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PSU Playbook - Boston College Preview
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PSU Playbook
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Sep 08, 2004 17:47 PDT
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Dear Lion Faithful,
ND: Before everyone starts booking their tickets to
Florida in January, let’s see how the Lions do against
a formidable opponent. I’m not saying that Akron was a
cupcake, but they definitely fall into the category of
a sugary dessert. The Eagles struggled against Ball
State, but that was a road game and against a team
that didn’t necessarily motivate the players. This
weekend will be totally different for both squads.
MH: Well, the way I see it, one data point (win) is an
occurrence, two data points (wins) may point to a
trend. Penn State had a nice win and the Nittany
Nation has a lot to be excited about, especially
relative to where we have been lately, but they still
have a lot to prove not only to the fans, but to the
college football world. I expect them to take some
momentum and confidence from the Akron win and use it
to build off of. This team must, and by all accounts
is, remained focus. I have called this BC game the
‘tipping point’ for PSU since late last season. This
game could be the barometer for the season.
Dirty Details:
Who: Penn State at Boston College
When: Saturday, September 11th at 8:00pm ET and 5:00pm
PT
Where: Alumni Stadium
Attendance: 44,500 – sold out!
Series: Penn State leads 19-3
Line: Penn State favored by 2pts.
TV: Regional ABC with Brad Nessler, Bob Griese, and
Lynn Swann
Radio: Penn State Sports Network with Steve Jones and
Jack Ham
Web: http://www.gopsusports.com,
http://psuplaybook.org
Other Big Games this Week:
ND: For the first time that I can remember, my big
game of the week is the same as last week. Now that
Hurricane Frances has cleared Florida, the FSU and
Miami game will be played this Friday. It should be a
terrific matchup and the players have had an
additional week to stew over the game. Like I said
last week, Chris Rix needs to put up or shut up and
this is the game to quiet his critics. I also think
that the Washington State and Colorado game could be a
good one. The game will be played in Seattle so the
crowd will contain even more Cougar fans than Martin
Stadium could hold. Wazzu struggled against New Mexico
and Colorado surprised some by beating CSU. Wazzu’s
offense needs to be more consistent if they want to
beat the Buffs.
MH: Well the clash a lot of Penn Staters will be
watching is the Notre Dame vs. Michigan matchup. Notre
Dame has been in the powerhouse doldrums with PSU
lately, and they way they played BYU they don’t appear
to be anxious to climb out anytime soon, but this is
one of those rivalry games where records and rankings
can be tossed aside. Freshman QB Chad Henne will get
his first road test. As for FSU and Miami, I think UM
has another hurricane brewing for the Seminoles. As
you said Nirav, Chris Rix, who reportedly just stated
collecting social security this week, has to step up
and back up all the hype and talk.
Upset Special:
ND: Mark, keep an eye on that Fresno State and Kansas
State game. The Bulldogs return 17 starters and will
not be intimated by the crowd in Manhattan. The real
question is whether they can stop RB Sproles. The
other game that could surprise some is that Oregon
State is primed for a letdown after losing a tough
game against LSU (cue the “must be sound in the
kicking game” audio). Boise State plays on that crazy
blue turf and has had a solid couple of years. They
should be able to give the Beavers another tough loss
to swallow.
MH: Nirav, you took mine, I was looking at that Oregon
State vs. Boise State clash. The Beavers left their
hearts in Louisiana this past weekend with a
heartbreaking loss. Aside from being drained
physically and mentally it can be tough to get up for
a ‘cupcake’ like Boise State. The Beavs better shake
it off, because they are shifting from the spoiler
role to the target role. Oh and this may seem like a
long shot, but I think Notre Dame could give Michigan
a game. I expect to receive some mail on that pick,
but Willingham is on the hotseat now and pressure can
cause a coach to take some risks.
Offense:
ND: We’ve heard it over and over again, but just to
reiterate – the Lions scored more points in the first
quarter than they averaged in an entire game in 2003.
Not bad? But, it was against a defense that nobody
really expects much out of. Things will change this
weekend when they face a solid BC defense. BC only
allowed 211 yards against Ball State. There are 2 guys
that you have to know about on this defense and they
are Mathias Kiwanuka and Will Blackmon. Kiwanuka is a
serious talent at DE. He is 6’7” and only 261. In a
word, he is FAST. Richardson will have his hands full.
