PAGE 16 THE BEHREND BEACON OCTOBER 1 1999 NATIONAL SPORTS Casey dazzles as Nittany Lions rout Hoosiers by Ray Parrillo September 26, 1999 Knight-Ridder Newspapers STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Joe Paterno was doing his best to dim the lights on the month's worth of highlight snippets Penn State quarterback Rashard Casey had just provided with REI2 his daring runs, dart-like passes, and eye-popping improvisation. The 72-year-old coach has always liked his quarterbacks tall and straight, with their feet planted firmly in the pocket, structured to play it safe. Guys like Casey, whose feet always seem to he dancing on hot coals, whose amazing athleticism inspires him to take risks, tend to make old Joe a hit nervous. So on a glistening afternoon as This Penn State more entertaining by Ray Parrillo September 26, 1999 Knight Ridder Tribune PHILADELPHIA The uniforms are still bland as the walls of a hospital ward, and if you turned the clock hack a generation, you'd still see most of the same coaches nervously pacing the sideline. Rest assured, though, this has been a very different kind of Penn State ;football team so tar this season. , In their finest hours under coach Joe Paterno, the Nittany Lions bludgeoned teams with a relentless running attack centered on a workhorse tailback who followed the lead of a powerful of line. They , had the controls in the hands of one quarterback. They re fused to give opponents openings by making mistakes. Their defense rarely save up big plays. None of which characterizes the . way these Nittany Lions have built a 5-0 record and positioned themselves as the No. 2 team in the nation in the minds of the media and coaches who vote in the polls. One moment, these guys exhilarate their fans with explosive plays. The next moment, they frustrate them with miscues. The two-quarterback system makes them more entertaining, and certainly Europeans still steaming over Ryder Cup celebration by Hank Gola September 28, 1999 Knight-Ridder Newspapers BROOKLINE, Mass. -- The Ameri cans have their cup. The Europeans 'have their cause. Having relinquished Samuel Ryder's gold chalice for the first lime in four years, the vanquished visitors returned on the Concorde Monday morning less concerned `with America's stunning final-day onslaught than they were outraged with the spontaneous combustion of emotions the U.S. displayed on the .17th green. It was evident what angle was be ing hammered home by the Fleet Street crew and it's not going to die until the teams square off again at the Belfry in two years. With all the pomp and ceremony that attends the Ryder Cup, it took some time until the Europeans 'reached the interview room Sunday. But they were still 12 angry men Iwo hours after Justin Leonard's 45- foot putt slammed into the hole and Ohat seemed like the entire Ameri pan contingent spilled onto the -96,416 filed out of Beaver Stadium downright dazzled by the entertain ing performance Casey had put on for them, Paterno was quick to serve up a warning "We know what we've got in Casey," Paterno said. "He's going to make big plays, and other times you're going to pay the price. You've got to 11005,„,,s 24 live with it." Saturday, when No. 2 Penn State (5- 0 overall, 1-0 conference) more often than not looked quite a hit less than a national championship contender, Paterno and the Nittany Lions were pleased to live v,ith what Casey gave them - the impetus for a craiy 45-24 victory over Indiana ( I -3, 0-I) in the Big Ten Conference opener for both teams. file Hoosiers' Antwaan Randle El more interesting. Last week, it was Kevin Thompson heating Miami with a 79-yard strike to Chafie Fields. Sat urday in the 45-24 win over Indiana, it was Rashard Casey showing the kind of marvelous athleticism that's likely never before been presented by a Penn State quarterback. With Thompson and Casey, Paterno is going by the seat of his pants. At 72, Paterno is juggling the most im portant position on the team. What can he more fun than that? But as the Nittany Lions enter their hye week. they know they must lighten up their act if they are to reach their goal of playing for No. I in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 4. They have yet to have a running back gain 100 yards in a game