Penn State Beats Youngstown State 44 to 14
by QBsneak12 on Sep 4, 2010 6:55 PM EDT
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Saturday, September 4th 2010 (State College, PA)
The Robert Bolden Era has begun. The 2010 season opener again Youngstown State didn't quite start the way Penn State fans would have wanted it to, but it sure finished the way we hoped it would. Bolden showcased his outstanding passing ability against the feisty (early on at least) Youngstown State Penguins, displaying both touch and arm strength. Many of the questions Penn State fans had entering this opener were answered and a few new ones have surfaced.
Robert Bolden was everything we could have imagined and then some. Although the play calling didn't show case his running ability (one carry for one yard), his passing was something to admire, especially for an 18 year old true freshman QB. Bolden finished the day 20-29 for 239 yards 2 TDs and one INT. Brett Brackett, who had the game of his life, was on the receiving end of Bolden's first career completion; a 12 yard strike that Brackett seemed surprised to be on the receiving end of.
The emergency of captain Brett Brackett as a viable receiving option was a bit shocking. It seemed Brackett was open on most routes he ran. Lined up as a tight slot receiver (almost a hybrid TE) Brackett was an excellent safety blanket for the young QB. Brackett finished the day with eight catches for 98 yards and 2 TDs (in 2009 Brackett only had 3 catches for 13 yards and 1 TD.) Only five different receivers caught passes (Brackett 8, Royster 3, Smith 1, Moye 5, Brown 3) a departure from the last few seasons when Daryll Clark would spread the ball all over the field. Despite only five receivers catching passes, Penn State displayed some depth at the position with at least seven different receivers seeing playing time when the game was still in doubt.
Coming into the game, it was assumed that Evan Royster would receive the plenty of carries as he inches ever so closer to the all-time rushing record at Penn State. That assumption couldn't have been further from the truth. Royster finished the day with only 11 carries for 40 yards and an embarrassing 3.5 yards a carry. The problem was the run blocking. Throughout most of the day, the holes just weren't there. With the exception of a few nice runs, the offensive line remains a work in progress. Stephfon Green finished the day with 6 carries for 32 yards, 13 of which came on a nice draw play.
Penn State fans were treated to a glimpse of the future when Silas Redd entered the game in the 4th quarter. Redd looked like and probably was the best RB on the field on this day. He displayed some outstanding speed and shifty running moves that will surly earn him some more time on the field this season. Redd finished the day with three carries for 20 yards and inches short of his first career TD. Human battering ram, Curtis Dukes got in for the final play of the game and rushed for five yards.
The 1st team defense left much to be desired early on, letting up a 80 yard slip screen TD pass on YSU's third series of the game. After the TD, the defensive settled down and started to lay some wood to the Penguins. The linebacker rotation was in full effect on this afternoon. The big five (Stupar, Mauti, Colasanti, Gbadyu, Hodges) all received plenty of snaps and Gerald Hodges had some of the bigger hits of the afternoon. At one point, the dream team of Stupar, Mauti (MLB), and Hodges were on the field at the same time, show outstanding athleticism and hope for the future of "Linebacker U." 2nd team defensive, out on the field for only two series, let up a late TD, which was predicted on Friday by some of the BSD staff.
Special teams was just that - Special. Collin Wagner looked like a different kicker than the one we saw in 2009. He connected on all three of his field goal attempts from distances he struggled with last season (44, 49, 48) and two of those kicks were against the 15 mph wind. Anthony Fera's kickoffs were as advertised. Four of his kickoffs were touchbacks, including one that almost went through the uprights.
The biggest play of the day was the second half kickoff, which Chaz Powell took 100 yards to the house for a TD (first 100 yard return since 1975.) It was nice to see some exciting returns in the game. Devon Smith had a long punt returned called back for an illegal block in the back, but the fact that he was back there should let fans get excited. It appears the days of the designated fair catcher (Astorino) are over. Justin Brown and Smith were back to return all of the punts.
Check back tomorrow for a more in-depth look at the offense, defense and special teams.
Scoring Summary:
1st Quarter
PSU - Wagner 44 yd field goal
YSU - 80 yard TD Pass
2nd Quarter
PSU - Wagner 49 yd field goal
PSU - Bolden to Bracket 20 yd TD Pass
PSU - Wagner 48 yd field goal
3rd Quarter
PSU - Powell 100 yd kickoff return TD
PSU - Bolden to Brackett 22 yd TD Pass
4th Quarter
PSU - Green 6 yd TD Run
PSU - Newsome 1 yd TD Run
YSU - 7 yd TD Pass
Game Notes:
- Student section again showed they have no problem entering the game well into the 2nd quarter
- Guido did not get the memo and still played Sweet Caroline
- Brandon Ware almost had a fumble recovery
- BSD favorite Stephen Obeng-Agyapong had two tackles in mop up duty
- All three QB's played
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The 80 yard strike
it happens. Stupar slipped, guy threw a good block. My only real issue was some sketchy tackling early on but I don’t expect that to stay around long.
