Philadelphia, PA (Best E Casino) - 2007 SEASON IN REVIEW: For the second year in a row, the Penn State Nittany Lions finished with a 9-4 record. They got off to a quick 3-0 start in 2007 against a trio of overmatched squads, including the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, whom Penn State disposed of by a 31-10 margin in Week 2. However, the good times didn't last long, as But Penn State closed out September with back-to- back narrow road losses to Michigan (14-9) and Illinois (27-20). The Nittany Lions weren't about to go in the tank though, reeling off another three wins, including a 38-7 trouncing of then 19th-ranked Wisconsin in the second week of October. After falling victim to top-ranked Ohio State (37-17) in the final week of October, Penn State rebounded with wins over Purdue (26-19) and Temple (31-0) before losing a heartbreaker at Michigan State (35-31). Joe Paterno's team did end the season on a high note, knocking off Texas A&M (24-17) in the Alamo Bowl.
2008 ANALYSIS:
OFFENSE: The new quarterback in Happy Valley will either be junior Daryll Clark or sophomore Pat Devlin. Clark, who is the better runner of the two, backed up Anthony Morelli last season and appeared to have a better grasp of the offense entering camp. But Devlin, Pennsylvanias high school career passing leader, is an intriguing option.
At his media day press conference, coach Joe Paterno also made sure not to leave out senior Paul Cianciolo, whom he likes very much.
"I'm going to take my time," Paterno said. "I'm not letting one practice or one thing that happens (determine who wins the starting job). I'm going to just think it out, we've got X number of days."
Whoever wins the job will be running behind a veteran offensive line that returns five starters, spearheaded by senior center A.Q. Shipley. He will also help open running lanes for sophomore Evan Royster (6-1, 212), who ran for 513 yards and five touchdowns (6.3 ypc) in backup duty last year. Royster will be complemented by redshirt freshman Stephfon Green, who runs a 4.2. forty and dazzled in the Blue-White game.
The crown jewel of the offense is the receiving trio of Deon Butler, Jordan Norwood and Derrick Williams, who combined for more than 1,600 receiving yards and 12 TDs last season. They entered the program as a highly touted receiving corps, and enter their final season fully schooled in the nuances of the Nittany Lions' passing game.
DEFENSE: Defensive tackles Chris Baker and Phil Taylor were kicked off the team in late-July for fighting. But there is still plenty of depth there. Junior defensive end Maurice Evans (12.5 sacks, 21.5 TFL last season) highlights what should be a stout defensive line. Safety and defensive captain Anthony Scirrotto plead guilty to a lesser charge for his role in an April 2007 fight that involved a handful of other PSU players.
While much of the offseason was clouded in controversy, particularly on the defense, perhaps the biggest blow came with the news that star linebacker and All-America candidate Sean Lee was lost for the season with a torn ACL during spring practice. Replacing Lee (and departed Chuck Bednarik winner Dan Connor) will either be junior Josh Hull (6-3, 231) or sophomore Chris Colasanti (6-2, 232). Senior Tyrell Sales (6-2, 233) will head the linebacking corps from his weakside spot, while redshirt sophomore Bani Gbadyu (6-1, 221) will compete with Navorrow Bowman (6-1, 228) on the strongside.
The secondary should also be a strong point, despite cornerback Justin King bolting early for the NFL. There is a wealth of experience there, highlighted by first-team All-Big Ten selection Scirrotto and his 10 career interceptions.
SPECIAL TEAMS: Kevin Kelly enters his fourth year as the kicker. He is a fairly accurate chip-shot kicker, but is just 9-of-24 from beyond 40 yards for his career. Junior punter Jeremy Boone went from walk-on to first-team All-Big Ten thanks to last year's average of 43 yards. Junior A.J. Wallace (26.4 yards per kick return, including a 97-yarder for a touchdown in 07) will once again handle the kick return duties, while Derrick Williams (78-yard punt return for a score) is back to handle punts. If freshman speedster Green proves to be a quick study, Paterno would love to get him in on some of the return action.
OUTLOOK: Coach Paterno is entering his 43rd season with a team that returns 16 starters and is coming off a nine-win campaign. Despite a tumultuous offseason that included a devastating injury (Lee) and a handful of suspensions, there is room for further improvement in 2008. Exactly how much improvement hinges largely on the quarterback position. Whoever wins the job, there will be plenty of talent around him on offense.
PSU needs to beat rivals Ohio State and/or Michigan, something the program hasn't been able to do in either of the past two seasons. The Nittany Lions play at Ohio State this year, where they haven't won since 1993. Aside from another tough test at Wisconsin and a home bout against a formidable Illinois squad, the Nittany Lions have a reasonable shot at 10-plus wins and should be in the hunt for the Big Ten title.
