only addition seems to be a few more bootlegs. I know this is the spring game and it will tend towards the vanilla, but it should still look a little different. Right?

Zug just had a great catch. We will need him to play well not only this year but also next year.

Beachum has been playing well. While PSU seems deep at RB but he could be a very nice compliment as a power back. Tony Hunt part 2? Not a favored player but just plain strong.

Great Catch ZUG! The young fella can play!

It seems that Greene is both a home run threat but also a bit inconsistent. Joe won't like that.

Good pick by Astorino. Dare I dub him a very cerebral DB?

Wallace is in street clothes, what is that about? We need all the good DBs we can get.

The good news is that the score is so balanced. The offense hasn't dominated nor has the defense. This looks like a very solid squad.

Beachum continues to really impress. He shows good vision and power. He seems to wield significantly more power than either Royster or Green. He seems like the exact kind of back Joe loves.

Great pass by clarke. A slant into the back of the endzone. Both QBs seem much more comfortable going over the middle than Morelli was.

Kelly has not kicked consistently. Special teams could be a big weak spot on the '08 squad.

It was great to see the team this spring. I love the Blue White game. I'm so amped for the fall now even though I know we are about to cross a desert of football.

A general breakdown will be up monday!

GO STATE!

Inside PSU's Practice

I didn't find this, and it is to my eternal shame, but there is some awesome video of PSU's spring practice up at GOPSF.com. (HT: Swindle @ EDSBS). Or, you can watch if for yourself right here.



It also confirms that Joe is a fiery golden god of coaching. I've said it before and I'll say it again: PSU needs to let Joe coach for as long as he wants to! Also, you can watch Green rip off a huge run. He is going to be an impact player in the fall, write it down.

On an unrelated note, TNL is reporting that Rich-fucking-Kotite is going to be thea next head coach of the Nittany Lions. Sounds horrifyingly accurate? Consider what day it is, son! April first. Yeah. That is how much stock you should put in this!

GO STATE! PRACTICE HARD!

A Big Weekend at PSU

Kind of a lot has happened since we last talked. Photos are up, practice is underway, Joe is talking to the media, though, he also "doesn't care". Wow. On to the news!

Penn State wrapped up its first week of spring practice with a Joe Paterno Press conference. Here, Joe opined about all sorts of things, most of which can be found at PSU's website. This consists mainly of "so and so could be a pretty good football player." and "this might be a pretty good football team." However, not everything made it through PSU's editorial staff (One thousand monkeys at one thousand typewriters), apparently, Joe doesn't care if his contract is renewed or not.

Is this some gamesmanship out of Joe or does he really not care? Would it matter to Spanier and the Trustees either way?

Last but not least, FOS has some sweet photos of the first week of practice up! observe:



GO STATE!

Blue White Roundtable: Spring Practice!

Spring Practice is finally here and with it comes my inane prattling about Penn State football! Along with me on this journey of poor grammar are my more skilled compatriots from around the Blue & White Blogosphere! Mike from BSD brings us the questions, ,y answers are below but please patronize these other fine PSU sites: TNL, RUTS, WWN, TNN, Tangled Up in White and Blue (long names are so out, you have to go for something short and sweet like: There is No Name On My Jersey!), Nittany Whiteout, and The Big Eleventh.

Let’s start with the ugly news. Chris Baker, Chris Bell, Phil Taylor, Knowledge Timmons, and Navorro Bowman are all sitting out the spring practice sessions. What impact will this have on the 2008 season?

Starting with Baker & Taylor, none. The D-line is stacked with talent and getting healthier everyday, they'll be fine even without these guys. For Bell, I will certainly miss talking about how he isn't living up to his potential on the field, however, I'll sate myself by talking about how he is squandering his talent. Bell won't be missed because he never really contributed in the first place. Timmons will probably be missed some. King's early departure has left PSU with a definite shortage of DBs. Losing someone with his speed is a blow but mainly because of the dearth of bodies to replace him. Bowman won't be missed, there are too many talented young LBs chomping at the bit.

Would you move Sean Lee to middle linebacker like Paul Posluszny in 2006 and Dan Connor in 2007?

I would not. Sean is a pure OLB so lets put him in a position where he can do the most damage. Also, it is exciting to have guys like Hull and Colasanti who could lend some real stability to the ILB position.

If Lee stays on the outside, who would you start at the other outside linebacker assuming Bowman is out of the picture?

Sales. He is experienced and looked great at times last year.

Which position on the field is our weakest link?

QB. Not because I believe either Devlin or Clarke are not talented. It is because the QB situation is so unsettled and because it is the most important position on the offensive side of the ball.

Who is your pony in the quarterback contro…uh, competition?

The guy who gives us the best chance to win. I have to think that Clarke is the front runner but it doesn't matter to whom they hand the keys to the car!