I think we didn’t give YSU’s running backs enough credit. Penn Live had a short short blurb about their backs from a YSU writer. He said they were pretty solid. While they won’t be breaking big records he was a shifty back.
Sometimes a good guy plays on a so-so team, I don’t always write a performance off just by the name on a jersey. Kid could ball.
Penn State isn't just football, it's life.
@Ben_Jones88
Slipped?
Stupar was taken down by a cut block.
Thats what I thought I saw from my seat
but I wasn’t sure.
Penn State isn't just football, it's life.
@Ben_Jones88
A lot of guys overpursued, the only noticeable breakdown all game
I suspect the poor tackling early in the game won’t be a problem, just getting over the early jitters.
by Frank O'Brien on Sep 4, 2010 7:58 PM EDT up reply actions
I blame Derrick Thomas.
He was the corner on the wide side, so I assume he was supposed to have contain. He got sucked too far in, tied up on a block, and the rest was history.
Good Assessment.
Overall, I was happy with today. The O-Line was good in protection for Bolden, but I agree with your assessment on the Run blocking. That was dismal. I am sooooo happy to see how Special Teams clicked today. I was incredibly nervous with those long kicks by Wagner and became giddy after he made the second kick.
I have a feeling this is going to be a nerve biting season but I still think we pull out 9-3
"They say in Happy Valley that if God wasn’t a Penn State fan, why is the sky blue and white?" Fortt said. "Who am I to argue with God?"
Not saying they're going to be any good
But I think we ran to the right all of twice during the first half. The coaches spent today’s scrimmage consistently cramming it through the weaker left side of our line to see who (if anyone) was going to turn out to be serviceable at the position. The run game wasn’t nearly as bad as it looked today.
that's what i'm hoping.
i almost think that they wanted to show the passing game under Bolden to be a much deeper threat than anyone was thinking before the Alabama game.
"They say in Happy Valley that if God wasn’t a Penn State fan, why is the sky blue and white?" Fortt said. "Who am I to argue with God?"
That's true. It's also worthwhile to note that YSU put 8 and even 9 guys in the box.
That was the basic YSU strategy, and it was the smart play. They forced the freshman to do something. He did, and he did it very well.
I’m not saying the run blocking is going to be stellar versus Alabama. No one really run blocks well against top defensive fronts. But we know teams are going to force Bolden (or any of our QBs) to beat them with his arm, and we had to exploit that weakness. Our playcalling did that today.
Royster also looked OK on several screen passes, which I always consider part of the running game as well. He didn’t look great, but I thought he was at least serviceable.
I think we're gonna have some problems next week strictly because
as you say, we have to exploit the weaknesses of, say a team who has a terrible secondary (Alabama) and is stuffing the box with a good front 7 (Alabama). We won’t.
We’ll run it up the middle 8 of the first 10 plays, and put Bolden in 3rd and 10s. Because poor play calling against top teams on the road is our thing.
"Every player we have, someone-maybe a parent, a grandparent, someone-poured their soul into that young man. They are handing that young man off to us. They are giving us their treasure, and it's our job to make sure we give them back that young man intact and ready to face the world."
-J.V.Pa.
I watched most of the game on BTN.
The halftime adjustments by the D were sweet. Receivers weren’t able to get far upfield after the catch, the DBs took away most all of the deep options, and YSU’s QB looked panicky in the pocket at times.
Oh no, don't tell me Matt Barkley ALSO doesn't tie his shoes...
September 1st, 2010. A day that shall live in infamy.
"Because one of the great minds of the 21st century is raising glow-in-the-dark fish and weaving serapes..." -Leonard Hofstadter from The Big Bang Theory
by OBrienSchofieldismyHero on Sep 4, 2010 7:24 PM EDT reply actions
just got back from SC
The man throws frickin laser beams. I cannot express how impressive it was to watch a true freshman throw balls with so much velocity that even our veteran receivers seem surprised how quickly the ball gets there. 20/29 and I think there were at least 3 passes that bounced right off the receivers hands/chest.
When we saw Big Red throwing the ball to the receivers in the BTN preview show, I think I know why he was throwing it so hard, b/c he knew that’s the way Bolden throws. Once they get used to how quickly the ball arrives we’re going to have an elite passing attack.
