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by Jeff Metzger

Offense | Defense | Special Teams | Opponent


Each week, “In the Huddle” will provide an in-depth analysis and up-to-date news and statistics for your 2003 Nittany Lions. You’ll also find a weekly scouting report for each Penn State opponent that will include players to watch, key statistics important to that week’s game, important match-ups that may have an outcome on the final score, and a few other important tidbits to “keep an eye on” during the game.

The Nittany Lions seem to be coming into the 2003 season under the college football radar. Many have them picked to finish in the middle of the pack in the conference and the preseason polls find them showing up no higher than #25 (ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll). Most feel State lost too many key and experienced players to improve on, much less equal, the accomplishments of last season. Will this season be a flop or is a Big Ten title run in the picture for this young and promising group? Let’s take a look:

OFFENSE:

The Lions look to be super-solid at the quarterback position. At his preseason press conference, head coach Joe Paterno reminded everyone that he has an outstanding quarterback named Zack Mills. Last season, Zack completed 56.5% of his passes for 2,417 yards and 17 TDs. While those are pretty good numbers, many remember him struggling in big games down the stretch last season (Ohio St. and Auburn). Those struggles may have been due to several nagging injuries that plagued Zack during the 2nd half of the season. So, is he healthy? He says so. Over the summer, he changed his grip to help cure his tendonitis and worked to strengthen this arm and lower body. If you believe JoePa, it sounds as though Zack may be in for a big year!

If Zack does falter, back-ups Michael Robinson and Chris Ganter are waiting in the wings. Look for MRob to see as much, if not more playing time than he did last season. Ganter will also continue to play a key role for the Lions, holding for all place-kicking attempts (we all remember his electrifying run for a touchdown off a fake field goal attempt during the UVA game!).
With Zack’s top target from a year ago lost to graduation and the NFL (Bryant Johnson), Tony Johnson will be looked upon as “the man” when Zack drops back to pass. While he finished last season with 48 receptions for 917 yards and 4TDs, he was most remembered for his “non-catches” late in the Iowa and Michigan games. More than likely, Tony will once again be the guy Zack will look to in late-game, clutch situations. This season, look for Johnson to step it up and make the big plays down the stretch.
Fortunately, the Lions have a plethora of talented receivers that will compete to line up opposite and beside TJ this fall. Kinta Palmer looks to build on his monster performance during the Blue-White game. Look for him to be a viable deep threat for State’s QB’s. Gerald Smith will look to use last season’s experience (11 receptions for 129 yards) to catapult him into more playing time. He has shown great hands and has a penchant for making the big catch over the middle. Also keep an eye on Ernie Terrell and Terrance Phillips, who have both reportedly had great preseason camps thus far.

The tight end will also likely play a key role for the Lion offense this season. Starter Casey Williams returns and hopes to build on his 24 receptions for 256 yards and 2TDs from a year ago. The Lions are also fortunate to have great depth behind Williams, with the likes of Mike Lukac, converted WR Matt Kranchick, and Isaac Smolko ready to step in if needed.

Whether the Lions throw 40 to 45 times a game (as Paterno hinted they might) depends on how the running game develops. Several tailbacks are vying to fill the shoes left behind by 2,000 yard rusher Larry Johnson. As of the writing of this column, a starter has yet to be named. So, let’s look at our candidates:

• Mike Gasparato: Mike has the most experience of any of the backs competing for the starting job (32 carries for 158 yards and 1TD). While he is small in stature, Mike has shown the knack for making the big catch out of the backfield (revisit last season’s Wisconsin game).

• Donnie Johnson: Donnie red-shirted last season and picked up valuable pointers from his tutor, LJ. Can the understudy with the starting job? Reports out of spring drills and preseason camp say he has been quite impressive.

• Ricky Upton: Ricky has seen limited action thus far during his Penn State career. If he is to win the job, look for him to improve upon his impressive performance during spring drills and find a way to hang onto the football.