Name three players that absolutely have to step up their performance this spring?

AJ Wallace, J-King is gone and the DBs will have to pick up the slack. Evan Royster, he needs to keep up the production but avoid injuries. Production out of the RBs will be key as the QB becomes acclimated to the offense. Josh Hull, we need whoever steps into the ILB role to pickup where DC-40 left off. The PSU defense needs to continue to enjoy a dominant linebacking corps.

Lightning Round
Who is your pick to win the Red Worrell award given to the offensive player that shows the most improvement during spring practice?

Oh, well, I'll have to consult all my "inside observers". My guess would be: Stefphon Green. He is a guy who may not be "improved", but he is going to be a part of every Penn State fan's vocabulary by the end of the year.

Who is your pick for the Jim O’Hora award given to the defensive player that shows the most improvement?

AJ Wallace. We need him to play big and he will.

Your 2008 team captains are…?

Sean Lee. AQ Shipley, Derrick Williams.

GO STATE! LETS GET FIRED UP!

PSU Wants Gameday Too!

This might just be the coolest college-football-related development I've seen all day! Gameday will be at Florida for their spring game.

Gameday should just go from town to town to go to spring games. It would be glorious! PSU had 70,000+ fans come to watch last years Blue-White game. Gameday consistently calls the PSU student body the best in all of college sports. Why can't we get Corso (who fucks pigs), Herby, and the whole gang out to State College on April 19th?!?!

GO STATE! GET GAMEDAY TO THE BLUE-WHITE GAME!

Fired Up For Spring Practice

I am fucking fired up for Spring Practice! I'll tell you why, this is where we get our first tiny peak into what the 2008 Nittany Lions are going to look like. Also, I find myself feeling optimistic about the upcoming season. The reason for this optimism will be discussed below. However, I would first like to get this out there:

The charges against Tyrell Sales have been dismissed. This is fantastic news, congratulations Mr. Sales. While it still seems as though Sales may have been partying harder than is recommended (this coming from a guy who just got back from Vegas and who feels like a burnt corn-husk) he won't be facing any criminal charges stemming from the incident. However, it is yet to be seen whether Joe gives a shit about how the criminal charges shake out. Joe may/probably is pissed and will continue to be pissed. The big question is: What affect will this have on Tyrell's spring and what will happen to his availability for the fall? Sales was, in my mind anyway, going to be starting at OLB this fall but what will his actual status be? This is a big question.

Just wanted to get that out there.

Now, on to why I'm fired up.

Players are practicing. We may hear from Joe during a press conference (finger crossed). The Blue White game is in sight at April 19, 2008 @ 2 pm. The largest reason to be fired up is PSU has got 17 starters returning from 2007! You can also get fired up for the Grid Iron Bash. Sadly, the players who are not returning are at impact positions.

We lose Connor at ILB. This hurts. He was a great player for PSU and his shoes will be next to impossible to fill. However, if any program can do it, it would be PSU. There is a bevy of young LBs who have the potential to be really could. A major thing to watch this spring is the LB position.

We lose Justin King at corner. This also hurts. I know King got burned in a lot of games last year and seemed to be completely dominated when matched up against Hardy. However, if you think that PSU has a bunch of better cover corners than J-King I think you are out of you mind. AJ Wallace is going to have to step up and play well to shore-up the defensive backfield.

Easily the most intriguing part of the spring is the QB situation. I'm not going to make this a post about Morelli and his relative merits, rather, this needs to be focused on Clarke and Devlin. Which one of them will be leading the team and how that person plays will be outcome determinative for the Lions' season. I don't watch PSU's practices. I don't have Joe's office bugged so I can't give you the scoop on who is ahead. Whoever it is they need to step up and play.

Enough of the Negative! Here are some things to be fucking psyched up for!

The WR position is deep and talented. Williams, Butler, and Norwood are a solid starting three. If Chris Bell actually starts to play up to his potential the passing game could be terribly potent. The Lions need to move away from this concept that Williams is a game-changing player who has to get as many touches as humanly possible every year. He is the second best WR on the team right behind Butler. Just let them all play and do what they do but there is no reason to go out of your way to get Derrick the Ball.

The Running Back position seems to be in great shape. Royster played very well this year, if he can avoid injury he should be a stud this year. Behind him there is Brent Carter who also seems to be a fine back. Stephfon Green, who will see some PT this year, is somebody to get fired up about. Reports out of practice last year was that he was running past the first team defense and made them look slow. Green has the potential to be a great change of pace back this year with the potential for being a real home-run threat for years to come. FUCK YEAH!

The offensive line is poised to be a dominant force after years of being PSU's Achilles heal. AQ Shipley is more beast than man and leads a solid experienced group.

