The Penn State football team is 6-1. Don’t ask us how the Nittany Lions are 6-1, no one really knows. After a Week Two thumping at the hands of Alabama, the Lions have reeled off five consecutive wins. They haven’t been pretty wins, for sure. The Lions had to rally past Temple and hang on for dear life against Indiana.
This week was no exception. The Lions hung on for a 23-18 win over Purdue on Saturday in the annual homecoming game.
In today’s edition of Morelli OnLion, we’ll take a closer look at the 6-1 Lions, look back at the win over the Boilermakers and look ahead to this week’s road trip to Northwestern.
How did this happen?
When one examines the circumstances surrounding the 6-1 Nittany Lions, it’s a little hard to believe. While many believed that the Lions would be 6-1 at this point, some (myself included) thought the Lions would be 5-2.
The Lions have made it to 6-1 overall, 3-0 in the Big Ten by surviving injuries, rotating quarterbacks and a head coach who can’t seem to make it through the game on the sideline. While 6-1 is nice – and surprising – the second half of the season is much more difficult than the first half. The three games to end the season will probably make or break the Lions.
It will certainly be an interesting stretch run.
Two-Minute Drill: Purdue
Game Ball To … Anthony Fera.
It’s hard to imagine a special teams player making more of an impact than Fera did on Saturday. In addition to connecting on three field goals (29-, 29- and 40-yards), he also punted five times and averaged nearly 45 yards per punt. He nailed a 69-yard punt at the end of the game that sealed Purdue’s fate. The fact that Fera did all this in swirling winds was especially impressive.
What Was He Thinking? Purdue QB Caleb TerBush.
On his first interception of the afternoon, he threw the ball directly into the path of Penn State linebacker Nate Stupar. His second pick of the day, on Purdue’s final drive, TerBush’s pass glanced off the helmet of Devon Still and landed in Stupar’s grasp for his second INT of the day. Overall, TerBush made some big mistakes that would prove costly to his team.
Numerology … 145-40
Like last week, these are the numbers of Penn State’s quarterbacks. Matt McGloin has the bigger number (again). While he wasn’t perfect on Saturday, he bested Rob Bolden by 105 yards. How the Paternos pass off Bolden as the starter week in and week out simply defies logic. McGloin should be the starter, end of story.
The Countdown
5. Matt McGloin – Speaking of McGloin, he was the victim of an unlucky bounce that turned into an interception. For the most part, however, he had a solid afternoon. He completed 8-of-17 for 145 yards and the aforementioned interception.
4. Silas Redd – The Penn State running back continues to impress. He gashed the Boilers for 131 yards on 28 carries and one touchdown. His effort was good for nearly five yards per crack. The Lions will need that kind of effort down the stretch if they hope to keep winning in the conference.
3. Ralph Bolden – The Purdue running back (no relation to Rob) had an impressive afternoon, carrying the ball 13 times for 97 yards. He averaged almost eight yards per carry against a Lion defense that looked sluggish at times. Why Purdue didn’t give him more totes, we’ll never know. He certainly was the better Bolden, that’s for sure.
2. Justin Brown – With Derek Moye out of the lineup due to a broken foot, Brown picked up the slack, catching four balls for 86 yards. Had he not dropped a couple more, he certainly would have passed the 100-yard mark. Still, it was a big-time effort when the Lions needed it most. With Moye out for a few more weeks, those types of efforts will be needed even more.
1. Tom Bradley – This guy needs to get more credit. With Paterno up in the box, Bradley again stepped in as the main man on the sidelines and kept the team motivated. Just when it appeared that Purdue was getting back into the thick of things, Bradley pushed all the right buttons. He’s a major reason why the Lions are 6-1. And while his defense wilted at times on Saturday, it made plays when it had to. That’s the sign of a solid ballclub.
Gameday: Northwestern
This is certainly an interesting game. The Lions have owned Northwestern and had one of their most memorable wins in recent history in 2005 when Derrick Williams hauled in a Michael Robinson pass for a TD with time winding down to pull out a late victory. Ryan Field is probably one of the easiest places to play in the Big Ten. However, we believe that this will be the week when Penn State finally stubs its toe. Starting Rob Bolden and taking series away from Matt McGloin will finally catch up with the Lions. It will be close, but we like Dan Persa and the Wildcats to pull off a bit of a shocker.
Gantdaily.com prediction: Northwestern 21, Penn State 17.
Chris Morelli is an award-winning writer/editor who lives in Centre County and covers Penn State athletics for gantnews.com. He’s 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!