Penn State Phryday Preview

Yinzers,

First off, sorry for not posting your Thursday Steelers Science. The blogger site was unresponsive for most of the day, so it was out of my hands. With that hiccup behind us, let's take a look at what's going down in the valley this weekend as ken't read, ken't write, Kent State comes to town.

Kent State Golden Flashes
Kent State hales from the worst state in the union, Ohio and is exactly one exit away from another team that Penn State has been playing a lot recently, Akron. As a part of the Mid-Atlantic Conference (MAC), Kent State is another one of those smaller FBS teams that doesn't get as much respect as they probably should...as a program. After all, they did produce Jack Lambert and James Harrison. But this not about the average performance, it's about the instantaneous performance...what will we see tomorrow? The Golden Flashes are led by a sophomore quarterback named Spencer Keith. Keith has played decent so far in two games. Combined against Murray State and Boston College, Keith has thrown for 476 yards and 4 touchdowns against 3 interceptions. This works out for the Flashes since they seem to be a very pass-heavy offense in their first two games. The top two running backs for Kent State have 11 and 24 carries respectively over two games. I would look for the Golden Flashes to try and force the Nittany Lions into an uncomfortable position: pass coverage.

On defense, the Golden Flashes are pretty stingy for not being a prime-time program. They have only allowed an average of 18 points with their loss to Boston College giving up 26. As their nickname states, the Golden Flashes have historically been a defense based more on speed than size. Look for swarm tackling and a lot of plays to be forced back up the middle. If Kent State wants to have a good shot at winning this game, they are going to have to play bigger than their size, step up in the trenches and keep the ball in freshman Robert Bolden's hands.

The Nittany Lions
Offensively, the Nittany Lions did not look half bad against the defending national champions last week. Sure, Robert Bolden's inexperience showed a couple times when he threw his two interceptions, but he did lead the Nittany Lions into scoring position 3 times. Those three times ended up in an interception on a poor decision, a fumble inside the 10 yard line and a dropped pass at the 7 yard line. So it was all about the team as a whole not taking advantage of opportunity...and of course the lack of form tackling on defense. I did not see the fire in the eyes of the defense like I have in years past. This week needs to be a rebound week all around. Robert Bolden needs to learn when to throw the ball away and when to just take the sack. Evan Royster needs to learn to believe in his own abilities as a premier running back in the NCAA. The offensive line needs to learn how not to let a 3 man rush beat them. The defense needs to learn some intensity. They have two games to get this learning accomplished before Big Ten play starts. This week is Kent State; next week Temple. If there was any game that Penn State "should have lost," it was against Alabama. Put it behind you and move on to this week.

As for a game plan this week. Feed the big dog. If Penn State wants to be successful down the road, they need to get Evan Royster into some kind of rhythm, even if it's just to build his confidence. Sometimes, players get rusty and I think that is the case with Royster. We saw his great vision over the last two years so all he needs is a little bit of lasik in the form of repetition. As for Robert Bolden, spread the ball around and don't be afraid to take a sack if the pocket collapses too fast. Also, Bolden needs to use his other gift, his speed. The kid can flat-out run with the best of them. Use it when situations get tight. On defense...FORM TACKLING. And where has Mauti been? Put him in Tom Bradley. This isn't high school where if you throw a shoulder into someone, they fall over. This is NCAA division IA football. Put your face mask through the ball carrier's shoulder, use your arms to wrap him up and use your legs do drive him back and down. There was a myriad of opportunities to tackle Trent Richardson at or behind the line of scrimmage that simply did not occur due to poor tackling. The defense needs someone to step up and take emotional command of the defensive huddle. Strike fear into the hearts of the opposing offense as the likes of Dan Connor, Sean Lee, Paul Posluzny, Navarrow Bowman, Aaron Maybin and so many before you have.

As usual, I do not make predictions. I simply present information for ynz to decide. Penn State is favored to win this week with a spread of 22 and an over/under of 46. Whatever that means to you gamblers out there... Game time is 12:00 pm at Beaver Stadium in Happy Valley and coverage will be on ESPN 2 and online on ESPN 3 at espn.com. Probables for tonight's activities are obviously the Dark Horse Tavern, the Rathskeller, Zeno's or maybe a jaunt down the other end of town to Bar Bleu or the new Kildare's Pub. As always, tailgate responsibly.

For the Glory,
B Brog