Penn State Nittany Lions (NCAA 09)

[Psyblast]

Week 6 Recap

Top 25 Action
#1 Oklahoma 36, Baylor 6
#2 Florida 48, Arkansas 17
#3 Southern California 34, Oregon 10
#4 Missouri 38, Nebraska 14
#5 Wisconsin 28, #8 Ohio State 24
#20 Colorado 36, #6 Texas 29
#9 Texas Tech 37, Kansas State 19
#10 Penn State 41, Purdue 0
#11 Kansas 34, Iowa State 3
#12 Virginia Tech 38, Western Kentucky 10
#13 West Virginia 37, Rutgers 0
#14 Alabama 41, Kentucky 10
#16 Arizona State 44, California 21
#17 BYU 42, Utah State 14
#19 Tennessee 31, Northern Illinois 21
#21 Michigan State 42, Iowa 13
#22 Cincinnati 31, Marshall 3
#23 Illinois 42, Michigan 37
#24 Auburn 24, Vanderbilt 6
South Florida 28, #25 Pittsburgh 27

National Players of the Week
Offense: T.J. Yates, QB, North Carolina: 342 passing yards, 40 rushing yards, 5 total TDs
Defense: Rodney Paulk, OLB, South Carolina: 10 tackles, 3 TFL, sack, 2 FF, FR

Big Ten Players of the Week
Offense: Adam Weber, QB, Minnesota: 24-34, 450 yards, 3 TDs
Defense: Eric Gordon, OLB, Michigan State: 11 tackles, 5 TFL, 2 sacks, INT

Heisman Watch

1. James Davis, RB, Clemson: 93 carries, 720 yards, 10 TDs; 11 receptions, 315 yards, 6 TDs
2. Chase Daniel, QB, Missouri: 1708 passing yards, 23 TDs, 3 INTs; 154 rushing yards, 2 TDs
3. Graham Harrell, QB, Texas Tech: 1909 passing yards, 24 TDs, 2 INTs
4. Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma: 1329 passing yards, 16 TDs, 1 INT
5. Sean Glennon, QB, Virginia Tech: 1158 passing yards, 10 TDs, 2 INTs; 377 rushing yards, 5 TDs

Week 7 Top 25

1. Oklahoma (32) 5-0; next: vs. #14 Texas (4-1)
2. Florida (28) 5-0; next: #20 LSU (4-1)
3. Southern California (1) 4-0; next: #19 Arizona State (4-1)
4. Missouri 5-0; next: Oklahoma State (3-2)
5. Wisconsin 5-0; next: #7 Penn State (6-0)
6. Texas Tech 6-0; next: Nebraska (1-4)
7. Penn State 6-0; next: @ #5 Wisconsin (5-0)
8. Kansas 5-0; next: #12 Colorado (5-0)
9. Virginia Tech 6-0; next: IDLE
10. Georgia 4-1; next: #21 Tennessee (4-1)
11. Alabama 6-0; next: IDLE
12. Colorado 5-0; next: @ #8 Kansas (5-0)
13. West Virginia 4-1; next: Syracuse (3-2)
14. Texas 4-1; next: vs. #1 Oklahoma (5-0)
15. BYU 5-0; next: New Mexico (3-3)
16. Ohio State 4-2; next: Purdue (3-2)
17. Clemson 4-1; next: @ Wake Forest (2-2)
18. Michigan State 6-0; next: @ Northwestern (4-1)
19. Arizona State 4-1; next: @ #3 Southern California (4-0)
20. LSU 4-1; next: @ #2 Florida (5-0)
21. Tennessee 4-1; next: @ #10 Georgia (4-1)
22. Cincinnati 3-1; next: Rutgers (2-3)
23. Illinois 3-2; next: Minnesota (4-2)
24. Auburn 4-2; next: Arkansas (1-4)
25. Miami-FL 4-1; next: Central Florida (4-1)

[Psyblast]

#7 Penn State @ #5 Wisconsin
Camp Randall Stadium
Madison, WI
October 11, 2008



PSU shows their guts under the lights
"Hat tricks" from Lee and Maybin help Nittany Lions conquer Camp Randall

MADISON, WI - Penn State entered one of the most hostile environments in the Big Ten with a gameplan determined to run the ball down Wisconsin's throat.

