It may have only been Akron, but the 2004
Nittany Lions looked miles ahead of the 2003 version,
particularly on offense. This game marked the first time
that Penn State has been impressive in a season opener since
the 1999 41-7 drubbing of then #3 Arizona in the Pigskin
Classic. The Lions looked like a completely different team
on the field last Saturday, and a lot of praise should go to
new offensive coordinator Galen Hall for the way he handled
the offense. Despite not having to throw many passes,
senior quarterback Zack Mills looked sharp, and the wide
receivers did not drop a pass, which is clearly a major
improvement over last year. Backup quarterback Michael
Robinson started the game at the split end position and
contributed as both a receiver and quarterback. He even
threw a touchdown pass to Mills in the second quarter, and
Mills ended the day with two touchdown passes, one rushing
touchdown, and one receiving touchdown, which is a very rare
feat. The experience of the offensive line was also very
noticeable, as Levi Brown, Charles Rush, E.Z. Smith, Tyler
Reed, and Andrew Richardson provided great pass protection
and also opened gaping holes for sophomore tailbacks Tony
Hunt and Austin Scott. Hunt ran 77 yards for a touchdown on
the Nittany Lions’ second offensive play, and he and Scott
each surpassed the 100-yard mark to make them the first PSU
tandem to accomplish that since Ki-Jana Carter and Mike
Archie in 1993. Defensively, the Lions contained Charlie
Frye by placing plenty of pressure on him and by allowing
him to only complete short passes. Frye completed an
impressive 29 of 36 passes, but none was longer than 15
yards. Junior cornerback Anwar Phillips intercepted two
passes, and middle linebacker Tim Shaw flashed potential as
well.
Player(s)
of the Game:
This was the most complete offensive performance by Penn
State in years, so it is nearly impossible to name just one
player, although Zack Mills and Tony Hunt would certainly
deserve the honor. However, the entire offense gets the nod
this week, as the unit played almost flawlessly.
Play
of the Game:
Although it was nice to see a successful play that included
the shift of Zack Mills to wide receiver prior to the snap,
the play that set the tone was Tony Hunt’s 77-yard touchdown
run to get the Nittany Lions rolling. The first team
offense would go on to score a touchdown on every
possession.
True
freshmen who saw playing time: QB Anthony
Morelli, OLB Dan Connor, TE Jordan Lyons, DT Elijah Robinson
Penn
State Nittany Lions (1-0) at Boston College Eagles (1-0)
Saturday, September 11 8:00 P.M. ABC
Key Matchups:
PSU RT Andrew Richardson vs. BC LE Mathias Kiwanuka, PSU
Defensive Tackles vs. BC Interior Offensive Line
Penn
State Offensive Starters:
QB Zack
Mills, RB Tony Hunt/Austin Scott, FB Paul Jefferson, FL
Gerald Smith, SE Michael Robinson, TE Isaac Smolko, LT Levi
Brown, LG Charles Rush, C E.Z. Smith, RG Tyler Reed, RT
Andrew Richardson
Boston
College Offensive Starters:
QB Paul
Peterson, RB Jeff Ross, FB Mark Palmer, WR Grant Adams, WR
Joel Hazard, TE David Kashetta, LT James Marten, LG Shadu
Moore, C Patrick Ross, RG Josh Beekman, RT Gosder Cherilus
Penn
State Defensive Starters:
LE Tamba
Hali, LT Jay Alford, RT Scott Paxson/Ed Johnson, RE Matthew
Rice, OLB Derek Wake, MLB Tim Shaw, OLB Paul Posluszny, CB
Alan Zemaitis, FS Andrew Guman, HERO Calvin Lowry, CB Anwar
Phillips
Boston
College Defensive Starters:
LE Mathias
Kiwanuka, LT Alvin Washington, RT Tim Bulman, RE Nick
Larkin, OLB Ricky Brown, MLB Ray Henderson, OLB Jon
Misiewicz, CB Peter Shean, FS T.J. Stancil, SS Jamie Silva,
CB Will Blackmon
Prediction:
Penn State 31, Boston College 16
The
Nittany Lions looked very impressive on offense last week,
and they are clearly not the same as the 2003 team, when the
Eagles rolled out of Happy Valley with a 27-14 victory.
