3yardsandacloud
Administrator Emeritus
Penn State Nittany Lions Game Preview
The 8th game of the year brings Penn State (2-5, 0-4) to town. This is the 12th consecutive meeting for the teams since PSU joined the Big Ten conference. Hopefully history holds true as the home team has won 9 of the 11 conference meetings, with Ohio State winning all of their home matchups. This border rivalry always seems to be cordially intense and this week promises no different. OSU finally broke a 3 game skid against Indiana last week, but the Nittany Lions will be looking for blood after a 6-4 (baseball score) homecoming loss to Iowa.
Date and Time
Game time: Saturday, October 30th, 2004
12:00 noon EDT Kick-off at Ohio Stadium (Columbus, OH)
ABC will cover the game.
12:00 noon EDT Kick-off at Ohio Stadium (Columbus, OH)
ABC will cover the game.
Penn State Nittany Lions Offensive Preview
Returning starters: 5
Penn State has been on a downward spiral in the last 5 years, with a brief but still painful return to near greatness in 2002 (2 losses in OT, close loss at Ohio State, close loss to Auburn in Bowl game). During that stretch, the Penn State offense has been on a steady decline, with no signs of real improvement. Gone are the days of the mid-90s, which brought All-American tailbacks (Ki-Jana Carter), bruising offensive linemen (Jeff Hartings, Marco Rivera), exceptional tight ends (Kyle Brady), dependable receivers (Bobby Engram, O.J. McDuffie), and QB play that fit the system (Kerry Collins). Instead, Penn State has been in a recent mode where they have been desperately trying to match an offensive philosophy to available personnel, instead of the other way around by getting the guys to fit the system...and it has shown loud and clear. Penn State hit rock bottom last season, and the offense hit with it. The Nittany Lions averaged what can only be described as an embarassing 313.3 yards per contest, dead last in the Big Ten and 103/117 overall. Their turnover ratio was an atrocious -6, and they averaged less than 20 points a contest (19.42), which is actually misleading given the 52 points they scored in one game versus hapless Indiana. The rushing game was bad (122 yards/game, 9th in conference, 90th overall), and the passing game wasn't much better (191.3 yards/game, 8th in conference, 86th overall). Basically, after last season, the Penn State offense hit full blown desperation mode.
So, gone this season is Fran Ganter, the long-time (and I mean Jurassic-level) offensive coordinator, and in his place walked Galen Hall, former Nittany Lion and former head coach at Florida. The idea was to breathe some new life into a moribund offense, and bring a new approach focusing on fundamentals and more timely play calling. The verdict so far? Well, it is not clear how much Galen Hall is actually controlling the offense, and how much Joe Paterno's son Jay is controlling the offense, and the numbers don't reflect much of an improvement from last season. The passing offense has been better in spots, averaging 225.7 yards/game, good for 6th in conference and a respectable 43rd nationally, heading into the Iowa game. However, the running game is still sputtering (130.2 yards/game, 8th in conference, 81st nationally), and the scoring has still been bad (19.2 points, last in conference and T99th overall). Looking at their first 3 Big Ten contests, they've scored a grand total of 23 points, a little over 7 per game. They'd need the 1985 Chicago Bears defense to win any games with those point totals. Thus, the offense has not been able to springboard the team to victory against quality competition (0-4 against non-MAC schools heading into the Iowa game), because they have not been able to establish the run, and have not been able to score points.
Quarterbacks
QB #7 Zack Mills (6-3, 214)
One thing you can say about Mills is that he is a gamer, and has played in significant pain through several injuries. Another thing you can say about him, however, is that he has failed to live up to the promise he showed after his first year on the field. He had a good 2002, but was unable to get that big win, and he has steadily regressed the past 2 seasons. Certainly part of that falls on the dwindling talent level around him, particularly on the offensive line, but he has also made some poor decisions (8 interceptions so far) and has been completely ineffective running the ball this season (20 carries for 1 yard), a facet of his game that looked like it would be a great strength when he first emerged. Though he has completed a good percentage (59.0%), his passing numbers are pedestrian (1183 yards and 6 TDs). Explosive #12 Michael Robinson has been waiting in the wings, but has been unable to supplant Mills and suffered a frightening injury against Wisconsin earlier this year. His status remains uncertain, but it looks like he is a safe bet to remain on the bench as a QB this year, though he does line up there for a few plays as an added wrinkle (5 for 8 for 87 yards and a TD pass to Mills). Freshman Anthony Morelli waits in the wings, and may be the talent the Nittany Lions need to lead them back in the future.
QB Rating: C
Running Backs
RB #26 Tony Hunt (6-2, 222)
FB #39 Paul Jefferson (6-1, 259)
Penn State continues to wait for the rushing attack to re-emerge. It has been dormant since Larry Johnson left campus. They currently have a pair of talented backs that have been unable to consistently produce. Tony Hunt has the starting job, and has looked good in stretches. He has 429 yards rushing, a decent 5.4 yards/carry average, and has scored 4 TDs. He has also chipped in a team high 24 receptions for 221 yards, indicating that he is the focal point of the offense. Austin Scott was originally to be the starter, but he has had focus and discipline problems that have kept him off the field for significant portions of the season. He has 176 yards rushing on a whopping 7.3 yards/carry, and has scored a pair of TDs. He also has 4 receptions for 31 yards. Rodney Kinlaw is also in the mix occasionally. Jefferson is a bruising blocker, and has added 12 catches for 77 yards, though he will never be mistaken for Jesse Owens in the open field.
RB Rating: C
Wide Receivers
WR #19 Gerald Smith (5-11, 185)
WR #9 Terrance Phillips (5-11, 183)
This unit is only adequate on their best days. Smith leads the team with 247 yards on 19 catches. Michael Robinson will actually start here if and when his health allows him to do so. He has 16 catches for 231 yards and a TD in action limited by injury. Phillips has been the lone big play threat, averaging 19.7 yards/catch and scoring a TD. Mark Rubin is more of a possession guy and sees plenty of time, gaining 119 yards on 11 catches. Several other players may see the field for a play or 2. The bottom line here is that there are no gamebreakers, no consistent producers, and no one has more than a single TD catch. Without Robinson, this unit is poor.
WR Rating: D-
Tight Ends
TE #81 Isaac Smolko (6-5, 258)
Smolko has been a bright spot. He has good size, and is a decent blocker. He has also chipped in 12 catches for 99 yards and a TD. He won't make people forget Kyle Brady, but he has been a help both blocking and catching, something they desperately need from this position.
