|
PSU Playbook - Wisconsin Review
|
PSU Playbook
|
Oct 09, 2003 18:48 PDT
|
Dear Lion Faithful,
ND: Well Mark, I found that I was walking around the
house all day Saturday and Sunday mumbling “Special
Teams meltdown”. In my eyes, that’s how I would
characterize the Lions loss to the Wisconsin Badgers –
as a Special Teams meltdown. Mark, you said in the
preview that this game could come down to Special
Teams and you were right on the money; it sure did
come to down Special Teams.
MH: I hear ya Nirav. I was mumbling “tackle, tackle,
tackle.” We continue to have guys on defense who do
not understand how to stop a ball carrier and are
dragged 5 to 10 yards after they make their hit. Come
on guys, go for the legs. If your legs can’t move you
can’t run!
Results:
Score: Wisconsin 30 Penn State 23
Rushing (Att/Yards): Wisconsin 51/234 Penn State
28/45
Passing (Comp/Att/Yards): Wisconsin 9/26/140 Penn
State 22/44/379
Fumbles-Lost: Wisconsin 1-1 Penn State 4-3
Time of Possession: Wisconsin 33:56 Penn State 26:04
Stat Star:
ND: Boy, how can you not consider Michael Robinson as
the Stat Star? He went 22 of 43 for 379 with 2 TDs and
no interceptions. MRob really had a great game and
kept PSU in a position to win the game right up until
the end. For his first start, you have to give the kid
credit for the way that he led this team.
MH: You stole my guy! The guy I will point to is Matt
Kranchick, the mammoth tight end for the Lions. Matt
had four catches for 136 yards and one touch down.
Throw it to this guy at least ten times a game and it
could open things up. Teams are struggling on
covering him, so we need to use him again and again
and again.
What Went Right:
ND: I think the offense is really what went right.
Penn State struggled to run the ball, but I think we
all expected that they would against this very
talented defensive line of Wisconsin. However, MRob
did a great job of distributing the football and
making accurate throws. I thought MRob got a little
excited at the end of the game and let some balls get
away from him. However, we cannot fault him for this
loss. He did his part. The play calling was solid and
the offensive line got in a good rhythm after a couple
of early sacks. I realize that people will point to
our poor rushing performance as an indicator of the
offensive line’s performance. That might be the case,
but I also look at the fact that with the exception of
some early jitters, they did a very good job of
protecting MRob. I thought offensively, the Lions
played a real nice game.
MH: The Lions passing game was solid. Tony Johnson,
although still not to where he needs to be, pulled in
seven catches for 122 yards. Again, Matt Kranchick
was outstanding and showed he has amazing speed to go
along with his impressive size. Robinson, when
finally allowed to throw, showed he is a dual threat.
He has some learning to do, but has some impressive
talent. As you said, he needs to just calm down and
get into his own rhythm. Zack is progressing nicely
and is expected to suit up this week, but he is still
recovering from the knee sprain suffered against the
Gophers. The offensive line had some improvement, but
they need to build that consistency if PSU has any
shot to bounce back this season.
What Went Wrong:
ND: Some folks point to the run defense, but I thought
we just blew it on special teams. Think about the
points that can be accounted for when you add up 1
missed XP, 2 missed FGs, a punt return for a TD, a
fumble on a kickoff, and a fumble on a punt return.
That’s a huge point swing. Penn State has yet to play
well in all 3 aspects of the game and this week it was
clearly the special teams that let the Lions down. I
think we can probably guess who did some running this
week in practice. The Lions must get this aspect under
control because they cannot let games like this slip
away. Though Joe said that he will stick with Lowry as
the returner, I think it will be interesting to see
how long he stays with him when he really hasn’t
produced much in 6 games. At some point, you have to
try something new.
MH: I am one of the guys who points to the run
defense. We are soft in the middle. Gino Capone is
struggling. He leads the team with 63 tackles, but
only 1.5 for a loss. That is going to kill any team
on run defense. This is not Penn State defense. The
special teams were anything but special. We imploded
all around there and that was the element of the game
I thought we would have an advantage on. Special
teams are essetial to victory and that aspect I beat
to death every week – field position. The area I will
say is pitiful for offense is lack of ball protection.
We have fumbled the ball 14 times. That is horrid.
These guys have got to protect the ball better. The
interesting stat in the NFL is that the team with the
fewest turnovers wins 84% of the time. I would bet
the college stat is comparable.
Game Ball:
ND: Mark, my game ball goes to Matt Kranchick. I
remember watching this kid at a Blue/White game years
ago and thinking that his size and speed would be a
real asset. Matt has fought for everything he has
gotten in his career and I am thrilled to see him have
some real success as a receiving threat on this
offense. I think his ability to stretch field and make
big plays is going to open up some interesting dig and
crossing routes for the other receivers knowing that a
safety will have vacated the middle of the field
because of Kranchick. He is really going to help this
team in weeks to come.
MH: I am a huge Kranchick fan as you know! I agree
with you. He is the nicest guy you could meet and has
worked his tail off. The staff owes it to him and the
program to use Matt more and more in the coming games.
Hats off to Matt!
Looking Ahead:
ND: Mark, you know that for me, this is the biggest
weekend of the season. My wife went to Purdue and she
is well aware that her beloved Boilers have not beaten
my Lions since we joined the Big Ten. She claims that
this is the year that this streak will come to an end.
Purdue, after losing to Bowling Green, has played
extremely well on all aspects of the game. This is not
going to be an easy game especially since it is on the
road in West Lafayette, Indiana.
MH: Purdue is a tough team, but I think it is a good
thing that the Lions are leaving town and headed on
the road. In fact several players have indicated they
look forward to a road game to help them get back on
track. Could this be the game where things come
together?
Soapbox Moment:
ND: This past weekend was a typical fall day in State
College. It was rainy and ugly for a couple of days
and the field was wet. Yet, the field was never
sloppy. On Saturdays, we always watch the field to see
if the Drum Major hits his flips and if the Lions can
march up and down it in an attempt to win football
games. However, we rarely look at the field to
appreciate the job that the Beaver Stadium facilities
folks and Penn State’s own Turfgrass Management
students do to preserve and protect an immaculate
gridiron. Just think back to the mess that existed in
Michigan last year. No matter what, our field never
looks that bad even if Hurricane Isabel paid a visit.
Penn State’s field is always one of the best in
college football and I think the folks that are
responsible for it deserve a ton of credit. Penn State
may be suffering through a bad season, but let’s be
honest, the grass is never greener on the other side
of the fence.
MH: I am a little tired of the double standard in many
situations with Coach Paterno. Last year it was all
about the referee issues, but Lloyd Carr has been on
the officials, even chasing one down in their two
losses so far, with nary a complaint from the media.
Good ole’ Lloyd even took a shot a Joe for his
criticism of the refs, and now is doing the same
thing. Guess that is just the price you pay for being
a legend.
Until Next Time,
GO STATE….FOR HEAVEN’S SAKE….BEAT BOILERS!
Mark and Nirav
=====
- 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
|
|
 |
|
