D'Anton Lynn doesn't not blame Paterno's obstinacy

Joe Paterno has morphed over the last few seasons, from a coach that used to micromanage nearly every working part of his team, to one that delegates control to his coaching staff. Overall, it's worked very well. But there's one part of this team on which Paterno still rests an acutely stubborn, heavy hand -- the punt return team.

In a conference call with reporters (BWI) yesterday, D'Anton Lynn was asked about the punt return unit, of course including its problems this season. You might remember that Lynn actually got the call last season to return a few punts, taking his only non-fair catch back 10 yards. So this guys knows what fielding punts can be like. Take a look at this exchange with reporters yesterday:

Q: Do you and other guys wish that you could have a crack at punt return? Is it a desired position and something guys hope to get before the season starts?

Lynn: Yeah, I returned punts in high school so returning punts in college is something that I'd definitely love to do.

Q: Is it something that just comes down to who is catching it in practice? It seems like that is the overriding priority is just to be able to field the ball.

Lynn: Yeah, that's how coach Paterno is. He definitely wants people back there that will catch the ball and Drew and Zug do a great job of catching the ball for the most part so that's part of the reason why they're back there.

Q: Does that mean you were having trouble fielding punts in preseason camp?

Lynn: No, I don't have trouble catching punts, I just think that Joe trusted Zug and Astorino more maybe because I know traditionally the free safety is always back there like Scirrotto was in punt safe, so that'd be Drew, and then Zug is our receiver, so he has sure hands. So, I guess they just trusted them more.

"Sure hands"... "Great job"

Those two phrases don't belong anywhere near an evaluation of Graham Zug's or Drew Astorino's ability to return punts. But I get it, Lynn can't bash his own teammates. I'm cool with that. However, how about the dig -- intentional or not -- he takes at Joe Paterno?

"Yeah, that's how coach Paterno is."

I didn't hear him say that, so it might have sounded different than it reads. But the overall gist of the interview leads anyone with half a brain to think that the rest of the team is growing tired of Paterno's last bastion of stubbornness -- special teams. He no longer has the offense. He hasn't had the defense for a while. The only thing left for Paterno to stick his ladle into is the special teams coordination. And it's starting to show.

Remember this spring, when I projected the depth chart? I had put down Zug as the backup/safe punt returner, behind Lynn. There were a few rather funny comments about my assertion that Paterno "usually likes to have one white guy with good hands available."

Unfortunately, I was only a quarter-correct. Zug ended up being the first-team punt return specialist, while Astorino -- as one commenter suggested -- became the safe man.

Sorry folks, but neither one of those players would exactly strike fear into opposing punt coverage teams.

Lynn? Chaz Powell? Devon Smith? Stephfon Green? Are their hands any better than what we've seen from Zug or Astorino this season? After fumbling three punt returns, and losing two of them, you can figure that one out.

Much of this has been chalked up to Penn State's horrid return blocking, as we've seen even when guys like Evan Royster were back fielding punts. But I'm not buying that as any excuse for the lack of simple ball-handling skills displayed by the two guys Penn State has back there right now.

When 107,000 people cheer your team because it successfully fair-caught a punt, it's no longer a "little thing" that can be worked out with more practice. This isn't a matter of just being careless with the football, as Paterno loves to put it. The season is two games from ending. If Penn State can't even safely field a punt with the supposed "hands guy," it's time to look elsewhere.

It doesn't look like that will happen, at least, not this season. Joe Paterno is sticking to his guns on this one, even if they're misfiring in his face.

*Paterno's press conference will be available shortly. I'll be very interested to see if/how this subject is brought up, and whether Lynn's name is invoked or not. Stay tuned.

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Blue White Game preview: Special Teams

It's almost game time, and we finish up the Blue White Game preview with Special Teams. The kicking situation is a bit garbled, with several returning vets competing against a high-profile true freshman. The punter remains Jeremy "Boom" Boone, and the returners are still up in the air due to a few key injuries. Special teams usually swing the outcome of a game, but things are still unsettled for Penn State in this very important unit.

KICKERS

• No. 36, Colin Wagner. Redshirt Junior. Starter.

What we already know: Wagner appeared in four games last fall, making his only field goal (43 yards), and kicked off three times for a 67.7 yard average, besting Kevin Kelly's 66.2. Wagner looks to be the leader for the kicker job.

What to expect: Evaluating what you expect form a kicker is tough enough during the regular season. The only expectations I can realistically set for the Blue White Game would be for Wagner to launch a few deep kickoffs, don't allow the returners to take the ball out of the end zone, and make a decent field goal or two. There is some competition, though, with Anthony Fera coming in this season, so Wagner has to stay sharp.

• No. 29, Anthony Fera. Grayshirt Freshman. Likely Backup.

What we already know: For a kicker, Fera has a large build (6'2" 230), and the leg to go with it. A Texas product, Fera was a big pickup, as Penn State noticeably beat out Michigan for Fera's services. The coaches like his power, and his accuracy is coming along fine.

What to expect: As most likely the second team kicker, I want to see Fera's size translate into power. Kevin Kelly came in four years ago, and wowed the team with his coolness under pressure. Now, it's Fera's turn.

• No. 28, David Soldner. Redshirt Freshman. Backup.

What we already know: Soldner has gained the interest of the coaching staff, which has said he's in the thick of the kickers race this year.