TE Rating: B
Offensive Line
OT #67 Levi Brown (6-5, 309)
OG #59 Charles Rush (6-2, 297)
C #77 E. Z. Smith (6-1, 276)
OG #74 Tyler Reed (6-4, 303)
OT #68 John Wilson (6-6, 317)
This unit realized they got smacked around much of last season, and made it a priority to work out in the off-season and do more things to gel as a unit. The result has been some improvement, but not as much as they were hoping. The QB protection has been by-and-large better (the Wisconsin game being the notable exception), but the rushing game hasn't progressed as hoped. The best of the lot is probably either Reed or Brown, both of whom return as starters. Rush also returns, and Smith returned to the team after serving a suspension last season. The right tackle spot may be manned by Wilson, junior Andrew Richardson, or freshman bruiser Joel Holler, depending on injury. Guards Mark Farris and Greg Harrison and center Lance Antolick also provide depth.
OL Rating: C
Analysis
For the second week in a row, Ohio State faces an offense that is average at best. Fans remember all-too-well what Mills is capable of, but he has been handled by the Buckeyes for the last 2 seasons. Last year's exciting, and depending on who you talk to, controversial finish makes for an interesting lead-in to this year's contest. Still, both teams will try and establish a struggling running game to take pressure off of the QB. If Robinson plays and they have a 2-headed monster at tailback, this offense could cause some problems and take advantage of timely Buckeye turnovers. Don't loom for a shootout, but it remains to be seen whether the Nittany Lions can score enough points to win a game against a decent team.
Overall Offensive Rating: C
Penn State has been on a downward spiral in the last 5 years, with a brief but still painful return to near greatness in 2002 (2 losses in OT, close loss at Ohio State, close loss to Auburn in Bowl game). During that stretch, the Penn State offense has been on a steady decline, with no signs of real improvement. Gone are the days of the mid-90s, which brought All-American tailbacks (Ki-Jana Carter), bruising offensive linemen (Jeff Hartings, Marco Rivera), exceptional tight ends (Kyle Brady), dependable receivers (Bobby Engram, O.J. McDuffie), and QB play that fit the system (Kerry Collins). Instead, Penn State has been in a recent mode where they have been desperately trying to match an offensive philosophy to available personnel, instead of the other way around by getting the guys to fit the system...and it has shown loud and clear. Penn State hit rock bottom last season, and the offense hit with it. The Nittany Lions averaged what can only be described as an embarassing 313.3 yards per contest, dead last in the Big Ten and 103/117 overall. Their turnover ratio was an atrocious -6, and they averaged less than 20 points a contest (19.42), which is actually misleading given the 52 points they scored in one game versus hapless Indiana. The rushing game was bad (122 yards/game, 9th in conference, 90th overall), and the passing game wasn't much better (191.3 yards/game, 8th in conference, 86th overall). Basically, after last season, the Penn State offense hit full blown desperation mode.
So, gone this season is Fran Ganter, the long-time (and I mean Jurassic-level) offensive coordinator, and in his place walked Galen Hall, former Nittany Lion and former head coach at Florida. The idea was to breathe some new life into a moribund offense, and bring a new approach focusing on fundamentals and more timely play calling. The verdict so far? Well, it is not clear how much Galen Hall is actually controlling the offense, and how much Joe Paterno's son Jay is controlling the offense, and the numbers don't reflect much of an improvement from last season. The passing offense has been better in spots, averaging 225.7 yards/game, good for 6th in conference and a respectable 43rd nationally, heading into the Iowa game. However, the running game is still sputtering (130.2 yards/game, 8th in conference, 81st nationally), and the scoring has still been bad (19.2 points, last in conference and T99th overall). Looking at their first 3 Big Ten contests, they've scored a grand total of 23 points, a little over 7 per game. They'd need the 1985 Chicago Bears defense to win any games with those point totals. Thus, the offense has not been able to springboard the team to victory against quality competition (0-4 against non-MAC schools heading into the Iowa game), because they have not been able to establish the run, and have not been able to score points.
Quarterbacks
QB #7 Zack Mills (6-3, 214)
One thing you can say about Mills is that he is a gamer, and has played in significant pain through several injuries. Another thing you can say about him, however, is that he has failed to live up to the promise he showed after his first year on the field. He had a good 2002, but was unable to get that big win, and he has steadily regressed the past 2 seasons. Certainly part of that falls on the dwindling talent level around him, particularly on the offensive line, but he has also made some poor decisions (8 interceptions so far) and has been completely ineffective running the ball this season (20 carries for 1 yard), a facet of his game that looked like it would be a great strength when he first emerged. Though he has completed a good percentage (59.0%), his passing numbers are pedestrian (1183 yards and 6 TDs). Explosive #12 Michael Robinson has been waiting in the wings, but has been unable to supplant Mills and suffered a frightening injury against Wisconsin earlier this year. His status remains uncertain, but it looks like he is a safe bet to remain on the bench as a QB this year, though he does line up there for a few plays as an added wrinkle (5 for 8 for 87 yards and a TD pass to Mills). Freshman Anthony Morelli waits in the wings, and may be the talent the Nittany Lions need to lead them back in the future.
QB Rating: C
Running Backs
RB #26 Tony Hunt (6-2, 222)
FB #39 Paul Jefferson (6-1, 259)
Penn State continues to wait for the rushing attack to re-emerge. It has been dormant since Larry Johnson left campus. They currently have a pair of talented backs that have been unable to consistently produce. Tony Hunt has the starting job, and has looked good in stretches. He has 429 yards rushing, a decent 5.4 yards/carry average, and has scored 4 TDs. He has also chipped in a team high 24 receptions for 221 yards, indicating that he is the focal point of the offense. Austin Scott was originally to be the starter, but he has had focus and discipline problems that have kept him off the field for significant portions of the season. He has 176 yards rushing on a whopping 7.3 yards/carry, and has scored a pair of TDs. He also has 4 receptions for 31 yards. Rodney Kinlaw is also in the mix occasionally. Jefferson is a bruising blocker, and has added 12 catches for 77 yards, though he will never be mistaken for Jesse Owens in the open field.