Penn State is a young but talented team, and with the
offense under the control of Galen Hall, the Lions should
not have too much trouble with the BC defense. DE Mathias
Kiwanuka and CB Will Blackmon are both stars, but Penn State
showed in the opener that it has more weapons on offense
than what was originally thought. PSU’s rush defense was
very poor in the game last year, but the front seven has
improved and the Eagles lost Derrick Knight and Horace Dodd
to graduation, as well as L.V. Whitworth to injury for the
game. Whitworth rushed for over 100 yards against Ball
State, but the starting job will now belong to unproven
sophomore Jeff Ross. Another major blow to the Eagles is
the loss of star OT Jeremy Trueblood to injury, which leaves
them with a very inexperienced offensive line. Penn State
has not won a road game since 2002 at Indiana, and the
Eagles are a much more talented team than Akron, but the
Nittany Lions should be able to prove themselves with a big
road win and gain some national attention with a big
primetime audience on ABC. Look for either Austin Scott or
Tony Hunt to rush for over 100 yards once again.
8/31/04
2004 Penn State Season Preview Part III:
Defense and Special Teams
Defensive
Line
Projected Starters at DT:
#85 Jay Alford (So, 6-3, 279), #41 Scott Paxson (Jr, 6-5,
275)
Backups:
#92 Ed Johnson (So, 6-2, 296), #78 John Shaw (So, 6-4, 278),
#95 Elijah Robinson (Fr, 6-2, 290), #53 Steve Roach (So,
6-2, 311)
Projected Redshirts:
A.Q. Shipley
Key Losses:
None
Projected Starters at DE:
#91 Tamba Hali (Jr, 6-3, 273), #17 Lavon Chisley (Jr, 6-5,
265)
Backups:
#55 Matthew Rice (Jr, 6-4, 262), #54 Amani Purcell (RFr,
6-3, 260), #44 Patrick Hall (So, 6-2, 257), #69 Jason
Robinson (Sr, 6-3, 281)
Projected Redshirts:
Josh Gaines (Fr, 6-4, 255)
Key Losses:
Sam Ruhe, Jeremiah Davis
The
defensive line had a lot of trouble stopping the run last
season, as the Nittany Lions allowed twelve 100-yard
rushers. The two main reasons for the lack of success
against the run were youth and size. Fortunately, all of
the tackles return, and three players are expected to
compete for starts. Sophomore Jay Alford is the leader of
the group of tackles, as he started eight games last year
and showed a lot of improvement. He is a good inside pass
rusher, but he lacks great size to stuff the run. Alongside
Alford, junior Scott Paxson and sophomore Ed Johnson will
likely share time. Like Alford, Paxson is undersized at
only 275 pounds, but he has good strength and can play with
leverage up the middle. Johnson is the strongest of the
three, and at 296 pounds, he is probably the top run stuffer
on the team. If he can play with more consistency, he
should start to see more time on the field. Sophomore John
Shaw will back up Alford after surprisingly seeing action as
a true freshman, while Elijah Robinson, a true freshman who
participated in spring practice, could also see the field.
There have
been a lot of questions at defensive end during the
off-season, as position changes and off the field problems
caused some confusion. Senior outside linebacker Derek Wake
moved to end during the spring but was changed back to
linebacker at the beginning of preseason camp. Another
position change looks to be more successful though, as
former defensive tackle Tamba Hali has moved to right end.
Hali originally came to Penn State as a touted end but
played tackle as a true freshman and sophomore. He
possesses and outstanding combination of size, strength, and
quickness at end, and he could develop into one of the most
dangerous pass rushers in the Big Ten. Wake was expected to
be the starter at left end, but now that job will belong to
either Lavon Chisley or Matthew Rice. Both Chisley and Rice
(along with Ed Johnson) dealt with off the field problems in
the off-season, but they are back and will share time. They
have similar size and have showed flashes of brilliance in
the past but have been unable to stay consistent. Redshirt
freshman Amani Purcell, senior Jason Robinson (who moved
from tackle), and sophomore Patrick Hall provide solid depth
at the position.