The Defensive line looks strong also. We have a bunch of guys returning, we are getting guys back from injury, and the position could be insanely deep. Should the D-line avoid the massive injuries of last summer they will be stacked.

LETS GO STATE! FUCK YEAH!

Penn State Apartment Fight Update

The Patriot News is reporting the announcement on possible charges against football players will be made tomorrow (4/27). This will end the lengthy speculation and guesswork for bloggers and could have a large impact on PSU's high hopes for the '07 season.

GO STATE!

The Quietest Spring Ever

While Penn State's spring crept in like a mild mannered old man into a deli but roared out like a flying turd which has been set aflame! From apartment fights to dismissals from the team this off-season has not been pleasant for the Blue and White.

Fight On State is reporting that James McDonald has been dismissed from the team. He is being dismissed for a violation of an "unspecified violation of team rules", so, it could be anything.

Alright fellas, lets keep it clean for the rest of the spring/summer/fall. When it rains it pours.

GO STATE! REMAIN MILD-MANNERED!

I'm Back and so is the Penn State News!

Please excuse my recent hiatus as i have taken the plunge and now there is a Mrs. Glory of Old State. However, after a wonderful wedding and honeymoon I'm now back to work both in the office and on the web.
Spring practice is back underway. I, for one, could not be happier (I'm sure I'm not alone). The kids were back on the field (no pads),
and Joe is back giving press conferences. You might as well enjoy it because it ain't gonna get any better for another five months.

As usual, Joe was both a wealth of information and a riddle wrapped in an enigma. You can find the entire transcript here, but I'll be giving my analysis below:









First, Joe's Health. The man is not only a legend, the face of the program, but also the future of the program.
Q: (basically) How's the knee?

I’m not doing as much as I’d like to do. I’m a little bit nervous to be frank with you. I’ve got to watch a couple of things, but I’ll get better as it goes along. I expect to be back in the fall. I’m anxious to try running a little bit. I haven’t done in any running. But, I think I’m coming a long pretty well. The knee actually isn’t my problem. The other leg, the one I banged up a year ago when I broke the ribs, is really bothering me more than the knee. I think I’m going to be OK...I’m going to be on the sideline. I’d be really disappointed if I’m not. I’m sure the kids won’t be (laughter).”

Everything seems great. Joe is off the walker and getting ready to run! I mean the old guy is 80 years old and soon he will be seen JOGGING around State College! Also, Joe is going to be back on the sidelines in the fall. All things are right with the universe, Joe will be back prowling the sidelines!

Second, the tailback position, where are we going there?

Q: (basically) What is the deal with Austin Scott?

“He’s OK. He did a great job on the foreign team last year when we decided to keep him out. He’s got to do it this year for himself and I think he will. He’s worked very hard in the winter program and I think he’ll be OK. I think we’ve got some kids that can play. (Austin) Scott’s got a chance to be a good running back and I think (Rodney) Kinlaw just needs a little more poise. And I want to see the others.”

Ok, so Austin is working hard and doing ok, but there are some other kids who can play also (a Joe classic!) Essentially, Joe spat out a complete paragraph and managed to say absolutely nothing about who will replace Tony Hunt. While this is PSU's most pressing need (on top of a defensive line). In essence, it could be Scott, or Kinlaw, or possibly somebody else. Very illuminating.

Q: Any serious injuries for any of the players?

“(Kevin) Cousins won’t be able to go this spring. He sprained a knee. (Tom) McEowen did earlier (knee injury). So, those two guys will not be out there.”

Cousins is a Sophomore WR with four years of eligibility left. While he holds promise at 6'3" and a little of 205 Lbs he won't be missed in a very deep receiving corps. The possible bigger loss is Tom McEowen, a true freshman DT. While both players suffered knee injuries neither seem to be serious. The loss of McEowen will probably be the greater of the two given PSU's need on the defensive line.

Q: (Basically) Pat Devlin...what gives?

“We’re going to try and give him a chance to show us what he can do. That depends on…you can’t program your spring practice for one guy. I’ve got a whole mess of guys out there that are pretty good football players that are all waiting for enough chances to play. We’re not going to program anything to give Devlin a little better opportunity…(Paul) Cianciolo’s waited his turn, (Daryll) Clark’s waited his turn…I think we have to go out every day and give everybody a shot and go from there.”

I would interpret this to mean: don't expect Pat to get get snaps in practice this year, and don't expect him to play next year...maybe. I just hope that Pat gets an opportunity to win a starting spot on the team. I'm not saying he should start this year or even next year but, for the the love of God, protect his eligibility so he has 2+ years left (at least) when he finally starts.

I think those were the tastiest bits of Joe's press conference. It's good to be back but even better to have some real PSU news to talk about!

GO STATE! PRACTICE HARD!