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Nittany Lion Review – Game 8, 2009 – Penn State 35, Michigan 10

Josh — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 01:00:59 +0000

For the first time in fourteen years, Penn State emerged from Michigan Stadium victorious after routing the Wolverines by the score of 35-10 on a cold and rainy day in Ann Arbor. The win moves the Lions to 7-1 on the season and 3-1 inside the Big Ten heading into the final four games of the year.

GAME RECAP

Penn State kicked the ball away to Michigan to begin the game and for the first time all year, the defense gave up a first half touchdown. The Wolverines drove 70 yards down the field and scored on a Brandon Minor one-yard touchdown run to make the score 7-0 maize and blue. Penn State would respond quickly however, and set up a theme for the day as Daryll Clark found Grahan Zug in the endzone just four plays and 68 yards later to tie the game at seven. Before the end of the first quarter, the Lions would add on a 34-yard Colin Wagner field goal to take a lead they would never relinquish.

After a Jeremy Boone punt was downed inside the Michigan 10 yard line, the defense went to work and with the help of two pre-snap penalties on the Wolverines, scored a safety when the ball was snapped through the back of the end zone on third down. After the free kick, Clark would fine Quarless down the seam and 60 yards later Penn State had broken open the game, leading 19-7. Michigan would add on their final points just before halftime, kicking a 23 yard field goal to make is a nine point game.

Out of halftime, Chaz Powell returned the ball to the Wolverine 43 (the 54 yard return was Penn State’s longest of the year thus far), and after another big Clark to Quarless connection, Daryll again found Zug in the corner of the end zone to put Penn State up 25-10 after a missed two-point conversion.

Later in the third quarter, after Michigan fumbled the ball to Penn State on their side of the field, Clark would again find Zug across the middle in the end zone for another score. The three receptions for touchdowns were a career high for Graham, and Penn State was in control 32-10.

In the fourth quarter, Penn State would control the ball for 10:06 before scoring their final three points of the day, a 29-yarder off the boot of Wagner; the losing streak at the Bighouse was finally over as Penn State dominated the Wolverines, 35-10.

VIDEO LINKS

Big Ten Network Game Recap

PICTURE LINKS

POST-GAME STORIES

GAME WRITE-UPS

POSTGAME INTERVIEWS

GoPSUSports.com

POSTGAME NOTES FROM THE SID

GoPSUSports.com

BLOGS

UPON FURTHER REVIEW

Unexpected, yes. Completely shocking, sort of. A very good sign headed into the meat of the schedule, overwhelmingly so. For the second straight week, and year against the Wolverines, the defense absorbed a punch in the mouth early and the offense worked to the third quarter knockout blows. Local boy Zug had a monster day, Clark threw for four touchdowns to break the all-time touchdowns record and Penn State sits at 7-1 heading to the last third of the season. Next week is a slight test against a game Northwestern team that could become a problem if the Lions are caught looking ahead to the showdown with Ohio State in two weeks. After that, games against a weak Indiana team and a Michigan State team who could very well pack up their tents after their tough loss Saturday stand between this year’s squad and a trip to another BCS bowl. The defense is playing incredible, and they are finally getting the help from the offense they lacked in the first parts of this season; if we could just have those last 15 minutes against the Hawkeyes back…

STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE

Akron: L, 14-28 @ Syracuse
Syracuse: W, 28-14 vs. Syracuse
Temple: W, 40-24 @ Toledo
Iowa: W, 15-13 @ Michigan State
Illinois: L, 14-24 @ Purdue
Eastern Illinois: W, 28-20 @ Jacksonville State
Minnesota: L, 7-38 @ Ohio State
Michigan: L, 10-35 vs. Penn State
Northwestern: W, 29-78 vs. Indiana
Ohio State: W, 38-7 vs. Minnesota
Indiana: L, 28-29 @ Northwestern
Michigan State: L, 13-15 vs. Iowa
Combined opponent’s record: 6-6 for the week, 52-40 for the year (.565)

