|
PSU Playbook - Wisconsin Preview
|
PSU Playbook
|
Oct 02, 2003 23:36 PDT
|
ND: Well, it’s another Big 10 Saturday and this game
is going to be key. Wisconsin is a tough, physical
team and I think they have the strengths that will
play to Penn State’s weakness. But, with MRob at the
helm, this is a different Lion team, so nobody should
be counting the Lions out just yet.
MH: That’s absolutely right Nirav. Zack Mills is
injured, but his leadership is prevalent. He stated
that this is a must-win game for the Lions. I think it
will take just one game and these Lions are really
going to get the confidence they need to win more
games. The 12th man has to show up big for the Lions
and give them a true home field advantage.
Dirty Details:
When: Saturday, October 4, 2003
Where: Beaver Stadium (107,282)
Who: Wisconsin Badgers (4-1, 1-0) at Penn State
Nittany Lions (2-3, 0-1)
Series Record: Wisconsin leads, 5-3
TV: ESPN Plus with Mark Jones, Bob Davie (yes, him
again), and Holly Rowe.
Line: Wisconsin favored by 1pt.
Other Games to Watch:
ND: Mark, this weekend has some great games. At the
forefront is the Texas and Kansas State games. Both
team have hit some bumps in the road, but as teams
have shown in the past, you can lose some September
games and still find your way into the BCS
Championship game. The other game to keep an eye on is
Michigan and Iowa. Both teams have looked amazing at
times and looked terrible, so it will be interesting
to see which teams show up.
MH: I think the game to watch is the Tennessee and
Auburn. Tennessee struggled against South Carolina,
but I still think they are a solid team. Auburn
stumbled out of the gate, but I think they are
starting to show the form that helped them beat the
Lions in the Capital One Bowl. Outside of that game,
there are a ton of teams on bye this week. Next week
should be a real treat.
Offense:
ND: With Zack’s sprained knee, MRob gets the start.
The offense is going to need to balance the run with
the pass and they need to be aggressive right out of
the gate. Many fans have been crying for the best
players on the field. Well, with Austin Scott running
the rock and MRob under center, we are getting exactly
what we hoped for. We will now see how the offense
performs. The offensive line has shown tremendous
progress, but they still need to tighten. It is
Costlow’s senior leadership that must push these guys
to a new level. The passing game must be a solid part
of the attack. Mark, did you know that only Indiana
has a lower number of receptions total from its top
two receivers than Penn State? TJ, Mo Humphries,
Palmer, and Kranchick must make big plays. But, MRob
must keep an eye on the secondary of the Badgers. It’s
hard to believe that Jim Leonhard is still roaming for
the Badgers, but the kid is only a Junior. But, he has
37 tackles, which is 2nd on the team, 3 interceptions,
and 3 pass breakups. He is an aggressive, smart
football player. Ryan Aiello is another solid member
of that secondary. He has the size and speed to cover
the field. Look for MRob to stretch the field early to
try to keep those safeties away from the line of
scrimmage. That is when the middle of the field should
open up for Kranchick, McHugh, and some crossing
patterns. When the Lions run the ball, it’s all about
Austin Scott. This guy has the speed and the instincts
to help the Lions move the ball, but the Badgers are
tough against the run. They are giving up only 3.68
yards per carry and are giving up only 118.4 yards per
game. It’s not going to be easy, but the Lions are
going to have to figure out a way to get the yards
they need to open up the passing game.
MH: Nirav, the passing game is absolutely key and it
is important that the WRs became an important part of
the attack. Though TJ has had his troubles, he is
still the leading receiver. The problem is that Sean
McHugh is the next leading receiver. Gerald Smith,
Palmer, Terrell, DJ, or Humphries has to step-up and
make some serious plays. I also hope that Kranchick
makes an impact on this game. He has made some big
plays, but he has not forced the defense to adjust
because he has not seen enough balls come to him. The
Oline had better bring their A-game because the
Badgers are very tough on the defensive line. Welsch,
Jones, and Hawthorn have accounted for 19 TFLs and 7
sacks. Hawthorn is a giant and reminds me of Jimmy
Kennedy. Protecting MRob is going to be very
important. Though MRob is an excellent athlete, he is
clearly more accurate when he is in the pocket. When
the Lions run the ball, I think they have to use the
option to keep the Badger defense thinking and
guessing. MRob can take the ball to the house on any
given play. He definitely needs to work on his pitches
to Austin Scott, but that was a real emphasis during
practice. The offense must move the ball to take the
pressure off of the defense. MRob has been put in a
position to win the starting QB and this is the game
that will determine what his role on this team is
going to be for the remainder of this season. I think
he is poised to lead this team and get this season
headed in the right direction.
Defense:
ND: Well, this is where the game will be won or lost.
The Badgers have the 9th best rushing attack in the
nation. They are averaging 220.2 yards per game and
have their biggest weapon returning. Anthony Davis has
been sidelined since the UNLV game, but he is expected
to play in this game. Davis is one of the best backs
in the country. He has speed, agility and can always
seem to get positive yards. Even if Davis does play,
we can expect to see plenty of Dwayne Smith. Though
Smith had a rocky start, he has come on strong. This
kid is just pure size. He runs north and south and
will not be brought down by arm-tackles. The real
challenge is that the Wisconsin line is freaking huge.
