LIONS 16 I Monday, Sept. 27,2010 __ The Daily Collegian lowa awaits battered O-line gtfBSC By Brendan Monahan faces a dominant lowa defensive offensive tackle in the spring, notably against Temple this past collegian staff writer front Saturday. He’ll have to go up against lowa’s Saturday, when it paved the way ' “It’s rough,” said center Doug Adrian Clayborn, Chris Ballard for running back Evan Royster’s r; 1 * * Right tackle Lou Eliades left Klopacz, Eliades’ roommate and Broderick Binns, three play- career-best 187 yards. Saturday’s game on a cart with freshman year. “It’s a big blow, ers in a five-to-six-man rotation The line recently began shap his jersey off and a towel draped You’re always like, ‘Not going to on the Hawkeyes’ defensive line, ing up with Johnnie Troutman 'yyjf over his head. happen to me, not going to hap- “It is what it is,” Okoli said, solidifying his spot as the starter The redshirt senior, starting 17 pen to me,’ and it happens that “Obviously it’s going to be tough, at left guard. Klopacz had also games straight before the injury, quick.” but there’s no part of me and no become steady at center, allowing . J| was a constant on the offensive With Eliades’ injury, redshirt part of this team that believes that right guard Stefen Wisniewski line, but Eliades tore his anterior junior Chima Okoli enters at right we’re ill prepared or we’re inade- and Eliades to stay at more com cruciate ligament (ACL), sidelin- tackle with virtually no collegiate quate.” fortable positions. ing him for the rest of the season, experience at the position. He The Penn State offensive line Wisniewski is now the only full- The loss is a tough blow to an improving offensive line that Rob Bolden led a 12-play, 96-yard, fourth-quarter touchdown drive to solidify Penn State’s 22-13 win Saturday afternoon at Beaver Stadium Lions offense fizzling near redzone By Audrey Snyder COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER It was becoming an all too familiar scene for the Penn State offense. The Nittany Lions consistently moved the ball during long, clock eating drives, but once they got inside the 30 yard line, the offense couldn’t get the ball into the end zone. Time after time on third down, balls were thrown out of the back of the end zone or runs fell well short of the first down marker. Collin Wagner would run on to the field to attempt one of his six field goals, while the offense head ed toward the sidelines to try to Wagner becoming dependable By Andrew J. Cassavell COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER Collin Wagner doesn’t feel like he’s the same person he was last season. At least mentally, when Wagner approaches a field goal attempt, he says his mindset has changed entirely. That showed Saturday. Wagner tied a school record by kicking five field goals including two from more than 40 yards out. For the first three quarters, Wagner was the Lions’ only offense as they car ried a 15-13 lead into the fourth, with all the points coming from Wagner’s kicks. After struggling, especially from more than 40 yards last sea son, Wagner is 10-for-12 overall this year and 5-for-6 from that dis tance. He credits the year of expe rience. “It’s great to have a year under your belt,” Wagner said. “Even in the first game I didn’t realty have See LAST WORD, Page 13. was a defensive tackle the last two years before switching to figure out how the drive stalled. The Lions were 6-of-17 on third down conversions and scored just one touchdown during their five opportunities in the redzone. For an offense that’s scored just six touchdowns during 15 redzone opportunities this season and was held without a touchdown against Alabama, the Lions head into Big Ten play searching for answers to why they struggle to finish drives. “I didn’t wanna particularly throw the ball all the time down in there, not with a young quarter back, Joe Patemo said. “I think we can do better, no question about that. We have to do better down there, we can’t waste that many scoring opportunities.” Collin Wagner is one of the most improved players from last year. entered 2010 reshuffled and inex perienced but made strides, While Wagner accounted for 16 of the team’s 22 points, several players couldn’t pinpoint the rea son why the offense couldn’t capi talize on more scoring opportuni ties. But quarterbacks coach Jay Patemo said he’s not necessarily concerned about the team’s play in the redzone. He said some of the stalled drives can be blamed on the team’s tendency to get away from plays it has had suc cess with in the past. Wide receiver Derek Moye said perhaps the reasons for the stalled offense against Temple would show up when the team watches film. But he said the per plexing part about all of it was that time starter left from a year ago. See 0-LINE, Page 13. Christine Reckner/Coilegian the offense didn’t do things much differently inside the 30 than it did for the rest of the drive. However, the Lions’ lone touch down drive of the game was one where freshman quarterback Rob Bolden converted two key third downs and was poised enough to stay in the pocket and take some hits. Bolden’s ability to orchestrate the fourth-quarter touchdown drive gave Jay Paterno confi dence to believe Bolden's reins can now be loosened around the goal line. “Knowing that we have three points in our hip pocket, you want to be careful that you don’t put See REDZONE, Page 13. Report Card: Penn State 22, Temple 13 POSITION Quarterbacks B Running backs A- Wide receivers B- Offensive line Defensive line C Linebackers A Secondary A Special teams A- Royster must carry the offense Royster has to adapt By Nate Mink The first month of his senior year has not quite gone the way Evan Royster thought it would. He wanted 18 to 22 carries a game. He’s get ting anywhere from nine to 26. He wanted to play at 218 pounds and carry the load offensively with what was sup posed to be a rocky quarter back. He’s back down to 212 pounds and has a Rocky quar terback who doesn’t need to lean on anybody. In short, Royster’s 2010 story has been an adaptation. Let’s call it Catch-22. His words, “I’m still trying to find myself.” A career-high 187 yards was the statement before the statement, the turning point that came two weeks ago when linebackers coach Ron Vanderlinden gave Royster something to think about' "I still felt good, but it’s a mat ter of what other people see,” Royster said about dropping six pounds. “Sometimes you look at yourself and you don’t notice these things. Coach Vanderlinden came up to me and said, You look like you don’t have that thing, that extra burst.’ That’s what I need. That’s what people need to tell me because I won’t see that myself.” The adaptation of Evan Royster is just starting. His position coach and running coordinator, Galen Hall, told him Monday his number of car ries will vary week to week, depending on who has the hot hand. Chalk it up to a running back by-committee system. Then there’s the matter of running behind new right tackle Chima Okoli, who likely will get the first crack at replacing Lou Eliades, whose tom ACL caused the offensive line’s hut of cards to collapse and forces them to repair what wasn’t very good to begin with. lowa’s Broderick Binns and Adrian Clayborn are licking their chops at the prospect of lining up against two undersized tackles, ready to repeat a demonstrative butt-kicking in the trehches, See MINK, Page 13. COMMENTS Bolden didn’t make mistakes and led the final 96-yard scoring drive like a poised veter an. He needs to be efficient in the red zone. Evan Royster broke out Saturday, going for a career-high 187 yards and silencing his crit ics. The minus is because Green struggled. Eighteen catches for eight different players. The ball was distributed very well and every one who was called upon made a play. The line gave up its first sack of the season, but the unit cleared holes for Royster all day and gave Bolden plenty of time to throw. Not much pressure from the interior and early on, the holes for Pierce and Brown were too big. Pete Massaro had a big game again. Mauti and Stupar were almost single-handed ly responsible for the defense’s turnaround. Stupar’s INT sfct up the go-ahead field goal. No complaints at all for the second week in a row. Chester Stewart isn’t exactly Ricky Stanzi, but Nick Sukay picked him off twice. Collin Wagner hit five-of-six field goals but missed wide left from just 32 yards. Huge Devon Smith punt return negated by penalty. MY OPINION
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