RB Rating: C
Wide Receivers
WR #19 Gerald Smith (5-11, 185)
WR #9 Terrance Phillips (5-11, 183)
This unit is only adequate on their best days. Smith leads the team with 247 yards on 19 catches. Michael Robinson will actually start here if and when his health allows him to do so. He has 16 catches for 231 yards and a TD in action limited by injury. Phillips has been the lone big play threat, averaging 19.7 yards/catch and scoring a TD. Mark Rubin is more of a possession guy and sees plenty of time, gaining 119 yards on 11 catches. Several other players may see the field for a play or 2. The bottom line here is that there are no gamebreakers, no consistent producers, and no one has more than a single TD catch. Without Robinson, this unit is poor.
WR Rating: D-
Tight Ends
TE #81 Isaac Smolko (6-5, 258)
Smolko has been a bright spot. He has good size, and is a decent blocker. He has also chipped in 12 catches for 99 yards and a TD. He won't make people forget Kyle Brady, but he has been a help both blocking and catching, something they desperately need from this position.
TE Rating: B
Offensive Line
OT #67 Levi Brown (6-5, 309)
OG #59 Charles Rush (6-2, 297)
C #77 E. Z. Smith (6-1, 276)
OG #74 Tyler Reed (6-4, 303)
OT #68 John Wilson (6-6, 317)
This unit realized they got smacked around much of last season, and made it a priority to work out in the off-season and do more things to gel as a unit. The result has been some improvement, but not as much as they were hoping. The QB protection has been by-and-large better (the Wisconsin game being the notable exception), but the rushing game hasn't progressed as hoped. The best of the lot is probably either Reed or Brown, both of whom return as starters. Rush also returns, and Smith returned to the team after serving a suspension last season. The right tackle spot may be manned by Wilson, junior Andrew Richardson, or freshman bruiser Joel Holler, depending on injury. Guards Mark Farris and Greg Harrison and center Lance Antolick also provide depth.
OL Rating: C
Analysis
For the second week in a row, Ohio State faces an offense that is average at best. Fans remember all-too-well what Mills is capable of, but he has been handled by the Buckeyes for the last 2 seasons. Last year's exciting, and depending on who you talk to, controversial finish makes for an interesting lead-in to this year's contest. Still, both teams will try and establish a struggling running game to take pressure off of the QB. If Robinson plays and they have a 2-headed monster at tailback, this offense could cause some problems and take advantage of timely Buckeye turnovers. Don't loom for a shootout, but it remains to be seen whether the Nittany Lions can score enough points to win a game against a decent team.
Overall Offensive Rating: C
Penn State Nittany Lions Defensive Preview
Returning Starters: 6
Penn State’s record is a bit deceiving when you look at their defense. As a team they have actually played very well on the defensive side of the ball. The are currently the 4th rated defensive team in the Big Ten in total defense, surrendering 285 yards per game. They have been pretty stingy against the rush (113 YPG, 5th in Big Ten), and very tough against the pass (172 YPG, 2nd in Big Ten). They are ranked 2nd in the Big Ten in scoring defense, giving up 14 points per game. They are ranked 2nd in defensive pass efficiency giving up only 4 touchdowns on the season, and picking off 9 passes (3rd in Big Ten). All in all this is not a bad defense, Ohio State had better be ready for a much better defense than Indiana this week.
Defensive Line
LE #91 Tamba Hali (6-3 258 Jr.)
LT #41 Scott Paxon (6-5 275 Jr.)
RT #85 Jay Alford (6-3 283 So.)
RE #55 Matthew Rice (6-4 262 Jr.)
The Penn State defensive line is led by talented defensive end Matthew Rice. On the season up to this point, Rice has tallied up 36 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, and 2 sacks. His 2 sacks ties him for second on the team. The other defensive end is certainly not a slouch by any means. He goes by the name of Tamba “Don’t call me Muhammad” Hali. Hali is having a disruptive season from his end position, so far he has 27 tackles, and leads the team with 9 tackles for loss (5th in the Big Ten). He also has 1 forced fumble and a quarterback hurry.
On the interior of the defensive line Penn St. is led by Scott “Don’t call me Jim” Paxon. Paxon has piled up 20 tackles on the season, including 5 for loss, and leads the team with 3 sacks. Paxon has also been very disruptive on special teams this season blocking 3 kicks. He has also forced a fumble and broken up a pass this season. The other piece of the defensive line puzzle is occupied by Jay Alford. Alford has 17 tackles, including 3 for loss, and 1.5 (there it is again) sack. He has also got his paw on 2 passes and batted them down.
As a unit the Penn St. defensive line isn’t too bad, but then again, they aren’t all that great either. They do have a knack for making plays in the backfield against the run, but have been rather ineffective getting pressure on the opposing quarterback. I do not see any stars on this line, regardless they will be a much better unit than Indiana.
DL Rating: C+
Linebackers
OLB #31 Paul Posluszny (6-2 230 Soph.)
MLB #20 Tim Shaw (6-1 230 Soph.)
OLB #94 Derek Wake (6-3 238 Sr.)
The Penn State linebacker unit is led by sophomore Paul Posluszny. Posluszny has been pretty effective from his outside linebacker slot this season. He leads the team with 56 tackles, with 6 of those being for a loss, and 2 being a sack. He has also broken up 2 passes and forced a fumble. In the middle Penn State is led by the versatile Tim Shaw. On the season Shaw has collected 40 tackles, with 1.5 being for loss, and has a half sack. He has also been tough against the pass picking off 1 pass, and breaking up 5 of them. The last linebacker spot is occupied by senior Derek Wake. Wake has tallied up 30 tackles on the season, with 3.5 being for loss, and 1 being a sack. Wake has also blocked a kick on special teams this season.
Much like the defensive line, the linebackers are not a flashy unit, especially when you consider the fire power of the past Penn State teams. They do play with a relentless tenacity, but nothing that this Ohio State team hasn’t seen from a handful of other teams this season. Oh how the mighty have fallen.
LB Rating: C
Secondary
CB #21 Alan Zematitis (6-2 189 Jr.)
SS #10 Calvin Lowry (6-0 194 Jr.)
FS #18 Andrew Guman (6-3 208 Sr.)
CB #1 Anwar Phillips (6-1 180 Jr.)
If there is a bright spot on this bleak Penn State team it lies in the secondary. Penn State is led by junior Anwar Phillips from his cornerback position. Phillips leads the team with 3 interceptions (Tied for 1st in Big Ten), and broken up passes (9). In addition, he has 29 tackles, with 1 of those being for a loss. The other boundary spot is manned by Alan “I think I came down a case of” Zematitis. Zematitis has 33 tackles on the season, with 1 being for loss. He has also picked off a pass, and broken up 5 passes.