AROUND THE BIG TEN

#18 OHIO STATE 38, MINNESOTA 7: The Buckeyes capitalized on four Golden Gopher turnovers to turn a seven-point halftime lead into a 31 point victory Saturday in Columbus. Terrelle Pryor passed for 239 yards and two touchdowns through the air and another on the ground to lead Ohio State over a Minnesota team who has looked inept over the past two weeks. The Buckeyes host New Mexico State next week before traveling to Happy Valley on November 7th.
PURDUE 24, ILLINOIS 14: Purdue outgained, outrushed and outpassed the Illini on Saturday afternoon at Ross-Ade Stadium for their second consecutive victory. Most of the Boilermaker’s damage was done on the ground, where they accounted for 220 yard and all three of their touchdowns.
NORTHWESTERN 29, INDIANA 28: After Ray Fisher returned a kickoff 93 yards to make the score 28-3 Indiana, few people sitting in Ryan Field thought Northwestern had a chance to win the game. But 26 unanswered points later, after a 19-yard field goal, the Wildcats had erased the biggest deficit in school history to beat the Hoosiers and gain some momentum heading into next week’s game against Penn State.
#7 IOWA 15, MICHIGAN STATE 13: The last unbeaten team left in the Big Ten escaped East Lansing with a memorable victory over the Spartans Saturday night. After giving up a touchdown late in the game to trail MSU 13-9, Iowa drove the length of the field and scored a touchdown on a slant route with no time left on the clock to save perfection and a chance at playing for a national championship. The Hawkeyes are a serious threat to go undefeated, as they have three of four games remaining at home and one on the road against an Ohio State team who has struggled at times this season.

AROUND THE NATION

#12 OREGON 43, WASHINGTON 19: With next week’s home game against Oregon looming on the horizon, many thought that the Ducks would overlook the Huskies and get a tough game this weekend in Seattle; many were also wrong. Oregon rolled over Washington thanks in large part to five-straight touchdown scoring drives in the second and third quarters to put the game out of reach. The Ducks racked up 259 yards rushing and got two scored from both running back LaMichael James and quarterback Jeremiah Masoli in the blowout win.
CLEMSON 40, #8 MIAMI 37 (OT): Facing a third and eleven at the Miami 26 yard line, Clemson quarterback Kyle Parker found Jacoby Ford across the middle to the game winning touchdown in the only upset of the day. The win blows open the ACC for Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech, and the loss drops Miami out of the BCS and AP top tens.
#1 ALABAMA 12, TENNESSEE 10: After dominating the game for the first 57 minutes, Tennessee scored a late touchdown after the first fumble of Crimson Tide running back Mark Ingram’s career and recovered an onside kick to set up a would have been a game-winning field goal from 44 yards away. But Alabama’s nose guard, 360-pound Terrence Cody came up with his second field goal block of the game to keep the Tide’s undefeated season and national championship hopes alive in a 12-10 thriller over the Volunteers. Alabama has off next week and will host the ninth-ranked LSU Tigers on November 7th.
#10 TCU 38, #18 BYU 7: TCU used a strong defensive showing and got three touchdown passes from Andy Dalton to crush Mountain West foe BUY in Provo, Utah Saturday night. The win keeps the Horned Frogs undefeated and vaults them to sixth in the BCS ranking, ahead of Boise State, whom they are likely battling for a BCS game berth.
#4 USC 42, OREGON STATE 36: Despite outgaining the Trojans by more than fifty yards, Oregon State fell to USC in Los Angeles by the score of 42-36 in a wile Pac-10 shootout. USC got 2 touchdowns from Allen Bradford on the ground, two from Matt Barkley through the air and one from Damian Williams on a punt return in the fourth quarter which proved to be the difference in the game.

THE NEW ASSOCIATED PRESS TOP TEN

1. FLORIDA (30)
2. ALABAMA (23)
3. TEXAS (7)
4. USC
5. CINCINNATI
6. BOISE STATE
7. IOWA
8. TCU
9. LSU
10. OREGON
12. PENN STATE
17. OHIO STATE

THE BCS TOP TEN

1. FLORIDA
2. ALABAMA
3. TEXAS
4. IOWA
5. USC
6. TCU
7. BOISE STATE
8. CINCINNATI
9. LSU
10. OREGON
12. PENN STATE
17. OHIO STATE

AGAINST THE SPREAD’S BOWL PROJECTIONS

BCS NAT’L CHAMP GAME: Alabama vs. Texas
ORANGE BOWL: Cincinnati vs. Georgia Tech
FIESTA BOWL: Oregon vs. TCU
SUGAL BOWL: Florida vs. Penn State
ROSE BOWL: Iowa vs. USC
If Penn State does not get selected for a BCS berth, they would end up in the Capital One Bowl.

LOOKING AHEAD

Check back with us on Thursday as we preview Penn State’s next game, a late Saturday afternoon contest against the Northwestern Wildcats in Evanston.

And remember, we are six days away from the beginning of Ohio State Hate Week 2009, which starts Sunday.

Nittany Lion Preview – Game 8, 2009 – at Michigan

Josh — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 03:00:19 +0000

#13 PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS at MICHIGAN WOLVERINES: 5-2 (1-2), tied for seventh in the Big Ten.