because, for the most part, the offensive line isn't blocking ellectiv ely. Often, they couldn't even clear the porous Hoo siers out of the way. In the five games, they have been penaliied 29 times for 253 yards. They have fumbled 17 times and have been fortunate enough to lose just six of them. The defense has been more opportunistic than dominating. Mostly, they have remained un beaten through sheer talent and their penchant for making big plays. Likely, it will require more for them to run the table. Four of Penn State's seven re- green, stomping over the putting surface where Jose Maria Olatabal still needed to putt io halve the hole and save the day. "You saw it for yourself," said the Spaniard, who, after the excitement died, hacked off twice from his ball before rolling it a few inches wide of the cup. "I don't think that kind of behav ior is what anybody expects. It was an ugly picture to see." Olazahal should know about emo tion. He punched out a wall at his hotel room in Pinehurst after a had day at the U.S. Open this year. "I realize there was a lot of emo tion going on, hut you have to keep your feet on the ground," he said. At first, captain Ben Crenshaw apologized for the display, which in cluded not only jubilant players hear-hugging and high-fiving Leonard hut caddies, players' wives and team officials "going nuts," as Leonard put it. Then, as the American press con ference continued, one could sense an irritation with some of the sug gestions. When a questioner with a clipped came to Happy Valley billed as one of the most thrilling and athletic quar terbacks in the country, and the sopho more didn't disappoint, accounting for three touchdowns and 271 yards pass ing and running. But Casey, who shares playing time with Kevin Thompson, a hero of last week's memorable victory in Miami, outdid Randle El. The junior from Hoboken, N.J., completed 13 of 15 passes for 196 yards and two TDs and ran for 66 yards and another TD, a 31-yard bolt that had to be seen to he believed. He was on the field for all four of Penn State's offensive TDs. "Yeah, I watched a lot of what Rashard Casey did, and all 1 can say is "Wow,' " middle linebacker Bran don Short said. After Askari Adams rubbed out Indiana's early 3-0 lead with a 37-yard TD run with an interception, Casey shook the Nittany Lions offense from its lethargy by leading a 52-yard drive that ended with Aaron Harris' I-yard dive and a 14-3 lead early in the sec ond quarter. The key play was Casey's delicate 30-yard touch pass to tight end Tony Stewart over the middle to the 5-yard line. Then the fun really started. After Adams recovered a third-quarter tumble on the Hoosiers' 31, Casey made his remarkable TD run on first down. He rolled to his right, cut up the middle and screwed defensive tackle Paul Mandina into the ground with a hip fake, veered to his right, and tightroped the sideline for the fi nal 5 yards before going airborne into maining opponents - Ohio State, Purdue, Michigan and Michigan State - are currently ranked, with a compos ite record of 15- I . Poor blocking. pen alties and fumbles could result in a loss to any one of them. Paterno had hoped to use the Indi ana game as a chance to firm up the basics, but Penn State needed Casey's acrobatics, a 90-yard punt return by Bruce Branch, and an interception re turned for a touchdown by Askari Adonis to defeat spirited Indiana. "I wasn't really pleased with the way we played," said Paterno, with testi ness in his voice. "We were up and down, inconsistent, sometimes really good, sometimes sloppy. We're just making so many mistakes. We were just very erratic. I think we can use it /Bthe hye week 3/8." Said Casey: "We had some mental errors that we have to correct if we're going to win the national champion ship." On the defense, which has allowed nearly 20 points a game, linebacker and captain Brandon Short said, "We're not that had, hut we're not that good, either. There were times when we looked pretty had out there I /Bagainst Indiana 3/8." Letdown week. One problem for teams that have designs on competing for No. I is the debilitating effect a accent told Tom Lehman that a Eu ropean official said he should be ashamed of himself, the '96 British Open champion paused for a mo ment. "There was never any ill