Today is my last deadline day at the paper, so I'm pretty swamped (being election season and all). I'll have something later on Joe Paterno's press conference, as well as the future DE POY, Maurice Evans!
This is one of the funniest freaking videos I've seen in a looong time... Enjoy!
This first video, of the PSU/ND game, LB Hayes is held down by the ND player on the right, while RB (#26) Thomas strikes him repeatedly, without his helmet. Please, if anyone out there can send this video to someone in the NCAA, get that asshole suspended for the rest of the season. Please.
OK, now for the second video. If anyone watching this is prone to heart failure, convulsions brought on by severe stress or "The Hulk"-like bouts of anger, please be aware that this is of the 2005 Michigan win over PSU. My only intent with showing this video is to get the fans geared up before the game Saturday, and remind everyone that scUM always plays better against PSU, regardless of its record.
For months now, I've been hearing Penn State football fans bitch and moan about Derrick Williams' performance on the field. Many have said he hasn't broken a real good run since Ohio State 2005. Others said his punt returns were against bad teams, like Temple, when the game wasn't in question. Well people, you can clamp it. Williams is, and always has been here to make a difference on this football team.
His punt return for a TD against Notre Dame wasn't just impressive, but it was game-changing.
OK, so 31-10 is a nice, comfy margin of victory. However, I wasn't completely comfortable with how PSU played as a whole on offense. Turnovers killed everything in the first half, and many of them were stupid mistakes. Morelli should have slid, or at least gotten out of bounds on the pre-half time fumble. Oh well, more will come on this win through the week.
No. 14 PSU 24, ND 10
End 3rd Quarter: Notre Dame has given up. There's no life, no effort being put forth by the Irish offense. A run play on 3rd and 26? That just proves Chuckie Weis doesn't think his team can win this game. I'm happy. Other than Anthony Morelli's dumbass moves in the first half, the offense was OK. The defense has been phenomenal, allowing 85 TOTAL yards in three quarters. PSU is showing why it is the better team. The mistakes have been eliminated in the second half, and the Irish just get worse. PSU can't let up. They need at least 10 more points. Will people shut up now about Derrick Williams? We'll see...
OK, I'm ready to hear the boos. I'm actually a Notre Dame fan. Scary, I know. The biggest difference is that I am a fan of Notre Dame football, NOT NOT NOT Chuckie Weis.
So you think that ND and Weis are one and the same. Wrong. Weis was brought in by the ND administration because they were impatient with Ty Willingham's progress. Well, I truly believe ND would have won 9-10 games in 2005 regardless of who was head coach. No one seems to believe me on that one.
Don't get me wrong. I hope Penn State crushes ND tomorrow night. I hope the margin of victory is wider than against FIU. But I still like the Golden Dome, the Four Horsemen and all that jazz. I just like PSU better. That's all.
In fact, when I was in high school, I watched Rudy every so often. My favorite part of the whole movie - next to the crowd when the team runs out of the tunnel - was when Rudy's dad walks into the stadium and the band plays, not a ND fight song, but The Nittany Lion! I didn't even know it at the time, but I still liked that song best.
No Kiddin'.
School: University of Notre Dame (ND), Fighting Irish
Conference: Independent
Head Coach: Charlie Weis, 3rd Year, 17-9
Last Game: Lost to Georgia Tech, 33-3
Record Last Five Years (sans 2007): 40-22; 0-4 in bowls; 0-0 non-conference
Key Players, Defense: S Tom Zbikowski, S David Bruton, DE Trevor Laws
Key Players, Offense: QB Jimmy Clausen, TE John Carlson, T Sam Young
What to look for: ND was just awful against GT last week. HC Weis can only hope his assistant coaches can make the necessary adjustments to prevent another embarrassing loss. Those solutions have to start with the lines, both of them. I listed T Young as one of ND’s key players this week, primarily on the idea that if QB Clausen remains upright, ND actually has a chance. Unfortunately for ND, it will take more than just one lineman to fix the pass protection. The deadly-effective seam routes used in 2006 against PSU might be few and far between, as Clausen is not nearly as experienced as former-QB Quinn was. The ND run defense was really the damning factor against GT, as GT RB Choice almost ran for 200. In 2003, PSU gave up 200 rypg and went 3-9! This could be one of those years for ND. With the departure of RB Walker, ND was left with a stable of backs, but none who can carry the load right now. RB’s Aldridge and Allen will have to step up to keep the pressure off Clausen.
If there was one bright spot for ND against GT, it was the play of S Bruton, who notched nine tackles, two TFLs and a sack. DE Laws also fought hard in the losing effort, with nine tackles, a QB hurry and a blocked field goal. S Zbikowski was a non-factor against GT, and will be out for blood against PSU. Last year, he was the nail in PSU’s coffin with a 27-yard fumble return for a TD to start the second half.
Fun Stat: Notre Dame has not won a bowl game since the Cotton Bowl against Texas A&M, Jan. 1, 1994.