Leading the way for the Nittany Lions at the safety position is Andrew Guman. Guman is second on the team with 48 tackles, with 5 being for loss. He has also batted down 7 passes, and recovered a fumble this season. Calvin Lowry pins down the other safety position for Penn State. Lowry has racked up 29 tackles, with 1 being for loss. He has also picked off 2 passes, and leads the Big Ten (and team) with 3 fumbles recovered.
As a unit this Penn State secondary is pretty decent. They have good tacklers in every position, and they have playmakers. They are very tough against the pass, and perhaps could be considered one of the best secondaries in the Big Ten. If Smith gets the nod again this week, things will not be as easy for him against this scrappy unit.
DB Rating: B+
Analysis
Penn State brings a pretty tough defense into Columbus this week. The strong area lies in the secondary, with the linebackers being the Achilles heal. I am putting up a huge upset alert (if you want to call it that) for this one. Ohio State has been rather ineffective moving the ball this season. They have made positive strides in the last week, but still have a long way to go. Penn State has not won a Big Ten game this year, and probably should have beaten Iowa (final score 6-4) last weekend. This Lion defensive squad has kept the team in the game nearly every week, and has probably kept Joe Pa from keeling over. I expect the most tenacious defensive performance on the season from the Lions this week, if you ask me why, I’m not sure, I just do. I guess I just get the sense that they smell blood on a wounded dog.
Overall Defensive Rating: B
Penn State’s record is a bit deceiving when you look at their defense. As a team they have actually played very well on the defensive side of the ball. The are currently the 4th rated defensive team in the Big Ten in total defense, surrendering 285 yards per game. They have been pretty stingy against the rush (113 YPG, 5th in Big Ten), and very tough against the pass (172 YPG, 2nd in Big Ten). They are ranked 2nd in the Big Ten in scoring defense, giving up 14 points per game. They are ranked 2nd in defensive pass efficiency giving up only 4 touchdowns on the season, and picking off 9 passes (3rd in Big Ten). All in all this is not a bad defense, Ohio State had better be ready for a much better defense than Indiana this week.
Defensive Line
LE #91 Tamba Hali (6-3 258 Jr.)
LT #41 Scott Paxon (6-5 275 Jr.)
RT #85 Jay Alford (6-3 283 So.)
RE #55 Matthew Rice (6-4 262 Jr.)
The Penn State defensive line is led by talented defensive end Matthew Rice. On the season up to this point, Rice has tallied up 36 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, and 2 sacks. His 2 sacks ties him for second on the team. The other defensive end is certainly not a slouch by any means. He goes by the name of Tamba “Don’t call me Muhammad” Hali. Hali is having a disruptive season from his end position, so far he has 27 tackles, and leads the team with 9 tackles for loss (5th in the Big Ten). He also has 1 forced fumble and a quarterback hurry.
On the interior of the defensive line Penn St. is led by Scott “Don’t call me Jim” Paxon. Paxon has piled up 20 tackles on the season, including 5 for loss, and leads the team with 3 sacks. Paxon has also been very disruptive on special teams this season blocking 3 kicks. He has also forced a fumble and broken up a pass this season. The other piece of the defensive line puzzle is occupied by Jay Alford. Alford has 17 tackles, including 3 for loss, and 1.5 (there it is again) sack. He has also got his paw on 2 passes and batted them down.
As a unit the Penn St. defensive line isn’t too bad, but then again, they aren’t all that great either. They do have a knack for making plays in the backfield against the run, but have been rather ineffective getting pressure on the opposing quarterback. I do not see any stars on this line, regardless they will be a much better unit than Indiana.
DL Rating: C+
Linebackers
OLB #31 Paul Posluszny (6-2 230 Soph.)
MLB #20 Tim Shaw (6-1 230 Soph.)
OLB #94 Derek Wake (6-3 238 Sr.)
The Penn State linebacker unit is led by sophomore Paul Posluszny. Posluszny has been pretty effective from his outside linebacker slot this season. He leads the team with 56 tackles, with 6 of those being for a loss, and 2 being a sack. He has also broken up 2 passes and forced a fumble. In the middle Penn State is led by the versatile Tim Shaw. On the season Shaw has collected 40 tackles, with 1.5 being for loss, and has a half sack. He has also been tough against the pass picking off 1 pass, and breaking up 5 of them. The last linebacker spot is occupied by senior Derek Wake. Wake has tallied up 30 tackles on the season, with 3.5 being for loss, and 1 being a sack. Wake has also blocked a kick on special teams this season.
Much like the defensive line, the linebackers are not a flashy unit, especially when you consider the fire power of the past Penn State teams. They do play with a relentless tenacity, but nothing that this Ohio State team hasn’t seen from a handful of other teams this season. Oh how the mighty have fallen.
LB Rating: C
Secondary
CB #21 Alan Zematitis (6-2 189 Jr.)
SS #10 Calvin Lowry (6-0 194 Jr.)
FS #18 Andrew Guman (6-3 208 Sr.)
CB #1 Anwar Phillips (6-1 180 Jr.)
If there is a bright spot on this bleak Penn State team it lies in the secondary. Penn State is led by junior Anwar Phillips from his cornerback position. Phillips leads the team with 3 interceptions (Tied for 1st in Big Ten), and broken up passes (9). In addition, he has 29 tackles, with 1 of those being for a loss. The other boundary spot is manned by Alan “I think I came down a case of” Zematitis. Zematitis has 33 tackles on the season, with 1 being for loss. He has also picked off a pass, and broken up 5 passes.
Leading the way for the Nittany Lions at the safety position is Andrew Guman. Guman is second on the team with 48 tackles, with 5 being for loss. He has also batted down 7 passes, and recovered a fumble this season. Calvin Lowry pins down the other safety position for Penn State. Lowry has racked up 29 tackles, with 1 being for loss. He has also picked off 2 passes, and leads the Big Ten (and team) with 3 fumbles recovered.
As a unit this Penn State secondary is pretty decent. They have good tacklers in every position, and they have playmakers. They are very tough against the pass, and perhaps could be considered one of the best secondaries in the Big Ten. If Smith gets the nod again this week, things will not be as easy for him against this scrappy unit.
