'First Look' coming next week

Last year, I thought the First Look series went over really well, so I'm bringing it back this year. In 2008, each First Look was released on a Monday, but I'm going to have to change that to Thursdays this summer, mostly due to my work schedule. First Look will also kick off a week later than 2008.

Here's the First Look schedule for 2009:

AKRON -- June 11
SYRACUSE -- June 18
TEMPLE -- June 25
IOWA* -- July 2
@Illinois* -- July 9
EASTERN ILLINOIS(I-AA) -- July 16
MINNESOTA*^ -- July 23
@Michigan* -- July 30
@Northwestern* -- August 6
OHIO STATE* -- August 13
INDIANA* -- August 20
@Michigan State* -- August 27

Any other comments or suggestions about this year's First Look series, send me an email. Also, look for more opposing team blogger participation. I was in contact with a few of them over the winter and spring, and there was enough interest to do it.

P.S. I know U.

I wasn't sure about this series last year, and I'm still not sure this year. It was long, tedious, and didn't really contribute enough bang for the buck. I might scrap it, but I might not. Again, any thoughts from readers are welcome.

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2009 Offseason Rundown

It's going to be a long eight months until football returns to Beaver Stadium. But in the meantime...

• Each week, I'll post two regular updates, one on Monday and one on Thursday. These won't really be news items, but rather different analyses and observations about Penn State football leading up to the 2009 opener against Akron. Yesterday, I went over the projected starters for 2009, and this Monday I will release my initial top 25 for the upcoming season...

• Letter Of Intent day is always fun, and you can count on regular recruiting updates right through the big day. Although, without a Terrelle Pryor-type recruit, and with Kevin Newsome already enrolled, I doubt this year's signing day will be as exciting.

• As I did last season, I'll have as much Blue-White Game coverage as possible. I actually hope to expand it this year, particularly the post-game wrap up.

• And who can forget about the NFL Draft?!

• Then there's all the Big Ten Bloggers stuff to do, like pre-season picks, all-conference selections, and the like. That usually starts in June.

• One of my favorite things to write is the First Look series. It will launch sometime in early June, and give a brief preview (three things you need to know) of every team on PSU's schedule.

• In August, I'll have another annual installment of P.S. I know U., a series that runs down all the players, by position/unit.

... and the Blue&White Roundtables, preview magazines, the release of NCAA 2010, picking apart the main stream media's predictions, etc., etc., etc...

I'll ask it again. Who says the off-season is boring?

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P.S. I know U., 2008 - Part 5, The Coaches

This is the final installment for P.S. I know U., 2008. Today I'll look at the coaching staff, which is always a touchy subject with PSU fans. So it should be fun. As usual, this won’t be full of messy stats (even though I do love them, oh so much), but it also won’t be straight opinion. This is just to get everyone in the loop when it comes to the key figures for 2008. Hope you enjoyed P.S. I know U., 2008.

Just like I did with the players, I'll rate the coaches on three levels - Great, Good, Decent. ‘Great’ indicates that the coach will go down as one of the best in PSU and CFB history. ‘Good’ is a guy who PSU cannot do without, and is someone other schools would love to hire. ‘Decent’ are very serviceable coaches who get the job done with the team, but they're not superstars by any means. And before I even get that first nasty comment about Jay Paterno, yes, I put him as decent. He's surely not the best man for the job, but he would have been pushed out if it were all that bad.

Part 5, The Coaches - Head, Defense, Offense, Strength

:: Head Coach ::

Joe Paterno [HC; 43rd Season; 500 Games, 372-125-3] – Living God. Ok, so shoot me for drinking the Paterno Kool-Aid. I really don't care how many people want him to leave, he's done more for Penn State than most want to know. And although I've had harsh words about him in the past, I don't believe he should be fired before he wants to go (I just wish he'd figure out when that will be). Bringing PSU back from the lower depths of mediocrity, look for another double-digit win this season. 2007: 9-4 (4-4), Alamo Bowl win over Texas A&M; Trails Bobby Bowden by 1 in the all-time "major college" wins record.

