It’s finally here.
Penn State hasn’t played a game since before Thanksgiving, but the Nittany
Lions will finally get back on the field this week when the Capital One Bowl kicks off on Friday afternoon.
In today’s edition of Morelli OnLion, we’ll have a report from Orlando and have a prediction for the big game. Let’s start with some news and notes
from Tuesday’s practice.
Stephfon Green met with the media on Tuesday afternoon.
(Photo courtesy of Blue White Illustrated).
A Tale of Two Backs
For Penn State running backs Evan Royster and Stephfon Green, Tuesday afternoon’s interviews couldn’t have been any different.
While Royster was hit with several questions about the possibility of turning pro, Green’s questions were more related to Friday’s showdown with
9-3 LSU in the Capital One Bowl.
As the players walked off the practice field at Freedom High School, Royster appeared ready for the burning question — is he going to forego his final year of eligibility for the riches of the NFL?
It was a question he was ready for. And he answered it just as you would have expected him to.
“It won’t be something I think about until after the game. It hasn’t been on my mind too much,” the junior running back said. “I do wanna get my grade (from the NFL) back, but it’s not something that’s been a priority right now.”
For those waiting on the edge of their seats to find out if Royster will forego his final year of eligibility, he wasn’t tipping his hand.
“I don’t know. I really need to sit down and talk to my parents. It’s not something that I can even lean towards right now,” Royster said. “My
family’s opinion is probably what’s most important to me.”
Royster has enjoyed a solid, if not spectacular, 2009. During the Nittany Lions’ 10-2 campaign, Royster has carried the ball 188 times for 1,104 yards and six TDs. He’s averaging 5.9 per carry and 92 yards per game.
As he heads into what could be his final game as a Nittany Lion, Royster declared himself 100 percent for the season finale.
“I feel good. The time off gave my body some time to recover. It feels like the beginning of the season again,” Royster said.
While Royster has produced more than his share of 100-yard days this season, they didn’t come as easily as they had in the past. That can be attributed to the fact that the offensive line was truly a work in progress.
But if Royster was ever frustrated with the holes that weren’t there sometimes, he sure didn’t show it.
“It’s something that you expected, with losing that many seniors. It’s something that you have to deal with. You try to make yourself a better
player and make them better also,” Royster said.
While Green wasn’t getting anywhere near the media attention that his backfield mate was receiving, it didn’t stop him from talking about Friday’s
matchup with the Tigers.
Make no mistake about it, Green is revved up and ready to go.
“It’s going to be a chance for us to showcase what we can do. All you hear about is the SEC and how they’re big, fast and strong,” Green said. “The Big Ten has the perception of not being a tough conference. It’s a big game on a big stage. We just want to go out there and show the country what we can do.”
The Nittany Lions last played at East Lansing back in November. Green insists that the time off has given the squad some time to heal some bumps
and bruises.
“It’s been a month and some change since we’ve had a game. But we look real good in practice and I feel real good about this game. We should be all right. Everyone is real excited for this game. We’re tired of practice,” Green said.
In the Rose Bowl last season, Royster went down with an injury and Green was forced to take on an expanded role in the offense. On that afternoon, he finished with a team-high 124 all-purpose yards. However, he dislocated his right ankle of that contest and was forced to watch the rest of the 38-24 defeat from the sidelines.
With seniors like Daryll Clark, Sean Lee, Jared Odrick and Josh Hull playing their final game in the blue and white, Green said that there is a sense of
urgency to get those guys a win on Friday afternoon.
“Its very important. A lot of these guys were here when the program started on the rise. A lot of these guys sacrificed,” Green said. “You want to send these guys out with a win. All the seniors, we want to make them proud.”
Les Miles and the LSU Tigers will be a handful for the Nittany Lions in the
Capital One Bowl.
(Photo courtesy of Blue White Illustrated).
Breaking It Down
Since the Penn State-LSU matchup was announced, the pundits have been asking if the Nittany Lions could handle the Tigers’ speed. On Friday, we will find out if they can.
Make no mistake about it — the Tigers are a team loaded with speed. However, Penn State has some pretty good ballplayers, too. I fully expect this to be one heck of a ballgame, perhaps one of the best of the bowl season.
In the end, though, Penn State just isn’t battle tested. The fact that it lost to Iowa and Ohio State at home sends up a red flag. Look for Penn State to hang with LSU through the first three quarters. But over the final 15 minutes, I expect the Tigers to wear the Lions down and pull this one out.
Tigers in a classic.
Gantdaily.com prediction: LSU 24, Penn State 21.
Chris Morelli is the award-winning editor of Blue White Illustrated, a weekly publication devoted to Penn State athletics. He is also a regular on
“Sports Central,” which airs on ESPN Radio in Altoona and State College. E-mail him at morellionlion@gmail.com. This column does not necessarily
reflect the views or opinions of BWI’s writers or publisher.