This Penn State football team continues to surprise.
For the first time all season, the Nittany Lions won away from Beaver Stadium, holding on for a 36-31 win against Indiana on Saturday afternoon. It was a much-needed win for the Lions, who hadn’t won on the road since Oct. 28, 2006 at Purdue.
In this week’s edition of Morelli OnLion, we’ll look back at the win over IU, look ahead to the showdown with No. 1 Ohio State and have our weekly non-rev roundup feature.
(Maurice Evans had a huge game against the Hoosiers. Photo courtesy of Blue White Illustrated)
Looking Back: Indiana
It wasn’t the prettiest of wins, but when you haven’t won a road game in nearly a year, you take it.
The Lions (6-2 overall, 3-2 Big Ten) had to hang on for Saturday’s victory, which featured a plethora of mistakes on both sides of the field. Penn State had two turnovers — an Anthony Morelli interception and an Evan Royster fumble. However, the Hoosiers (5-3 overall, 2-3 Big Ten) made even more mistakes. They turned the ball over four times, three Kellen Lewis fumbles and one by punt returner Tracy Porter.
When it was all said and done, the Lions escaped with a not-so-pretty victory. But as senior linebacker Dan Connor was quick to point out, this was a team in desperate need of a road victory.
“It was a big challenge for us. It was a struggle for us,” Connor said. “We knew it was going to be a tough game and we knew we had to win. It wasn’t the prettiest thing, but we got the job done.”
The Lions have now won three consecutive games and despite all the off-the-field issues, this team is somehow keeping it together.
The win, however, did not come without a price. The Lions lost defensive tackle Jared Odrick (broken ankle) and fullback Matt Hahn
(ACL) for the season.
There are other reasons for concern, too. IU went right after junior cornerback Justin King, who was lit up by wideout James Hardy, who caught 14 balls for 142 yards and two TDs. In all, the Lions gave up 318 passing yards, which is way too many against any conference opponent.
The Lions also failed to convert in the Red Zone. Despite the four IU turnovers, Penn State got just nine points out of those. Kicker Kevin Kelly missed his first PAT of the season, and the Lions suffered from poor tackling most of the afternoon.
Nonetheless, it’s time to hand out Morelli OnLion’s three stars of the game.
1. Maurice Evans — The sophomore defensive end had a monster game.
“Mo” had six tackles, including 3 1/2 sacks and two forced fumbles. He also recovered one of the fumbles that he forced and probably would have returned it for a touchdown had it not been for losing his shoe.
“I was hoping (to score). I kept looking on the screen and I saw somebody behind me. He caught me. Everyone was telling me I was slow, but it was a good play, I guess,” Evans said.
2. Anthony Morelli — Another solid effort from the senior QB. He completed 22-of-32 for 195 yards and two touchdowns. He was intercepted just once and was sacked twice.
All in all, though, he’s put together three solid weeks of play. And remember, just about a month ago, fans and media alike were calling for Morelli’s head. If he continues to win, maybe this season isn’t the train wreck that it appeared to be.
3. Jordan Norwood — The wideout had a quiet but productive afternoon, catching eight balls for 65 yards and one TD.
(Justin King got lit up last week, and will have to play better against Ohio State. Photo courtesy of Blue White Illustrated).
Looking Ahead: Ohio State
Is there anything more exciting than having the No. 1 team in the nation coming to Happy Valley? Fans are hoping that the Lions can re-capture the magic of 2005, when Penn State knocked off the Buckeyes under the lights.
But it’s 2007, not 2005. That team had awesome leaders, like quarterback Michael Robinson and defensive lineman Tamba Hali. Fans need to realize that it’s 2007, and this year’s squad just doesn’t have that type of leadership. The atmosphere will help the Lions keep it close. But in the end, it won’t be enough.
Gantdaily.com prediction: Ohio State 20, Penn State 17.
Non-rev roundup: Men’s Golf
Talk about a turnaround. Penn State men’s golf has been on a remarkable rise this year thanks to sophomore Kevin Foley, who has reached new heights unseen by Nittany Lion golfers prior to this year.
Following back-to-back tournament wins, Foley became the first golfer in team history to crack the top 20 rankings when he came in at No. 17 in the most recent Golfweek/Sagarin rankings, released Oct. 15.
“Kevin is one of many great golfers we’ve had at Penn State,” said head coach Greg Nye. “I stand in admiration of what he’s been able to achieve so far, and I look forward to what he’ll bring the rest of the season.”
Foley’s efforts have also catapulted his team into the national spotlight. The Lions, who are off until a Nov. 5 tournament in Michigan, are resting comfortably at No. 14 (Golfweek/Sagarin) and No. 11 (Golfstat).
Penn State has been on a tremendous ride over the past several weeks; following the Lions’ second-place finish at the season-opening Hartford Hawks Invitational Sept. 14-15, Penn State won its following two tournaments. First, the Lions overcame a 13-shot deficit in the final day to win the Wolf Run Intercollegiate Sept. 23. One week later, the team recorded the fourth best 54-hole team total in school history at 845 to take home the VCU Shootout crown. Last weekend at the Memphis Intercollegiate, the Lions took home fourth, behind the remarkable efforts of Foley, who shot a 65 in the first round — a mark that tied the second-lowest round score in Penn State history. The win was Foley’s second in a row after he also won the VCU Shootout title.
“It was as if I was watching the same golfer I watched play remarkably last week in Virginia,” said head coach Greg Nye after the tournament.
“His consistency was outstanding, and he played brilliantly.”
In addition to writing for gantnews.com, Chris Morelli is the editor of Blue White Illustrated, a weekly publication devoted solely to Penn State Sports. He is also a frequent guest on “Front and Center,” which airs on ESPN Radio in State College and Altoona. E-mail him at morellionlion@gmail.com.