School: The Pennsylvania State University (PSU), Nittany Lions
Conference: Big Ten
Head Coach: Joe Paterno, 42nd Year, 364-121-3
Last Game: Defeated FIU, 59-0
Record Last Five Years (sans 2007): 36-25; 1-1 in bowls; 7-4 non-conference
Key Players, Defense: LB Dan Connor, CB Justin King, S Anthony Scirrotto
Key Players, Offense: QB Anthony Morelli, WR Derrick Williams, any RB
What to look for: If PSU seriously wants to contend for a NC in 2007, it starts with this game. The two fumbles against FIU were too many, and if PSU gets into TO trouble against ND, things could get scary in a hurry. QB Morelli set school passing records for a half with 231 against FIU, and absolutely has to mimic that performance against ND. Fans stormed the message boards all week after PSU’s running game failed to produce big numbers against FIU, but no need to worry. It’s only because PSU is traditionally a run-first team that made the pass-first approach so uncomfortable. RB’s Scott, Kinlaw and Royster ran hard against FIU even late in the game. The O-line protected Morelli better than any QB in recent history. If ND tried to pressure the passing game, PSU should be able to handle it with short slants and draws. WR Williams has to make more plays, period.
On the defensive side, there is not much for PSU fans to be concerned with, as that unit logged one of its most impressive outings in a long time. I know, it was FIU, but they looked great. DC Bradley will use GT’s blitz frequency with guys like LB/DE Jerome Hayes, who has already emerged as a difference-maker. S Scirrotto has been dying for another INT after leading the Big Ten in 2006 with six; he’ll get it. One of the biggest surprises from last week was the play of the D-line, DE’s Evans and Gaines, and T’s Odrick and Ogbu. They frequently raided the running lanes all game long. For once in a long time, PSU’s D-line is just as tall (average height is 6’4”) as opposing O-lines. ND QB Clausen is not that tall, and could have trouble if PSU’s D-line gets those arms up. If there are any problems with the offense, P Boone should be able to bail them out, averaging 47 ypp against FIU, with two 50+ punts.
Fun Stat: PSU has shut out three of its last six opponents.
GAME PREDICTION: This could be a mirror image of the 2006 contest. I’ve been impressed with PSU’s raw talent this season, and expect it to be just too much for ND. PSU will move the ball well in the first half, but not roll over ND. The PSU defense will force a TO or two, giving PSU’s offense good field position. ND will start Clausen, as said by Weis, but he will struggle mightily against PSU’s superior speed in the secondary. Look for at least two INTs by PSU, one possibly going for a TD.
Morelli and Co. have every reason to believe they can get the offense steaming along by halftime, again using the pass to set up the run. PSU will not get a 100-yard rusher, but will combine for another 200+ rush yards this week, though it may not come easy at first. PSU should pull away from a tight match, scoring 14-17 points in the second quarter. The second half will see ND behind and trying to play catch-up, something PSU loves to sink its teeth into.
PSU 38, ND 15
VEGAS:
PSU (-17.5) ND
ACTUAL SCORE:
PSU 31, ND 10
Big Ten daily talk show host on WBNS-AM 1460 in Columbus, Bruce Hooley, had a nice piece on the maturation of Anthony Morelli today.
I think there's a quiet–well, not sure how quiet–confidence surrounding the quarterback position at PSU. Morelli is in a better position than Kerry Collins was at the start of the 1994 season. Collins struggled in '93, while Morelli did much better than anyone could have hoped.
I've defended Morelli in the past, and stand by my support for him. There is some speculation that PSU's running game may have problems against a team with a pulse like Notre Dame this weekend. Yes, Notre Dame was bitch-slapped by Georgia Tech, but you have to admit, the Yellow Jackets were very good. After all, I did predict Tech would be much better this season without the pressure to get the ball to Calvin Johnson.
In last season's 41-17 embarassment to the Irish, PSU was holding its own. The score was relatively tame in the first quarter, but soon got out of hand going into half time. This year, I actually feel it will be similar, but flipping the score. I'll explain that in my preview later this week.
Morelli has the chance this weekend to elevate himself into an elite quarterback. I won't go far as to say he'll win the Heisman, but he'll silence his doubters with a clean performance and a win. If he can do that, he'll be on his way to the PSU history books with the likes of Michael Robinson, Kerry Collins, Todd Blackledge, Chuck Fusina and Richie Lucas.
We'll see.
Which means it's time for a video to get pumped up... This one is a bit longer, at over five minutes, but should get all PSU fans pretty pissed off at the Irish for running up the score in 2006...
Charlie Weis just drove the final nail into Notre Dame's Catholic coffin. "I don't think it'll be much worse than what we saw yesterday," Weis said on Notre Dame's weekly FCS Central show.
Oh really, Chuckie? You have no freaking clue. Now, I'm pretty pissed off that only the very rich and the dumb ass students who decided to jump on the band wagon get to go to the ND game Saturday. However, I hope PSU beats the Irish worse than they beat FIU. That's right, WORSE!
PSU fans should start getting on the message boards about this and get the word out that Weis doesn't think Beaver Stadium in a night game is the worst place to play in the WORLD.
Just thought I'd put in my two cents. After all, that's my job.
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