:: Defense :: Tom Bradley, Kermitt Buggs, Larry Johnson Sr., Ron Vanderlinden

Tom Bradley [In Charge of Defense/Cornerbacks; 30th Season, 9th as DC; 337.8 ypg/20.2 ppg] - Great. I really would be shocked if PSU didn't name Bradley the HC when Joe Paterno retires. I'm not one for nepotism (we've all seen how great that worked out with Jay), but it wouldn't seem right if Bradley didn't get the job. His defenses have nearly carried this team the past few years. And quite honestly, I'm surprised he hasn't left for a HC elsewhere. Could that be an indication that he knows something we don't? Maybe, but for now, let's hope he does as good a job this year has he's done the past 30. 2007: 17.5 ypg/93.8 rush/214.5 pass; 1 shutout (Temple 31-0).

Ron Vanderlinden [Linebackers; 8th Season] - Great. Until you read about Vanderlinden, you don't get a good understanding for how good he really is. He's coaches defensive units at Colorado (1990 Nat'l Champs), Northwestern (1996 Big Ten Champs), and was head coach at Maryland prior to PSU. He also coached up the only two two-time Bednarik winners, Paul Posluszny and Pat Fitzgerald (Northwestern 1995 and '96, now head coach there). PSU can't pay this guy enough for what he's done in Happy Valley. Vanderlinden is the unsung hero of this coaching staff, and one of the most consistent position coaches in PSU history. 2007: LBs Connor and Lee named All-Big Ten; Connor named All-America, Bednarik winner, and 2nd Round NFL pick.

Larry Johnson Sr. [Defensive Line; 13th Season, 8th at DL] - Great. I challenge anyone to name a better defensive line coach in college football today. PSU has finished with the No. 7 rush defense the last two seasons, and was No. 2 overall nationally in sacks last year. He's coached up FIVE All-American defensive linemen, including four first-round draft picks, and the No. 1 overall pick in 2000 (Courtney Brown). Prior to taking over the defensive line spot, Johnson was soley in charge of the defensive ends (1996-99). He's a prime candidate to take over at DC, should Bradley get the nod at HC. Johnson also directs the punting unit, which has made enormous strides the past few seasons, including Ray Guy finalist Jeremy Kapinos, and All-Big Ten selection Jeremy Boone. 2007: 98.3 rush per game; DE Maurice Evans named All-America; P Boone named All-Big Ten.

Kermit Buggs [Safeties; 1st Season] - Decent. The loss of Brian Norwood to Baylor (hired as DC), left a gaping hole in the PSU defensive staff. Buggs had been PSU's player personnel coordinator since 2003, but not much more is known about his coaching abilities. He knows how PSU operates, and with the stable of good stafeties to work with this year, Buggs should be just fine. The true test will be if he can get Anthony Scirrotto back to his 2006 form. If he gets at least 1st Team All-Big Ten this year, we'll know Buggs is a keeper. 2007: Not on Coaching Staff.

:: Offense :: Galen Hall, Jay Paterno, Dick Anderson, Bill Kenney, Mike McQueary

Galen Hall [In Charge of Offense/Running Backs; 5th Season; 370.5 ypg/26.1 ppg] - Great. I'm not overrating him by saying he's great. The move back to a traditional offense led by QB Anthony Morelli really hampered the production under Hall, as he's more comfortable with the spread offense he ran at the tail-end of 2004 and during the championship season in '05. This year, I fully expect PSU to average more than 35 points per game with the spread offense and two mobile QBs. Hall's resume is long and distinguished, but you wouldn't know that, since PSU keeps him generally away from the press. He was OC at Oklahoma from '66-'83, and then HC at Florida from '84-'89 (40-18-1), where he won Coach of the Year in '84. As an assistant coach with the Dallas Cowboys, he developed Emmitt Smith into a Hall of Fame back, and since arriving at Penn State, has produced a 1000-yard back the past three seasons. He was starting QB for PSU from 1960-61. 2007: 30.3 ppg/193.8 rush/206.3 pass; 53-59 in Red Zone.

Jay Paterno [Quarterbacks; 14th Season, 9th at QB] - Decent. I'm not sure I want to delve to deeply into Jay Paterno. But for years, PSU fans have been clamoring for his removal. One NFL scout said of QB Anthony Morelli, he was "severely undercoached." That should really say it all, as Morelli just never made the progress we were all hoping for at PSU. Jay will probably have a better year this time around, as both Pat Devlin and Daryll Clark can make things happen with their feet, unlike Morelli. Jay's vision of the "Spread HD" seems to have become a punchline all spring and summer. We can only wait and see what that will be like. I'm not trying to get on his case today, but he was also recruiting coordinator from 1996-99. His later classes were the reason PSU suffered it's first two consecutive losing seasons in 2000 and 2001. Just thought I'd mention that. 2007: QB Morelli became the first PSU player to throw 2000 yards in two consecutive seasons.