• Tim Shaw: As a freshman, Tim carried the ball 14 times for 60 yards. He is sort of the wild card of the group, with many speculating that he may be moved to linebacker before opening day.

• Austin Scott: Perhaps no true freshman RB has come into PSU with more hype than Austin. Last season, he shattered the PA high school rushing record and scored 53TDs! Can he step in and be the impact player many are hoping he’ll be? Reports out of preseason practice seem promising!

• Rodney Kinlaw: Rumors out of camp say that Rodney has been spectacular. Some have speculated that he may even be one of State’s deep men on the kickoff team. Is all of this true? We’ll have to wait until August 30 to find out for sure!

Regardless of who wins the starting spot, he can be assured that Sean McHugh and BranDon Snow will be out in front opening up some running room. Sean ended last season with 46 yards rushing and 3TDs. He also caught 8 passes out of the backfield for 53 yards. With Paul Jefferson red-shirting this season, look for Sean to play an even bigger role in 2003. Backing him up will be Snow, who red-shirted last season. He is known for delivering crushing blocks on the practice field. Let’s hope we see much more of that this fall in Beaver Stadium!
The key, as many see it, to Penn State having a successful season offensively lies with the success of the offensive line. Chris McKelvy (RT) is the only returning starter from last season’s line that helped LJ get 2K. The center position seems to be in good hands as senior David Costlow takes over. The other tackle position could be occupied by Damone Jones, who had a great spring. Both guard positions appear to be somewhat up for grabs. A few weeks ago, EZ Smith seemed to be cemented in as a starter at LG. Unfortunately, EZ has run into some legal trouble and may have to sit out the season. That leaves Scott Davis, who saw action last season, to fill his shoes. The other guard position will likely be occupied by Tyler Reed, who has reportedly been stellar during fall drills. Watch out for Charles Rush and Levi Brown, a pair or former defensive tackles, who are pushing for playing time during preseason practice. How quickly this group gels as a unit and their ability to stay healthy are 2 major factors that will likely determine the success of the offense.


DEFENSE:

When looking at the defense, the area hardest hit by graduation in the defensive line. Defensive end John Bronson is the only returning starter from the unit that, at times, dominated games last season. The good news out of preseason practice is that the staff feels this will be a solid, two-deep unit, with exceptional quickness and athleticism. Sophomore Tamba Hali is set to anchor the tackles and is ready to become the next great lineman in PSU history. Other tackles likely to see game action include Scott Paxson, Jason Alford, Jason Robinson, and Ed Johnson. Joining Bronson at the end position are Sam Ruhe (back from his experiment at linebacker), Jeremiah Davis, Matt Rice, and Lavon Chisley. Look for this group to make some noise this season. I expect them to be one of the pleasant surprises for Penn State fans during the 2003 season.

While the defensive line lacks a wealth of experience, the linebacking corps exudes it! All three starters return from last season’s unit that helped State return to its smashmouth football roots. Outside (SAM), Derek Wake will look to consistently perform game-in and game-out the way he did against Ohio St. last season (12 tackles, 5 for loss). Backing up Wake will be the athletic Jimi Mitchell and red-shirt freshman JR Zwierzynski, who is said to be “ripping it up” in practice. Both Gino Capone (BACKER) and Deryk Toles (FRITZ) return to give the Lions a 1-2 punch in trying to stop the run. Capone emerged as a leader on last season’s defense and is one of the more reliable tacklers on the squad. Backing him up will be senior Andy Ryland and junior Tim Johnson, who will look to finally make an impact after battling through injuries in each of the last 2 seasons. Toles has so far shown the ability to play longer in fall practice than his 30 play limit from a year ago. He is reportedly in great shape and is looking to make a real impact during his senior year. He is progressing so well that the staff is considering red-shirting junior Lamar Stewart, who has been solid his first 2 seasons. If so, look for TC Cosby and Dethrell Garcia to spot Toles.