Defensive
Line Grade:
C+… Hali has the potential to become a star, but the level
of play along the rest of the line will need to become more
consistent. Chisley and Rice have a lot of talent and one
could have a breakout season, while the tackles are solid
but obviously need to show improvement against the run.
Linebackers
Projected Starters at OLB:
#94 Derek Wake (Sr, 6-3, 241), #31 Paul Posluszny (So, 6-3,
228)
Projected Starter at MLB:
#20 Tim Shaw (So, 6-1, 230)
Backups:
#30 BranDon Snow (So, 6-1, 238), #52 Dontey Brown (Fr, 6-2,
239), #56 Mike Sothern (RFr, 6-1, 229), #45 Pat Bedics (RFr,
6-0, 230)
Projected Redshirts:
None
Key Losses:
Gino Capone, Andy Ryland, Tim Johnson
Senior
Derek Wake’s move to end appeared as if it would be
successful, but he was back at the familiar position of
outside linebacker for fall practice. Wake has a great
combination of size and athletic ability, but he needs to
develop better instincts and become a more consistent
tackler. The leader of the group could become sophomore
Paul Posluszny, as he showed a lot of potential as a true
freshman in 2003. He has outstanding size, strength, and
speed, and he has already become one of the vocal leaders on
the team. More and more people are beginning to think that
Posluszny will be the next great linebacker at Penn State
and will help restore the tradition of “Linebacker U.” The
top backup is true freshman Dan Connor, who was an
All-American in high school and enrolled in January to
participate in spring practice. Connor is known for having
incredible instincts and will see immediate playing time.
Sophomore J.R. Zwierzynski will also compete for time, while
behind him, there is very little depth with only walk-ons
Dorian Burton and Matt Pavelic. If one of those four gets
injured, true freshman Tyrell Sales may be forced into
action.
Sophomore
BranDon Snow was moved from fullback to middle linebacker
prior to spring practice and was originally expected to
start. He has great intensity and is a tough player, but a
broken foot will sideline him for at least half the season.
However, he was not guaranteed the starting position, as
sophomore Tim Shaw has shown a lot of ability at
linebacker. Shaw saw time at running back behind Larry
Johnson as a true freshman in 2002, but he redshirted last
season and moved to linebacker. It looked as if he would
start at outside linebacker, but with the move of Wake back
to the position and the injury to Snow, he will start in the
middle. Shaw has superb speed and should be able to play
with more range and make more plays at the line of scrimmage
than last year’s starter, Gino Capone. With the injury to
Snow, the Lions are thin at the position. True freshman
Dontey Brown has been compared by many to former Nittany
Lion All-American Brandon Short (who went to the same high
school as Brown) and has a good chance of playing this
season because of Snow’s injury.
Running
Backs Grade:
B-… The linebackers certainly have a lot too prove, but this
group has the potential to restore the tradition of
Linebacker U. The unit is very young, but if Wake becomes
more consistent and Posluszny develops as expected, it
should become a strength with experience.
Defensive
Backs
Projected Starters at CB:
#21 Alan Zemaitis (Jr, 6-2, 194), #1 Anwar Phillips (Jr,
6-1, 185)
Although
the poor run defense may have been a main reason for the
success, ranking third in pass defense is still an
impressive feat. The Lions have two big holes to fill in
the secondary with the losses of cornerback Rich Gardner and
hero Yaacov Yisrael, but there is still a lot of experience
and talent. Junior cornerback Alan Zemaitis had a breakout
season in 2003 with four interceptions, 18 pass break-ups,
and 71 tackles, and he has the ability to become one of the
top corners in the Big Ten, if not the nation. Replacing
Gardner could be tough though, as junior Anwar Phillips and
sophomore Donnie Johnson are expected to split time at the
right cornerback position. Phillips has much more
experience, but he needs to become more consistent and stop
allowing so many big plays. Johnson spent his freshman
season at both running back and wide receiver, but he was
moved to the defensive backfield in the spring. Like
Zemaitis and Phillips, Johnson has outstanding size and
athletic ability, but he is slowed by inexperience.
Redshirt freshman Brent Wise was originally expected to play
wide receiver, but he also shifted to cornerback and showed
promise in the spring.
