Green out; won't make trip to Michigan

During the weekly Nittany Lion Hotline radio show, Joe Paterno said RB Stephfon Green will not be making the trip to Michigan with the team. The sophomore tweaked what Paterno called "a chronic ankle [problem]" earlier this week. Sophomore fullback/running back Brandon Beachum will serve as starter Evan Royster's primary backup.

This would be bigger if Royster wasn't playing so well. If this happened three weeks ago, I would be very concerned for Penn State's run game. But against Minnesota and Eastern Illinois, Green wasn't really a factor. Luckily, Beachum has really come on as a back up, and is a really strong runner. While disappointing, this isn't the end of the world by any means.

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Friday Night Linkage is considering a wingback

Going over Joe Paterno's press conference transcript from Thursday's media day, there are a few things to notice -- JoePa's comments on the offensive line, the running backs, injuries, and pretending that he doesn't know what the media is talking about, ever.

We'll have all that and more in tonight's inaugural Friday Night Linkage.

• Joe Paterno hinted that we could see more Evan Royster and Stephfon Green on the field at the same time.

"Green can be a really good running back. Green has got explosive speed. You know, we would have the ability to play Green at tailback and Royster as a slot back. Royster is a good receiver. He's an excellent athlete, an all around athlete... [we could] put Royster at slot or put him as a wing or do something with him."

• I called this months ago, and some had the gall to doubt my infinite wisdom. Well, looks like Paterno is looking at Graham Zug as a potential punt return specialist.

"We have (Graham) Zug back there catching punts. And, there again, we have eight or nine guys catching punts every day, trying to figure out which guy is going to be the most consistent... But we know Royster can do it, Zug could do it."

• The biggest news on the offense is up front, as Dennis Landolt will go left side, and Deonte Pannell will go right side. Paterno knows experience could mean the difference between Daryll Clark surviving this year.

"Landolt is a better tackle now. Landolt is a pretty good tackle. Pannell is just a kid; was a true freshman last year. He didn't play that much either. Played some. I mean, it would be foolish to put Pannell over there. We had him there last year, but we had him there because we didn't have anybody behind Cadogan."

• I was sorry to hear earlier this week about Devin Fentress (graduated this spring), but more so about J.B. Walton. So was Paterno.

"[Walton]'s got a learning disability that we can't do a good job with here. We looked all over for a place where he could go where they could help him... But we couldn't do the job for him academically that I think he's entitled to. And we had to bite the bullet there."

You have to respect Walton, and Paterno, for putting academics first.

• There's really a ton more of juicy info in the transcript, so you should all go and read it through. But I'll wrap up this transcript rundown with some good ole JoePa.

Reporter: You have a high number of big time players returning on this team. Do you remember another season where you've had that type of talent return, yet have so many holes to fill at key positions?

Paterno: Well, I don't know. I'm not sure I know where you're coming from with, what did you call them? Big play what?

It wouldn't be a Joe Paterno press conference without a little gamesmanship with the media folks.

Chip shots...

• Bob Flounders has a nice one-on-one with Navorro Bowman.

• Bernie Fernandez spoke at length with the wide receivers in a basic rundown of that position, while Joe Juliano talks to Penn State's resident Brit, Jack Crawford.

• Eric Thomas looks at the safeties (warning: premium content), Andrew Dailey and Nick Sukay, in what could be a very underrated position race the next few weeks.

• Yes, Penn State cares about academics.

Have a great weekend!

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Syracuse looking for the next Stephfon Green

◊ Hide the women and children. Batten down the hatches. Syracuse just might have hired a head coach with a brain. Well, maybe, but at least he's on the right track.

In a Sporting News article today, Dave Curtis writes about newly-hired Orange(men) head coach Doug Marrone's quest to recruit better in the City of New York. Curtis smartly mentions Penn State's recent success in that state:

"Penn State, led by Brooklyn-raised Joe Paterno, has maintained a decent presence in New York. But there's an opening there for another school, and Marrone hopes he can fill it with the Orange."

Decent presence? Try these names on for size: Maurice Evans, Stephfon Green, and Ollie Ogbu. They're just three names from last season's roster from NYC (Nerraw McCormack and Shane Thompson were the two others). Evans came in much-heralded, but Green and Ogbu were very much under the radar. You want to bet that Marrone sees guys like Green, and knows deep down he can get them to the 'Cuse?

"We're not going to fill all our scholarships with kids from there," [Marrone] said in his office in December. "But we know the area. And we know that even though the talent might not be fully developed, we know there is talent there."

That has Green written all over it. So, Penn State, this is your second warning (the first being Rutgers a few years ago): watch out, because there's another school looking to tap into your recruiting lines.

Think Penn State is really worried? Me neither.

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Green needs ankle surgery

FOS is reporting this morning that redshirt freshman running back Stephfon Green's ankle injury will require surgery, probably today. What was thought to be just a sprain, was later found to be broken bones in his right ankle and lower leg. He'll most likely miss three months. But that's just the conservative estimate. If he's out through March, you can bet your ass he won't go in the Blue White Game.

