2008 Penn State Nittany Lions Preview

Some predict the 2008 season will be Joe Paterno’s last as head football coach at Penn State. It’s not a unanimous opinion by any means, and it doesn’t necessarily reflect the feelings of the Nittany Lions themselves. But you can’t help but wonder.

Two Minute Drill

A Quick Look at the Lions

Penn State has the look of a Big Ten title contender. The Lions return 18 players with substantial starting experience, an outstanding offensive line and their top three pass-catchers. Yes, they need to find a new quarterback and tailback, but there appears to be ample raw material on hand. So why is there so much concern? Maybe because this program isn’t known for popping out polished quarterbacks on demand. Maybe because the schedule dispatches the Lions to Ohio State and Wisconsin, where they have won a combined two games since joining the Big Ten. Maybe because the secondary looks thin. Maybe because linebacker Sean Lee is out for the season. Or maybe it’s just a feeling. Except for their magical 11–1 season in 2005, the Lions have fallen short of greatness in the past decade, sometimes far short. This year’s team looks better than most of those teams did going into the season, but its fate could hinge on a three-game stretch in October in which it will face Wisconsin, Michigan and Ohio State in successive weeks. The break-even point, at least as far as public opinion is concerned, is probably 2–1. Any worse and Beaver Stadium’s title-hungry multitudes will rise up against Joe Paterno. Any better and they’ll probably throw him a parade.

Paterno will be 82 years old when he heads to Florida or California or whichever sunny locale bids the Lions welcome this December. He hasn’t done much recruiting the past two years due to health problems, and at least one high-profile prospect has bypassed Penn State because of uncertainty over its eventual coaching changeover. Meanwhile, Paterno’s relationship with Old Main has reportedly grown strained, and fans are grumbling about the team’s recent run of off-field trouble and its nine consecutive losses to Michigan.

If Paterno’s 43rd season is indeed his last, he’ll have a fighting chance to go out on a high note. The Lions need to break in a new quarterback and replace defensive standouts Dan Connor, Sean Lee and Justin King, but they return 18 players with substantial starting experience and boast outstanding offensive and defensive lines and a host of fine receivers. They also return specialists Kevin Kelly and Jeremy Boone.

Last year’s team talked openly in the spring about challenging for the national championship. That didn’t happen. The Lions finished 9–4 with a visit to the Alamo Bowl.

This year’s team is more circumspect, but no less hopeful. Even the ever-cautious Paterno can’t help but feel upbeat. “I think,” he says, “we’ve got the makings of a pretty good football team.”

Quarterbacks

When in doubt, Penn State usually favors the more experienced candidate. This year, that man is Daryll Clark. A charismatic senior from Youngstown, Ohio, Clark put a charge in Penn State’s offense in its bowl victory over Texas A&M last December, subbing in for Anthony Morelli on a series of fiendishly effective draw plays. Although he’s not as quick as former standout Michael Robinson, to whom he is often compared, Clark is a threat to run, as he proved in rushing for 50 yards and a touchdown against the Aggies. But can he pass? More to the point, can he pass well enough to hold off strong-armed sophomore Pat Devlin? That’s to be determined. Clark has attempted only 36 passes to date and is eager to dispel reports that he’s better at using his feet than his arm. “That’s the one thing I am trying to silence,” he says. “I want to silence all the critics who think of me as a runner first.” If history is any guide — and it usually is — Clark will get the nod going into the opener against Coastal Carolina. But Devlin, a former Parade All-American who backed out of a commitment to Miami to sign with the Lions, is apt to see action.

Running backs

Redshirt sophomore tailback Evan Royster is itching to start after looking sharp during his apprenticeship last season. Backing up Rodney Kinlaw, the 6'1", 212-pound Royster rushed for 513 yards and averaged 6.3 yards a carry. He finished off Texas A&M in the Alamo Bowl, romping for a 38-yard go-ahead touchdown in the Lions’ 24–17 victory. Behind Royster is Stephfon Green. He’s the smaller of the two tailbacks, measuring 5'10", 190 pounds. But he’s also quicker, and his speed should give the Lions a breakaway threat they lacked in 2007. Dan Lawlor is the presumed starter at fullback, but it’s likely to be a part-time job as the Lions continue to de-emphasize the position to exploit their depth at wideout.