DB Rating: B+
Analysis
Penn State brings a pretty tough defense into Columbus this week. The strong area lies in the secondary, with the linebackers being the Achilles heal. I am putting up a huge upset alert (if you want to call it that) for this one. Ohio State has been rather ineffective moving the ball this season. They have made positive strides in the last week, but still have a long way to go. Penn State has not won a Big Ten game this year, and probably should have beaten Iowa (final score 6-4) last weekend. This Lion defensive squad has kept the team in the game nearly every week, and has probably kept Joe Pa from keeling over. I expect the most tenacious defensive performance on the season from the Lions this week, if you ask me why, I’m not sure, I just do. I guess I just get the sense that they smell blood on a wounded dog.
Overall Defensive Rating: B
Penn State Nittany Lions Special Teams Preview
Returning Starters: 2
Nothing spectacular to report. Penn State has some issues with their special teams well. The only solid pieces to this puzzle are a solid punter and a strong kick return coverage team.
Special Teams
PK #4 Robbie Gould (6-1 179 Sr.)
P #36 Jeremy Kapinos (6-1 229 So.)
PR #10 Calvin Lowry (6-0 195 Jr.)
Robbie Gould returns for his 4th season as the starting place kicker for Penn State. With that kind experience you'd think PSU would be set this season, but that is not the case. This season, Robbie was set to crack the top 5 scoring all-time at PSU, but things aren't working as planned to date. Gould is an unimpressive 3 of 8 in FG attempts this season with his longest being 38 yards. He has 1 miss in each of the 20-29, 30-39, 40-49 yard ranges and 2 misses from beyond 50. He is doing a bit better with kickoffs, where 15 of his 25 attempts have gone for touchbacks and only 2 have sailed out-of-bounds. Robbie has also been solid with PATs putting 14 of his 15 tries through the uprights.
Jeremy Kapinos returns from a strong freshman season and has been a reliable performer handling the punting duties. He is averaging 40.8 yards per attempt on 38 punts (long of 70) with no blocks. Jeremy has tallied 6 touchbacks, 8 fair catches and 8 punts downed inside the 20.
Calvin Lowry is contributing as well. Taking all but 1 punt return, Calvin is averaging 11.1 yards on 16 attempts with a long of 33 yards.
Kick returns are another matter. Penn State has gone with a committee of return men. Tony Hunt (8 returns, 14 yard average), Rodney Kinlaw (7 returns, 23 yard average), Austin Scott (5 returns, 24.2 yard average), B. Perretta (3 returns, 18.3 yard average), and Patrick Hall (1 return for 11 yards) have all had a shot at returning kicks. With no touchdowns, a long return of 65 yards and an average of 19.2, this unit will not be more than adequate.
The coverage teams are (again) mediocre for PSU. Giving up an average of 12.3 yards per punt on 14 attempts (long of 54) and 1 touchdown. The only bright side here is having blocked 1 of their opponents 43 punts. The kick coverage has been a bit better, yielding only 13.8 yards average on 9 attempts (long of 26) and no TDs.
Analysis
Once seen as the strength of this unit, Robbie Gould is having a poor year as the place kicker. With the offense sputtering, PSU can use all the help it can get from the kicker. At 37.5%, Gould has been of little help in this arena. Jeremy Kapinos has (once again) been solid for the Lions as a punter, but as last year, his leg is better than his coverage unit. The only other spot worth mentioning is the Lion's kick coverage team. An average of 13.8 yards is impressive.
Overall Special Teams Rating: C-
Nothing spectacular to report. Penn State has some issues with their special teams well. The only solid pieces to this puzzle are a solid punter and a strong kick return coverage team.
Special Teams
PK #4 Robbie Gould (6-1 179 Sr.)
P #36 Jeremy Kapinos (6-1 229 So.)
PR #10 Calvin Lowry (6-0 195 Jr.)
Robbie Gould returns for his 4th season as the starting place kicker for Penn State. With that kind experience you'd think PSU would be set this season, but that is not the case. This season, Robbie was set to crack the top 5 scoring all-time at PSU, but things aren't working as planned to date. Gould is an unimpressive 3 of 8 in FG attempts this season with his longest being 38 yards. He has 1 miss in each of the 20-29, 30-39, 40-49 yard ranges and 2 misses from beyond 50. He is doing a bit better with kickoffs, where 15 of his 25 attempts have gone for touchbacks and only 2 have sailed out-of-bounds. Robbie has also been solid with PATs putting 14 of his 15 tries through the uprights.
Jeremy Kapinos returns from a strong freshman season and has been a reliable performer handling the punting duties. He is averaging 40.8 yards per attempt on 38 punts (long of 70) with no blocks. Jeremy has tallied 6 touchbacks, 8 fair catches and 8 punts downed inside the 20.
Calvin Lowry is contributing as well. Taking all but 1 punt return, Calvin is averaging 11.1 yards on 16 attempts with a long of 33 yards.
Kick returns are another matter. Penn State has gone with a committee of return men. Tony Hunt (8 returns, 14 yard average), Rodney Kinlaw (7 returns, 23 yard average), Austin Scott (5 returns, 24.2 yard average), B. Perretta (3 returns, 18.3 yard average), and Patrick Hall (1 return for 11 yards) have all had a shot at returning kicks. With no touchdowns, a long return of 65 yards and an average of 19.2, this unit will not be more than adequate.
The coverage teams are (again) mediocre for PSU. Giving up an average of 12.3 yards per punt on 14 attempts (long of 54) and 1 touchdown. The only bright side here is having blocked 1 of their opponents 43 punts. The kick coverage has been a bit better, yielding only 13.8 yards average on 9 attempts (long of 26) and no TDs.
Analysis
Once seen as the strength of this unit, Robbie Gould is having a poor year as the place kicker. With the offense sputtering, PSU can use all the help it can get from the kicker. At 37.5%, Gould has been of little help in this arena. Jeremy Kapinos has (once again) been solid for the Lions as a punter, but as last year, his leg is better than his coverage unit. The only other spot worth mentioning is the Lion's kick coverage team. An average of 13.8 yards is impressive.
Overall Special Teams Rating: C-
Predictions
daddyphatsac's prediction: 13-10, Ohio State
Bucklion's prediction: 24-21, Ohio State
FKAGobucks877's prediction: 24-13, Ohio State
3yardsandacloud's prediction: 14-13, Ohio State
vrbryant's prediction: 7-6, Ohio State
Bucklion's prediction: 24-21, Ohio State
FKAGobucks877's prediction: 24-13, Ohio State
3yardsandacloud's prediction: 14-13, Ohio State
vrbryant's prediction: 7-6, Ohio State
Additional Information
Rebuild or Reload
Starters Returning: 13 (Offense 6, Defense 5, Special Teams 2)
Letterman Returning: 33
Letterman Lost: 20
Incoming Recruits:
Anthony Morelli (QB 6-4 210 Pittsburgh (Penn Hills) Pa.)
