Well, the cupcakes are officially over.
Penn State devoured its final cupcake of the non-conference slate on Saturday at Beaver Stadium, pounding Temple to the tune of 45-3. In today’s edition of Morelli OnLion, we’ll take a look back at the blowout win, look ahead to Illinois and have another installment of 10 Questions.
Let’s start with the 42-point pasting of the Owls.
Stephfon Green had a big day against the Owls.
(Blue White Illustrated)
Looking Back: Going Green
On Friday’s edition of “Front and Center,” the State College/Altoona sports talk show, I was asked by guest host Cory Giger who would have a breakout game. I threw out the name Stephfon Green, the redshirt freshman running back.
OK, so call me Nostradamus. Green had a huge day. Let’s take a look back at it.
After getting flagged for excessive celebration on his 2-yard touchdown run against Syracuse last week, Green found himself taking up residency right in the middle of coach Joe Paterno’s doghouse.
“Yeah, I was,” Green said, referring to the place many fine Nittany Lions have landed through the years. “If you didn’t notice, I was done for the rest of the game.”
So, all week long, Green kept telling himself that if he found the end zone against Temple, there would be no celebration.
Hand the ball to the ref, he thought.
Don’t point skyward, he kept reminding himself.
Sure enough, in Penn State’s 45-3 pasting of Temple, Green hit paydirt again, this time breaking a big run and scoring from 69 yards out with
10:05 to play in the third quarter.
Sure, it would have been tempting to celebrate. After all, it was the longest TD run since 2006, when A.J. Wallace broke a 76-yard score against Youngstown State. But as tempting as it was to celebrate, Green remembered the rules.
“I just handed the ball to the ref,” Green said with a smile, “and gave glory to God.”
The touchdown run was a thing of beauty. Green busted a tackle, bounced outside and sprinted down the Penn State sideline as the Nittany Lion lead swelled to 38-3.
“I just followed my blocks,” Green said matter-of-factly. “I put a move on and it was off to the races. It was a footrace between me and my boy, (Temple safety) Jamal Schulters. Our receivers were blocking real good downfield. That’s what sprung me for the touchdown.”
Green would finish the afternoon with 132 yards on a mere nine carries — good for nearly 15 yards a crack. He outrushed teammate Evan Royster for the second time this season. He also outrushed him in the season opener against Coastal Carolina.
It was the first 100-yard game of Green’s career.
When pressed about a competition among the backs, Green admitted that there is indeed a race to see who can rack up the most yards and touchdowns in 2008.
“I’m trying to catch Evan, but it’s a friendly competition. It’s me, Evan, Brent (Carter) and Brandon Beachum is in the race, too. But we’re there to help each other. If one goes down, another one is ready to be the premier back,” Green said.
Against the Owls, the Nittany Lion ground game continued to hum.
Through four weeks, it appears to be a well-oiled machine. Royster and Green have chewed up and spit out the competition.
On Saturday, it was Green’s turn.
His effort did not go unnoticed by coach Paterno.
“Stephfon Green’s got a chance to be a really good back. If he gets out in the open and gets behind somebody, it’s tough to catch him,”
said Paterno, who watched the second half from the coaches’ box. “He has a tendency to a little of this (wags his hand back and forth) in the backfield and misses some opportunities. But he’s gettin’ better.
He’s got a chance to be a good back.”
Green works hard during the week and come Saturday, he’s usually pretty amped up to go.
According to wide receiver Graham Zug, Green is fun to watch, whether it be practice or a game.
“He’s electrifying. As soon as he touches the ball and starts running, you know something good is going to happen,” Zug said.
And for the 69-yard touchdown?
“He is capable of doing that on every play,” Zug said.
With four games gone in the 2008 season, the Nittany Lions are right on track. They’ve decimated the competition and roll into next week’s primetime showdown with Illinois at 4-0. But the non-conference cupcakes aren’t on the plate anymore.
This, quite simply, is the big time. It will be Green’s first foray into a primetime game and he is already excited to be playing under the lights on national television.
He’s hoping to mimmick another No. 21. You know, his idol, the guy who wears the helmet with the lightning bolts.
“I watch the NFL games and I watch my idol, LaDanian Tomlinson. I get goosebumps,” Green said. “I guess I’ll get those goosebumps next week.”
And maybe deliver some goosebumps to the whited-out crowd.
Could Joe Paterno outcoach Ron Zook — from his house?
(Blue White Illustrated)
Looking Ahead: Illinois
The Nittany Lions are a two-touchdown favorite over the Fighting Illini for this weekend’s game at Beaver Stadium. The game will kickoff at 8 p.m. to a national TV audience.
Now, the fun really begins. After four non-conference cupcakes, this should be a pretty good ballgame. Remember last season that the Nittany Lions probably should have won in Champaign, but several Anthony Morelli turnovers doomed the Lions to an upset loss on the road.
This year, things will be different. Sure, the Illini have Arrelious Benn and Juice Williams, but they are without running back Rashard Mendenhall, now a Pittsburgh Steeler.
And it won’t matter where Paterno is situated this week. He could outcoach Ron Zook from his house.
The Illini will make things interesting for a quarter, but the stadium-wide White-Out should give the Lions enough energy to coast to a relatively easy win.
Gantdaily.com prediction: Penn State 34, Illinois 21.
10 Questions: Lydell Sargeant
This week, gantnews.com catches up with cornerback Lydell Sargeant.
GD: Three things always in your refrigerator?
LS: Gatorade, water and ketchup.
GD: Who would play you in a movie?
LS: Will Smith.
GD: XBox or PlayStation?
LS: XBox.
GD: The Last Book You Read?
LS: Harry Potter, the latest one. (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows).
GD: Favorite All-Time Movie?
LS: Finding Forrester.
GD: If I didn’t go to Penn State, I would have gone to?
LS: Either Florida or Oregon.
GD: If not football, what sport?
LS: Baseball.
GD: Your ride?
LS: I have a GMC Yukon.
GD: Funniest or best thing Joe ever said to you?
LS: He kinda teases me about being a California kid. I get that a lot from him.
GD: Favorite Penn State Moment?
LS: The Orange Bowl.
In addition to writing for gantnews.com, Chris Morelli is the award-winning editor of Blue-White Illustrated, a sports publication devoted to Penn State athletics. He is also a regular on “Front and Center,” which airs on ESPN Radio in Altoona and State College. Email him at morellionlion@gmail.com.