Receivers

The Lions have an abundance of first-rate pass catchers. Deon Butler and Jordan Norwood are both experienced, sure-handed seniors, able to stretch a defense or go over the middle and make the tough catch when necessary. They should fit nicely into Penn State’s much-tweaked offense, which quarterbacks coach Jay Paterno has labeled an “HD spread.” Then there’s Derrick Williams. The senior was presumed to be the best of the bunch heading into the 2005 season. But while the Lions have done everything in their power to get the ball in his hands — screens, reverses, direct snaps, you name it — he’s yet to truly break out. If spring practice is any indication, he’ll line up all over the place again with the Lions as eager as ever to make use of his tremendous acceleration. Penn State has a potentially great pass-catching tight end in Andrew Quarless, but the junior keeps running afoul of Paterno. A DUI arrest in March did little to help his cause as he tries to bounce back from a disappointing sophomore season.

Offensive linemen

Barring injury, the line should be a strength. All five starters return from a unit that allowed only 20 sacks last year while helping Penn State average 194 yards rushing. Gerald Cadogan and Dennis Landolt are the tackles, with Rich Ohrnberger and Stefen Wisniewski at guard and A.Q. Shipley at center. Paterno worries about depth, but the first team looks to be as good as any offensive line Penn State has had since the Jeff Hartings-led lines of the early 1990s.

Defensive linemen

Penn State is loaded at end. Josh Gaines is a solid, experienced player who is entering his third season as a starter. Junior Maurice Evans is a one-man gang, having racked up 14 sacks and 25 tackles for a loss in his first two seasons. The interior line could also be tough, but there are concerns going into the season. While the Lions have plenty of talent at tackle, they haven’t been able to keep it on the field. Phil Taylor and Chris Baker, both of whom started games last fall, were suspended for spring practice because of legal/disciplinary issues. Injuries have also hurt, with Jared Odrick (dislocated ankle) and Devon Still (torn knee ligaments) working their way back to active duty. With so many absentees, Ollie Ogbu and Abe Koroma started at tackle in the spring. They’ll have some company come August.

Linebackers

The Lions suffered a major setback when Lee went down with a knee injury in spring practice. Expected to be a Butkus Award short-lister, the senior outside linebacker made 138 tackles last year to rank second in the Big Ten. His probable replacement, sophomore Bani Gbadyu, made six. Elsewhere, Chris Colasanti will probably end up plugging the hole in the middle brought about by Connor’s graduation. He’s only a sophomore, but his fierce demeanor has won raves in practice. Penn State does have a veteran starter in outside linebacker Tyrell Sales. With Lee missing, the Lions will need to lean on the fifth-year senior a little harder than expected this fall. Maybe a lot harder.

Defensive backs

Much of Penn State’s defensive strategy the past three seasons was predicated on King’s success at neutralizing the opponent’s top receiver. The most likely candidate to step into his role is A.J. Wallace. The 6'1" junior has been hailed as a rising star since his freshman season, and he looked ready for prime time in the Alamo Bowl, finishing with five tackles and an interception. Lydell Sargeant returns at the other cornerback spot, and Tony Davis is back at his former position after playing safety last fall. Even if he doesn’t start, Davis should see action in the nickel defense. The Lions have a big-time safety in third-year starter Anthony Scirrotto. A hard-hitting senior, Scirrotto led the team in interceptions last year with three.

Specialists

Kelly may be “his own worst enemy sometimes,” as Paterno has suggested. But he did make 20-of-26 field goal attempts as a junior, finishing fourth in the Big Ten in scoring. Boone, a former walk-on, had a marvelous sophomore season, leading the Big Ten in punting average at 43 yards per attempt. The return game appears to be in capable hands with Wallace and possibly Green handling kickoffs and Williams and Scirrotto sharing punt-return duties.

Del.icio.us | Digg it | Athlon Sports RSS Feeds