Both ends for BC are pretty good, but the middle
appears to be young and inexperienced. I think the
Lions will be able to run right up the gut against
this team. Tony Hunt’s style is perfect for this game.
But, I love the change of pace with the elusive Austin
Scott. It’s a nice combo to have behind Zack Mills.
Akron’s attempt to confuse the OL with a 3-4 was quite
feeble. I fully expect the Eagles to blitz and do
everything they can to stop the run. I think without a
viable running threat, this Lion team can be beat. All
3 LBs for the Eagles are good, but watch Ricky Brown.
Brown was a defensive back in HS but has bulked up to
237 lbs. He has tremendous instincts and always seems
to be around the football. Blackmon is the star of the
secondary. The other guys have good speed and good
size with the exception of Peter Shean. At 5’9” and
average, but not blazing speed, he can beat. Peter has
experience going for him, but look for the Lions
definitely work his side of the field. I think
Phillips and Smith have to become bigger parts of the
offense in this game so defenses don’t key on MRob. If
Mills gets the protection from Kiwanuka, I think he
can have some success throwing against this defense.
The key is getting the protection.
MH: The Akron game is all about perspective. I have
heard it all, from ‘we’re back’ to ‘that win wasn’t
big enough.’ Well I fall in the middle somewhere. The
bottom line with Akron is that Penn State showed some
flashes of old and handled this opponent just as they
were expected to. Boston College did contain Ball
State, but they were far from dominant. As you pointed
out Nirav, I think a big key to offensive success is
Andy Richardson and how he handles Kiwanuka’s pass
rush. If he can’t pressure Mills the passing game will
have time to spread things out and move from the wings
to the flat. I think Galen Hall has the ground forces
as the first wave of attack in this one though. The
soft middle of BC’s line could be an opportunity for
the Nitts. Watch for Tony Hunt and Austin Scott to
carry early and often. I personally see Tony playing
the lead horse role since his speed will be a
challenge for the Eagle defensive front seven and with
Paul Jefferson paving the road for him, this could be
fun to watch,. BC loves to blitz and stunt to toss the
opposing line off balance. Watch for the Lions to use
the tight ends in the flat as a ‘safety valve’ to
counter this. Zack’s has great confidence and time to
make decisions thanks to E.Z. Smith and company, but
this line has not been tested with an effective blitz
package. Balance and leverage will be essential for
good pocket protection. I expect Zack to spread the
passes around to keep the Eagles guessing. Terrence
Phillips and Gerald Smith will be important to this,
but especially watch for Michael Robinson and Ryan
Scott to provide a nice set of receivers in the air
attack. You can bet the Eagles want to shut down
Robinson in this one. Also, watch for Coach Hall to
pull the running back out of the backfield as a
target. This could get Gasparato in the game more
thanks to his hands.
Defense:
ND: Defensively, the Lions have a couple of things on
their side. The Eagles were in search of a RB to
replace Derrick Knight. The good news is that they
found one in LV Whitworth, who ran for 129 yards and
one TD. The bad news for the Eagles is that he injured
his left knee on his last carry against Ball State and
will not play against Penn State. To add salt to this
wound, the Eagles appear to have lost OL Jeremy
Trueblood, who is their best lineman and plays LT.
With Whitworth out, the Eagles will turn again to Jeff
Ross. Ross had a disappointing start to the game last
weekend, which is why the coaches turned to Whitworth.
Without Trueblood, Ross is bound to have a similar
outing. However, I think the Lions can be run against
if the opposition keeps the ball between the tackles.
Look for BC to pound the ball up the middle and avoid
running the ball out wide, where the speed of the LBs
is an issue. The Eagles passing attack is led by Paul
Peterson. Peterson performed adequately in his first
start. I was impressed with how well he spread the
ball around by hitting 7 different receivers and this
kid also has wheels. He rushed for 49 yards and even
rattled off a 30-yard run. The Lions will have to stay
home to ensure he doesn’t have that same type of
success. The two guys to keep an eye on are TE Dave
Kashetta, who is a good TE with great hands, and Jason
Lilly. Lilly has terrific speed and will be able to
leave either Zemaitis or Phillips in the dust if they
don’t pay attention. At 6’1” and 213lbs, Lilly is in
perfect position to become the Eagles main passing
option this year even though he isn’t a starter! But,
trust me, he’s not a starter because there are more
experienced guys ahead of him; it has nothing to do
with ability.
