LIONS
14 I Monday, Oct. 25,2010
Season
alive
after
victory
By Audrey Snyder
Minneapolis
There was very little
for Penn State to get
excited about.
Tiie Nittanv
Lions had been
pounded by
lowa and
Illinois, were lin
ing up with a
defense that
couldn't keep
players on the
field and could-
MY OPINION
n't score a redzone touchdown if
their bowl-game fate depended
m it
For most of the month, the
games were about as bad as the
team could experience. Fingers
were pointed, playealls were
questioned and the grumblings
of the Lions returning to the
1 )ark Age started to seem
believable.
But tilings couldn't stay that
bad forever, could they?
For a team that’s struggled to
play with emotion for most of
the season, the Lions looked
doomed when cloudy skies hung
over a half-full TCF Bank
Stadium. It wasn't a primetime,
hostile environment like
Alabama or lowa. In fact, at
times it was almost comical.
As Goldy Gopher rode onto
the field on a motorcycle in front
of about 10 rows of students
while fireworks shot up from the
tunnel, who could take the biker
rodent or even the Minnesota
team seriouslv?
But give the Lions credit
because for once this season
t hey didn't allow the environ
ment of the game set the stage
See SNYDER. Page 12.
Run game takes step in right direction
By Audrey Snyder
I.rGIAN STAFF WRITER
MINNEAPOLIS As Penn State
Mill. nsive linemen were pushed off the
hail and occasionally back into their
quarterback, the Nittany Lions felt the
plnsicality of the conference's worst
run defense.
There was little room to run up the
middle, the line couldn't keep its blocks
long enough to allow Evan Royster to
get around the edge and it looked as if
the run game was once again doomed.
But the Lions found ways to regroup
alter rushing for just 36 yards in the
first half and were able to use the run
ning game to eat up clock in the fourth
quarter. The Lions finished the game
with 145 rushing yards, which left Joe
Paterno with the feeling his unit was
better.
The overall rushing yards were an
improvement considering the Lions
didn't rush for more than 70 yards
against lowa and Illinois. However, the
line said it still left several opportuni
ties for more vards on the field.
T think we played well," right tackle
Chima Okoli said. "There are obviously
spots where we could’ve opened up
Building off win vital for morale
By Audrey Snyder
COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER
MINNEAPOLIS If Penn
State was keeping a check list of
its accomplishments this season,
there would be quite a few boxes
unchecked.
Still no rushing record for
Evan Royster, no 400 wins for Joe
Paterno. and up until Saturday,
no victory on the road.
But Saturday’s win against
Minnesota checked one box and
gives the Lions hope the mile
stones they faced at the begin
ning of the season are still attain
able. Royster now sits 31 yards
shy of the rushing record,
Paterno has 398 wins and the
quest to return to a bowl game
remains possible.
"It lets us know that we’re still
a team that can win," defensive
back Malcolm Willis said.
"We got back on a winning
track, and got back over .500 and
things like that. We just got to
See LAST WORD, Page 12.
m / > -«*&!■■. -jj,
1 * J
*C r
Despite a pair of momentum-swinging plays, a banged up defense still underachieved Saturday.
some more holes for the running
game, but overall I think the protection
was pretty good. There weren't too
many hits on the quarterback.... But it
definitely wasn’t a perfect game."
While the Lions kept the same line
they've used since the lowa game, left
guard Johnnie Troutman said the line
wasn’t looking over its shoulder after
struggling early.
Troutman said it was just a couple
mistakes here and there that held the
line back in the first half.
Throw in a Gophers defense that
running back Evan Royster said
blitzed more than the Lions expected
and it wasn't until the second half the
Lions understood what Minnesota was
trying to do.
With interim head coach Jeff Horton
coaching his first game, the Lions said
they couldn't really game plan too
much against the defense. But once
the offensive line went into the locker
room at the half and was able to figure
out the Gophers, the Lions were able
to open up some holes and take control
of the game.