ALL TIME SERIES NOTES: In these two teams’ previous 14 meetings, Michigan has won 10 of them including nine of the last ten. Michigan’s one loss in that stretch was the 46-17 loss last year at Penn State, the biggest loss be either team in the history of the series.

PREVIEW: Since joining the Big Ten, no single team has been a bigger burden on Penn State than the Wolverines. After winning three of the first four meetings, including a 31-24 thriller in 1994 that vaulted them to the top ranking in the nation, Penn State has dropped every game except for last year’s contest. Furthermore, Penn State has not won in Michigan Stadium since 1996, a span stretching five games. This series has also been memorable for close games with bad officiating (from this point of view), including the 2002 three-point overtime loss/Tony Johnson foot in/out of bounds game and the 2005 two-second game, the only one the Nittany Lions would lose that year.

LAST WEEK: Michigan crushed FCS opponent Delaware State 63-3 while Penn State shutout Minnesota 20-0 in the aftermath of a freak October snowstorm that made gameday in Happy Valley a surreal experience.

GETTING TO KNOW THE WOLVERINES: After a disastrous 2008 season which saw Michigan set a school record for losses, head coach Rich Rodriguez appears to have the Wolverines turning the corner in his second year. Michigan began the season 4-0, including a thrilling victory against Notre Dame in the second week of the season. Since beating Indiana in week four, Michigan has lost two of three games. Both of those games were away from Ann Arbor, at Iowa in primetime and in East Lansing against rival Michigan State.

STATISTICAL MATCHUPS: A comparison between the Lions and the Wolverines (national rankings in parenthesis)…

Penn State’s Passing Offense vs. Michigan’s Passing Defense
Penn State, 245.7 ypg (37th); Michigan, 232.9 ypg (80th)
Penn State’s Rushing Offense vs. Michigan’s Rushing Defense
Penn State, 187.0 ypg (25th); Michigan, 130.4 ypg (58th)
Penn State’s Scoring Offense vs. Michigan’s Scoring Defense
Penn State, 29.6 ppg (42nd); Michigan, 21.9 ppg (46th)
Penn State’s Passing Defense vs. Minnesota’s Passing Offense
Penn State, 163.4 ypg (14th); Michigan, 191.6 ypg (86th)
Penn State’s Rushing Defense vs. Michigan’s Rushing Offense
Penn State, 75.4 ypg (6th); Michigan, 235.0 ypg (8th)
Penn State’s Scoring Defense vs. Michigan’s Scoring Offense
Penn State, 8.7 ppg (2nd); Michigan, 37.3 ppg (9th)
Turnover Margin (per game)
Penn State, -.14 (t-67th); Michigan, -.43 (88th)

OFFENSIVE PLAYERS TO WATCH: Quarterback Tate Forcier is fourth in the Big Ten in passing efficiency, but has struggled over his last five games. Two weeks ago against Iowa, Forcier suffered a concussion and played just one series in last weeks woodshedding of Delaware State. The Wolverines are a very balanced team running the ball, as they have three players with over 40 carries. The rushing attack is led by Carlos Brown (44 carries for 336 yards and 3 TD’s) and Brandon Minor (57 carries for 274 yards and 4 TD’s), but also features back-up quarterback Denard Robinson, who has carried the ball 47 times for 273 yards and five scores. The Wolverines ground attack is second to none in the Big Ten (Penn State is next closest with 48 less yards per game), and has accounted for 55% of their total yards this season. Doing the receiving for Michigan has primarily been Martavious Odoms, who has 19 receptions for 238 yards and one score.

DEFENSIVE PLAYERS TO WATCH: Obi Ezeh leads Michigan in tackles with 55 from his linebacking position. While the Wolverines have improved from 2008 defensively, they are neither strong against the run or the pass, ranking in the middle of the pack against the run and slightly below average against the pass. In the secondary, keep an eye out for Donovan Warren, who is second in the conference in pass breakups and tied for second with three interceptions.

WHO NEEDS TO STEP UP; MICHIGAN: To take pressure off of a below average secondary, Michigan has to be good against the rush on first and second downs. Being ranked seventh in the conference against the run and eighth in the pass means Michigan will likely need turnovers to help them stay in the game, so we’re going to key on Warren when Clark is throwing the ball and defensive end Brandon Graham when the Lions choose to run. If Graham can play in the backfield for a god part of the day, Penn State’s offense might be neutralized.

On offense, the key player has to be Forcier, who was great against Notre Dame in leading the Wolverines to victory. Penn State will not hold this team down rushing, but The Lions are the best defense that Michigan has faced to date, especially against the run. Forcier must make throws and use his mobility to extend plays and find open receivers.