They are always big, but I don’t remember them being
this big in a long time. It is going to be critical
for the Hali, Robinson, Capone and Wake fight through
the blocks and make plays. They must stop running
plays before they really start. If you see Wake and
Capone making blocks 6 yards deep, then the Lions are
in serious trouble. I honestly don’t think the Badgers
are going to pass too much, but if they do, they turn
to Jim Sorgi, who no longer has to wait for Brooks
Bollinger (now playing for the Jets). Sorgi has some
great weapons and will probably use play action since
the Lions will probably be playing 8 and even 9 guys
in the box to stop the run. If the Lions can force the
Badgers into throwing the ball on 2nd and 3rd down, I
think the Lions can win this game. Bradley has to come
up with a great game plan and the Lions have to tackle
better in order for that to happen.
MH: The Badgers like to run, then run, and then run
some more. They are not a passing team and really
don’t want to be. OL Raiola begged the Badgers to run
the ball and that’s exactly what they are doing and
will do. Davis and Smith are very good, but there is
one thing that Lions don’t have to worry about…a
mobile QB. It seems like the Lions have faced mobile
QBs all season long, but that’s not the case with
Sorgi. Sorgi likes to sit in the pocket and isn’t
really going to elude anyone on our defense. Nirav, I
think the Badgers are actually going to pass in this
game. Sorgi has a boat load of weapons and it would be
foolish not to get the ball in the hands of Lee Evans,
Darrin Charles, and Jim Orr. These guys have been
making some big plays. Lee Evans was one of the best
receivers in the country two years ago. After missing
last year with a knee injury, he is back to making
plays this year. He has already 27 receptions, 467
yards, and 4 TDs. He even has a 99-yard TD reception.
Gardner, Zemaitis, and company will want to get sucked
up to the line of scrimmage to help out on the run,
but they must stay disciplined and watch the receivers
faking the run and then heading for the endzone on a
streak pattern. The key to defending the pass is for
them to get pressure on Sorgi. It sounds pretty
obvious, but Sorgi has 5 INTs to go with his 5 TDs and
I think he will throw up some ducks if Chisley is
chasing him down.
Special Teams:
ND: Mark, one of the most disappointing aspects of
this season for me has been the lack of production in
the return game for Penn State. Joe needs to find
someone that can return punts and kicks that has the
real threat of breaking a big one. Gould is going to
be big part of this game since I think it’s going to
be a close one.
MH: Wisconsin has a couple of good kickers and their
punter, Morse, is averaging over 40 yards a punt.
Nothing is going to be a gimme and I think this game
very well could come down to whichever team is able to
make a big play on special teams. As I always say, the
Lions need to make this facet of the game truly
special.
Matchup to Kick Back and Enjoy:
ND: I have the utmost respect for Jim Leonhard. This
guy is my type of ball player. I think it is going to
be fun to see how MRob and him compete. Whether it’s
running the ball or throwing, both of these guys are
going to be involved. You can count on it.
MH: Good pick. We have so many concerns with the
rushing defense of Penn State and they are facing a
very good rushing attack. I think the matchup to watch
is going to be the line of scrimmage when Wisconsin’s
offense is on the field.
Keys to the Game:
ND: Mark, it has been a long, long time since I have
felt that the Lions have come out of the locker room
on fire to start the game. The key to this game is how
fast Penn State can get into a rhythm and put
Wisconsin on the ropes. Penn State must be aggressive.
MH: The team that is able to maintain possession and
control the clock will win this game. Penn State must
keep their defense off the field and the defense must
get Wisconsin into a passing situation as soon as
possible. But, in the end, if the clock is pointing to
Wisconsin, the Badgers will come out on top.
Predictions:
ND: Mark, if the Lions had Iowa, Illinois, or some
other middle-of-the-road team this week, I think they
could win. But, I think the Badgers are simply too
big, too strong, and too good for the Lions this week.
I hope that I am wrong. In fact, I want to be wrong,
but I gotta call it like I see it.
UW 23 PSU 17
MH: Ouch! I really think the Lions are going to do it
this week. I think they are going to have an
aggressive game plan that matches up with MRob’s arm
strength and athletic ability. I also think the
defense can handle a power offense better than a
finesse offense, which is how I would classify BC and
Minnesota. Go Lions!
PSU 24 UW 21
Until Next Week…
GO STATE…BEAT BADGERS!!
Mark and Nirav
The PSU Playbook
=====
- PSUPlaybook.org: Your Online Guide to Penn State Sports - news, interviews, broadcasts, chats, message boards and more...pass it on! Visit http://psuplaybook.org.
- The Playbook Magazine: For only $12 per year get the most comprehensive, unique PSU sports magazine available! Visit http://psuplaybook.org.
__________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
The New Yahoo! Shopping - with improved product search
http://shopping.yahoo.com
|
|
 |
|