MH: The Eagles running back Ross will come out fast,
but just doesn’t appear to have a big enough gas tank
to carry the load for the entire game. Given that
limited depth the Eagles will have to go to the air.
However, when the hit the ground they are staying
inside to test the PSU DTs. This means Tim Shaw has to
step up and plug up those holes. The reports on Tim
have been mixed by fans. Most think he did well
against Akron, with his team-leading nine tackles, but
feel he may be too small for a Big Ten MLB. Well
speaking to observers around the program, the staff
apparently feels very comfortable with Tim there
thanks to his speed, tackling technique and
aggression. Many have asked about Paul Posluszny and
his ‘dropoff’ in tackles last weekend. Akron rarely
ran to Pos’ side though. By simply shutting down his
side of the field he essentially did his job in my
book. BC’s QB Peterson will test the secondary. Now he
is not as good as Akron’s Frye, but he has better
receivers. As you said Nirav, Lilly is a solid wideout
who has good hands and makes acrobatic pull-ins. The
area that concerned me the most last Saturday, which
didn’t burn us thankfully, but you know how I hate it,
is the ‘cushion coverage’ the secondary gave the
receivers. On third and five you can’t give an eight
yard cushion. This drives me nuts and if we continue
it will burn us for some big pick-ups. We need to have
Zemaitis and company play the receivers tight to put
the pressure on Peterson.
Special Teams:
ND: If there was one disappointment that I had from
last weekend, it was special teams. Gould was
inconsistent and the punt returns were still pretty
poor. Johnny Ayers is a solid FG for the BC squad, but
their real threat is Will Blackmon returning punts and
kicks. He scored a key TD on a kickoff return. Gould’s
deep kicks and the Lions’ coverage must be repeated.
MH: Robbie was shaky. They even switched holders from
Chris Ganter to Zack Mills and Paul Cronin, according
to observers, to relax him a little more on boots. If
this game comes down to kicking it will be a stressful
one for Lion fans. I will praise the coverage on kicks
though; especially #22 Darien Hardy, a walk-on whom we
profiled way back in February, indicating that he
would be an asset to the Lions.
Matchup to Kick Back and Enjoy
ND: Mark, how can you not pick the Mathi Kiwanuka and
Andrew Richardson matchup? This is going to be key for
the offense to keep running those counter plays and
getting those cut-back lanes. Kiwanuka is the first of
many strong defensive linemen that the Lions will face
this year. Richardson is up to the task and I’m sure
we will see Smolko and Bronson help out from the TE
position. I love a good battle in the trenches and
this will certainly be a great battle.
MH: Nirav, you picked one of the biggest keys to this
game, so I will go with BC’s RB Jeff Ross against
PSU’s middle three. Both areas have a lot to prove so
this will be a telling battle fro both teams.
Keys to the Game:
ND: I think there are 2 real keys to this game and
they are to win the time of possession battle and to
win the turnover battle. The Eagles will need to run
the ball if they want to win so that’s what makes the
time of possession so critical. The Eagles need to
play flawless football without their prime RB so
keeping the football is critical.
MH: I have to go with field position. The best start
Akron had was from their own 36 yard line. The Lions
made them drive long distances to find points and that
caused them to run out of gas. They need to do the
same with Boston College. Win that battle and you are
half way towards winning the game.
Predictions:
ND: The Lions and all the fans want this game so
badly. I also believe that Alumni Stadium will have a
serious shade of Blue! With the confidence gained from
the Akron game, a less-than hostile environment, and a
hunger to exact some revenge from last year, I think
the Lions will pull it out.
PSU: 28 BC: 13
MH: This is a big game for the Nittany Nation. Let’s
find that second data point so we can point to a
possible trend. I too think the Lions come away with a
victory.
PSU: 31 BC: 17
Until Next Time…..
GO STATE……BEAT EAGLES!!!
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