WHO NEEDS TO STEP UP; PENN STATE: In Penn State’s first true road test of the season, it is unquestionable that the Lions need quarterback Daryll Clark to have a good day. He should be able to find some holes in Michigan’s secondary and on those occasions, receivers need to be hit. Also, don’t forget that Clark has legs, which he can use to run; hopefully we see some of that Saturday.

Defensively for Penn State, Josh Hull, Navarro Bowman and Sean Lee (who is expected to play) all need to have good games against the Wolverines zone-read offense.

INJURY REPORT:

Penn State: RB Stephfon Green (ankle, out), RB Brent Carter (knee, possible)

WEATHER FORECAST: Coludy with a very slight chance of rain, highs in the low 50’s

QUICK HITTERS:

Daryll Clark can become Penn State’s second starting quarterback in school history to beat Michigan twice; the other was Wally Richardson who also beat the Wolverines as a fifth year senior, like Clark is this season.
Penn State will be visiting Michigan Stadium for the first time since press box renovations were done over the off season. Word from Ann Arbor is that it is much louder on the playing surface now, and sound is something that Penn State has not had to deal with all season.
Penn State has scored first, led at halftime and after the third quarter in all seven of their games so far this season. The defense has not allowed a first half touchdown this season.

POINTS OF VIEW: A look at what some of our fellow Penn State and Michigan bloggers are saying…

The 22,000+ is fired up about this week and also is looking forward to Ohio State Hate Week, which starts in (count ‘em) nine days here on Against the Spread

Maize and Brew, a pretty good Michigan blog, has a very nice look at coach Joe Paterno; for a Michigan fan.

Zombie Nation; comprehensive, as always

AROUND THE BIG TEN: At noon, the Hoosiers travel to Northwestern to face the Wildcats, Ohio State looks to rebound from last week’s disastrous loss when they host Minnesota and Purdue looks to effectively end Illinois’ season by beating them in West Lafayette. The conference winds down play with a big game in East Lansing as Michigan State hosts seventh-ranked Iowa at 7:00pm; Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz has never won at Michigan State. Wisconsin is idle this week.

AROUND THE NATION: Only one game of national interest pits ranked teams against one another this week, but quite a few ranked teams should get stern tests from unranked opponents. The biggest game kicking off at noon will be played in Charlottesville as 11th-ranked Georgia Tech will take on Virginia, who is undefeated so far in the ACC despite losing their season opener to FCS William & Mary. At 3:30, 12th-ranked Oregon will visit Seattle to play Washington, who has already upset USC earlier this season on the same field. Penn State fans should watch both of these games keenly as both the Yellow Jackets and Ducks sit above the Nittany Lions in the polls. The day’s premiere game kicks at 7:30 when TCU and BYU square off in Provo, Utah. This match-up of non-BCS conference schools pits the 10th and 16th-ranked teams against one another and the loser will be eliminated from the conversation when it comes to the BCS.

PRE-SEASON PREDICTION: 27-13, Penn State.

CURRENT PREDICTION: Before we made our pre-season prediction, we didn’t think that the Wolverines would be as good as they were in the first two weeks of the season. After an impressive win over Notre Dame, everyone was on the Michigan train buzzing about freshman quarterback Tate Forcier and his ability to run the offense. Since that game, he has gone just 45/87 (51.7%) for 608 yards, 4 touchdowns, three interceptions and one concussion, and his team has gone just 3-2 and sits in the lower half of the Big Ten. So where’s the beef, what was all the hub-ub about? I’m not going to go as far as saying same-new Michigan because they are better than last year, but how much remains to be seen. My problems with national media and overexcitement will be detailed in a post further down the line, we don’t have time for it right now.

My biggest fear for this game is that Michigan and head coach Rich Rodriguez decide to let loose and play the style of ball that he employed at West Virginia by utilizing backup quarterback Denard Robinson. When in the game, Robinson has showed explosive flashes and can make plays with his feet more so than his arm (see the horrible interception late in the Iowa game). With a big game, on national TV, with every other Big Ten team watching, in the same stadium in which you have owned Penn State for years now, it seems like it’s the perfect storm for Michigan to use the Nittany Lions as an example; to set a tone for years to come. The only question is can Michigan’s offensive front be as physical as Penn State’s defense. Last year in Happy Valley the answer was a resound no. I’ve never been in any stadium that was as frenzied as Beaver Stadium was last year in the middle of that game. Penn State was in the backfield on every play and the score went from 17-7 Michigan to a Penn State blowout in what seemed to be 10 minutes. So far this year, nether unit has seen one like the other, and whichever one adjusts quickest and makes the proper adjustments will control this game. Like I said above, Michigan is better, but they’re not the whole way back just yet.