For a while, that gameplan was working; Evan Royster gained 114 yards on only 15 carries, but his 15th carry was his last one, as he left the game with a minor shoulder injury. Head Coach Joe Paterno said after the game that Royster should be good to go next week.

After Royster went down, Penn State's offense stalled, so they relied on their defense, which passed the test with flying colors.

Sean Lee had three interceptions, and Aaron Maybin had three sacks, and Penn State as a team passed an even bigger test, winning at night in front of Wisconsin's home crowd, 23-13.

"This kind of win is such a confidence booster," the senior captain Lee said afterward. "To come into an environment like this against the #5 team in the country, I think it says a lo about our own team and what we can accomplish from here on out."

Team	Quarter	Scoring Play	Score
	1	Daryll Clark, 3 yard run (Kelly kick), 4:56	7-0
	1	P.J. Hill, 2 yard run (Fischer kick), 0:34	7-7
	2	Kevin Kelly, 28 yard FG, 6:56	10-7
	2	Matt Fischer, 22 yard FG, 4:19	10-10
	3	Kevin Kelly, 33 yard FG, 4:54	13-10
	3	Matt Fischer, 20 yard FG, 2:36	13-13
	3	Daryll Clark, 12 yard run (Kelly kick), 0:46	20-13
	4	Kevin Kelly, 27 yard FG, 2:40	23-13

Penn State Nittany Lions

Team Stats
Passing Yards: 109
Rushing Yards: 132
Total Yards: 241
1st Downs: 13
3rd Downs: 6-14 (42%)
4th Downs: 0-1 (0%)
Turnovers: 0
Penalties-Yards: 1-2
Time of Possession: 18:56

Player Stats

Passing
D. Clark: 9-17, 109 yards

Rushing
E. Royster: 15 carries, 114 yards
S. Green: 11 carries, 27 yards
D. Clark: 10 carries, 20 yards, 2 TDs
D. Williams: 2 carries, -4 yards

Receiving
D. Williams: 4 receptions, 65 yards
A. Quarless: 3 receptions, 17 yards
D. Butler: 2 receptions, 27 yards

Defense
S. Lee: 10 tackles, 3 TFL, 3 INTs
L. Sargeant: 6 tackles
N. Bowman: 5 tackles, TFL
A. Scirrotto: 5 tackles, TFL
A. Maybin: 5 tackles, 3 TFL, 3 sacks
T. Davis: 5 tackles
J. Gaines: 4 tackles, TFL, sack
O. Ogbu: 2 tackles, TFL, sack

Kicking
K. Kelly: 3-3 FG, 2-2 PAT

Wisconsin Badgers

Team Stats
Passing Yards: 168
Rushing Yards: 61
Total Yards: 229
1st Downs: 12
3rd Downs: 4-13 (30%)
4th Downs: 1-2 (50%)
Turnovers: 3
Penalties-Yards: 2-17
Time of Possession: 17:08

Player Stats

Passing
A. Evridge: 14-21, 168 yards, 3 INTs

Rushing
P. Hill: 24 carries, 39 yards, TD
Z. Brown: 2 carries, 39 yards
A. Evridge: 2 carries, 16 yards
J. Clay: 1 carry, 0 yards
C. Pressley: 1 carry, 8 yards

Receiving
T. Beckum: 7 receptions, 97 yards
G. Graham: 4 receptions, 53 yards
D. Gilreath: 2 receptions, 17 yards
P. Hill: 1 reception, 1 yard

Defense
M. Cromartie: 12 tackles, 3 TFL
S. Carter: 8 tackles, TFL
A. Pleasant: 6 tackles, TFL
O. Schofield: 6 tackles, 2 TFL
M. Shaughnessy: 5 tackles, 2 TFL, 2 sacks
D. Levy: 5 tackles
A. Henry: 5 tackles
J. Chapman: 4 tackles, 2 TFL
J. Casillas: 3 tackles, TFL
M. Newkirk: 3 tackles, TFL, sack