intent on any hody's part whatsoever," he said. "We were excited. We were very ex cited. And obviously, in retrospect, we probably wish we all would have jumped up and down in place. "But I'm not going to apologize for being excited. I guess memories are somewhat short. Valderrama (in Spain) wasn't exactly a cakewalk for us over there. Their fans were pretty interesting, too." Said Davis Love 111, harkening hack to '97, "There's been a lot of celebrating on a lot of holes in a lot of Ryder Cups." Naturally, the European team in sisted it wouldn't have acted the same way in the same situation. And the Euros already were miffed by the Boston-style heckling they had received all day, with Colin Montgomerie the biggest target. "Disgusting," Paul Lawrie called it. Payne Stewart agreed. Playing against Monty, Stewart TMS PHOTO Askari Adams rolls across the goal line as Brandon Short, LaVar Arrington and Mac Morrison celebrate his 36-yard interception return for a touchdown during Penn State's rout of Indiana, 45-24. the orange pylon at the corner of the end zone. Basically, he ran 60 yards to cover 3I "It was a naked bootleg, and people were flying past me," said Casey, who came into the game after Thompson ran the first three possessions. "I think it added up to about 80 yards, hut once I got to the end tone I wasn't tired any more." Smiling, he added, "I've always had happy feet, because I don't like to get hit, so I try to improvise." Asked if he believes he has altered the perception of the typical Penn State quarterback. Casey smiled again. "I'm a little hit different. just trying to get the joh done." than previous Joe Paterno squads huge loss can ha% e Miami became a case in point Sat urday. blowing a 23-3 leadl ant_los i ng to East Carolina, 27-23. The Pirates. who had to vacate their Greenville, N.C., campus for the week because of the effects of Hurricane Floyd. scored 17 points in the fourth quarter to be come only the second team in 14 years to defeat Miami after the Hurricanes led after three quarters. The week be fore, the Hurricanes suffered a heart breaking 27-23 loss to Penn State. Now that their chance ()I' climbing hack into the national championship picture is gone. the Hurricanes can hope to get some satisfaction so hen they play No. I Horida State on Oct. 9. Tennessee came within an eyelash of suffering the same fate as Miami. A week after losing to Florida. the Vols needed a 15-yard TO pass from Tee Martin to Cedrick Wilson for a 17-16 win over Memphis. The BCS. The Bowl Championship Series standings will be released on Oct. 25 and each Monday thereafter until conference championship games are completed on the first Saturday in December. The standings are based on four components: the polls, eight com puter rankings, strength of schedule and teams' records. The top two teams in the standings will play for No. 1 in .ig Tig .is (left) (center), spray champagne from a balcony overlooking the 18th green after the U.S. team defeated Europe in an incredible come-from-be hind victory to win the Ryder Cup. offered to step in and "take care of" the situation if the Scot needed it. "Some of our fans, they're a little hit over the top," Stewart said. "They got out of control. It hap pened numerous times. He doesn't deserve that." "It should just not ever happen," Jesper Parnevik chimed in. "I'm kind of the little American on the On the final TD, Casey escaped two defenders and fired a pass toward the corner of the end zone for Sam Crenshaw, who appeared to he well covered. But the pass floated into Crenshaw's outstretched hands. "I saw Sam come across the hack of the end zone, and I just threw it toward the pylon," Casey said. "He just wanted the hall more than every one else." Several times, when his first option broke down, Casey bought time with his nimble legs, allowing his tight ends to float into an open area. Tight ends Stewart and John Gilmore each caught five passes. "The Funny thing with Rashard is the Sugar Bowl Heisman watch. Ron Dayne's hope of winning the Heisman Trophy, as well as his chance to break Ricky Wil hams' NCAA career rushing record, might have been crushed Saturday by Michigan's defense, which held the Wisconsin tailback from Berlin, N.J., to zero yards in the second half of the Wolverines' 