That point is what makes me lean towards Penn State in this one; I truly think that they have an advantage when it comes to coaching and overall skill and that will be the difference in this game. Penn State wins this game by the same score we predicted in August, 27-13.

We’ll be back on Monday with a review of the action, in a post that will kick off a busy week at AtS; we’re Phillies fans too.

Nittany Lion Review – Homecoming 2009 – Penn State 20, Minnesota 0

Josh — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 01:00:12 +0000

On a snowy, surreal Saturday afternoon in Happy Valley, Penn State defeated Minnesota 20-0 in front of a subdued crowd that was announced at 107,000+ for the annual homecoming game. The shutout was Penn State’s first in almost two seasons and the victory makes the Lions bowl eligible at 6-1; but there is still plenty of work to be done beyond week seven.

GAME RECAP

After a day of limited parking and “no tailgating,” Penn State an Minnesota kicked off the annual homecoming game under cold, cloudy skies in Beaver Stadium.

The game overall was extremely one sided, as Penn State scored their first six points on two Colin Wagner field goals and took a 6-0 lead late into the second quarter. Just before halftime, Daryll Clak found Derek Moye in the endzone but the catch was originally ruled out of bounds. After the play went to review, the call was overturned and the Lions had a 13-0 lead heading to the locker rooms.

In the second half, Penn State tacked on another touchdown on a Daryll Clark quarterback sneak to make the score 20-0. Minnesota’s best scoring chance came late in the game on a 4th and goal at the Penn State one. On a sweep play to the left side, Jerome Hayes blew up two men, allowing A.J. Wallace to make a one-on-one tackle near the pylon to preserve Penn State’s first shoutout at Beaver Stadium since 2006.

VIDEO LINKS

Big Ten Network Game Recap

PICTURE LINKS

POST-GAME STORIES

GAME WRITE-UPS

POSTGAME INTERVIEWS

GoPSUSports.com

POSTGAME NOTES FROM THE SID

GoPSUSports.com

BLOGS

UPON FURTHER REVIEW

This game was the first time all season Penn State won all three phases of the game. Offensively, Evan Royster finally had the day we had been waiting for and Derek Moye emerged to be the number one reciever. Defensively, Josh Hull had his third solid game in a row and the secondary completely eliminated the biggest offensive threat in the entire Big Ten conference. Even Colin Wagner, who didn’t have a touchback all season, got two balls to the end zone limiting Minnesota’s dangerous special teams from doing any damage. All in all, a very encouraging game that gives the Nits something to build on heading to Michigan next week.

Also, one more thing: to those students who thre snowballs at the defenseless cheerleaders, sideline officials and dance team members, don’t bother coming back to a game. Between all the PSU campuses there are 90,000 kids who would surely love to attend some football games, get there on time, and have a little class while doing so. Fortuantely for us fans, Penn State players, administration and alumni, things never really got too out of hand which would have been another black eye for a school that has suffered irrefutable damage to their reputation over the last few years. To those students who showed some maturity and didn’t throw anything onto the field or at anyone (i.e. Seniors and Juniors), good job, but please consider start showing up to the games on time, that is also quite embarrassing on a national stage.

STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE

Akron: L, 17-21 @ Buffalo
Syracuse: Bye week, no game
Temple: W, 27-13 vs. Army
Iowa: W, 20-10 @ Wisconsin
Illinois: L, 14-27 @ Indiana
Eastern Illinois: W, 23-15 vs. Tennessee Tech
Minnesota: L, 0-20 @ Penn State
Michigan: W, 63-3 vs. Delaware State
Northwestern: L, 14-24 @ Michigan State
Ohio State: L, 18-26 @ Purdue
Indiana: W, 27-14 vs. Illinois
Michigan State: W, 24-14 vs. Northwestern
Combined opponent’s record: 6-5 for the week, 46-34 for the year (.575)

