LIONS WRAP-UP 16 I Monday, Nov. 15,2010 Play turns game Going for it boosts Bucks By Nate Mink COLUMBUS, Ohio This is a story about a 4th-and-l call at the opponent’s 20- yard line, one where a coach saw an opportu nity for the game to change Penn State’s offense trotted onto the field. Hold up. Timeout. MY OPINION “I was looking at it across the field and I thought, ‘Oh shoot, I hope they go for it’ because the kicking team kind of stepped out there a little bit and I’m glad they didn’t,” this through the eyes of the man in the glasses, the one wearing a gray sweater vest. Jim 'lt-essel, 162 wins behind his coaching counterpart was one step ahead. His defense stopped freshman tailback Silas Redd, who tried bouncing out side but couldn’t beat Jermale Hines and Orhian Johnson to the edge. A potential 21-3 halftime lead wiped out, and the statement defensive stance ruined an offense’s mojo. “It was just a sign, I guess, to everyone that we’re not done,” Tressel said. “And that was an important message for our guys to know.” Up until that point, Penn State called a brilliant game offensively, effortlessly blending the intermediate pass game with the run. And that was how you attack this zone defense, short-step drop, quick release, gut the middle and work the short curl. Fbrce Ohio State’s linebackers to drop back, then hand the ball off. It chewed up more than 18 minutes of clock, saved a defense from wearing down chasing the long stride of Terrelle Pryor and got you one yard shy of setting up your knockout blow. See MINK, Page 12. Matt McGloin is dealing with scrutiny for the first time this season LAST WORD Offense’s mojo hurt by drops By Audrey Snyder COLLEGIAN STAF WRITER COLUMBUS, Ohio If there was ever a chance for Penn State to hold on to the momen tum it was slowly losing in the second half, it slipped through the hands of wide receiver Devon Smith. As Smith ran deep on 3rd and 12 from the Penn State 25-yard line, Matt McGloin delivered the ball to Smith in stride. The Nittany Lions wide receiver had his hands on the ball as he came down toward the sideline, but couldn’t hang on. Smith’s drop came at a time where Ohio State had gone up 17-14 on the previous posses sion, after a McGloin intercep tion was returned for a touch down, and was one of two key drops that opened the flood gates for the Buckeyes. “That’s obviously a big play that would’ve helped us a lot,” said wide receiver Derek Moye, Boom Herron (1) bruised Penn State's defense, which could be without linebacker Michael Mauti, who left the game with a shoulder injury. Mauti hurt as OSU run game “Booms” Penn State defense By Audrey Snyder COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER COLUMBUS, Ohio The Penn State defense was busting at its seams during the second half and one of the unit’s biggest contributors could do nothing to stop the bleeding. As linebacker Mike Mauti stood with his helmet off and his right shoulder hanging limp by his side, Ohio State continued to attack the Nittany Lions. With a healthy dose of runs up the mid dle and an offensive surge that resulted in 35 unanswered Chloe Elmer/Collegian Devon Smith’s key third down drop kept momentum on OSU’s side. who also had a drop in the out of 10 and that’s something game. “I mean he’ll come out that just didn’t happen today.” with that play nine, eight times points, the defense felt the loss of the redshirt sophomore. Mauti missed the majority of the second half after he tried to return to the game and play with a shoulder that Joe Paterno said “had gone out of place.” The specifics of Mauti’s injury have yet to be determined, though defensive coordinator Tom Bradley said Mauti was meeting with doctors after the game. Bradley said he expected to know the diagnosis about 48 hours after the game and as of press time Sunday, there was no official diagnosis. McGloin faces adversity By Andrew J. Cassavell COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER COLUMBUS, Ohio The sec onds in the fourth quarter could n’t have ticked away any slower for Matt McGloin. If there’s one thing Penn State’s quarterback learned in Saturday’s 38-14 loss to Ohio State, it’s that a 60-minute foot ball game lasts a long time. McGloin, an outspoken and excitable former walk-on, was humbled in a poor second half that followed a nearly flawless See LAST WORD, Page 12. “That hurt,” Paterno said. “Mauti’s been playing really well and in fact he tried to go, even though that shoulder had gone out of place. I said to him at half time, ‘Can you go?' and the doc said, ‘Well, he’s gonna try.' He tried but he wasn’t ready." Mauti’s 61 tackles rank second on the team, and while Nate Stupar filled in for him, without Mauti’s knack for making big plays and his ability to energize the defense, the unit struggled. The Lions defense surren dered 314 rushing yards, 225 of which came while Mauti stood first. He threw a pair of crucial interceptions, each of which was returned for a touchdown, as the McGloin-led offense fell into an early second-half funk it would never snap out of. “It got long,” a dejected, but level-headed McGloin said about the third and fourth quarters. “It went from flying by to, Let’s get this third quarter over with.’ It got pretty long, and that’s what happens.” Since McGloin took his first snaps against Minnesota in late October, much has been made Report Card: Ohio State 38, PSUI4 POSITION Quarterbacks C- Running backs C Wide receivers D Offensive line B- Defenshe line D- Linebackers C- Secondary B Special teams B The Daily Collegian on the sidelines in the second half. With 35 unanswered points also coming after the first half, coupled with a nickel defense that had to change because of Mauti’s absence, the linebacking unit was forced to play with dif ferent guys. “You know how we’re doing some things when we make a position switch like that then we’ve got to get a whole different group going,” Bradley said. “So some of the things we practiced, you know are a little different.” Against Ohio State, the See DEFENSE, Page 12. about his fiery and intense demeanor specifically how it differs from that of former starter Rob Bolden, who saw time at the end of the game and didn’t complete a pass in three attempts. The loss and the poor perform ance represent the first time McGloin has faced adversity this season. Both McGloin and quar terbacks coach Jay Paterno said they didn’t think the loss would faze McGloin at all. McGloin was upbeat while See MCGLOIN, Page 12. COMMENTS Matt McGloin gets an “A" in the first half and an “P in the second. He threw as many picks as he did completions in the second half. The unit did nothing to help McGloin in the second half, going silent and setting up plen ty of long-yardage situations. Two big drops on two crucial third downs by Devon Smith and Derek Moye cost the Nittany Lions. The line moved Ohio State for the entire first half but sputtered in the running game during the second half. Herron torched the Lions for 190 yards on the ground. When the Buckeyes got rolling, the D-Line wasn’t able to clog any holes. The loss of Mauti to a shoulder injury halfway through the game really hurt the linebacking corps. Stupar and Colasanti were solid. The unit wasn’t tested much. Willis recorded his first INT, and the fourth-quarter touch down came on a fluke bounce. Not much to grade here. Anthony Fera pinned the Buckeyes deep once and notched a touchback in three kickoffs.
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