Dan Connor (LB 6-3 220 Wallingford (Strath Haven) Pa.)
Greg Harrison (OL 6-5 295 Shenandoah (Shen Valley) Pa.)
Wyatt Bowman (OL 6'6 310 Mechan (Cumberland Vall) Pa.)
Donte Brown (LB 6'3 250 McKeesport Pa.)
Gerald Cadogan (OL 6'7 310 Portsmouth Ohio)
Paul Cianciolo (QB 6'4 220 North Char (Ft Dorchester) S.C.)
Daryll Clark (QB 6'3 190 Youngstown (Ursuline) Ohio)
Tony Davis (DB 5'11 180 Warren (Howland) Ohio)
Adam DiMichele (DB 6'1 170 McKees Rocks (Sto-Rox) Pa.)
Josh Gaines (DL 6'4 255 Fort Wayne (Northrop) Ind.)
Matt Hahn (RB 6'1 215 Melville (St. Anthony's) N.Y.)
Jed Hill (TE 6'4 245 Strouthers Ohio)
Austin Hinton (OL 6'4 285 Secaucus N.J.)
Dan Lawlor (RB 6'3 235 Mechan. (Cumberland Vall) Pa.)
Mike Lucian (TE 6'4 250 Frederick (Linganore) Md.)
Jordan Lyons (QB 6'5 220 College Park (Wood. Acad) Ga.)
Richard Ohrnberger (OL 6'3 275 East Meadow N.Y.)
Spencer Ridenhour (DB 6'0 210 White Plains N.Y.)
Elijah Robinson (DL 6'3 300 Camden (Wilson) N.J.)
Mark Rubin (WR 6'4 205 Amhurst (Amherst Central) N.Y.)
Tyrell Sales (LB 6'4 235 Butler Pa.)
A.Q. Shipley (DL 6'3 275 Corapolis (Moon Area) Pa.)
Kevin Suhey (DB 6'2 195 State College (Area) Pa.)
Trent Varva (OL 6'3 320 Lake Orion Mich.)
Letterman Returning: 33
Letterman Lost: 20
Incoming Recruits:
Anthony Morelli (QB 6-4 210 Pittsburgh (Penn Hills) Pa.)
Dan Connor (LB 6-3 220 Wallingford (Strath Haven) Pa.)
Greg Harrison (OL 6-5 295 Shenandoah (Shen Valley) Pa.)
Wyatt Bowman (OL 6'6 310 Mechan (Cumberland Vall) Pa.)
Donte Brown (LB 6'3 250 McKeesport Pa.)
Gerald Cadogan (OL 6'7 310 Portsmouth Ohio)
Paul Cianciolo (QB 6'4 220 North Char (Ft Dorchester) S.C.)
Daryll Clark (QB 6'3 190 Youngstown (Ursuline) Ohio)
Tony Davis (DB 5'11 180 Warren (Howland) Ohio)
Adam DiMichele (DB 6'1 170 McKees Rocks (Sto-Rox) Pa.)
Josh Gaines (DL 6'4 255 Fort Wayne (Northrop) Ind.)
Matt Hahn (RB 6'1 215 Melville (St. Anthony's) N.Y.)
Jed Hill (TE 6'4 245 Strouthers Ohio)
Austin Hinton (OL 6'4 285 Secaucus N.J.)
Dan Lawlor (RB 6'3 235 Mechan. (Cumberland Vall) Pa.)
Mike Lucian (TE 6'4 250 Frederick (Linganore) Md.)
Jordan Lyons (QB 6'5 220 College Park (Wood. Acad) Ga.)
Richard Ohrnberger (OL 6'3 275 East Meadow N.Y.)
Spencer Ridenhour (DB 6'0 210 White Plains N.Y.)
Elijah Robinson (DL 6'3 300 Camden (Wilson) N.J.)
Mark Rubin (WR 6'4 205 Amhurst (Amherst Central) N.Y.)
Tyrell Sales (LB 6'4 235 Butler Pa.)
A.Q. Shipley (DL 6'3 275 Corapolis (Moon Area) Pa.)
Kevin Suhey (DB 6'2 195 State College (Area) Pa.)
Trent Varva (OL 6'3 320 Lake Orion Mich.)
