It’s here.
The Penn State football season is a mere four days away. While some would argue that Saturday’s game with the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers is more of an exhibition, I’m excited for the season to begin.
In today’s edition of Morelli OnLion, we’ll preview the game, break down the Penn State offense and have our No. 1 moment of the year in Penn State athletics.
Let’s get started!
Week One: Coastal Carolina
Fans probably don’t a lot about the Chanticleers, so here’s a crash course.
The Chants are a Division I-AA squad from the Big South Conference.
They play the likes of Stony Brook, Liberty, Gardner-Webb, Charleston Southern, Presbyterian and VMI.
The program is relatively new, as it began in 2003.
Make no mistake about it, this is an early-season cupcake much like Florida International last season. It won’t be much of a challenge and there’s no chance for an upset, like the one Appalachian State pulled off at Michigan last season.
So don’t worry, Nittany Lion fans. Enjoy the tailgating and work on your suntan.
Gantdaily.com prediction: Penn State 61, Coastal Carolina 7.
Offense Overview
When the 2008 season begins Saturday, the Nittany Lion offense will have a different look.
No Anthony Morelli at quarterback.
No Rodney Kinlaw at running back.
They won’t be easy to replace.
Morelli was one of the best passers in Penn State history — at least statistically. He threw for 2,651 yards in his senior season and is the lone PSU signal caller to throw for over 2,000 yards in back-to-back seasons. Morelli also tossed 19 touchdowns.
With Kinlaw, the Lions lost a strong back who rushed for 1,329 yards and scored 10 touchdowns. He averaged 5.5 yards per carry.
But all is not lost. There are plenty of weapons for Galen Hall and Jay Paterno to use. In fact, the offense might be even better than last season when it averaged 400 yards per game.
Let’s take a look at the 2008 offense, position-by-position:
Quarterback: With Morelli gone, Daryll Clark and Pat Devlin will compete for the starting job. If you’re looking at sheer statistics, Clark appears to be the man. Over the course of his collegiate career, he’s completed 20-of-36 for 147 yards. Devlin, conversely, has thrown just one pass during his Penn State career. Head coach Joe Paterno has said that he may play both QBs. Paul Cianciolo is the third-stringer.
Tailback: With Kinlaw and Austin Scott gone, the Nittany Lions will begin a new era in the backfield. The most experienced back is Evan Royster. In 11 games last season, Royster racked up 513 yards on 82 carries and scored five touchdowns. The only issue with Royster is his durability. He got banged up last season and missed a couple of games.
Evan Royster will be a key part of the Nittany Lions’ offense.
(Photo courtesy of Blue White Illustrated).
Also in the mix in the backfield are Stephfon Green and Brent Carter. Carter carried the ball 11 times for 39 yards last season. Green looked good in the Blue-White Game, racking up 87 yards on 12 carries.
It will be interesting to see who comes to the forefront at tailback. Look for Royster to be the workhorse, but don’t rule out Green or Carter.
Fullback: With Matt Hahn gone, the Lions will rely on Dan Lawlor to be the blocking back. However, if the Lions run the spread that they’re talking about, the fullback may not be an integral part of the offense. Lawlor, however, is more than capable of doing the job if needed.
Tight End: If Andrew Quarless is still in Paterno’s doghouse, Mickey Shuler appears to be the starter. If the Blue-White Game is any indication, Andrew Szczerba showed that he’s more than a capable No. 2. Last season, Quarless caught 14 balls for 205 yards and two touchdowns. Shuler caught seven balls for 91 yards and one TD.
Look for Shuler and Szczerba to split time until Quarless shows that he’s matured and is ready for a big-time role in the offense.
Wide Receiver: This should be one of the big strengths for the Nittany Lions this season. Seniors Deon Butler, Jordan Norwood and Derrick Williams should be one of the best 1-2-3 punches in the Big Ten, if not the nation.
Butler led the Lions with 633 yards receiving on 47 receptions. He also scored four touchdowns. Williams had the most catches, hauling in
55 balls for 529 yards and three TDs. Norwood was third on the team with 484 yards on 40 catches. He scored five touchdowns to lead all Nittany Lion receivers.
Offensive Line: Senior center A.Q. Shipley anchors the offensive line.
Elsewhere along the line, Gerald Cadogan will start at left tackle, Rich Ohrnberger gets the nod at left guard, Stefen Wisniewski starts at right guard and Dennis Landolt is expected to start at right tackle.
The line is expected to be a strength for the Nittany Lions and could be the team’s best o-line unit since 1994.
The Nittany Lions winning the national title is our No. 1 moment of the year.
(Photo courtesy of Blue White Illustrated).
Moment No. 1: PSU Women Win Title
Some would argue that women’s volleyball coach Russ Rose is the most successful coach on the Penn State campus. What his team accomplished this season won’t do anything to dispel that notion.
Rose’s Lions claimed Penn State’s second NCAA women’s national championship with a dramatic five-game win over Stanford (30-25, 30-26, 23-30, 19-30, 15-8) in the national final at Arco Arena in Sacramento, Calif.
Rose was voted the 2007 AVCA National Coach of the Year and was inducted into the volleyball Hall of Fame the week of the title tilt.
Penn State’s other national championship came in 1999, after placing second in 1993, 1997 and 1998. Coincidentally, Penn State defeated Stanford in the title match in 1999.
Stanford had defeated Penn State earlier in the season.
The Nittany Lions’ championship was spurred by first team AVCA All-Americans Megan Hodge, who was voted Most Outstanding Player of the championships, Nicole Fawcett and Christa Harmotto.
In addition to writing for gantnews.com, Chris Morelli is the editor of Blue White Illustrated, a magazine devoted to Penn State sports. He is also a regular on “Front and Center,” which airs on ESPN Radio in Altoona and State College. E-mail him at morellionlion@gmail.com.