Leave It to Beaver: Lessons Penn State Learned from Oregon State

DARYLL CLARK IS COMING INTO HIS OWN

Two games into the season, and Daryll Clark has all but eliminated any chance of quarterback controversy with two solid performances.  Reminiscent of (dare I say) Michael Robinson, his feet have led him to 64 yards on only five rushing attempts, scoring a touchdown against the Beavers this week.  His passing has also looked quite sharp, and he has a combined 361 yards.

Most importantly, he is playing with a confidence that the quarterback position at Penn State has lacked for the past two years.  The players believe in him and feed off him, and it is evident in the way State’s offense performed last week against a tough opponent.  With that being said, however...

HE STILL HAS A LOT TO LEARN

While Jordan Norwood had an absolutely magnificent game on Saturday, Clark seemed to lock in on number 24 on several occasions, missing a better option in the process.  Clark has shown marked improvement at looking off the receiver, a skill Anthony Morelli never did acquire, but he has shown a tendency to make decisions on which receiver he will be throwing to before the snap.

Clark also passes on going downfield with the ball, once missing Andrew Quarless on a “would-have-been-six” seam route against Coastal Carolina, as well as Deon Butler beating his corner running a fade in one-on-one coverage against Oregon State.

Given these little issues, Clark’s first two games as Penn State’s starting quarterback merit an A grade.  However, the real test will be whether he learns from his mistakes and improves on his performances.  Remember, Anthony Morelli was 37-65 for 395 yards and four touchdowns in his first two games as a starter.

THE RUNNING GAME IS SET TO BE SCARY

Evan Royster has exploded onto the All-American scene, becoming the first player under Joe Paterno to rush for six touchdowns in the first two games.  That is quite an accomplishment, considering under Joe Paterno means since before they switched from a rock to a leather ball.

Royster's power is reminiscent of Tony Hunt, and he is reading the holes much better.  His stat line, a very impressive 25 attempts for 208 yards and six TDs, is made only more so considering he sat for much of the Coastal Carolina game and saw limited fourth quarter action against Oregon State.

Stephfon Green is also ready to make a name for himself, muscling out tough yardage against Oregon State.  Once he finds open space, Green has the breakaway speed to score the 50-plus yard touchdown runs.

Another huge plus for this group is the turnover ratio.  Royster’s fluke fumble on the goal line against the Beavers stands as the only fumble by this group in the first two games.

THE “D” IN D-LINE STANDS FOR DEEP TROUBLE

Four players in the last two months to suspension, and two players to injury: What was heralded in the preseason as one of the premier defensive lines in the Big Ten is now an enormous question mark, and the lack of depth was evident in Saturday’s game.

Jared Odrick and Aaron Maybin played almost every snap, and both seemed to grow tired as the game waned on.  The pressure slacked off, and the Beavers were able to score twice late in the game.

Now the biggest test will be for Tom Bradley and Larry Johnson Sr. to figure out what to do with that lack of depth.  There are two options.  One, start playing freshmen.  Jack Crawford, Kevion Latham, Eric Latimore, and Chima Okoli all have played in the first two games, but they are still wet behind the ears.

The other option is to shuffle a linebacker down to play a rush end.  The problem would be finding a linebacker with enough size to compete on the line.

SEAN LEE IS MISSED

Though Lee can be seen making a contribution to the team as a coach, frantically calling in signals and screaming directions on the sideline, and though Navarro Bowman and Tyrell Sales both had 10 tackles against Oregon State, the linebackers' lack of experience is obvious in the tackling.

When a Paul Posluszny, or a Dan Connor, or a Sean Lee made a tackle, the running back had a tendency to fall backwards.  In Saturday’s game, the running back always seemed to fall forward.  The starting linebackers still have a lot to learn about play reads and anticipating holes.

However, both Coastal Carolina and Oregon State were held to under 100 yards rushing, while each had over 32 attempts.  The potential is there, and with practice this group will mold into a unit representative of the famed Linebacker “U”

TOM BRADLEY’S “BEND BUT DON’T BREAK” STRATEGY IS WORKING…FOR NOW

The Penn State secondary has always been known for its loose coverage, which works for limiting the long pass plays.  But the secondary in Saturday’s game gave up too many 10-15 yard completions.

On the flip side, Oregon State only threw for 144 yards, compared to the 404 yards they earned through the air against Stanford the week before.  Work still needs to be done with this unit, but again the potential is there.

“I THINK HE LOOKED GOOD IN THE UNIFORM”

In Tuesday’s press conference, Joe Paterno was asked why Andrew Quarless, the tight end in a bit of hot water for his involvement with the incident in Nittany Apartments, was allowed to dress for the game.  He answered that he “thought he looked good in the uniform.”

As for the rest of the team, looking good in the uniform was really all that mattered in these first two games.  They showed up, played some effortless football, and went home to celebrate.

This Nittany Lion team, with its explosive offense and classic Tom Bradley defense, is in prime position to challenge an overrated Ohio State team for the outright Big Ten title.  But potential is about as useful as gloves on a snake.  The true make-up of this team will only be discovered when the chips are down and the Nittany Lions face some adversity.

Unfortunately, it probably won’t be this Saturday, when they travel to New York for a 3:30 pm date with Syracuse.