And once Royster reeled off a 29-
yard run during the Lions' first posses
sion of the second half, the Gophers
Derek Moye secures his second touchdown catch of the game from
Matt McGloin, who stepped in for Rob Bolden and performed well.
i <"i
4f' r ®
shied away from their blitz-happy
gameplan. "They weren’t bringing the
free guy like the safety off the edge that
we cant account for the block,”
Troutman said. "So that’s why most of
the runs were breaking off in the sec
ond half that weren’t in the first half.”
That would help explain why the
Lions' longest run in the first half was
a 12-yard run by Royster. Yet the team
took advantage of the Gophers not
blitzing as much and had four runs of
17-plus yards in the second half.
While Stefen Wisniewski said the
line has got to do a better job of consis
tently opening up holes, the running
backs were able to capitalize when the
opportunities presented themselves.
True freshman Silas Redd ran for
back-to-back 20-plus yard carries dur
ing the fourth quarter as he helped the
Lions control the clock. Being able to
use the ground game to seal the victo
ry is something the Lions hadn’t done
since their September 25 game against
Temple.
"I thought we were better," Joe
Paterno said of the ground game. “I
thought we were pretty good.”
To e-mail reporter: aass22o@psu.edu
m
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Wm Wmm
Associated Press photo
Associated Press photo
Evan Royster scored for the second time this year.
Report Card: Penn State 33, Minnesota 21
POSITION
Quarterbacks 11-
Running backs C+
Wide receivers A-
Offensive line C-
Defensive line C-
Linebackers C-
Secondary D+
Special teams C+
The Daily Collegian
Sloppy
defense
impacts
game
By Audrey Snyder
COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER
MINNEAPOLIS If anyone
on the Penn State defense is
looking for some sort of sympa
thy, he won’t find it from Tom
Bradley.
With the defense continuing to
work through mounting injuries
and personnel switches, the
defensive coordinator isn't mop
ing around feeling sorry for him
self or his players.
"Like my dad says, everybody
has a SSS: a sad, sympathy story.
But my dad used a different
word, and I ain’t saying it."
Bradley said. "But the kids
fought hard."
Through seven games, the
Nittany Lions defense has strug
gled to create turnovers, get con
sistent pressure on the quarter
back and make tackles. While the
Lions took some steps forward
defensively against Minnesota,
as they forced a turnover, record
ed a safety and showed flashes of
a pass rush, there is still a lot of
inexperience at key spots.
“I’m always worried about the
secondary," head coach Joe
Paterno said. "But again I think
you got to be careful. I thought
coming into this game Minnesota
was a good offensive football
team."
With safety Nick Sukay done
for the year, the Lions came to
Minnesota knowing somebody in
the secondary needed to step up.
Entering the game that some
body appeared to be Andrew
Dailey, who started at Hero.
But like it's been for most of
the season with the Penn State
defense. Dailey was forced out of
the game with a shoulder injury.
His replacement: Malcolm Willis.
See DEFENSE. Page 12.
COMMENTS
Bolden looked sharp, going 11-for-13 with a
touchdown pass. McGloin took a lot of
chances with the deep ball.
Going against the worst run defense in the
Big Ten, the Lions could’ve done better with
just 36 yards rushing at the half.
With the quarterback situation changing, the
wideouts found a way to make it work. Moye
connected with McGloin for two touchdowns.
The line had a rough first half and couldn’t
get a push off the ball. Eventually, the Lions
wore down the Gophers.
Adam Weber had a lot of time and running
back DeLeon Eskridge torched the defense
for 111 yards. Safety bumps grade up a bit.
The unit had many of its players return from
injury, but the results weren't too pretty. The
Gophers rushed for 134 yards.
Weber passed for 299 yards and the Lions
couldn’t slow down Da’Jon McKnight. Missed
tackles continue to be a problem.
Fera averaged 45.2 yards per punt and
Wagner tied his career long with a 49-yard
field goal but clanked a 37-yarder.