Dick Anderson [Guards/Centers; 31st Season, 9th at G/C] - Great. Anderson has been around PSU since Joe Paterno, and played for Rip Engle at end (both ways). He's coached almost every offensive position at PSU, and was head coach at Rutgers, where he beat PSU in 1988. Something I didn't know until now, Anderson was the QB coach at PSU from 1993-1999. Does the name Kerry Collins ring a bell? Yeah, I'll let you think about that for a while. Anderson reminds me a lot of Ron Vanderlinden, in that he's unappreciated by most modern PSU fans. By the end of this season, however, everyone will know his name again, as it should be the best offensive line at PSU since 1994. 2007: C AQ Shipley and G Rich Ohrnberger named All-Big Ten; 193.8 rush ypg and only 20 sacks.

Bill Kenney [Tackles/Tight Ends; 21st Season] - Great. Kenney has been the OT/TE coach at PSU forever, and has produced some of the best players at those positions, including Levi Brown, Kareem McKenzie, Jeff Hartings and Kyle Brady. He was also recruiting coordinator in 1992. This will be the first time the OL comes back fully intact, and with two full seasons of experience together, Kenney's coaching abilities will shine. 2007: 193.8 rush ypg and only 20 sacks.

Mike McQueary [Wide Receivers/Recruiting Coordinator; 5th Season] - Good. Most PSU fans only remember McQueary as the starting QB in 1997. Now, he's known for constant beratement from Joe Paterno on the sidelines. But that's not a bad thing. McQueary has grown into the position, and has emerged as one of the hardest working coaches on staff. He's developed three of the best WRs in PSU history, and two of them were barely known upon arrival at PSU. His coaching efforts with these guys should finally pay off this year, as the offense should give them more opportunities to produce like they did in 2005. McQueary is also the recruiting coordinator, one of the best moves by Paterno in recent memory. 2007: WRs Butler, Williams and Norwood each had 40+ catches totalling 1646 yds; all three are in the top-10 all-time receiving charts at PSU.

:: Strength and Conditioning ::

John Thomas [Strength and Conditioning; 17th Season] - Great. Don't blame Thomas for PSU losing games in the fourth quarter, as it was lack of depth, not conditioning, which led to a few of those losses last season. Thomas came to PSU from the US Military Academy in 1991, and has since been named National Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year (1997) and Master of Strength and Conditioning Coach (2002). Thomas' pre-bowl workouts have been key to PSU's 3-0 post season record the last three years.

P.S. I know U., 2008:
Part 1, Offense
Part 2, Offense (cont’d)
Part, 3 Defense
Part, 4 Defense/Special Teams

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P.S. I know U., 2008 – Part 4, Defense and Special Teams

Today I’ll go over the defensive backfield, and the specialists at Penn State. Then on Monday, we’ll look at the coaching staff. This won’t be full of messy stats (even though I do love them, oh so much), but it also won’t be straight opinion. This is just to get everyone in the loop when it comes to the key figures for 2008. Hope you enjoy P.S. I know U., 2008.

As before, I’ll describe each player in one of three ways - Great, Good, Decent. ‘Great’ indicates that player is a sure starter, and should get all-conference or All-America. ‘Good’ means that player is a solid starter, someone the team can rely on to do the job. ‘Decent’ goes to many of the backups who will see time in the rotations. I figure there isn’t a player on the two or three deep that is below decent, or PSU is in real trouble.

Part 4, Defense and Special Teams - Defensive Backs, Kickers and Punters

:: Defensive Backs :: [1st Team] A.J. Wallace, Lydell Sargeant, Tony Davis, Anthony Scirrotto (S), Mark Rubin (S) [2nd Team] Drew Astorino, Willie Harriott, Knowledge Timmons, Cedric Jeffries, Nick Sukay

[1st Team]
No. 1. A.J. Wallace [CB, Jr., 6-1/188] – Great. A.J. could become the most prolific kick returner in PSU history with two seasons of eligibility left. Oh yeah, and he’s a pretty damn good cornerback, too. We all know about Wallace’s importance to PSU, so I won’t go on. He’s an All-American returner and All-Big Ten candidate at CB. 2007: Played 652 snaps. 33 tkl, 1 int, 3 fr.