Kicking
M. Fischer: 2-2 FG, 1-1 PAT

Record: 7-0, 3-0

[Psyblast]

Week 7 Recap

Top 25 Action
#1 Oklahoma 45, #14 Texas 17
#2 Florida 38, #20 LSU 12
#3 Southern California 41, #19 Arizona State 38 (OT)
#4 Missouri 32, Oklahoma State 14
#7 Penn State 23, #5 Wisconsin 13
#6 Texas Tech 37, Nebraska 31
#8 Kansas 38, #12 Colorado 17
#10 Georgia 41, #21 Tennessee 27
#13 West Virginia 38, Syracuse 7
#15 BYU 42, New Mexico 34
#16 Ohio State 35, Purdue 16
#17 Clemson 48, Wake Forest 17
#18 Michigan State 28, Northwestern 21
#22 Cincinnati 49, Rutgers 17
#23 Illinois 44, Minnesota 21
#24 Auburn 34, Arkansas 10
#25 Miami-FL 20, Central Florida 14

National Players of the Week
Offense: David Johnson, QB, Tulsa: 420 passing yards, 25 rushing yards, 7 total TDs
Defense: Sean Lee, MLB, Penn State: 10 tackles, 3 TFL, 3 INTs

Big Ten Players of the Week
Offense: Chris Wells, RB, Ohio State: 24 carries, 141 yards, 3 TDs
Defense: Sean Lee, MLB, Penn State

Heisman Watch

1. Chase Daniel, QB, Missouri: 1996 passing yards, 25 TDs, 3 INTs; 285 rushing yards, 2 TDs
2. James Davis, RB, Clemson: 784 rushung yards, 11 TDs; 330 receiving yards, 6 TDs
3. Graham Harrell, QB, Texas Tech: 2069 passing yards, 25 TDs, 2 INTs
4. Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma: 1668 passing yards, 19 TDs, 1 INT
5. Max Hall, QB, BYU: 1770 passing yards, 22 TDs, 2 INTs

Week 8 Top 25

1. Oklahoma (40) 6-0; next: #7 Kansas (6-0)
2. Florida (21) 6-0; next: IDLE
3. Southern California 5-0; next: @ Washington State (0-6)
4. Missouri 6-0; next: @ #18 Texas (4-2)
5. Penn State 7-0; next: Michigan (3-3)
6. Texas Tech 6-0; next: @ Texas A&M (4-2)
7. Kansas 6-0; next: @ #1 Oklahoma (6-0)
8. Virginia Tech 6-0; next: @ Boston College (4-1)
9. Alabama 6-0; next: Ole Miss (2-4)
10. Georgia 5-1; next: Vanderbilt (2-4)
11. Wisconsin 5-1; next: @ Iowa (2-5)
12. BYU 6-0; next: @ TCU (3-4)
13. Michigan State 7-0; next: #15 Ohio State (5-2)
14. West Virginia 5-1; next: IDLE
15. Ohio State 5-2; next: @ #13 Michigan State (7-0)
16. Clemson 5-1; next: Georgia Tech (5-1)
17. Colorado 5-1; next: Kansas State (5-1)
18. Texas 4-2; next: #4 Missouri (6-0)
19. Cincinnati 4-1; next: IDLE
20. Boise State 5-0; next: Hawaii (2-3)
21. Illinois 4-2; next: Indiana (3-3)
22. Arizona State 4-2; next: IDLE
23. Auburn 5-2; next: IDLE
24. Miami-FL 5-1; next: @ Duke (3-2)
25. LSU 4-2; next: @ South Carolina (5-2)

[Psyblast]

Penn State preps for huge recruiting weekend
Nittany Lions hope to snap their string of bad luck vs. Michigan while hosting a plethora of elite recruits

STATE COLLEGE, PA - First and foremost on the minds of the Penn State football program this week is Michigan. The Wolverines have beaten the Nittany Lions nine straight times dating back since 1997. They are 3-3 this year and experiencing some growing pains adjusting to Rich Rodriguez's spread offense. Penn State, meanwhile, is 7-0, #5 in the country, and slicing teams apart with their version of the spread. If they're ever going to beat Michigan, this is the year to do it.