Awards & Recognition
Preseason-Conference
2004 BigTen Football Media Preseason Poll
1. Michigan (10).........120
2 Ohio State (1).........103
3. Wisconsin...............88
4. Iowa.......................84
5. Minnesota...............81
6. Purdue....................69
7. Penn State.............59
8. Michigan State.........48
9 Northwestern............36
10. Illinois...................26
11. Indiana.................12
BigTen-Conference Awards
Pre-Season Defensive Player of the Year
LB - A.J. Hawk, Ohio State
Pre-Season Offensive Player of the Year
QB - Kyle Orton, Purdue
Big Ten Player of the Week Honors
Sept. 6, 2004 (Week 1)
OFFENSE: QB - Brett Basanez, Northwestern
DEFENSE: LB - Chad Greenway, Iowa
SPECIAL TEAMS: K/P - Rhys Lloyd, Minnesota
Sept. 13, 2004 (Week 2)
OFFENSE: QB - Kyle Orton, Purdue
DEFENSE: S - Herana-Daze Jones, Indiana
CO-SPECIAL TEAMS: K - Mike Nugent, Ohio State & PR - Jim Leonhard, Wisconsin
Sept. 20, 2004 (Week 3)
OFFENSE: RB - Marion Barber III, Minnesota
DEFENSE: DE - Erasmus James, Wisconsin
SPECIAL TEAMS: K - Mike Nugent, Ohio State
Sept. 27, 2004 (Week 4)
OFFENSE: QB - Kyle Orton, Purdue
DEFENSE: DE - Erasmus James, Wisconsin
SPECIAL TEAMS: K - Dave Rayner, Michigan State
Oct. 4, 2004 (Week 5)
CO-OFFENSE: QB - Kyle Orton, Purdue & RB - Anthony Davis, Wisconsin
DEFENSE: LB - John Pickens, Northwestern
SPECIAL TEAMS: KR - Jerome Brooks, Purdue
Oct. 11, 2004 (Week 6)
OFFENSE: RB - Noah Herron, Northwestern
DEFENSE: S - Ernest Shazor, Michigan
CO-SPECIAL TEAMS: K - Mike Nugent, Ohio State & K - Ben Jones, Purdue
Oct. 18, 2004 (Week 7)
CO-OFFENSE: QB - Drew Tate, Iowa & QB Drew Stanton, Michigan State
DEFENSE: CB - Scott Starks, Wisconsin
CO-SPECIAL TEAMS: K - Kyle Schlickter, Iowa & K - Dave Raynor, Michigan State
Oct. 25, 2004 (Week 8)
CO-OFFENSE: RB - Michael Hart, Michigan & RB - Marion Barber, III, Minnesota
DEFENSE: LB - Kyle McKenzie, Minnesota
SPECIAL TEAMS: P - Steve Weatherford, Illinois
Preseason-National
Thorpe Watch List
CB - Alan Zemaitis, Penn State
Davey O'Brien Watch List
QB - Zack Mills, Penn State
2004 BigTen Football Media Preseason Poll
1. Michigan (10).........120
2 Ohio State (1).........103
3. Wisconsin...............88
4. Iowa.......................84
5. Minnesota...............81
6. Purdue....................69
7. Penn State.............59
8. Michigan State.........48
9 Northwestern............36
10. Illinois...................26
11. Indiana.................12
BigTen-Conference Awards
Pre-Season Defensive Player of the Year
LB - A.J. Hawk, Ohio State
Pre-Season Offensive Player of the Year
QB - Kyle Orton, Purdue
Big Ten Player of the Week Honors
Sept. 6, 2004 (Week 1)
OFFENSE: QB - Brett Basanez, Northwestern
DEFENSE: LB - Chad Greenway, Iowa
SPECIAL TEAMS: K/P - Rhys Lloyd, Minnesota
Sept. 13, 2004 (Week 2)
OFFENSE: QB - Kyle Orton, Purdue
DEFENSE: S - Herana-Daze Jones, Indiana
CO-SPECIAL TEAMS: K - Mike Nugent, Ohio State & PR - Jim Leonhard, Wisconsin
Sept. 20, 2004 (Week 3)
OFFENSE: RB - Marion Barber III, Minnesota
DEFENSE: DE - Erasmus James, Wisconsin
SPECIAL TEAMS: K - Mike Nugent, Ohio State
Sept. 27, 2004 (Week 4)
OFFENSE: QB - Kyle Orton, Purdue
DEFENSE: DE - Erasmus James, Wisconsin
SPECIAL TEAMS: K - Dave Rayner, Michigan State
Oct. 4, 2004 (Week 5)
CO-OFFENSE: QB - Kyle Orton, Purdue & RB - Anthony Davis, Wisconsin
DEFENSE: LB - John Pickens, Northwestern
SPECIAL TEAMS: KR - Jerome Brooks, Purdue
Oct. 11, 2004 (Week 6)
OFFENSE: RB - Noah Herron, Northwestern
DEFENSE: S - Ernest Shazor, Michigan
CO-SPECIAL TEAMS: K - Mike Nugent, Ohio State & K - Ben Jones, Purdue
Oct. 18, 2004 (Week 7)
CO-OFFENSE: QB - Drew Tate, Iowa & QB Drew Stanton, Michigan State
DEFENSE: CB - Scott Starks, Wisconsin
CO-SPECIAL TEAMS: K - Kyle Schlickter, Iowa & K - Dave Raynor, Michigan State
Oct. 25, 2004 (Week 8)
CO-OFFENSE: RB - Michael Hart, Michigan & RB - Marion Barber, III, Minnesota
DEFENSE: LB - Kyle McKenzie, Minnesota
SPECIAL TEAMS: P - Steve Weatherford, Illinois
Preseason-National
Thorpe Watch List
CB - Alan Zemaitis, Penn State
Davey O'Brien Watch List
QB - Zack Mills, Penn State
Historical Data
Pennsylvania State University (State College, PA) Founded in 1855
Football 1st Season: 1881
Stadium: Beaver (1960) 106,537
Conference: Big Ten Conference since 1993 (Independent all previous years)
Colors: Blue & White
Mascot: Lion
College Classification: D-IA (or equivalent) since 1937 (first year of NCAA classification)
Conference Championships: 1 total, 1994
Head Coach: Legendary coach Joe Paterno was recently name the best college coach in the past 25 years by ESPN (8th best all-time). JoePa is in his 39th season as the head coach at Penn State and 55th year on the staff. That is simply amazing longevity in today's college game. Only Amos Alonzo Stagg's 41 years as head coach at Chicago ranks as a longer run. Joe has the most bowl appearances (31) and victories (20) of any coach, and has 2 National Championships (1982, 1986) and 5 undefeated and untied seasons to his credit. While controversy swirls around the 77 year-old icon from 3 or 4 subpar seasons, he signed a 4 year contract extension this past May. Since joining the Big Ten, Penn State has also led the conference with 137 Academic All-conference players, underlining Paterno's commitment to education. JoePa has been named AFCA Coach-of-the-year 4 times, won the initial Eddie Robinson Coach-of-the-Year Award, and other awards too numerous to list.
Born in Brooklyn, NY, on December 21, 1926, Paterno's senior high school football team had one loss ... to a team coached by Vince Lombardi. Joe went to Brown University where he was the QB on the football team and played 2 years of basketball.
Some interesting stats: Not counting this season, Joe has seen 742 (D-1) head coaching changes since he took the reigns at PSU. He has been on the staff at PSU for over half of the entire total of football games in school history.