AROUND THE BIG TEN

PURDUE 26, #7 OHIO STATE 18: Thanks to five Buckeye turnovers and less than 300 yards of total offense, the seventh-ranked Buckeyes dropped a stunner to the Boilermakers, who won their first conference game since the final game of 2008 and their first game overall since the first game of this season. Joey Elliott led the way for Purdue, going 31 of 50 for 281 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Aaron Valentine was on the receiving end of both TD passes in the third quarter, which gave Purdue a 23-7 lead at the time.
MICHIGAN STATE 24, NORTHWESTERN 14: The Spartans scored all 24 points in the second half, including 17 in the third quarter on their way to beating Northwestern at home. This contest featured remarkable close statistics, as Michigan State outgained the Wildcats by just five yards and MUS quarterback Kirk Cousins threw for just ten more yards that Northwestern’s Mike Kafka.
MICHIGAN 63, DELAWARE STATE 3: As the only team to travel outside of the conference this week, Michigan failed to use the services of a punter as they rolled over the Hornets of Delaware State by the score of 63-3 in Ann Arbor. The Wolverines compiled 727 yards of total offense, including 461 on the ground against an undersized, physically-overmatched Delaware State defense.
#11 IOWA 20, WISCONSIN 10: Iowa kept their slim hopes of a national championship alive with a 10-point win on the road at Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday. The Hawkeyes defense suffocated Wisconsin to the tune of just 230 yards of total offense and used three interceptions to key the victory. Quarterback Ricky Stanzi threw for 218 yards and one score in the win.
INDIANA 27, ILINOIS 14: Indiana bounced back after last week’s big loss at Virginia with a win against the hapless Illini in Bloomington. The Hoosiers led by as many as 20 late in a game that featured over 900 yards of total offense. The loss means that Illinois is officially the first Big Ten team eliminated from having a chance of winning the conference title in 2009; they also must win five of their last six to have a chance of going to a bowl game.

AROUND THE NATION

#8 CINCINNATI 34, #21SOUTH FLORIDA 17: After an injury to Heisman contending quarterback Tony Pike late in the second quarter, backup QB Zach Collaros came into the game and rushed for 132 yards in the second half to lead the Bearcats to a victory over South Florida. The extents of Pike’s injury are not known as of yet, and it is unknown if Pike will play in Cincinnati’s next game.
#3 TEXAS 16, #20 OKLAHOMA 13: For the fourth time in five years, Texas beat Oklahoma in the annual Red River Rivalry game at the Cotton Bowl. Even though Longhorns quarterback Colt McCoy threw for just 127 yards, Texas used a stifling rushing defense to get by Oklahoma. The Sooners were held to -17 rushing yards for the day and also knocked Sam Bradford out of the game when he re-aggravated his shoulder injury on a sack in the first quarter.
#6 USC 34, #25 NOTRE DAME 27: A late rally from 20 points behind fell to the turf in South Bend, and USC beat Notre Dame for the eighth straight time. The Irish had a chance to tie the game in the late seconds after mounting a ferocious comeback in the final quarter, but Duval Kamara slipped while cutting in his route and the game was over. USC QB Matt Barkley threw for 380 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in the win, while Jimmy Clausen threw for 260 yards and two scores for Notre Dame.
#1 FLORIDA 23, ARKANSAS 20: Caleb Sturgis kicked a game-winning 27-yard field goal with nine seconds left that allowed the top-ranked Gators to escape with a victory over Arkansas. Tim Tebow threw for 255 yards and a score in the victory, even though Florida fumbled the ball away four times in the game.
#19 GEORGIA TECH 28, #4 VIRGINIA TECH 23: Facing their last stern test of the regular season, Virginia Tech lost any chance of a berth in the national championship game by falling to Georgia Tech Saturday night in Atlanta. Josh Nesbitt rushed for 122 yards and three touchdowns for the Yellow Jackets, who won their first game at home against a top-five team since 1962.
#2 ALABAMA 20, #22 SOUTH CAROLINA 6: Mark Ingram ran wild over the South Carolina defense, gaining 246 yards and a score in the tide’s win over the Gamecocks. With the win, Alabama jumps to number one in the AP poll, over a Florida team who struggled to beat Arkansas at home Saturday afternoon.

THE NEW ASSOCIATED PRESS TOP TEN

1. ALABAMA (39)
2. FLORIDA (20)
3. TEXAS
4. USC
5. CINCINNATI
6. BOISE STATE
7. IOWA
8. MIAMI (FL.)
9. LSU
10. TCU
13. PENN STATE
18. OHIO STATE

THE BCS TOP TEN

1. FLORIDA
2. ALABAMA
3. TEXAS
4. BOISE STATE
5. CINCINNATI
6. IOWA
7. USC
8. TCU
9. LSU
10. MIAMI (FL.)
13. PENN STATE
19. OHIO STATE

AGAINST THE SPREAD’S BOWL PROJECTIONS

BCS NAT’L CHAMP GAME: Alabama vs. Texas
ORANGE BOWL: Cincinnati vs. Georgia Tech
FIESTA BOWL: Miami (Fl.) vs. Boise State
SUGAL BOWL: Florida vs. Penn State
ROSE BOWL: Iowa vs. USC
If Penn State does not get selected for a BCS berth, they would end up in the Capital One Bowl.

LOOKING AHEAD

For their second road game of the season, Penn State visits Ann Arbor to take on the Wolverines in “The Bighouse.” We will have a game preview on Thursday evening.