The backdrop for the game though, is the immense amount of high school talent that will be on the sidelines in Beaver Stadium Saturday afternoon. Recruiting Coordinator Brian Kudron circled the Michigan game before the season started as one of if not the biggest recruiting weekend of the season, and he scheduled visits with elite recruits accordingly.

The following recruits will be in attendance on Saturday taking their official visits to Happy Valley.

Five-star prospects:

-OT Chris Ford, Blue Island (IL) Eisenhower; #32 OVR, #1 T
-S Tyler Jackson, Salisbury (MD) Parkside; #2 OVR, #1 S
-DT Brandon Capps, McKeesport (PA) McKeesport Area; #12 OVR, #1 DT
-QB Chris Smith, New Brunswick (NJ) New Brunswick; #29 OVR, #3 QB
-OLB Mario Bates, Ashland (OH) Ashland; #35 OVR, #2 OLB
-RB Howard Slaughter, Jefferson (PA) Jefferson-Morgan; #36 OVR, #7 RB

Four-star prospects:

-MLB Raymond Humphrey, Willow Grove (PA) Upper Moreland; #52 OVR, #3 MLB
-OT Ernest Austin, Decatur (IN) Bellmont; #211 OVR, #8 OT
-OT David McGill, Miamisburg (OH) Miamisburg; #230 OVR, #9 OT
-S Calvin Bostic, Long Branch (NJ) Long Branch; #262 OVR, #22 S

[Matt10]

It looks like that OT thriller over Illinois has sparked some more confidence in your team. Keep it going, man.

[Psyblast]

Michigan @ #5 Penn State
Beaver Stadium
State College, PA
October 18, 2008



Nittany Lions run over Wolverines
Royster's career day snaps losing streak to Michigan

STATE COLLEGE, PA - Losing to this Michigan team would've been unacceptable.

These Penn State players and coaches both knew that, and they made sure they left no doubt Saturday. Evan Royster led the charge, running for 232 yards in PSU's 45-20 win over Michigan, their first against the maize and blue since 1996.

Penn State did whatever they pleased on offense all day, racking up 578 total yards. Daryll Clark was overshadowed by Royster, but he was just as dominant, passing for 222 yards and running for 101 along with being responsible for four touchdowns.

This was the final tuneup for the Nittany Lions before the true measuring stick of how good of a team they are: Ohio State next week in Columbus, a place Penn State hasn't come close to winning at since joining the Big Ten.

Team	Quarter	Scoring Play	Score
	1	Evan Royster, 42 yard run (Kelly kick), 1:55	7-0
	2	Daryll Clark, 5 yard pass to Derrick Williams (Kelly kick), 6:53	14-0
	2	Martavious Odoms, 95 yard kickoff return (Lopata kick), 6:41	14-7
	2	Daryll Clark, 8 yard pass to Deon Butler (Kelly kick), 3:09	21-7
	2	Steven Threet, 1 yard pass to Kevin Koger (Lopata kick), 0:43	21-14
	3	Kevin Kelly, 33 yard FG, 7:38	24-14
	3	Evan Royster, 9 yard run (Kelly kick), 3:48	31-14
	4	Daryll Clark, 2 yard pass to Andrew Quarless (Kelly kick), 8:23	38-14
	4	Brandon Minor, 1 yard run (2-pt. failed), 7:17	38-20
	4	Daryll Clark, 1 yard run (Kelly kick), 2:05	45-20

Penn State Nittany Lions

Team Stats
Passing Yards: 238
Rushing Yards: 340
Total Yards: 578
1st Downs: 27
3rd Downs: 7-12 (58%)
4th Downs: 1-1 (100%)
Turnovers: 0
Penalties-Yards: 3-25
Time of Possession: 21:56

Player Stats

Passing
D. Clark: 18-27, 222 yards, 3 TDs
P. Devlin: 1-1, 16 yards

Rushing
E. Royster: 35 carries, 232 yards, 2 TDs
D. Clark: 9 carries, 101 yards, TD
S. Green: 4 carries, 33 yards