Despite
the loss of Yisrael at the hero position, PSU returns plenty
of experience at both safety spots. Junior Calvin Lowry and
seniors Andrew Guman and Chris Harrell all have starting
experience. Lowry is the most athletic of the group and is
the best in coverage. Guman is almost like an extra
linebacker on the field with his tackling ability and
strength, but he needs to improve in man-to-man coverage.
Harrell has been slowed by an injury in practice, but if he
can get healthy, he will contribute great size and tackling
skills in the middle as well. Depth behind those three is
solid, with junior Paul Cronin and sophomore Jim Kanuch
leading the way.
Defensive
Backs Grade:
B… Depth is a slight concern at cornerback, but even without
Gardner and Yisrael, the secondary is one of the most
experienced groups on the team. Zemaitis is an All-Big Ten
cornerback, while Lowry, Guman, and Harrell combine to form
a strong trio at safety.
Special
Teams
Projected Starter at K:
#4 Robbie Gould (Sr, 6-1, 179)
Projected Starter at P:
#36 Jeremy Kapinos (So, 6-1, 229)
Projected Starter at PR:
#10 Calvin Lowry (Jr, 6-0, 195)
Special Teams Grade:
C-… Gould has been inconsistent, but he I still a solid
kicker, and Kapinos showed a lot of talent last season.
However, until the return game and coverage teams improve,
the grade for special teams will remain low.
8/12/04
2004 Penn State
Season Preview Part II:
The Offense
Quarterbacks
Projected
Starter:
#7 Zack Mills (Sr, 6-3, 214)
Backups:
#12 Michael Robinson (Jr, 6-2, 225), #3 Chris Ganter (Jr, 6-1,
194)
Projected
Redshirts:
Anthony Morelli (Fr, 6-4, 208), Jordan Lyons (Fr, 6-5, 220),
Paul Cianciolo (Fr, 6-4, 220)
Key Losses:
None
Zack Mills returns with
two-and-a-half years of starting experience, and if he can stay
healthy, he will most likely own every major Penn State passing
record by season’s end. Mills has had an inconsistent career
that started with him being touted as the savior of the program
when he first led 0-4 Penn State on a last-minute victory at
Northwestern in 2001. Mills went on to lead Penn State to wins
in four of the last six games following the victory in
Evanston. Early on in the 2002 season, Zack posted outstanding
numbers, but he soon faded because of injury problems and the
emergence of tailback Larry Johnson in his 2000-yard season.
Injuries to his left (throwing) arm again became a problem in
2003, but he started to improve again late in the season and is
100-percent healthy going into 2004 and looked better than ever
in spring practice. He has solid mobility and is an outstanding
play-action passer, which is very important with new offensive
coordinator Galen Hall expecting to call more play-action
passes. Besides the arm problems, Mills has also suffered from
inadequate pass protection at times and a receiving corps
plagued by dropped balls. If the supporting cast improves and
Hall can improve the play calling, look for Mills to have a
strong senior campaign.
If Mills has injury problems
again, Penn State has a reliable and
experienced backup in Michael Robinson, who has seen time at
quarterback, as well as running back and wide receiver.
Robinson started three games for the injured Mills in 2003 and
even passed for 379 yards in a close home loss to Wisconsin. He
has a very strong arm but must learn to throw his short to
intermediate passes with more touch. However, he is the biggest
threat as a scrambler in the Big Ten. Third-stringer Chris
Ganter, the son of former offensive coordinator Fran Ganter, has
also seen some game experience and will go into another year as
the holder. Anthony Morelli, one of the best recruits in the
country, is expected to redshirt, along with two-star recruits
Jordan Lyons and Paul Cianciolo.
Quarterbacks
Grade:
B… Zack Mills is healthy once again and should have a strong
season if the receivers hold onto the ball, while Mike Robinson
might be the best backup quarterback in the Big Ten.