Consensus All-Americans: 34
College Hall-of-Famers: 18
Pro Hall-of-Famers: 5
Award Winners: 1 Biletnikoff, 1 Butkus, 1 Bednarik, 2 O'Brien, 1 Doak Walker, 1 Heisman, 1 Outland, 1 Baugh, 2 Walter Camp POY, 4 AFCA COY, 3 Robinson COY, 3 Bryant COY, 1 Dodd COY
National Championships: 13 non-Recognized Championships, 2 Recognized Championships (1982 & 1986 both AP & UPI/Coaches)
Number of AP/Coaches final rankings: AP-36 years, Coaches-36 years
Stadium: Beaver (1960) 106,537
Conference: Big Ten Conference since 1993 (Independent all previous years)
Colors: Blue & White
Mascot: Lion
College Classification: D-IA (or equivalent) since 1937 (first year of NCAA classification)
Conference Championships: 1 total, 1994
Head Coach: Legendary coach Joe Paterno was recently name the best college coach in the past 25 years by ESPN (8th best all-time). JoePa is in his 39th season as the head coach at Penn State and 55th year on the staff. That is simply amazing longevity in today's college game. Only Amos Alonzo Stagg's 41 years as head coach at Chicago ranks as a longer run. Joe has the most bowl appearances (31) and victories (20) of any coach, and has 2 National Championships (1982, 1986) and 5 undefeated and untied seasons to his credit. While controversy swirls around the 77 year-old icon from 3 or 4 subpar seasons, he signed a 4 year contract extension this past May. Since joining the Big Ten, Penn State has also led the conference with 137 Academic All-conference players, underlining Paterno's commitment to education. JoePa has been named AFCA Coach-of-the-year 4 times, won the initial Eddie Robinson Coach-of-the-Year Award, and other awards too numerous to list.
Born in Brooklyn, NY, on December 21, 1926, Paterno's senior high school football team had one loss ... to a team coached by Vince Lombardi. Joe went to Brown University where he was the QB on the football team and played 2 years of basketball.
Some interesting stats: Not counting this season, Joe has seen 742 (D-1) head coaching changes since he took the reigns at PSU. He has been on the staff at PSU for over half of the entire total of football games in school history.
Consensus All-Americans: 34
College Hall-of-Famers: 18
Pro Hall-of-Famers: 5
Award Winners: 1 Biletnikoff, 1 Butkus, 1 Bednarik, 2 O'Brien, 1 Doak Walker, 1 Heisman, 1 Outland, 1 Baugh, 2 Walter Camp POY, 4 AFCA COY, 3 Robinson COY, 3 Bryant COY, 1 Dodd COY
National Championships: 13 non-Recognized Championships, 2 Recognized Championships (1982 & 1986 both AP & UPI/Coaches)
Number of AP/Coaches final rankings: AP-36 years, Coaches-36 years
Records
All Time: 734-323-37 (.688) - [CFDW lists this at 757-331-42 (.688)]
Home 436-87-12 (.826), Away 252-213-21 (.540), Neutral 46-23-4 (.658)
Bowl Games: 23-12-2 (.649), most recently a loss to Auburn (2003) in the Capital One Bowl
All Time vs the BigTen: 69-44-1 (.610), since joining in 1994, 49-31-0 (.613)
All Time vs Ohio State: 10-9-0 (.526), Last win against the Buckeyes was in 2001 at Penn State. Their record (vs OSU) since joining the Big Ten is 4-6-0 (.400)
Last Season: Penn State finished 3-9-0 (.250)
W - Temple (PA)
L - Boston College (MA)
L - Nebraska
W - Kent State (OH)
L - Minnesota
L - Wisconsin
L - Purdue (IN)
L - Iowa
L - Ohio State
L - Northwestern
W - Indiana
L - Michigan State
Last 5 Years: 32-29 (.525)
Last 10 Years: 82-40-0 (.672)
Home 436-87-12 (.826), Away 252-213-21 (.540), Neutral 46-23-4 (.658)
Bowl Games: 23-12-2 (.649), most recently a loss to Auburn (2003) in the Capital One Bowl
All Time vs the BigTen: 69-44-1 (.610), since joining in 1994, 49-31-0 (.613)
All Time vs Ohio State: 10-9-0 (.526), Last win against the Buckeyes was in 2001 at Penn State. Their record (vs OSU) since joining the Big Ten is 4-6-0 (.400)
Last Season: Penn State finished 3-9-0 (.250)
W - Temple (PA)
L - Boston College (MA)
L - Nebraska
W - Kent State (OH)
L - Minnesota
L - Wisconsin
L - Purdue (IN)
L - Iowa
L - Ohio State
L - Northwestern
W - Indiana
L - Michigan State
Last 5 Years: 32-29 (.525)
Last 10 Years: 82-40-0 (.672)
Links
Official Sites:
Official School Site - Pennsylvania State University
Student Newspaper - The Digital Collegian
Official Athletic Site - Go PSU Sports
Roster - Go PSU Sports
Joe Paterno - Go PSU Sports
Previews/Breakdowns:
2004 Football Season Outlook - Go PSU Sports
Insiders Big Ten Preview - Insiders
NCAA Football Preview - Penn State Nittany Lions - Sports Network
Football Preview - Penn State Nittany Lions - NationalChamps.com
Lions Still Trying to Recoup Past Glory Days - The Ozone
Penn State 2004 Preview - CFN
Penn State 2004 Offensive Preview - CFN
Penn State 2004 Defensive Preview - CFN
Penn State 2004 Inside Scoop - CFN
Penn State Profile (Alan Zemaitis) - CFN
Message Boards:
Message Boards - (Insiders)
Message Boards - (Rivals)
Message Boards - (PSU Playbook - Independent)
Local News Sources:
Pittsburgh Post Gazette - Local News
Penn Live - Local News
Centre Daily Times - Local News
Official School Site - Pennsylvania State University
Student Newspaper - The Digital Collegian
Official Athletic Site - Go PSU Sports
Roster - Go PSU Sports
Joe Paterno - Go PSU Sports
Previews/Breakdowns:
2004 Football Season Outlook - Go PSU Sports
Insiders Big Ten Preview - Insiders
NCAA Football Preview - Penn State Nittany Lions - Sports Network
Football Preview - Penn State Nittany Lions - NationalChamps.com
Lions Still Trying to Recoup Past Glory Days - The Ozone
Penn State 2004 Preview - CFN
Penn State 2004 Offensive Preview - CFN
Penn State 2004 Defensive Preview - CFN
Penn State 2004 Inside Scoop - CFN
Penn State Profile (Alan Zemaitis) - CFN
Message Boards:
Message Boards - (Insiders)
Message Boards - (Rivals)
Message Boards - (PSU Playbook - Independent)
Local News Sources:
Pittsburgh Post Gazette - Local News
Penn Live - Local News
Centre Daily Times - Local News
Note: Statistical data was complied using a variety of sources, including:
Stassen (Chris Stassen) - Data
College Football Data Warehouse - Data
Two Cousins College Football Emporium - Data
American College Football-RSFC (Dave Wilson) - Data
D1A Football (Formerly WALJ 10 College Football) - Data
National Champs.net - Data
Hickok Sports - Data
