14 I WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 15, 2010 Lions looking to correct takeaway woes By Andrew J. Cassavell COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER Stephon Morris wasn't aware of he exact numbers. He just knew they were bad. So during the sophomore con lerback's Tuesday teleconfer ence, when he was asked what he liought of opposing teams' 76 per •!,nt completion percentage and defense's zero takeaways rough two games, he couldn't ill his frustration into words. 1 wish you could see my face alit now," Morris said. "That's It a good sign." Morris set the lofty goal this off eason to have an interception in 'very game and said he expected he defense to pride itself on take .iways. He said the unit's slow start in that department isn't typi cal of the Penn State defense he seen in practice. - We need to make plays badly," Morris said. "Being last in urnovers is not a good sign, and 'Tke you said, 76 percent comple lon rate against our defense is :st not good at all. At practice we -,eed a little more intensity. We ed to go about our business just 'tittle bit better" Penn State's offense has actual forced more turnovers than its csfense. when wide receiver erek Move stripped the ball from !abz.una defensive back Robert ,Ister on a fumble return. Morris said the Lions will focus is week on getting those take- Defensive By Brendan Monahan COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER Intensity defines football, and Penn State defense has lacked it thus far. - How you practice is how you )(ay - safety Nick Sukay said. "So, we just have to pick it up in prac • ice and really work on technique far as tackling.- For .Joe Paterno, Penn State's ickling is a case of uncertainty nd lack of confidence. He said players get into position !lot don't know whether their spots are correct. Because of this, they Jack the aggressiveness to make !ire play. Abu can't stand around and let he other guy make the move all ;ie time," Paterno said. "You have aways, noting fumble drills, tip drills, and hands drills. "This week you're going to see a totally different secondary" But Joe Paterno wasn't sure the lack of takeaways was something correctable by drills alone. "I don't think we're aggressive enough in the secondary in react ing to the ball because we're nerv ous about getting licked," Paterno said. In terms of forcing intercep tions, Morris said the biggest thing defensive coordinator Tom Bradley stressed was movement before the snap to disguise the coverage for the opposing quar terback. The Lions, however, have only recorded three sacks this season, meaning those quarterbacks have had time to sit in the pocket and figure out the coverage before throwing. "We haven't had that much pressure, but that hasn't put any pressure on the secondary," Morris said. "The assignments we miss, pressure or not, those are assignments we could have taken the ball away. The corners and safeties, we need to play better." Joe Paterno refused to blame either the secondary or the defen sive line for the lack of an inter ception, calling it, "A combination of those things." But defensive end Jack Crawford said if the defensive line can do its job hurrying the quar terback, the stress on the defen- emphasis on improving intensity, tackling to go after them and establish something before they get too much steam." Tackling was Penn State's biggest defensive mishap the past two games, and the Nittany Lions have made it their goal to correct it this week in practice. The defense, typically regarded as the cornerstone of the team, has yet to live up to that billing, causing con cern for Saturday's game against Kent State and the Big Ten sched ule. Sukay said the defense didn't take Penn State's reputation for granted. Instead, he thought the mentality just wasn't there. Part of the problem is inexperi ence. Linebackers Nate Stupar, Michael Mauti and Chris Colasanti, along with defensive SPORTS Stephon Morris stretches before the Alabama game. Morris is frustrated over ti sive backfield will be significantly and it's something he said the "We have to force those big-time son. wzilingness t., chances. plays and those big-time "If we get to the point of attack When pia, two games turnovers," Crawford said. "It's correctly, then we need to attack without 1 . - you've gotta more about urgency and getting to the ball and not just bring down start bein,_ a bit more aggres the ball forcing bad plays." the man," Crawford said. "If we sive." Patf.T , i, said, - You gotta get In terms of that first strip, attack the ball, attack it properly, some people that tto after things Crawford said proper tackling then it's more likely to cause a form is the most important thing, fumble " tackle Devon Still and cornerback Stephon Morris, all started two games or less last season. - "Some of those kids have been around a little bit, Paterno said, "but none of them have played an awful lot." The next two games against Kent State and Temple will act as valuable experience before the team travels to lowa. If the Lions weren't prepared to tackle against the Crimson Tide after an entire offseason of preparation, ques tions remain whether the same fate will await the Lions when they play the No. 9 Hawkeyes in less than three weeks. "You can't come out flat like that again and expect to win," Sukay said. "So, we know going forward that we have to come out and play Lions have lacked so far this sea- well and concentrate on tech niques, concentrate on the little things, stick to our game plan.: Foot movement and concentra tion are fundamentals and tech niques that need improvement, Morris said. Gang tackling needs to be better as well, though, this week against Kent State, the emphasis may be placed more on one-on-one tackling because Penn State's defense faces players that are easier to contain. Sukay said there will be more one-on-one tackling but only because he expects Kent State to use four and five wide receivers often. No matter the type of tackling, the defense's hesitancy has also affected other facets on the field, such as the team's inability to cre ate turnovers. THE DAILY COLLEGIAN For Patcri aij o It comes down to dt -. :unix( , intensity and a ajcs23B@psu.edu To e-mar report: Watch COS of Joe Paterno cad Jack Crawford otA at yesterdays press con ference e i on the Footblog: psucollegian.com Defensive end Jack Crawford said the two areas go together. Once defensive players put them selves into better tackling posi tions. they'll have the ability to create fumbles when bringing down opponents. something Sukay agreed with. "Instead of waiting on the ball carrier. we have to attack the ball carrier, - Sukay said. "We have to run our feet through tack les." To e-mail leo° bjmsl46@psu.edu kea , ,ays
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