No. 10. Lydell Sargeant [CB, Sr., 5-10/186] - Good. Sargeant lost his job to Wallace following the Ohio State blowout. That doesn’t mean he’s a bad corner. Lightening fast, and much more experienced this season, Sargeant should compliment Wallace nicely. Lydell was also a surprising third on the team in tackles last season, so I expect him to return to his early-season form. 2007: Played 809 snaps; 70 tkl, 1.5 tfl, 2 int.

No. 11. Tony Davis [Nickel Back (NB), RS Sr., 5-10/195] - Good. Davis has been moved around several times in the backfield. He began as the backup to Alan Zamaitis in 2005, then took over the spot in ’06. In ’07, he was moved to safety, but came down with appendicitis, forcing him to sit out the Ohio State and Purdue games. Tony was a much more valuable player in the secondary than he was given credit for, grabbing an interception at Illinois, and was great in run support. Plus, let’s not forget his game-changing fumble return for a TD against Tennessee in the ’07 Outback Bowl. While he’s not listed as the starting cornerback right now, that doesn’t mean we won’t see a lot of Davis throughout the year. He’s too good to sit the bench. I expect to see a rotation of the corners similar to the defensive ends, subbing and flipping on almost every play. 2007: 29 tkl, 1 int, 2 ff.

No. 7. Anthony Scirrotto [Saf., Sr., 6-0/192] - Great. I don’t care how many people are calling him overrated, Scirrotto is still one of the best safeties in the Big Ten. He had a down year in ’07, after his conference leading six interceptions in ’06. Still, he was a major force in the PSU secondary, and should return to ’06 form. 2007: 65 tkl, 1 tfl, 3 int, 1 fr.

No. 9. Mark Rubin [Saf., RS Sr., 6-3/216] - Good. I will never forget watching the 2004 Indiana game, as true frosh Mark Rubin made a diving, one-handed grab on third-and-long for the first down. PSU won the game, and that catch was a crucial play in the victory. A year later, PSU got all the WRs it needed, and Rubin injured his ankle, requiring surgery and ending his season before it even began. He then moved back and forth from WR to S. Then last year, he planted himself as the full-time backup to Tony Davis. When called upon for the OSU and PU games, he did well. Not great, but was serviceable. Rubin grew up a lot last year, and I think he’ll be an important part of the ’07 edition of the PSU secondary. 2007: 32 tkl, 1 tfl.

[2nd Team]
No. 28. Drew Astorino [Saf., RS Fr., 5-10/190] - Decent. You can’t get away from the buzz surrounding Astorino. Joe Paterno, the staff, and the fans have been just gaga about his potential coming out of spring and summer practice. We’ll see. He’s a former dual-sport star in football and basketball out of Edinboro, Pa. Drew made a big splash at the B/W Game this April, when he logged six tkls, and an int. He should get plenty of mop-up duty this year. 2007: No Stats Accumulated.

No. 6. Willie Harriott [CB, RS Jr., 5-8/183] - Decent. Not blessed with size, Harriott makes it all up in speed. He was one of the “speed guys” who came in to PSU in ’05, but redshirted that year. He’s now setting himself up for 2009, when openings at CB will be there for the taking. He’s an experienced player for PSU, but won’t contend for the starting job this year. Harriott has played in games each year at PSU, mainly on special teams. That should continue this season. 2007: Played 48 snaps; 4 tkl, 1 pbu.

No. 4. Knowledge Timmons [Saf., RS Jr., 5-10/186] - Decent. Timmons, besides having the coolest name at PSU, would frequently jaw with Justin King about who was the fastest player on the team. He’ll join players like Harriott this year trying to move up in the depth chart for ’09. A special teams player, he’ll usually line up at gunner. In 2006 at Notre Dame, Timmons could have recovered a muffed punt deep inside ND territory, but rather than just falling on it, he tried to pick it up and run. He lost the ball, and it went back to ND in a 41-17 blowout loss for PSU. He should be better this year, with more experience, and more motivation to concentrate only on school and football. 2007: Played 92 snaps; 5 tkl.