Like the linebackers, the secondary should also be one of the more experienced units on the squad. Richard Gardner (how can we forget his pick for a TD during the Nebraska game) returns at one corner while Alan Zemaitis and Maurice Humphrey battle out to see who will start on the other side. JoePa singled out the efforts of all three during his preseason press conference. At safety, the Lions appear to be very deep with Calvin Lowery and Yaacov Yisreal fighting for time at Hero and Chris Harrell and Andrew Guman pushing each other at the free safety position. Also keep an eye on Paul Cronin, who made some clutch plays for the Lions last season.


SPECIAL TEAMS:

While Penn State’s place-kickers and holder return from a year ago, the Lions will have to break in a new punter and long snapper in 2003.

Last season, Robbie Gould handled the place-kicking duties while David Kimball took care of the kickoffs. Look for much of the same this season. Last season, Gould converted on 17 of 22 field goals (77.3%) and was 42 of 45 on PAT attempts (93.3%). This season, Gould has already been named to the 2003 Lou Groza Award preseason watch list. Kimball will more than likely be called upon to continue to use his powerful leg to boom kickoffs deep into the endzone in order to pin opponents deep in their own territory.

Gone from a year ago is punter David Royer, who had a respectable 41.1 yard average on his kicks. He also pinned opponents inside their own 20 yard line on 14 out of his 50 kicks. Replacing Royer will be Jeremy Kapinos. Coach Paterno has been very happy with Jeremy’s kicking during preseason drills.
While the Lions have yet to name any return men, reports are that Lowery, Humphrey, and Kinlaw have all shined running back kickoffs. Also look for Humphrey, Lowery, or possibly TJ to handle punt returns.

The Opponent:

So much for previewing the Lions. Now, let’s look at their first opponent, the Temple Owls.
Coach: Bobby Wallace (16-40 at Temple)
Record (2002): 4-8 (2-5 in the Big East)

Players to watch:

• Mike McGann and Walter Washington – both are vying for the starting QB position. Look for McGann to start, but Washington will more than likely see action.

• Zamir Cobb, Sean Szarka, and Phil Goodman – Cobb led the Owls in receiving a year ago with 45 catches for 483 yards and 6TDs. Also keep and eye on Szarka, who caught 22 balls and 4TDs last season. Goodman is an unknown for the Owls, joining them during the spring out of the junior college ranks.

• Rian Wallace and Troy Bennett – two tough linebackers who helped the Owls run an aggressive 4-2-5 defense a year ago.
Key Statistic: Last season, Temple held their opponents to just 108.3 yards per game on the ground, which was #1 in the Big East Conference.

Important Match-ups:

• PSU offensive line vs. Temple’s aggressive 4-2-5 defense: Can the Lions control the line of scrimmage to open some holes for their inexperienced tailbacks and give Zack the time he needs to find the open man?

• PSU defensive line vs. Temple’s offensive line: The Owls are inexperienced up front and must replace 4 starters who combined for 119 career starts. Likewise, State is replacing a trio of starters on its defensive front. Whose inexperience will likely prove to be the most detrimental to its team?

Keep an Eye On:

• Who will control the line of scrimmage? The Owls could be in for a long day if they are unable to generate positive yardage on the ground and chew up time to keep Zack & Co. off the field. Watch for the Owls to run a spread offense predicated on the short passing game.

• Penn State’s stable of tailbacks: Who is the starter? Who looks most comfortable during game action? Are we in for another season of “tailback by committee”?

• The Unknown: Coach Wallace brought in 23 JUCO transfers that he hopes will have a huge impact immediately. If they gel and live up to their accolades, this game could be closer than some expect.

My Prediction: Penn State 34, Temple 14

Bet You Didn’t Know: Former Penn State standout Blair Thomas is an assistant coach for the Owls

**For more information on Temple football, check out www.owlsports.com
**Be sure to visit www.gopsusports.com every Tuesday for a transcript of Coach Joe Paterno’s weekly press conference.

Until next time, S-T-A-T-E, Go State!!!

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