What to expect: He's apparently very balanced, and a reliable kicker, so I expect that to show on Saturday. If he wants to bypass Fera on the depth chart, he'll need to continue progressing as the coaches have said he has.

PUNTERS

• No. 41, Jeremy Boone. Redshirt Senior. Starter.

What we already know: Boone continues Penn State's recent trend of developing elite punters. In 2008, Boone arguably out-performed the other Big Ten punters in terms of accuracy, frequently pinning opponents inside the five. He averaged 43 yards per punt, with a long of 57, 15 inside the 20, six over 50 yards, and most importantly, no blocked punts.

What to expect: If you're not at the game, you'll have to listen closely for the crowd's "Boom!" (or "Boone," not sure b/c both could work) when Boone lets one rip. I'm not at all concerned about his development, and everything should be fine barring injury.

• No. 49, Ryan Breen. Redshirt Sophomore. Backup.

What we already know: Breen appeared in the opener last season, finishing with two kickoffs for a 66.2 average. It's been reported the coaches like his power, but the accuracy still needs some work.

What to expect: Being the only real punter behind Boone, it would be nice to see Breen come out and drop a few "coffin kicks," or, at least, some inside the 20.

RETURN SPECIALISTS

• No. 2, Chaz Powell. Redshirt Sophomore. Kick/Punt returner (migh not play due to injury).

What we already know: Powell is listed by a few sources as both the punt and kick returner for the 2008 spring session. He was fantastic as AJ Wallace's replacement on kickoffs, as Powell averaged 29 yards on nine returns, with a long of 69.

What to expect: If Powell can go on Saturday, I'm not sure the coaches want to waste him on returns. Or, they might use him just on returns, and not in the offense. I'm honestly not sure, as this is a tough situation to figure out with less than 24 hours until kickoff.

• No. 6, Gerald Hodges. Grayshirt Freshman. Kick Returner.

What we already know: I was surprised to hear that Hodges was in line to return kicks this year, which is very exciting. He's apparently very fast, with great acceleration.

What to expect: Hodges could put on a one-man show in Beaver Stadium, if the opportunities present themselves. Hodges should play a lot on defense, and if the kickoff returns happen, I'm looking for him to break a couple.

• No. 8, D'Anton Lynn. Sophomore. Punt Returner.

What we already know: Lynn is the only Nittany Lion returning this season to field a punt in 2008. It was a nice little 10-yard advance, but nothing special. I'm assuming he's in line for the job, but don't be surprised to see him splitting time with someone with good hands, like Graham Zug.

What to expect: If Lynn is in fact the punt returner, then I want to see good hands above everything else. During my early days at Penn State, young punt returners dropping the ball cost Penn State.

Injured: No. 1, AJ Wallace. Senior. Kick Returner.

What will happen: Wallace's hamstring injury is bugging me more every time I think about it. He's probably one of the best kickoff returners Penn State's ever had, but he can't stay completely healthy. I won't be upset if he doesn't end up returning kicks this year, as I'd much rather see him as a full time corner.

• • •

Previously...
Monday: Quarterbacks and Running Backs
Tuesday: Receivers and Tight Ends
Wednesday: Offensive line,
Thursday: Defensive Line (pt. 1), Linebackers (pt. 2)
Friday: Defensive Backs (pt. 1), Special Teams (pt. 2)

Next up...
Saturday night: Report from the game, photos, etc.

*Have something to say about this post? Let your voice be heard, in the ZN Message Forum!

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PSU adds No. 19

Penn State landed a good kicker for it's 2009 recruiting class.

"Penn State's recruiting class got a kick on Wednesday afternoon, as Houston (Texas) St. Pius X placekicker Anthony Fera, ranked the No. 2 player at his position in the country by Rivals.com, switched his verbal commitment from Michigan to the Nittany Lions."

This is fantastic. I realize that Rich Rodriguez will recruit plenty of great talent, and eventually gave great teams at Michigan. But grabbing this kid away from MICHIGAN is a nice twist for Penn State following its big win Saturday.

"Fera won the field goal competition and earned the Kickoff Champion award at the Chris Sailer Kicking Camp in Sherman Oaks, Calif., in July. He sealed the field goal competition by nailing back-to-back 60-yarders.

This season, Fera is 18 for 19 on extra points and is 4 for 4 on field goals with a long of 39 yards."

*quotes from Rivals.com. Plus, I'm working on the OSU preview, and it will be up later today.

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Kevin Kelly earns Big Ten POW

Kevin Kelly has gone from a question mark to an exclamation point for Penn State in 2008. Let's hope Penn State doesn't even need him at Ohio State.

From BigTen.org:

SPECIAL TEAMS:
Kevin Kelly, Penn State
SR, K, Langhorne, Pa./Neshaminy
Kelly connected on three field goals and all five of his extra points against Michigan to become the Big Ten’s career leader in kicking points. The senior kicker’s 14-point outing boosted his career total to 376 kicking points to pass Minnesota’s Dan Nystrom (1999-2002) and Iowa’s Nate Kaeding (2000-03), who shared the top spot with 367 points. Kelly connected on field goals of 42, 32 and 20 yards to give him 70 career field goals, which ranks third in conference annals behind Nystrom (71 field goals) and Ohio State’s Mike Nugent (72). Kelly earns his first career weekly award.
LAST PSU SPECIAL TEAMS POW: KR Derrick Williams on Sept. 29, 2008.

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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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