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Review, Game 4: PSU 45, TU 3

Today I'll go over a few of the ups and downs from Penn State's win over Temple. There was the drama surrounding Joe Paterno's leg, and the offenses lackluster performance in the first quarter. Although many are pissed off at the Penn State offense right now, I think it was a good thing this kind of game happened against a team like Temple, instead of one like Illinois or Michigan. This will give the team a chance to look at themselves with a critical eye during film review, and maybe come out with more intensity versus the Illini than they would have if the Temple win was easier. But we'll get into all of this as I review how each unit performed Saturday, and what we could expect for next week's showdown with No. 21 Illinois.

OFFENSE :: B

Line - It was only a matter of time before Penn State gave up its first real sack--the one at Syracuse was more Daryll Clark's fault than the line's. Temple came out with a fantastic blitz package that overloaded Clark's blind side, and was the perfect call for PSU's play. The run blocking was great again, and there was still plenty of time for the quarterbacks to throw the ball. Two sacks in one game might seem like a lot, but three over four games is great.

Receivers - Penn State's game plan looked like it was designed specifically to get the younger wide receivers involved, and with the injury to Mickey Shuler, Andrew Quarless came up with a great game (50 yds). Next to the offensive line, the receivers on this Penn State team have been the best of all the units.

Quarterbacks - Clark threw an interception, but he's still having one of the best starts for any first-year Penn State quarterback. Penn State is currently leading the conference in passing yards per game (and total yards, rushing and points per game), and is second in the league in team pass efficiency, behind Minnesota, but Clark is the individual pass efficiency leader. Penn State's quarterbacks have thrown for a combined 10 touchdowns and only one interception.

Rushers - As if in competition with the quarterbacks, the Penn State running backs have made every attempt to steal the show this season. Against Temple, they might have succeeded. Evan Royster injected his usual spark, rumbling for a 32-yard touchdown in the second quarter. But it was Stephfon Green who made the biggest splash, on his 69-yard TD jaunt through traffic. After the instability at RB last year, this unit is one Penn State can lean on in 2008.

DEFENSE :: A

Line - Aaron Maybin's two first quarter sacks set the tone for the D-line this week, as Penn State clamped down on the Owls' run game, and sacking Temple's quarterbacks seven times. Josh Gaines continued to lead the defense, proving he's a great team captain this year. Penn State's defensive line is quickly tamping down any concern I might have had about productivity after Maurice Evans and Abe Koroma left. When/if they return, watch out.

Linebackers - I've already chosen my Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week. Navorro Bowman came up with one of the best days for a Penn State linebacker in years. Some have compared his effort against Temple to that of LaVar Arrington's all-star play in the late 1990s. Bowman looked the part Saturday, logging 11 tackles, five TFLs, three sacks, a forced fumble and a 29-yard interception return to the one-yard line. Although the rest of the PSU linebackers were relatively quiet, Bowman's performance more than made up for it.

Secondary - There were a few Temple passes that should have been complete with a better quarterback, and more than a few times TU wide receivers got behind the PSU defensive backs. Tom Bradley will have some words for these guys, especially since many of their mistakes were saved by the PSU pass rush. On the positive side, it was another good day for interceptions, as Tony Davis and Knowledge Timmons came up with nice picks. I thought I was being too hard on this unit, but no one gets a free pass next week.

SPECIAL TEAMS :: B-

Kickers - Kevin Kelly didn't have to do much, but did nail a beautiful 44-yarder. He looks to be completely healthy after some hip problems the last two season. Jeremy Boone had one shank early on, but dropped one inside the ten-yard line. Not a bad day overall.

Returners - It was another unimpressive day for Penn State's return men. Derrick Williams' fumble was saved by Anthony Scirrotto, and there were no real good returns by either Williams or AJ Wallace. I guess you can't get long runbacks every week, but the fumbles can't happen.

Coverage - Terrible. This was worse than Clark's interceptions and the fumbles on offense and returns. Although there were some great individual efforts (thumbs up to Timmons) to run down the Temple returners, the coverage units--especially on kickoffs--gave up way too many yards. It was like 2007 all over again.

COACHES :: A

The playcalling was as to be expected. The players didn't execute. Everyone's concerned about Joe Paterno's leg issue, myself included. But we have to just calm down. Team doctor Wayne Sebastianelli knows what he's doing, and wouldn't let Joe do anything stupid. I'm very interested to see how this develops throughout this week. If there's one thing anyone can agree with, Mike McQueary had a nice quiet game on the sidelines. There's no sign of this Spread HD slowing down.

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Looking over the Depth Chart :: PSU vs. 'Cuse

With the weekly game notes, Penn State releases the projected depth chart. I say projected because we all know that things could change after it's released. (See: Idiot Defensive Linemen) But there are some interesting changes this week. The kick returners added a certain sophomore, while the right cornerback spot is still not locked down. So let's dig in.

