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September 17, 2003

by Jared Bean

From the Field:

What can I say folks, the view from the bottom stinks. Penn State provided fans with another uninspired, unplanned display of football, and the questions of “what’s wrong with this program” are hereby officially justified.

Amongst the Sea of Red on Saturday, the Lion Faithful were present, optimistic, and full of energy. If only our team showed that much intensity and desire. As I see it, there were several things wrong with this week’s game.

The game plan: Joe and his assistants once again showed that they seemed unprepared with a solid game plan, organized substitutions, and some control of the game. First and foremost we are not establishing the running game. Before you ask, yes I am one of the fans that were calling for the opening up of the offense two years ago. I was screaming that Joe and Fran were too conservative to win in this era. But then I saw Austin Scott, and I’ve come to the realization that I don’t want to waste his talent for two or three years while he is mired in one of Joe’s “Running Back by Committee” systems. We are now 1-2 this year. Give this kid the ball 25 times a game and let him learn.

Coaching: Major changes and attitude shifts are needed. Get rid of JayPa. He calls all of the passing plays and the passing game will never be effective when we are running 3rd down play action and Zach rolling right instead of left. Kenny Carter needs to give our receivers more punishment for their lackluster performance. Develop more talent than just TJ so that Zach feels comfortable going to more than one target.

Officiating: It was another disappointing performance for men wearing zebra. Two missed calls that had an immediate impact on the momentum of the game, once again went against the Lions. There were missed calls, bad positioning, overruling each other. And all this from a Big Ten crew. I’m not surprised.

Offense: There once again seemed to be no rhythm in the offense. Zach Mills made some brilliant throws, but showed a lot of inconsistency (even with more time to throw) by overthrowing and lofting too many balls to count. There was no rhythm to the game and no one to make the big play. We need consistency and confidence. For the love of God Tony, catch the damn football!

Defense: There was a bright spot. We only gave up 18 points. But we could not make the stops when we needed them, especially on that back breaking 8 minute drive at the beginning of the second half. They ran it down the gut and it felt like our defensive was punched in the gut. That drive took the energy away from the defense, but they at least gave the offense a chance to win the game.

Teamwork: With the loss of some of the leaders on this football team ( i.e. Kennedy, Adams) someone has to step up and take control of this team from the player’s perspective. The emotion and pride of playing for The Pennsylvania State Universtiy need to shine through from a team that has not yet showed the emotion necessary to win.

Future: I think this team still has a chance to be good. The Big Ten season hasn’t started yet and with a few things coming together we have a chance to make a run.

From the Parking Lot:

Believe it or not I have gained a new respect for Nebraska, its fans and its football program. As opposed to the game, from the parking lot, this was a fabulous trip. I hope Penn State can get Nebraska back on the schedule in the coming years.

The “Big Red” fans were full of hospitality, interest in our team, and best wishes for the Blue and White. There seemed to be a certain sense of the Mid-Western way of life and feeling toward people and 99% of the people we met exuded it. More people wished us well before and after the game than I ever have to opposing fans in State College, and it put it in perspective as to how much nicer PSU fans could be.

Beyond the locals and Big Red fans, there were also plenty of the LionNation. With some of the best fans in the country we made our presence felt and reciprocated the good will we were shown. We met people from North Texas, Montana, Arizona, California, and all over PA and all of them loved PSU. It’s great to see people 1,500 miles away that feel our excitement and are willing to travel to show it.

The city of Lincoln, and the campus of the University of Nebraska was as nice as it could be for where it was located. Let’s be honest, with no hills or trees to speak of there isn’t much you can do, but they pulled it off. It seemed to be a bit smaller than University Park.

As far as tailgating we took our scaled down brand of tailgating several thousand miles and had a blast. The staples were there (bacon and beer), and we adapted by using the van seats and a lot of ingenuity in flying the flags and showing our pride. Tailgating is not as popular as it is in the east, but the lack of parking may have something to do with that. Of course the Lion Faithful showed the folks in Red how it’s done.

All in all, this is a trip that everyone should take if we schedule the mighty Cornhuskers again soon. I would recommend driving, because the flight was a nightmare. Take the extra time and enjoy the country. It’s not everyday you get to Nebraska.

Until next time…GO STATE!

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