Running Backs
Projected
Starter at RB:
#33 Austin Scott (So, 6-0, 214)
Backups:
#26 Tony Hunt (So, 6-2, 218), #8 Rodney Kinlaw (RFr, 5-9, 193),
#32 Mike Gasparato (Sr, 5-11, 216)
Projected
Starter at FB:
#39 Paul Jefferson (Sr, 6-1, 259)
Backups:
#28 Chris Wilson (So, 6-2, 249), #42 Adam Senk (Jr, 6-1, 233),
#47 Brian Gilmore (Jr, 5-11, 243)
Projected
Redshirts:
Dan Lawlor (Fr, 6-3, 235), Matt Hahn (Fr, 6-1, 215)
Key Losses:
Ricky Upton, Sean McHugh
Austin Scott came to Penn State
with very high expectations placed on his shoulders, as he
rushed for over 3800 yards and 53 touchdowns in his senior
season alone at Parkland High School in Orefield, PA, leading
the team to the Pennsylvania AAAA State Championship. Scott
showed a lot of promise early in 2003 despite splitting time
with fellow true freshman Tony Hunt, senior Ricky Upton, and
quarterback Michael Robinson, and he had his first 100-yard
performance in the fourth game of the year, a victory over Kent
State. However, he was slowed by mononucleosis in the second
half of the season and his production and playing time
suffered. He ended the season with a team-high 436 yards and
five touchdowns on the ground. Scott has good size and
outstanding quickness and acceleration, and he has the potential
to be the next great running back at a school that has been home
to so many great ones in the past (Lenny Moore, Franco Harris,
John Cappelletti, Lydell Mitchell, Curt Warner, D.J. Dozier,
Blair Thomas, Ki-Jana Carter, Curtis Enis, and Larry Johnson, to
name a few). With a more experienced offensive line, Scott
could have one of the biggest breakout seasons in the country.
Tony Hunt, Mike Gasparato, and
Rodney Kinlaw will provide great depth behind Scott, although
Penn
State nation hopes that Joe Paterno does not resort to the
tailback-by-committee approach that failed with Eric McCoo, Omar
Easy, and Larry Johnson in 2001. Hunt has better inside running
skills than Scott and should see a lot of playing time.
Gasparato missed all of 2003 with a nagging leg injury, and he
will most likely see limited action as a change-of-pace back and
as a slot receiver. Kinlaw was expected to play as a true
freshman, but he tore his ACL before the season and was forced
to redshirt. He is one of the fastest players on the team and
should see plenty of action at tailback and even in the slot,
despite his lack of size.
The best player on the team in
2003 was arguably fullback Sean McHugh, as he was a major
contributor as a blocker, runner, and receiver. The versatile
McHugh will be replaced by an outstanding lead blocker in Paul
Jefferson. Jefferson was the starter in 2002
and was a major reason that Larry Johnson surpassed the
2000-yard mark. He does not have the receiving skills that
McHugh had, but his toughness and skills as a blocker should
help Scott to a breakout season. Chris Wilson, Adam Senk, and
Brian Gilmore will be the backups to Jefferson, but none of the
three has much experience. The fullback of the future was
expected to be BranDon Snow, but he was moved to middle
linebacker in the spring.
Running
Backs Grade:
B… The backfield is has a lot of depth, and with a year under
his belt, Austin Scott should enjoy a breakout season.