Receiving
D. Williams: 5 receptions, 79 yards, TD
J. Norwood: 5 receptions, 85 yards
A. Quarless: 3 receptions, 29 yards, TD
K. Cousins: 3 receptions, 32 yards
D. Butler: 2 receptions, 18 yards, TD
E. Royster: 1 reception, -5 yards

Defense
M. Rubin: 8 tackles
S. Lee: 8 tackles, TFL, FF
A. Scirrotto: 8 tackles, 2 INTs
T. Sales: 6 tackles, TFL
J. Gaines: 5 tackles, 2 TFL
J. Odrick: 3 tackles, 3 TFL, sack
O. Ogbu: 1 tackle, TFL, sack

Kicking
K. Kelly: 1-1 FG, 6-6 PAT

Michigan Wolverines

Team Stats
Passing Yards: 190
Rushing Yards: 60
Total Yards: 250
1st Downs: 14
3rd Downs: 4-11 (36%)
4th Downs: 1-1 (100%)
Turnovers: 2
Penalties-Yards: 2-13
Time of Possession: 14:09

Player Stats

Passing
S. Threet: 19-28, 190 yards, TD, 2 INTs

Rushing
S. Threet: 15 carries, 12 yards
B. Minor: 10 carries, 48 yards, TD
S. McGuffie: 1 carry, 7 yards
M. Moundros: 1 carry, 0 yards

Receiving
D. Stonum: 5 receptions, 61 yards
B. Minor: 4 receptions, 60 yards
J. Hemingway: 3 receptions, 25 yards
M. Odoms: 2 receptions, 17 yards
K. Koger: 2 receptions, 13 yards, TD
T. Clemons: 1 reception, 15 yards
T. Robinson: 1 reception, 1 yard
M. Moundros: 1 reception, -2 yards

Defense
D. Warren: 11 tackles
S. Brown: 11 tackles
B. Harrison: 11 tackles
M. Trent: 8 tackles, TFL
J. Thompson: 5 tackles, TFL
B. Graham: 4 tackles
T. Jamison: 4 tackles, 2 TFL, sack
B. Cissoko: 3 tackles, TFL, sack

Kicking
K. Lopata: 2-2 PAT

Record: 8-0, 4-0

[Psyblast]

Week 8 Recap

Top 25 Action
#1 Oklahoma 52, #7 Kansas 35
#3 Southern California 43, Washington State 14
#4 Missouri 51, #18 Texas 44
#5 Penn State 45, Michigan 20
Texas A&M 14, #6 Texas Tech 13
#8 Virginia Tech 37, Boston College 14
#9 Alabama 38, Ole Miss 10
#10 Georgia 41, Vanderbilt 17
#11 Wisconsin 42, Iowa 21
#12 BYU 41, TCU 27
#15 Ohio State 37, #13 Michigan State 34 (OT)
Georgia Tech 28, #16 Clemson 17
Kansas State 29, #17 Colorado 28
#20 Boise State 60, Hawaii 28
Indiana 31, #21 Illinois 26
#24 Miami-FL 31, Duke 3
South Carolina 49, #25 LSU 35

National Players of the Week
Offense: Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma: 21-31, 308 yards, 7 TDs
Defense: Thor Pili, DE, UNLV: 12 tackles, 11 TFL, 5 sacks

Big Ten Players of the Week
Offense: Daryll Clark, QB, Penn State: 222 passing yards, 101 rushing yards, 4 total TDs
Defense: Geno Johnson, OLB, Indiana: 9 tackles, INT, FF

Heisman Watch

1. Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma: 1976 passing yards, 26 TDs, 1 INT
2. Max Hall, QB, BYU: 2150 passing yards, 26 TDs, 3 INTs
3. James Davis, RB, Clemson: 891 rushing yards, 12 TDs; 389 receiving yards, 6 TDs
4. Graham Harrell, QB, Texas Tech: 2354 passing yards, 26 TDs, 3 INTs
5. Matthew Stafford, QB, Georgia: 1800 passing yards, 18 TDs, 6 INTs; 285 rushing yards, 7 TDs

