Bleacher Report - Articles by Ryan Staloff

Are the Nittany Lions Roaring Like It's 1994?

Ryan Staloff — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 18:32:06 -0400

Off to a blistering 7-0 start, the Penn State Nittany Lions are skyrocketing up the national rankings. Can they bring a National Championship to Happy Valley?

Penn State has been here before. In 2005, the Lions were also undefeated entering their battle against the Michigan Wolverines but did not leave Ann Arbor with the same zero in the loss column.

Things are different this time around. Michigan is now in the basement of the Big Ten, and the Lions enter their homecoming game as a 25-point favorite.

Despite the similarities, the 2005 team is not the team this year’s squad is being compared to.

The year was 1994. Penn State was entering its second season as a member of the Big Ten Conference, and opponents did not know what to expect. The Nittany Lions were always a powerhouse on the national landscape, but were they a product of the freedom to pick their schedule as an independent? Could they compete with the mighty Big Ten?

Coming off a 10-2 record and Citrus Bowl win, Paterno was determined to prove his team’s dominance on a national stage in 1994.

With Kerry Collins under center, Ki-Jana Carter in the backfield, and Bobby Engram, Joe Jurevicius, and Kyle Brady as receiving options, the 1994 Nittany Lion offense was among the best in the country—and in Penn State football history.

Averaging 47 points per game, the Nittany Lions dismantled national powerhouses USC, Oregon, Michigan, and Ohio State. Despite obliterating any opponent that crossed their paths, they failed to be selected to compete in the National Championship Game.

Fast forward 14 years, and this year’s undefeated Lions are poised to take care of unfinished business, refusing to settle for anything less than a championship.

Are they good enough to compete with the powerhouses of the Southeastern and Big 12 Conferences? Is the comparison between this year’s offense and that of 1994 warranted?

The faces might be different, but the result is the same. The 2008 Penn State team, featuring the HD spread, is dominating opponents on the offensive side of the ball. Averaging 45 points per game, the team is posting numbers equally dominant to its 1994 cohorts.

While Collins, Carter, Engram, Jurevicius, and Brady are long since gone to the National Football League, this year’s team features an equal abundance of weapons. Daryll Clark, Evan Royster, Stephfon Green, Derrick Williams, Jordan Norwood, and Deon Butler provide offensive depth superior to any other team in the country.

Beating teams by an average of 34 points, the roaring Lion offense is definitively the best Penn State has had since the undefeated 1994 team.

What separates this year’s squad from 1994 is the defensive unit. While the 1994 team had to overcome its defensive liabilities to win games, “Linebacker U” is perhaps equally as strong as the offensive unit.

How could Penn State possibly survive after losing both Sean Lee and Dan Connor in the same season, as well as several other solid role players?

Simple—the revolving door that is “Linebacker U” continues to turn, and Navarro Bowman and Aaron Maybin stepped through, dominating opposing offenses and leading the team to a 7-0 start by holding offenses to just 11 points per game.

This team’s early season dreams to continue what the 1994 team started finally look to be turning into a reality.

Watch out, college football: The Penn State Nittany Lions have arrived, and they are roaring louder than anyone in the country.

Will Evan Royster Bring the Heisman to Happy Valley?

Ryan Staloff — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 11:42:29 -0400

The year was 1973. An unpopular, controversial president was leading the country, America was fighting an unpopular war across the world, Joe Paterno was the head coach of Penn State, and a running back with 22 on his uniform was leading Penn State to an undefeated season.

35 years later, some things never change. John Cappelletti was the prized running who won the Heisman Trophy in 1973, and Evan Royster is the current back who is trying to replicate his success in 2008.

Through just six games this season, Royster is off to a phenomenal start. Compiling 659 yards and 8 touchdowns, Evan Royster is leading the team to a perfect 6-0 record and has catapulted the Nittany Lions to the upper echelon of college football.

Only a sophomore, Royster is already garnering comparisons to the great Cappelletti around Happy Valley. However, he has failed to garner significant attention on the national stage. Is Royster a serious threat to bring the Heisman back to State College? Here are my Top Ten Midseason Heisman Trophy Candidates:

Chase Daniel, Quarterback, Missouri

He's the best offensive player on the best offense in the country, so it is tough not to put Daniel atop this list. He has posted gaudy numbers so far with 15 touchdowns, just 1 interception, and an eye-popping 76.3 completion percentage. If he can continue his dominance in the coming weeks against Texas and Oklahoma State, he could clinch this award early.

Colt McCoy, Quarterback, Texas

Perhaps the most improved player in the past four seasons, McCoy has grown into an outstanding dual-threat quarterback for the Texas Longhorns. Pairing 317 yards and four touchdowns on the ground with an astounding 79.2 completion percentage is simply unheard of.

Despite losing a lot of talent this past off-season to the NFL Draft, McCoy still has his Longhorns ranked fifth in the country. He has a chance to make a statement this week, both for his team and his Heisman chances, when Texas travels to Oklahoma to take on the top-ranked Sooners.

If McCoy continues to shine on the road and defeat the top-ranked team in the country, expect him to rise to the top of this list.