Receivers
Projected
Starters at WR:
#19 Gerald Smith (Sr, 5-11, 181), #9 Terrance Phillips (Jr,
5-11, 187)
Backups:
#11 Terrell Golden (RFr, 6-3, 209), #83 Ryan Scott (Sr, 6-2,
192), #34 Gio Vendemia (Jr, 6-0, 187), #13 Kinta Palmer (Jr,
6-4, 184), #21 Ian Firestone (So, 6-0, 185), #82 Vic Surma (So,
6-0, 185), #25 Brendan Perretta (RFr, 5-7, 175), #17 Mike Baird
(Jr, 6-3, 193)
Projected
Redshirts:
Mark Rubin (Fr, 6-4, 210)
Key Losses:
Tony Johnson, Maurice Humphrey
Projected
Starter at TE:
#81 Isaac Smolko (Jr, 6-5, 257)
Backups:
#87 John Bronson (Sr, 6-3, 264), #98 Mike Pawlikowski (Sr, 6-4,
255), #88 Kevin Darling (So, 6-3, 228)
Projected
Redshirts:
Jed Hill (Fr, 6-4, 250), Mike Lucian (Fr, 6-3, 245)
Key Losses:
Matt Kranchick, Mike Lukac, Casey Williams
Look no further than the
receiving corps to find what the weakest unit on the 2003 team
was. Tony Johnson was expected to become the team’s go-to-guy,
but he had a very inconsistent season filled with dropped
passes. Maurice Humphrey had a lot of potential, but he was
kicked off the team. Also gone are tight ends Mike Lukac and
Matt Kranchick, who were both important parts of the passing
game. Despite the losses of those four players and fullback
Sean McHugh, the receivers appear to be in much better shape
than they were last year. Senior Gerald Smith is the most
experienced and reliable player in the group, and he is the
probable starter at flanker. Junior Terrance Phillips had a
strong second half of the season and could emerge as the most
dangerous receiver on the team because of his speed and good
hands, and he is expected to start at split end. The x-factor
in the unit is redshirt freshman Terrell Golden, who has
impressed the coaching staff in practice. He has outstanding
size to go over the middle at 6-3, 209 lbs. and also has the
speed to be a major deep threat. Senior Ryan Scott was not
expected to return for his fifth season, but he ended up being
one of the most improved players in spring practice and had an
outstanding performance in Penn State’s Blue-White game.
Junior Gio Vendemia will move to wide receiver after spending
the rest of his career at cornerback, and he showed potential in
the spring and could become a factor in the passing game.
Junior Kinta Palmer showed signs of brilliance in the 2002 and
2003 spring scrimmages. However, production in practice has not
translated into production in game-time situations, as he has
shown inconsistent hands and route-running skills. If he can
finally put it all together this season, it will be greatly
beneficial to the receiving corps.
At tight end last year, Casey
Williams was the starter but ended up missing the majority of
the season because of injury. Mike Lukac and Matt Kranchick
stepped in for Williams, and Kranchick quickly became a
dangerous target because of his 6-8 frame and outstanding speed.
With those three gone, it is time for junior Isaac Smolko to
emerge. Smolko saw very limited action in 2003 and made his
first career touchdown reception in the loss at Purdue. Senior
John Bronson will also see a lot of time after moving from
defensive end, where he started several games in the past.
Bronson has good size and strength, and despite playing end in
past seasons, he has surprisingly reliable hands that should be
useful in the short passing game and around the end zone.
Fifth-year senior Mike Pawlikowski will be third tight end,
although there is a chance that one of the true freshmen, Jed
Hill and Mike Lucian, could see time instead of redshirting.
Receivers
Grade:
C… The group has a lot of potential, but until the players
develop, it will remain a relative weakness.
Offensive
Line
Projected
Starters at OT:
#67 Levi Brown (So, 6-5, 311), #50 Andrew Richardson (Jr, 6-5,
294)
Backups:
#73 Joel Holler (RFr, 6-5, 328), #68 John Wilson (Jr, 6-6, 319),
#79 Chris Auletta (RFr, 6-4, 298), #64 Chad Albright (RFr, 6-3,
317)
Key Losses:
Damone Jones, Chris McKelvy
Projected
Starters at G:
#74 Tyler Reed (Jr, 6-4, 303), #59 Charles Rush (Jr, 6-2, 298)
Backups:
#54 Scott Davis (Sr, 6-3, 288), #71 Mark Farris (So, 6-6, 284),
#58 Greg Harrison (Fr, 6-5, 288), #72 Lee Lispi (RFr, 6-5, 284),
#65 Robert Price (So, 6-0, 305)
Key Losses:
None
Projected
Starter at C:
#77 E.Z. Smith (Jr, 6-1, 276)
Backups:
#70 Nick Marmo (Sr, 6-5, 298), #66 Lance Antolick (Jr, 6-3,
274), #60 Patrick Weber (RFr, 6-1, 273)
The offensive line had a lot of
struggles last year, especially with the ground game. However,
the unit is much more experienced now, and it will also benefit
from the new zone blocking schemes that Galen Hall has inserted
into the offense. Former defensive tackle Levi Brown started
every game at left tackle as a redshirt freshman in 2003, and he
has the potential to become one of the best tackles in the
nation down the road. At right tackle, junior Andrew Richardson
is the probable starter after moving from tight end in 2003. Redshirt
freshman Joel Holler and junior John Wilson should also be part
of the rotation. The best of the group is guard Tyler Reed, as
he should become an All-Big Ten player this season. He has
prototypical size at 6-4, 303 lbs. and has the talent to be a
star. Like Brown, Charles Rush started his Penn State career
as a defensive tackle, but he moved to guard and started the
last eight games in 2003. He is an inconsistent run blocker,
but like many others on the line, he has a big upside. Senior
Scott Davis is the top backup, as he has started four games but
missed the majority of the 2003 season because of injury. Mark
Farris has seen experience as a second-string player last year,
and he is versatile enough to play any position on the line.