21-16 victory. Rayne had 88 yards on 14 carries in the first half, but had none on eight carries in the second. Michigan's goal was to limit the senior to 80 yards. "Eighty-eight's not had," Michigan linebacker lan Gold said. If the Heisman were awarded today, it likely would go to Horida State re ceiver Peter Warrick. who had a 75- yard punt return in the Seminoles' 42- 10 rout of North Carolina. Warrick has scored as a receiver, running hack and punt returner. In four games. he has 30 catches for 441 yards. Purdue quarterback Drew Brees strengthened his position in the Heisinan chase in the Boilermakers' 31-23 win over Northwestern, a vic tory decided on his 99-yard TD pass to Vinny Sutherland. Brees completed 32 of 50 passes for 405 yards. This season, he is 107 of 172 for 1,325 yards, with 10 TDs and three intercep tions. No love lost. Washington finally got European team. I live over here and I have a lot of friends in the crowd today and they were embarrassed just to hear some of the heckling that happened to Monty, for example." For now, it goes into the memory banks, only to stoke more emotions when the Ryder Cup rivalry is re newed. when he rolls out you never know what he's going to do," Gilmore said. "I just try to get into his line of sight Aside from Casey, the Nittany Lions played in fits and starts. They needed Adams' TD on the intercep tion and a 90-yard punt return from Bruce Branch, the third longest in school history, to help build a 24-10 lead. The offensive line struggled against Indiana's porous defense, and the Nittany Lions failed to have a I 00-yard rusher for the fifth time in live games On defense, Penn State didn't record a sack, yielded 385 yards, and allowed the Hoosiers to easily march through them for an 81 -yard drive that made it 31- I 7 in the third quar ter. "They made our defense look pretty had," Short said. Indeed, there was no reason for the Nittany Lions to feel comfort able until a 20-yard TD pass from Casey to Eric McCoo fattened the lead to 38-17 with 1:24 remaining in the third quarter. After grabbing the pass, McCoo lowered his head and simply ran over Indiana strong safety Greg Yeldell, who wobbled back to his feet. "I just wanted to finish the job," said McCoo, who caught five passes Randle El tossed a 27-yard TD pass to Versie Gaddis to make it 38- 24 with I0:54 to go, hut the Nittany Lions used up more than six min utes before Casey hooked up with Crenshaw for the final score. a return on the $997,000-a-year con tract it gave Rick Neuheisel to lure him from Colorado. It was sweet, too, because Neuheisel's first win as Hus kies coach came Saturday against Colorado, 31-24. The game was hyped as a hitter duel between Neuheisel and Gary Barnett, who left Northwestern for the Buffaloes job. After the game, Neuheisel and Barnett exchanged a quick handshake but barely spoke. Meantime, die Huskies doused Neuheisel with Gatorade and several Colorado players chatted with their thriller coach. "I didn't know how it would shake out after the game," Neuheisel said. "I didn't know if there would he bitterness. Quite frankly, it was nice to know they still cared about me." A reprieve? Beleaguered Alabama coach Mike Dußose lived to coach another day as the Tide defeated Ar kansas, 35-28. Dußose had two years chopped off his contract after he ad mitted in August to lying about a per sonal relationship with a university employee after the school settled a sexual-harassment suit against him. Then last week, when the Tide lost to Louisiana Tech, Alabama athletic director Bob Bockrath, an ally of Dußose, was fired. Alabama will play N 0.3 Florida on Saturday. NFL SCHEDULE Week 2 Sunday, October 3 Baltimore @ Atlanta 1:00 Arizona @ Dallas 1:00 New Orleans @ Chicago 1:00 New England @ Cleveland 1:00 Philadelphia @ N.Y. Giants 1:00 Jacksonville @ Pittsburgh ! :00 St. Louis @ Cincinnati 1:00 Tampa Bay @ Minnesota 1:00 Carolina @ Washington 4:05 N.Y. Jets @ Denver 4:15 Kansas City @ San Diego 4:15 Tennessee @ San Francisco 4:15 Oakland @ Seattle 8:20 Monday, October 4 Buffalo @ Miami 9:00 Bye Week: Detroit, Green Bay, Indianapolis GAME OF THE WEEK BUFFALO VS. MIAMI CRAIG HAZELWOOD MIAMI JASON SNYDER MIAMI MATT WIERTEL BUFFALO 30-20 17-14 20-14
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