Also, we are just 13 days away from the beginning of Ohio State Hate Week 2009, beginning November 1st.

White-Out Declared for Saturday’s Game Against Minnesota

Josh — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 03:55:29 +0000

Oh yeah, this is either going to be a blast or a complete disaster...

Mother nature has declared a white-out for Saturday’s game between the host, 14th-ranked Penn State Nittany Lions, and the visiting Golden Gophers of Minnesota. Kickoff is set for 3:30pm for a game which is being dubbed “Snowbowl II.”

Thanks to an unusual storm that has given State College their earliest snowfall in recorded history, and to more snow that is forecasted for tomorrow before, during and after the game, university officials have released several PSA’s in advance of the pending weather conditions.

Penn State also tried to secure the services of inmates from the Centre County Correctional Facility, but, due to the timeframe of the storm, and short notice that the university gave the county, their services will not be used; á la November of 1995 when they were used to clear the stadium before the game against Michigan.

Earlier today, the university announced that over 20,000 parking spots in grassy areas will be off limits because of the weather situation. After 11:00 AM, all parking on gravel and pavement will be used on a first come, first served basis.

Bottom line is this: we will be there early tomorrow with our green pass and seven layers of clothing. On Monday, we will have a comprehensive report on the game and the festivities throughout the day, which include the Men’s Basketball Blue-White scrimmage at the Bryce Jordan Center, which shouldn’t be packed or anything because of the weather.

Enjoy the game and the heat of your living rooms!

Nittany Lion Preview – Homecoming 2009 – vs. Minnesota

Josh — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 01:00:14 +0000

#14 PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS vs. MINNESOTA GOLDEN GOPHERS: 4-2 (2-1), tide for third in the Big Ten.

ALL TIME SERIES NOTES: Saturday will mark the eleventh time these two schools have met, with Penn State holding a 6-4 edge after winning the last two meetings. The last time these two teams played was three years ago, when Penn State used a missed extra point in overtime to escape the Metrodome with a win, 28-27.

The two teams play for the Governor’s Victory Bell, a trophy which was created in honor of Penn State’s first game as a member of the Big Ten Conference.

This Trophy > Land Grant Trophy

PREVIEW: In the 90th homecoming game in the history of Penn State Football, Penn State will host the Minnesota Golden Gophers. The last time Minnesota came to Happy Valley as the homecoming opponent, they beat the second-ranked Lions with a field goal on the game’s final play to smash Penn State’s national title hopes in 1999. The last time Minnesota came to Happy Valley, this play happened (it makes us feel better about things).

LAST WEEK: While the Nittany Lions were warming up against a physically-overwhelmed Eastern Illinois team, Minnesota overcame and early 10-0 deficit to beat the Purdue Boilermakers at brand-new TCF Bank Stadium in their homecoming game.

GETTING TO KNOW THE GOLDEN GOPHERS: Minnesota opened 2009 with high hopes as they christened a brand-new on-campus stadium in Minneapolis. Coach Tim Brewster, in his third year at the helm, has brought a program that had struggled into a squad that can compete with most teams in the Big Ten. In their only game this season against a quality opponent, the Gophers were dominated by a California Golden Bear team that was ranked eighth at the time.

STATISTICAL MATCHUPS: A comparison between the Lions and the Golden Gophers (national rankings in parenthesis)…

Penn State’s Passing Offense vs. Minnesota’s Passing Defense
Penn State, 238.8 ypg (39th); ‘Sota, 218.5 ypg (62nd)
Penn State’s Rushing Offense vs. Minnesota’s Rushing Defense
Penn State, 188.7 ypg (32nd); ‘Sota, 162.67 ypg (83rd)
Penn State’s Scoring Offense vs. Minnesota’s Scoring Defense
Penn State, 31.2 ppg (38th); ‘Sota, 23.8 ppg (60th)
Penn State’s Passing Defense vs. Minnesota’s Passing Offense
Penn State, 173.8 ypg (26th); ‘Sota, 205.17 ypg (75th)
Penn State’s Rushing Defense vs. Minnesota’s Rushing Offense
Penn State, 81.8 ypg (8th); ‘Sota, 114.5 ypg (99th)
Penn State’s Scoring Defense vs. Minnesota’s Scoring Offense
Penn State, 10.2 ppg (6th); ‘Sota, 27.0 ppg (65th)
Turnover Margin (per game)
Penn State, -.3 (t-76th); ‘Sota, even (61st)

OFFENSIVE PLAYERS TO WATCH: Quarterback Adam Weber and wide receiver Erick Decker are the names you will hear all day; and rightfully so. Decker is third in the nation in receiving yards with 689m has 46 receptions and is tide for the lead in the Big Ten with 5 touchdowns. Weber overall has thrown for 1,224 yards while completing just 57% of his passes for six touchdown. His eight interceptions are worrisome however. Also in the backfield, Minnesota has been using a two-back system. Leading the team Duane Bennett with 283 yards and five scores; we profile the second member of the rushing attack later in this article.

