Penn State is coming off a 24-0 win over Kent State, but not all is well in Happy Valley. The Nittany Lions struggled in several facets of the game on Saturday. In today’s edition of Morelli OnLion, we’ll take a look at Evan Royster’s struggles, look back at the whitewashing of the Golden Flashes and look ahead to this week’s showdown with unbeaten Temple.
Let’s start with Evan Royster.
The One Where Royster Gets Benched
There’s no question that one of the big stories three games into the season is the struggles of star running back Evan Royster. Through the first three non-conference games, Royster is averaging just 36.7 yards per contest. He’s chasing Penn State’s all-time rushing record and needs just 371 yards to take over the top spot on the charts.
It appears that it may take him a bit longer than fans and media expected.
In three games, Royster has just 110 yards on 31 carries. Worse yet, Royster appears to be in coach Joe Paterno’s doghouse. It began prior to the season, when Paterno made comments regarding Royster’s weight. It continued on Saturday, when the iconic coach was asked why Royster took a seat on the bench during the second half.
“Well he is a senior and I think it’s about time that we give some of these other kids a chance to get some experience. I thought (Stephon) Green did well when he was in there,” Paterno said. “We like (Silas) Redd and I’ve got to get him some playing time. When we get ahead and we are doing alright, I feel like we’ve got to play some of those kids.”
While fans always want change when someone is struggling, Paterno hasn’t always bowed to public sentiment. In fact, when a player is struggling, he tends to stick with that player rather than bench him. Remember, this is the same coach who stood by Anthony Morelli, despite his struggles to put points on the board. He stood by Anthony Scirrotto, despite an apartment break-in that left the program with a black eye.
So why the pick on Royster? Who knows?
Look, it’s clear that true freshman QB Rob Bolden is going to make his share of mistakes this season. With erratic play at quarterback, the Lions need someone they can count on to tote the rock. It’s not going to be Green or Redd. It’s going to be Royster. Paterno needs to have faith in his star running back. He may be upset that Royster considered departing Happy Valley for the riches of the NFL. He may be upset that Royster came back a little heavier than he would’ve liked. Whatever the reason, Paterno needs to put it behind him and focus on the task at hand. Green and Redd can be used to give Royster a breather every now and again, but those two aren’t the long term answer.
Royster’s still the man. If Paterno gives him the carries he’s earned, he’ll rush for 1,000 yards again.
Two-Minute Drill: Kent State
Game Ball To … Tom Bradley
The Penn State defensive coordinator dialed up all the right calls on Saturday as the Lions kept the Golden Flashes off the scoreboard. Kent State had just 12 first downs in the game. Other than a missed field goal, they didn’t really have many opportunities to put points on the board.
What Was He Thinking? Kent State coach Doug Martin
The Golden Flashes certainly didn’t live up to their nickname on Saturday. Their offensive game plan could not have been more vanilla. They were extremely predictable and ran the ball way too much. In the end, they had 25 rushing attempts and 58 yards. The ground game simply wasn’t working on Saturday yet Martin kept going back to the well.
Numerology … 3
The Nittany Lions turned the ball over three times on Saturday. Bolden was intercepted twice and Royster put the ball on the ground once. Against an inferior opponent like Kent State, the Nittany Lions can get away with three turnovers. However, when Big Ten play begins, three turnovers could be deadly.
Play of the Game … We’ll go with Bolden’s 48-yard touchdown pass to Devon Smith with 8:27 to play in the fourth quarter. That stretched the Nittany Lions’ lead to 24-0 and truly put things out of reach. It was Bolden’s lone TD pass of the game. Smith finished the afternoon with three receptions for 61 yards.
The Countdown
5. Stephfon Green – After Royster went to the bench, Green took his place and performed admirably. He carried the ball 11 times for 59 yards, good for 5.4 yards per crack.
4. Michael Mauti – The linebacker continues to improve every week. Against the Golden Flashes, he racked up seven tackles.
3. Derek Moye – The Rochester High School product led the Nittany Lions in receiving, catching four balls for 87 yards, including a 55-yarder.
2. D’Anton Lynn – The Nittany Lion cornerback set the tone early, picking off Spencer Keith. That led directly to a score and the Lions never looked back.
1. The Defense – It was a fantastic effort from a defense that was gashed against the No. 1 Crimson Tide. The Nittany Lions came out trying to make a statement and did just that.
Next Up: Temple
Al Golden brings the 3-0 Owls to Happy Valley on Saturday for a 3:30 game. The Owls are coming off a 30-16 pasting of UConn.
Looking Ahead: Temple
The Nittany Lions get their final non-conference tune up on Saturday when Temple comes to town. However, these are not Bill Cosby’s Owls of old. Under Golden, the Owls are an impressive 3-0. Penn State cannot afford to turn the ball over or they’ll be on upset alert. Much closer than Nittany Nation would like, but a win is a win.
Gantdaily.com prediction: Penn State 20, Temple 13.
Chris Morelli is an award-winning writer/editor who lives in Centre County and covers 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. Also, be sure to check out Morelli OnLion on Facebook!