Week 9 Top 25

1. Oklahoma (39) 7-0; next: @ Kansas State (5-1)
2. Florida (21) 6-0; next: Kentucky (5-2)
3. Southern California (1) 6-0; next: @ Arizona (6-1)
4. Missouri 7-0; next: #23 Colorado (5-2)
5. Penn State 8-0; next: @ #12 Ohio State (6-2)
6. Virginia Tech 7-0; next: @ Florida State (4-2)
7. Alabama 7-0; next: @ Tennessee (5-2)
8. BYU 7-0; next: UNLV (1-6)
9. Georgia 6-1; next: @ LSU (4-3)
10. Wisconsin 6-1; next: Illinois (4-3)
11. Kansas 6-1; next: #14 Texas Tech (6-1)
12. Ohio State 6-2; next: #5 Penn State (8-0)
13. West Virginia 5-1; next: #19 Auburn (5-2)
14. Texas Tech 6-1; next: @ #11 Kansas (6-1)
15. Boise State 6-0; next: @ San Jose State (4-3)
16. Michigan State 7-1; next: @ Michigan (3-4)
17. Cincinnati 4-1; next: @ Connecticut (4-3)
18. Arizona State 4-2; next: Oregon (3-4)
19. Auburn 5-2; next: @ #13 West Virginia (5-1)
20. Houston 7-0; next: IDLE
21. Miami-FL 6-1; next: Wake Forest (3-3)
22. Clemson 5-2; next: IDLE
23. Colorado 5-2; next: @ #4 Missouri (7-0)
24. Texas 4-3; next: Oklahoma State (4-3)
25. Texas A&M 5-2; next: @ Iowa State (2-5)

BCS Rankings

1. Oklahoma - 1.000
2. Florida - 0.992
3. Southern California - 0.992
4. Missouri - 0.983
5. Penn State - 0.978
6. Alabama - 0.969
7. Virginia Tech - 0.964
8. Georgia - 0.956
9. Wisconsin - 0.950
10. BYU - 0.950

[Psyblast]

More stars line up (to play) for Penn State
Recruiting weekend a success as Nittany Lions dip into Ohio

STATE COLLEGE, PA - Penn State and Ohio State will battle on the field in Columbus this weekend, but before the game ever takes place, the Nittany Lions have already scored a victory over the Buckeyes.

Over the weekend during their victory over Michigan, Penn State hosted ten high profile, highly sought after recruits. After the game ended, three of those recruits made the call to Head Coach Joe Paterno and Recruiting Coordinator Brian Kudron to inform them that they wanted to be Nittany Lions.

Four-star offensive tackle David McGill, four-star middle linebacker Raymond Humphrey and five-star outside linebacker Mario Bates all made the plunge, joining an already star-studded Penn State recruiting class.

Two of the three were considered recruiting upsets. While McGill, a Miamisburg, Ohio native, was still wide open, entering the weekend it was thought that both Humphrey and Bates were leaning elsewhere. Humphrey, the 7th ranked player in the state of Pennsylvania, had told family and friends he was close to committing to Pittsburgh. After his visit to State College though, things changed.

"I didn't expect to be as blown away as I was," Humphrey said. "I had been in contact with Coach Wannstedt and Pitt more, but once I got to Penn State and I saw the campus and the atmosphere and I learned more about the linebacker tradition they have there, I knew I wanted to become a part of it, so I committed."

Bates was perhaps the biggest upset, though. Ranked as the 2nd best player in the state of Ohio, the 6'3, 212-pound outside linebacker from Ashland was one of Ohio State's most heavily recruited prospects. He too, did not expect to leave the weekend as a Penn State commitment.

"I just couldn't believe the place, man," Bates said. "Growing up in Big Ten country, I knew all about Penn State's traditions, but once you see them up close, it's like...wow. I was in awe of the atmosphere during the game, and I saw how much fun the players on the defense were having, and how they stuck with each other like a family, and I decided that I wasn't going to find that any better than here. I know a lot of the folks back home won't be happy, but I gotta do what's best for me, and what's best for me is to be a Penn State Nittany Lion."

The three additions bring Penn State's recruiting class to almost half-full at 12 out of a possible 25. With the addition of Humphrey, PSU now has verbal commitments from five of the 10 best players in Pennsylvania, and remain in good standing with the other five.