Despite the loss of Dave Costlow, the Nittany Lions are very
strong at center with junior E.Z. Smith. Smith became a starter
at guard as a redshirt freshman in 2002, but he missed the
entire 2003 season. He will anchor the line at center this year
and should be very beneficial to the rush offense. Nick Marmo
was not expected to return for his fifth and final year of
eligibility, but he will return despite missing spring practice
and will be a top backup at both guard and center.
Offensive
Line Grade:
B-… The line should benefit from having more experience and from
the new zone blocking schemes, and has the potential to be great
with future stars Levi Brown, Tyler Reed, and E.Z. Smith.
*Coming
Soon, Penn State Season Preview Part III: Defense and Special
Teams
7/20/04
Off-season Overview
-Penn State
signed 25 players in what was ranked the nation’s 14th
best recruiting class by Rivals and the 12th best by
The Insiders. The class of 2004 is headlined by All-American LB
Dan Connor from Wallingford, PA and QB Anthony Morelli from
Pittsburgh, PA, who backed out on a previous verbal commitment
to the University of Pittsburgh. Other top recruits in the
class include OL Greg Harrison from Shenandoah, PA, MLB Dontey
Brown from McKeesport, PA, LB/DE Tyrell Sales from Butler, PA,
DB Spencer Ridenhour from White Plains, NY, and DT A.Q. Shipley
from Coraopolis, PA.
-Shortly
after National Signing Day, Joe Paterno announced several
coaching changes. Fran Ganter, Paterno’s offensive coordinator
for 20 years, was named Associate Athletic Director for Football
Administration. Galen Hall was named his replacement as
offensive coordinator and running backs coach. Hall was a Penn
State quarterback from 1959-61 and later became offensive
coordinator in Oklahoma’s wishbone offense from 1966-83, before
he was named head coach at Florida. Since coaching the Gators,
Hall has held jobs with the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys, the XFL’s
Orlando Rage, and NFL Europe’s Orlando Thunder and Rhein Fire.
Mike McQueary, a quarterback for Paterno from 1994-97, was named
the team’s new receivers coach and recruiting coordinator after
former coach Kenny Carter left to coach running backs at
Vanderbilt.
-Head Coach
Joe Paterno signed a four-year contract extension through the
2008 season, meaning that he will be 81 years old when his
contract expires.
-Several
players with eligibility remaining will not be returning to the
team in 2004, including OLB Jimi Mitchell, WR Ernie Terrell, DE
Sam Ruhe, DE Jeremiah Davis, MLB Tim Johnson, OL Nick Marmo, OLB
T.C. Cosby, and WR Josh Hannum (transferred to Ursinus).
-Unlike in
2003, when the Nittany Lions received several verbal commitments
from recruits prior to the season, only WR Kevin Cousins (6-3,
189) of Richmond, VA has verbally committed to be a part of the
class of 2005. However, Penn State is believed to be in the
running for two of the nation’s top ten recruits, ATH Derrick
Williams (6-0, 189) of Greenbelt, MD and RB/DB Justin King (6-0,
180) of Pittsburgh, PA.
-The Penn
State coaching staff made several position changes during the
offseason, including: CB Gio Vendemia to WR, OLB Derek Wake to
DE, DT Tamba Hali to DE, FB BranDon Snow to MLB, RB/WR Donnie
Johnson to CB, and DE John Bronson to TE. Position changes that
were made last season and will remain permanent include TE
Andrew Richardson to OT and RB Tim Shaw to OLB (Shaw redshirted
the 2003 season and will be a sophomore after playing running
back in 2002 as a true freshman).
