Penn State wins, 34-7

Here's some initial thoughts on Penn State's win over Indiana. I'll have a full game review soon.

The Good: After years of "just enough" special teams play, Penn State has really elevated itself this year. Nate Stupar is a monster in every aspect, from punt blocks to return coverage. Kevin Kelly nailed two of three kicks, while Jeremy Boone downed a punt on the one. Boone also added a huge first-quarter hit on IU's punt returner Ray Fisher. Again on defense, Jared Odrick frequently got through the line, disrupting both the pass and run games. He was joined by Aaron Maybin (sack), Josh Hull (sack) and Mark Rubin (Int. at IU9), who all made big plays on defense. Derrick Williams was the star again on offense, giving the Lions their only spark on a 39-yard, over-the-defender's-head touchdown catch in the first quarter. The second-half performance was much better than the previous six quarters (Iowa included), with the offense scoring 27 unanswered points, converting drives into touchdowns, and reducing penalties and turnovers. Let's hope Penn State finally woke up in this game.

The Bad: This game had shades of Iowa all over it through halftime. Penn State seemed to control the game and the ball, but couldn't turn it into points. We thought it was a good turning point when Rubin intercepted the ball deep in IU territory, but then when Daryll Clark coughed it up on the two, you saw 108,000 eyes roll. I hope Clark used this game to get all his emotions settled and calmed down, because he didn't look comfortable all game, even when he was throwing well. It's easy to attack the defense for giving up the 57-yard touchdown run, but it's not as big a deal as it seemed. On something other than the team, I was surprised that the student section didn't fill up, even by the second quarter. I know it was raining, but to see the student body so dis-interested in this team–rain or not–was enough to piss me off. Penn State hasn't played a home game since mid-October, and that was the only home game since Sept. 28. It would have been nice for the players, after a tough loss, if the students showed up.

Overall: The play-calling was better, but not great. Penn State executed much better than it did at Iowa, even if Clark still skipped a few passes. The game plan featured Williams in a role we expected him to play, yet still got the ball in Deon Butler's and Jordan Norwood's hands. I loved the TE Drag play to Mickey Shuler. It took an entire half of football, but Penn State got the players in space with room to move around. Joe Paterno sounds like he's in a lot of pain, and very tired. I hope he will be alright for the bowl game, wherever it is.