Sam Bradford, Quarterback, Oklahoma

Completing the trio of outstanding Big 12 quarterbacks is Oklahoma’s Bradford. Why is the quarterback of the best team in the nation only ranked third among quarterbacks in his own conference?

While he has been dominant through five games thus far this season, his quality of opponent is weak to say the least. That all changes this week when Oklahoma hosts fifth-ranked Texas, and Bradford has a chance to solidify his candidacy.

These three quarterbacks can easily be reversed in order, but his lack of mobility, combined with his weak strength of schedule, places him third for the time being.

Javon Ringer, Running Back, Michigan State

Royster is not the only running back excelling in the Big Ten, as Penn State’s “rival” features a viable candidate of their own. Michigan State’s Ringer has been a workhorse all season long.

Already lugging the ball 212 times in just six games, Ringer is just 12 yards away from reaching the 1,000 yard plateau. His low yards per carry has many wondering if his statistics are skewed by Michigan State’s offensive system.

Charles Scott, Running Back, Louisiana State University

What happens when a two-quarterback team loses both quarterbacks to the NFL and expulsion in just one off-season? Well, they improve, naturally, due to the outstanding play of running back Scott.

In just five games this season, Scott has rushed for 535 yards and six touchdowns. Already passing one tough test against Auburn as he rushed for 132 yards on 20 carries, Scott will face another tough defense this week in the Florida Gators.

Max Hall, Quarterback, Brigham Young University

When looking through the Top 25 College Football Rankings, the usual names pop up. Giant football programs like Oklahoma, Texas, Alabama, Penn State, and USC top the list.

But, BYU? Really?

Yes, the Cougars are a legitimate championship contender, and currently sit ninth in the polls. Pioneering this program’s newfound success is quarterback Hall.

Through five victories so far this season, Hall has compiled 1,587 passing yards, 17 touchdowns, a mere four interceptions, and an astounding 71.8 completion percentage. As long as Max Hall is under center, Brigham Young is for real.

Evan Royster, Running Back, Penn State

After years of relative obscurity, at least by their standards, Penn State is finally relevant in the national college football scheme. Off to a blistering 6-0 start, the Nittany Lions are near the top in almost every significant offensive category.

Leading the Lions is sophomore running back Evan Royster. With 659 yards, eight touchdowns, and 7.8 yards per carry average, Royster has pummeled opposing defenses all season long.

While he may not garner substantial votes in his sophomore season, Royster has a serious chance to hoist the hardware by the time his career is over in Happy Valley. In the meantime, he might just have to settle for a BCS bowl berth.

Graham Harrell, Quarterback, Texas Tech

How does the nation’s leading passer only rank eighth on the Heisman Trophy list? Similar to Ringer’s rushing statistics in Michigan State’s offense, the passing numbers at Texas Tech are severely inflated with their run and gun scheme.

With no running game to speak of, Harrell attempts 50 passes per game with regularity, creating an excessive amount of opportunities for touchdown passes to wide receiver Michael Crabtree.

While both he and Crabtree are both great players, their lucrative numbers overstate their value.

Michael Crabtree, Wide Receiver, Texas Tech

As stated above, the knock on Harrell is the same knock on Crabtree. While Crabtree may very well lead the nation in every receiving category, the amount of reps he gets from the much favored passing game greatly skews his statistics.

Crabtree is a great player and may very well be a great pro, but Tech’s offensive scheme give Crabtree’s statistics a severe boost that makes his candidacy questionable.

Jeremy Maclin, Wide Receiver, Missouri

Like spaghetti and meatballs, the chemistry between Daniel and Maclin is unmatched. Daniel will take away much of the votes from Maclin, but the wide receiver is among the best in the country.

With 480 yards and five touchdowns so far this season, Maclin has given opposing Big 12 cornerbacks fits. The inevitable statistical comparisons to fellow Big 12 wide receiver Crabtree will also severely diminish his chances at winning the prestigious award.

Derrick Williams: Top Flight Wide Receiver or Glorified Return Specialist?

Ryan Staloff — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 18:38:20 -0400

When a struggling Penn State program successfully recruited the top player in the country, a frowning valley collectively grinned. After helping the team to a BCS bowl victory in just his first season at Penn State, Derrick Williams put the Happy in Happy Valley.

However, after two consecutive subpar seasons for the Nittany Lions, Williams has not lived up to the recruiting hype. Entering his senior season in State College, Williams had something left to prove to Lion faithful.

In his first four games of 2008, Williams was showing more of the same. Although he was seeing increased touches out of the backfield, he was only able to manage two catches in each of the four games.

He flashed his lightning speed on special teams with a kick return for a touchdown versus lowly Coastal Carolina, but his offensive play left something to be desired.

Then came the matchup versus 22nd-ranked Illinois: the Big Ten opener, a full stadium whiteout, and a statement game for not only the Penn State football program as a whole, but for Derrick Williams specifically.

In this crucial game for the Nittany Lions, Williams rose to the occasion. Scoring through the air, on the ground, and on a kickoff return to the tune of "Zombie Nation," Williams compiled 241 all-purpose yards in perhaps his best game as a Nittany Lion.