Stephfon Green (Ok, I think I finally know how to spell it) - He's now listed as the third option for kickoff returns. I really can't figure out why Joe Paterno would do this now, outside of his lack of production last week. But that's stretching it. The coaches probably just wanted another option, and Green looks to be made for kick returns.

Jack Crawford - With the injuries and suspensions piling up along the D-line, Crawford's been pushed up the chart. He's not as thick (listed at 248) as Jared Odrick (listed 303) or Olli Ogbu (lsited 289), but he's 6'5" and pretty quick. Also something to note, Tom McEowen reclaimed his No. 2 spot behind Ogbu. Chima Okoli was bumped down. But really, does it mean anything, with how much Larry Johnson rotates the linemen?

Andrew Quarless - Bumped down to No. 3 tight end. Again, I'm not sure this is so significant. I thought he would have been kicked off the team, hands down. But here he is, and obviously getting back in good with Paterno.

AJ Wallace - Still No. 2 behind Lydell Sargeant. Not too much here, either. With two easy games up, it won't matter how much these two sub in/out. Sargeant hasn't been all that bad. Plus, did you notice that Oregon State never once let Wallace return a kick? Just saying.

Nerraw McCormack - Didn't he used to be No. 2 behind Gerald Cadogan?

Depth Chart (Official GoPSUSports.com)

I think that's about everything for this week's depth chart. This afternoon I'll have up my Top 25. Then later tonight, my Big Ten pick'em for week 3.

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Review, Game 1: PSU 66, CCU 10

Today I'll go over a few of the ups and downs from yesterday's win over Coastal Carolina. Granted (as everyone else has been saying) it's against Coastal Carolina, but I think Penn State established exactly what it wanted to do on offense, and somewhat on defense. The two-quarterback system did the job well, with both Clark, Devlin, and even Paul Cianciolo to some extent. But we'll get into all of this as I review how each unit performed Saturday, and what we could expect for next week against Oregon State.

OFFENSE :: A+

Line - No sacks. What more could one ask of what's becoming the best O-line in the conference. The running room wasn't quite as vast as it could have been, but I guess you can't part the Red Sea on every play.

Receivers - There were a few noticeable drops, but they only stuck out because the rest of the receivers did so well as a unit. The biggest drop was Mickey Shuler's potential TD catch. But that's just being picky. It was good to see so many players touch the ball.

Quarterbacks - Considering Penn State didn't even have to throw against CCU, the passers looked crisp and confident. The latter was the most important, though, as Daryll Clark and Pat Devlin took control of the offense on every play. I was more impressed with Devlin's touch, but Clark looks like the clear starter right now. However, we can't gauge too much form this game, as Clark didn't even have to run the ball. Wait until next week to figure out this position.

Rushers - The running backs stole the show. I haven't seen too many backs at PSU hit the holes so quickly. Evan Royster looked like the down-hill, Tony Hunt-esque force PSU needs in fourth quarters, yet he's slightly quicker than Hunt. Stephfon Green is just electric, and has superior top-end speed. This is a fantastic one-two punch for PSU this year.

DEFENSE :: B+

Line - After a while, I forgot Phil Taylor and Chris Baker were kicked off the team. Jared Odrick, Aaron Maybin and Jerome Hayes had the flashy plays, but the rest of the PSU D-line dominated CCU all day. The four sacks didn't tell the whole story, as there were three times as many pressures.

Linebackers - Not too much to go by here, since the CCU spread-style kept the LBs in coverage most of the game. Bani Gbadyu came up with the game's only interception, on what looked like the perfect tip drill. PSU tried to keep the defense vanilla this week, especially after getting burned up the middle on CCU's only TD.

Secondary - I would have liked to see more interceptions. Actually, ANY interceptions by this group. But again, it goes back to the plain-Jane defense Tom Bradley moved to after a while. Keeping CCU from the big play was more important than forcing those game-changers.

SPECIAL TEAMS :: A+

Kickers - Kevin Kelly looked great on kickoffs, while Jeremy Boone didn't get much work. Not much news here after week one.

Returners - Penn State needed a big play after CCU closed the score to 14-7, and got just that from Derrick Williams' 89-yard kickoff TD return. On AJ Wallace's only return, he brought it out past the 40-yard line. The blocking looked very good on both kickoffs and punt returns.

Coverage - I know, it was only Coastal Carolina, but kickoff coverage was a huge problem last year. It looked great against CCU. Hopefully this is a sign PSU has made the effort to sure up the kick coverages.

COACHES

Penn State's staff knew this was a win, but still kept the players interested from the first kickoff. I hate to admit it, but Jay Paterno and Galen Hall called a great game from the booth. The coaches really did a good job this week preparing Penn State, although that whole red zone problem poked its nasty head again when PSU couldn't score from inside the five. Overall, a great job this week by the coaching staff.

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