As I stressed in my previous article suggesting that Darryl Clark start at QB for Penn State against Michigan, the Nittany Lions cannot win big games so long as Anthony Morelli is under center.
While Morelli succeeded against the likes of Florida International and Buffalo, he continues to show his inability to produce against quality teams.
On Saturday in Ann Arbor, Morelli completed just 15 of 31 passes for 169 yards. Inaccuracy was a major problem, as were poor field vision and a lack of mobility.
It's been the same story throughout the QB's entire career.
As it stands, Joe Paterno must ignore Morelli's seniority in the interest of the team as whole.
Simply stated, it's time for Pat Devlin.
By starting Devlin now, the Nittany Lions can improve their QB play in 2007 while still preparing for the future.
Devlin excels where Morelli falls short—he's an extremely accurate passer (he completed over 65 percent of his passes in high school), and his mobility will help him survive behind a young offensive line.
While Morelli clearly has one of the strongest arms in the nation, he's been unable to utilize an exceptionally deep receiving corps. It's all too often that Derrick Williams, Deion Butler, and Jordan Norwood have to adjust their routes to catch Morelli's off-target passes.
Williams is one of the most elusive players Penn State has ever seen, but Morelli's wildness effectively negates much of his YAC potential.
As the Lions' playcalling is geared towards short and intermediate routes, Devlin is the quarterback Penn State needs.
If Paterno wants to stop losing high-profile games, he has to pull the plug on Morelli and make Devlin his quarterback of the present.
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