Despite this outstanding effort, he has only tallied 14 catches for 188 yards and one touchdown on the season.

Considering these rather pedestrian numbers, is Derrick Williams a top flight receiver or a mere glorified return specialist?

Say what you want about his elusiveness or playmaking ability—Williams has developed into just the third receiving option for quarterback Daryll Clark. Granted, fellow receivers Jordan Norwood and Butler have been outstanding for the Nittany Lions, but Joe Paterno did not recruit Williams to be a third receiver.

Offensive coordinator Galen Hall has had to find creative ways to get Williams the ball due to his inability to get open downfield. Whether due to a lack of size, poor route-running, or inability to adjust to the wide receiver position, Williams has not lived up to expectations thus far.

With seven regular season games and a possible BCS bowl game left to play, Williams must continue to perform like he did against Illinois to put his stamp on the Nittany Lion football program, help his NFL chances, and avoid the dreaded title of "bust."

Fighting Illini Reveal Penn State's Defense Is Vulnerable

Ryan Staloff — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 05:45:28 -0400

Through the first four games of the regular season, Penn State appeared to be clicking on all cylinders.

The Nittany Lions' offense brought back memories of the dominant teams of 1994 and 2005. Darryl Clark was excelling at the quarterback position, and Evan Royster was drawing comparisons to John Cappelletti.

Linebacker U appeared to be back and better than ever as the team's defense was ranked among the top 10 in nearly all top 10 defensive categories, including third in the nation in sacks.

With their first major challenge coming last night against Illinois, Penn State finally had a chance to prove their dominance was real.

Darryl Clark played phenomenally in a big game—something former quarterback Anthony Morelli never was able to accomplish in his time at Happy Valley. The running game continued to plow over opposing defenses as the team ran for more than 200 yards collectively against the Illini.

The offense continued to shine, as the team scored 38 points.

The defense, however, could not say the same. Saturday's performance featured lack of quarterback pressure, soft run defense, and blown coverages.

The defense ranked third in the nation with 15 sacks coming into the game was only able to get to Juice Williams once. The nationally renowned "Linebacker U" allowed 189 rushing yards, including 96 to the inexperienced running back Daniel Dufrene.

The secondary that has shut down receivers in the team’s previous four games this season allowed Arrelious Benn to roam free downfield, en route to 110 receiving yards and two touchdowns.

Year after year, Penn State is known for outstanding defense. Jack Ham, Shane Conlan, Dan Connor, and Paul Posluszny are just some of the greats who have walked through the tunnel into Beaver Stadium. With Sean Lee on the sidelines with a torn ACL, this team does not have this type of talent.

Navorro Bowman flew all over the field on Saturday. Maurice Evans contributed in his return from suspension with a sack. However, this defense as a whole must improve if Penn State plans on acquiring another Big Ten Championship banner.

Starting Pat Devlin: The Spark Penn State Needs to Reach BCS

Ryan Staloff — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 04:57:23 -0400

Three games into the 2008 college football season, the Penn State Nittany Lions appear to be clicking on all cylinders. A dominant offensive line, solid wide receivers, explosive running game, and strong defense make Penn State appear to be early favorites to compete for the Big Ten Championship.

While these are all team strengths, it is really the quarterback position that has fans thinking there will be a repeat of the 2005 championship run.

Quarterback Darryl Clark has drawn numerous comparisons to former Nittany Lion quarterback Michael Robinson. His poise in the huddle, superb ability to scramble out of the pocket, and great open-field quickness all characteristics eerily similar to the former Penn State signal caller. These similarities have fans raving.

What fans have overlooked, however, is his unproven passing ability. Though he stifled opposing defenses both through the air and on the ground in the first two games of the season, his poor passing against the Syracuse Orangemen yields cause for concern. Completing 10 of 21 passes for just 163 yards, Clark’s stat line appears eerily similar to several of Robinson’s.

Despite his incomparable leadership skills and elusiveness in the open field, Robinson was a subpar passer in 2005. Truth be told, it was the stacked defensive unit led by guys like Paul Posluzny, Dan Connor, Sean Lee, Tamba Hali, and Alan Zemeitis that carried the Nittany Lions to an Orange Bowl victory.

That defense no longer exists in Happy Valley. Penn State will need a true force at the quarterback position to receive another BCS berth. This team has that caliber quarterback, however he is currently holding the clipboard looking on from the sidelines. His name is Pat Devlin.

Pat Devlin is the quarterback who can lead Penn State to the promised land. A top five quarterback coming out of high school, he beat out players like Joe Namath and Dan Marino to set the all time Pennsylvania passing record.

Unlike Clark, he adds an exceptional pocket presence and accuracy while still being able to elude the pass rush. He might not resemble the Orange Bowl-winning Michael Robinson, because he is better than any quarterback Happy Valley has seen in a long time.

It would be foolish to leave such a great talent on the bench for two years letting him waste away his career. Paterno did the same thing with quarterback Anthony Morelli, and he was never able to live up to expectations.

He needs to put Pat Devlin into the game. Employing a two quarterback system like the Florida Gators of just a few years ago, could let Joe Pa retire into the sunset with the National Championship trophy in hand.