DEFENSIVE PLAYERS TO WATCH: Lee Campbell, Nate Tripplett and Simoni Lawrence lead the defensive attack for Minnesota. Campbell, who is second in the Big Ten in tackles, leads the team in tackles with 64 and tackles for loss with 6.5. Between the three of them they account for 175 total tackles and 13 tackles for loss.

WHO NEEDS TO STEP UP; MINNESOTA: Duane Bennett and DeLeon Eskridge must both have big days on the ground for Minnesota to have a chance. Defensively, the Gophers have to have an above-average day stopping Penn State’s running attack, which has really tuned up since the Iowa game.

WHO NEEDS TO STEP UP; PENN STATE: Statistics indicate that Minnesota will be throwing the ball, but the weather situation indicates a need for running the ball. So of all the defensive weapons Penn State has at their disposal, we’d really like to see the secondary make the Gophers run the ball into the teeth of the eight-ranked rushing defense in the nation. Son on Saturday, we’re sure to hear many names we haven’t heard of all season. This will be the first stern test for the secondary and they will have an extra man in the form of Mother Nature; she’s going to be nasty.

INJURY REPORT:

Penn State: LB Sean Lee (knee, possible), WR Devon Smith (concussion, possible), T Nerraw McCormack (ankle, possible)

WEATHER FORECAST: Very cold with cloudy skies and rain mixed with snow, highs in the mid-to-upper 30’s.

QUICK HITTERS:

Minnesota’s visit to Beaver Stadium will be the Gopher’s second trip away from home in the Big Ten season. Earlier this year, they beat Northwestern in Evanston.
This will be Minnesota head coach Tim Brewster’s first meeting against Penn State.
Penn State has scored first, led at halftime and after the third quarter in all six of their games so far this season. The defense has not allowed a first half touchdown this season.

POINTS OF VIEW: A look at what some of our fellow Penn State and Minnesota bloggers are saying…

Black Shoe Diaries shows a bit more confidence that they did two weeks ago

The Daily Gopher seemingly expects their fate

The 22,000+ blogs from State College and has said nothing about the weather… it’s freaking snowing there dude!

Zombie Nation does what they do best

AROUND THE BIG TEN: After a week which saw three teams in out-of-conference games, Michigan is the only team to venture beyond the Big Ten this week as they host Delaware State. That game, along with seventh-ranked Ohio State visiting Purdue, Northwestern traveling to East Lansing and Wisconsin hosting a huge game against eleventh-ranked Iowa all kick at noon. The only other game of the day in the Big Ten kicks off at 7:00pm as Illinois travels to Indiana in a matchup of teams who are desperate for a win.

AROUND THE NATION: Five games pitting ranked teams against one another highlight this week’s schedule. Tonight, Big East contenders collide in Tampa Bay as 21st-ranked South Florida squares off against eighth-ranked Cincinnati in a battle of unbeatens. The winner of this game should have the inside track towards the conference title and a trip to Miami for the Orange Bowl (that’s right, an undefeated Big East team will not make the BCS Championship game). On Saturday, things get started early at the Texas State Fair as third-ranked Texas and 20th-ranked Oklahoma battle in the Red River Rivalry. Later in the day, Notre Dame looks to break a seven game losing streak against sixth-ranked USC in South Bend. Fourth-ranked Virginia Tech travels to Atlanta to take on 19th-ranked Georgia Tech at 6:00pm in what should be the Hokies final test until December’s ACC Championship game. The last game of major importance on Saturday kicks at 7:45 in Tuscaloosa as second-ranked Alabama hosts 22nd-ranked South Carolina in a crossover SEC game.

PRE-SEASON PREDICTION: 44-21, Penn State.

CURRENT PREDICTION: In what is being billed as Snowbowl II (1995 Michigan game being I), Penn State’s ground attack will be too much for Minnesota to overcome. Evan Royster is due for a big game, and if you remember his performance in last year’s homecoming game, Saturday might be that day. The Nittany Lions overmatch the Gophers everywhere statistically but for special teams, where the visiting squad could very well get on the board in this game. But defensively, Penn State should dominate this game, and if the offense controls the ball this game could be over before we all lose feeling in our hands. Penn State wins this game 31-14 in a game that should resemble what football would look like were it played inside snow-globes. We’ll have a report on the game Monday evening.