No. 29. Cedric Jeffries [Saf., RS Soph., 6-2/210] - Decent. Jeffries actually saw considerable playing time last year as a RS frosh. He’s listed as a backup LB and S, but I’ll go with S for this purpose. He has great size and speed to go along with it. He should make more than a few tackles this season, as I expect him to rotate in and out of the lineup during meaningful plays. With more teams running spread-style attacks in ’08, guys like Jeffries could emerge as important depth behind the starters. Chances are that he’ll complete the move to LB before the season’s over, but he has a better chance to see the field at S. 2007: Played 154 snaps; 4 tkl.

No. 26. Nick Sukay [Saf., RS Fr., 6-1/202] - Decent. Sukay has been hampered by nagging injuries, but should be good to go by the Big Ten opener against Illinois. I was really hoping to see him and Chaz Powell emerge as the two safeties after this season, but Powell moved to WR, and Sukay will have to wait for his chance. Although not as highly rated out of HS as Powell, Nick offers good instincts and football smarts. 2007: No Stats Accumulated.

:: Specialists :: [1st Team] Kevin Kelly, Jeremy Boone, [2nd Team] Colin Wagner (K), Ryan Breen (P)

No. 23. Kevin Kelly [K, Sr., 5-7/164] - Good. Kelly has endured an up and down career. But contrary to the fan base’s opinion, he’s been very consistent in the three years he’s kicked for PSU. Sure, everyone knows his game-winning kick in the ’06 Orange Bowl. But not many people really grasp that this kid is great at finding the end zone. He’s carried the rock to pay dirt twice already, one for a key 2-point conversion at Michigan in ’05, and scored a TD on a fake kick at Michigan State last year. If the coaching staff stays smart, they’ll use that fake kick play again. I think Kelly will go down as one of the best kickers ever at PSU. 2007: Scored 110 points, 20-26 FG, 44-45 PAT, 1 TD.

No. 41. Jeremy Boone [P, RS Jr., 5-9/184] - Great. PSU won’t overtake places like Tennessee for “Punter U,” but the Lions have made a strong case with the last two boomers. In 2006, Jeremy Kapinos was a finalist for the Ray Guy Award, and finished out a stellar PSU career. In came Boone, and fans’ anxiety was quickly quelled. Boone is a candidate for Academic AA this year, and was named to several All-Big Ten teams, including a few 1st Team selections. 2007: 59 Punts for 43.0 ydpp, 25 punts inside 20-yard line; Ray Guy candidate.

No. 36. Colin Wagner [K., RS Soph., 5-9/170] - Decent. Wagner actually kicked two PATs last season in the opener against FIU. He made both. While he’s not pushing Kelly out of his job, he provides a great sub, should Kelly need a break. Received many honors as a HS K, and played in the Big 33 Game. 2007: 2-2 PAT.

No. 49. Ryan Breen [P., RS Fr., 6-2/194] - Decent. Breen will have some tough shoes to fill once Boone graduates. But then again, when Jeremy Kapinos left, we all thought the same thing. PSU has gotten very good punters in recent years, and Breen seems to fit that mold. He’s a big kid with a strong leg, and should provide a good backup. 2007: No Stats Accumulated.

(Ed. Note--I was going to cover the return specialists, but since I've already gone over those players, I'll just list them here: KR-A.J. Wallace; PR/KR-Derrick Williams; Backup PR-Anthony Scirrotto.)

Coming Monday: Part 5, Coaching Staff.

P.S. I know U., 2008:
Part 1, Offense
Part 2, Offense (cont’d)
Part, 3 Defense

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Season heating up

As we all get ready for some college football, there's much to talk about. Tomorrow I'm releasing my Week 1 Top 25. Then all next week will be jam-packed with previews, beginning with the final First Look team preview, Michigan State. On Tuesday, I'll go through each Penn State unit: offense, defense, special teams and full look at the 2008 PSU coaching staff. Of course, there will most likely be some posting in between these, so make sure to check in with Zombie Nation every day for Penn State Football at its Finest!

Coming this weekend and next week:

Tomorrow [Aug. 16] - ZN's CFB Top 25 - Week 1 2008

Monday [Aug. 18] - First Look: Michigan State Spartans

Tuesday [Aug. 19] - PS I Know U: Offense

Wednesday [Aug. 20] - PS I Know U: Defense

Thursday [Aug. 21] - PS I Know U: Special Teams

Friday [Aug. 22] - PS I Know U: Coaching Staff

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