2004 Penn State Season Preview Part I:
The Schedule
Date
Opponent Time
TV
9/4
Akron Zips 3:30
TBA
9/11 at
Boston College Eagles 8:00 ABC
9/18 UCF
Golden Knights 12:00 ESPN Plus
9/25 at
Wisconsin Badgers TBA ESPN or
ESPN2
10/2 at
Minnesota Golden Gophers TBA TBA
10/9
Purdue Boilermakers 4:30 ESPN
10/23 Iowa
Hawkeyes TBA TBA
10/30 at
Ohio State Buckeyes TBA TBA
11/6
Northwestern Wildcats TBA TBA
11/13 at
Indiana Hoosiers TBA TBA
11/20
Michigan State Spartans TBA TBA
Key Game:
at Boston College
The Eagles had
no problem coming into Happy Valley and breezing past the Lions
in 2003, as they scored 21 points in the first quarter to cruise
to a 27-14 win and send Penn State into its nightmare season.
PSU should head into Chestnut Hill fresh off of an opening home
win over Akron, and the BC game could set the tone for the rest
of the season. The game will be at 8:00 pm and televised by
ABC, giving the Nittany Lions and perfect national stage to show
that they are back and to regain confidence. However, a loss
could once again send the team into another season of
disappointments.
Toughest Road Game:
at Ohio State
Penn State is
lucky to miss Michigan on this year’s schedule, but the Lions
have a hard time playing at the Horseshoe. PSU-OSU is a
developing rivalry and has been fairly even overall, but after a
controversial close loss to the Buckeyes in 2003, Penn State
must travel to Columbus to face yet another strong Ohio State
squad, despite the loss of several key players.
Toughest Home Game: Iowa
Kirk Ferentz
seemingly has Joe Paterno’s number, as the Hawkeyes have won
four out of the last five in the series, including overtime
victories at Beaver Stadium in 2000 and 2002. Iowa lost a lot
of offensive talent, but the defense remains loaded with players
like DE Matt Roth, DT Jonathan Babineaux, MLB Abdul Hodge, OLB
Chad Greenway, and CB’s Jovon Johnson and Antwan Allen. A win
would be big for the Nittany Lions with a visit to Columbus the
following week.
Easiest Road Game:
at Indiana
No matter how
the season is going, the Nittany Lions can almost always count
on a win over the Hoosiers. Penn State brought a 2-8 record
into its home game against Indiana in mid-November last season,
but the Lions played their best game of the year in a 52-7
drubbing of Indiana. The Hoosiers return the majority of their
starters, but unlike Penn State, they most likely will not show
much improvement.
Easiest Home Games:
Akron/Central Florida (Tie)
Although both
games have the potential to be surprisingly difficult,
particularly against Akron and QB Charlie Frye, the Zips and
Golden Knights are expected to be only in the middle of the pack
in the Mid-American Conference. If Penn State is going to
become competitive again, games against Akron and UCF should be easy wins.
Overall Schedule Analysis:
Penn State
will face eight teams that went to bowls last season, including
six in a row in the middle of the season. The two home
non-conference games against Akron and Central Florida are
must-wins with the important Boston College game in the middle
and two huge away games after them. Despite not having to face
Michigan, the Big Ten slate is very tough with trips to
Wisconsin and Minnesota followed by a home game against Purdue.
After an off week, a home game against Iowa and the trip to Ohio
State finish out a brutal month of October. The Big Ten
schedule becomes much less difficult in November, as the Lions
face Northwestern at home and Indiana on the road in two very
likely wins. Michigan State comes to Happy Valley in the last
game of the season to battle for the Land Grant Trophy. In the
Spartans’ last trip to Beaver Stadium in 2002, Larry Johnson
rushed for 279 yards in the first half and surpassed the 2000
yard mark for the season. However, things have changed in the
short time since then, and it is hard to tell who will be the
better team at that point in the season.
*Coming Soon:
2004 Penn State Season Preview Part II- The Offense
