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Football: Knowing the Enemy - Penn State
Posted on Tuesday, December 29 @ 23:00:00 CST by tiger5z |
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Lfives writes "by Bryan Follins
Game Thirteen
The Capital One Bowl
Penn State
Record: 10-2
Wins:
Akron (31-7)
Syracuse (28-7)
Temple (31-6)
Illinois (35-17)
Eastern Illinois (52-3)
Minnesota (20-0)
Michigan (35-10)
Northwestern (34-13)
Indiana (31-20)
Michigan State (42-14)
Losses:
Iowa (21-10)
Ohio State (24-7)
Catfight
Penn State is probably one of the few college football teams who have not changed the appearance of their football uniforms in over 40 years. They also have not changed their style of play much, either. The Nittany Lions do not have many surprises. Watching a Penn State football game is like going to see one of those kickboxing brawls in a caged ring. Win or lose, against the Nittany Lions, they usually leave some bruises.
Penn State’s defensive teams are usually good, and this team is no exception. The Nittany Lions have a trio of linebackers who finished in the top ten in the Big Ten in tackling. Senior linebacker Josh Hull was fourth in the league with 110 tackles, 40 solos. Junior Navarro Bowman had 84 total tackles, 45 solos, good for seventh in the league. Senior Sean Lee had 80 stops, 43 solos. Bowman and Lee piled up their stats despite each player missing three games.
Bowman has had nine games in his career with double figures in tackles. He was tenth in the nation in tackles for losses, averaging 1.55 per game.
On the Nittany Lion defensive line is 6-5, 296, 2009 All-Big Ten tackle Jared Oldrick. The senior had seven sacks, five unassisted, during the season. Sophomore defensive lineman Jack Crawford had 17 tackles for losses, ten unassisted, during the campaign.
Penn State was eighth in the nation in total defense and tenth in the nation in rushing defense. They were also number one in the country in red zone defense.
The Penn State offensive line is anchored by starting tackle Dennis Landolt, a 2009 All Big-Ten selection. Junior center Stefen Wisiewski is an All-Big Ten performer.
Junior running back Evan Royster ran for over 1100 yards in 2009, gaining him first team all conference honors. Royster averaged 5.87 yards per carry for the season. Royster was third in the league in all-purpose rushing.
All-Big Ten quarterback Daryl Clark is the conference leader in passing efficiency. Clark passed for 23 touchdowns and was intercepted 10 times during the season. He passed for 37.5 percent in a loss to Iowa. He passed for 42.9 percent in a loss to Ohio State. Clark was intercepted three times in the Iowa game. He passed for at least three touchdowns in five games.
Wide receiver Derek Moye averaged 3.75 receptions per game, but he averaged over 16 yards per catch. He had three 100 yard receiving games (Eastern Illinois, Minnesota, and Northwestern).
Hopefully the toughest cats in this contest will be wearing the Purple and Gold.
Links:
gopsusports.com/120409aab.html
gopsusports.com/2009-2010
web1.ncaa.org
Notable Penn State Alumni
Chu T. Ming
roswellpark.org/Chu_T_Ming_PhD
Donald P. Bellisario
Wikipedia/Donald P. Bellisario
IMDB/Donald P. Bellisario
Valerie Plame
CBS News
Wikipedia/Valerie Plame
The Quote
“There are several differences between a football game and a revolution. For one thing, a football game usually lasts longer and the participants wear uniforms. Also, there are usually more casualties in a football game. The object of the game is to move a ball past the other team's goal line. This counts as six points. No points are given for lacerations, contusions, or abrasions, but then no points are deducted, either. Kicking is very important in football. In fact, some of the more enthusiastic players even kick the ball, occasionally.” ~ "Alfred Hitchcok""
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