McGloin Despite Them
Preaching the McGospel since Aug. 2nd, 2010
Welcome back
I’m afraid we won’t see a lot of your boy other than mop up duty the rest of the way.
by Frank O'Brien on Sep 4, 2010 8:00 PM EDT up reply actions
When Bolden came out
and so effortlessly fired those lasers all over the field, I was quite ecstatic. So long as he has the mental tools, and outside of that one INT where he threw the ball after the WR was already on the ground he looks like he has them. Good ball placement, good delivery (I don’t think I saw him throw off his back foot once), seemed like he checked down his receivers. Of course we’ll all see in a week how he performs against a real defense, under all that pressure.
by The JuggerNitt on Sep 4, 2010 8:20 PM EDT up reply actions
The reads
I read Jay and someone else (either Bracket or Moye) say that the first TD to BB was his 3rd option, and the 3rd and 10 to Moye was his 3rd option. He’s apparently checking down well already.
"Every player we have, someone-maybe a parent, a grandparent, someone-poured their soul into that young man. They are handing that young man off to us. They are giving us their treasure, and it's our job to make sure we give them back that young man intact and ready to face the world."
-J.V.Pa.
I think your count is off by 1
I could have sworn there were 4 drops that bounced off hands/chest.
But whatever the case your point is valid.
I saw both Stilll and Crawford wiffinthe 1st Qon the first possession.
That’s what I saw.
"Every player we have, someone-maybe a parent, a grandparent, someone-poured their soul into that young man. They are handing that young man off to us. They are giving us their treasure, and it's our job to make sure we give them back that young man intact and ready to face the world."
-J.V.Pa.
Yes
adrenaline pumped – & a bit over pursued; they needed to lower their center of gravity a bit…they would have squashed him then…
" When you cross that Blue Line, you are mine...Across the Blue Line, it's all football. " " And what you need to do in your life is paint Blue Lines everywhere. " - Joe Paterno 2009
by BlueWhiteLife on Sep 5, 2010 12:28 PM EDT up reply actions
Royster
Looks slow and fat and tripped over the paint more than once. How long do they plan on leaving Redd running with the 2s. Get that boy some reps
Royster's getting a bad rap
but it’s not necessarily undeserved. I’m tired of him defending himself on twitter… I’d much rather he shut up his critics on the field than through tweets.
For the last three years, the best word to describe Royster’s running style is “patient.” He just sits back and waits for things to be opened up for him. I feel like that’s not going to happen this year. I don’t think it’s a mistake that both Green and Redd were able to hit the holes fast and get some positive yardage. Royster’s not at all slow, but he needs to start looking for those holes early and hit them FAST. If he can do that, he should still be our starting running back— he just has all of the intangibles and balance (did you know he played lacrosse) to be a GREAT back this year… but if he can’t hit the holes, he’s not going to be effective.
Also agree with the fact that YSU stacked the box… still Green and Redd both looked better.
John has a long moustache
I'm happy with Penn State's performance
Despite playing Hollywood Upstairs Medical College
by Never Show Weakness on Sep 4, 2010 8:30 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
About the student section...
The lines at the gates were ridiculous, maybe because everyone showed up 15 minutes before the game started (like my friends and I did), but it took a good 20 minutes to get inside. They need to do something to speed that up.
yeah, my group of friends and I showed up an hour before kickoff and the freshman section was already 25 rows deep and consistently filling. There was a noticible gap on the upper-corners of the stadium, but that’s just the typical taailgaters coming in late. You have to give the student section some credit, there’s a reason we’re number one in the country :P However, the rest of the stadium showed they have no problem sitting and not actively participating in the game unless somebody scored ;)
Another year with the blue hairs
They stand during the pre-game stuff and then sit the whole game. Half of the game was people asking how their summers were and how such and such was.
One fellow, whom was using the tickets a friend gave him was the only one that seemed to show interest in the game. He showed general knowledge in the program and referenced Sacca , Collins , Big Red and other players from over the years.
I miss the student section :-(
I remember my first game in the normal seating
It was for Iowa 2007. And on one of the very first plays of the game, a young child (7-8 years old) who was sitting nearby properly broke down what had happened on the play. And it was more insight than I had ever heard in the student section.
I’ve never cared to return to the student section since.
"I did my walk of shame this morning and everyone was so much nicer," she said. "People were inviting me to parties at 9 a.m."
by IcersGuy on Sep 5, 2010 1:17 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
And drinking, don't forget drinking
Guido needs to give away free 40’s to the first 20k students to enter the stadium. That will fill it up quckly.
by Frank O'Brien on Sep 5, 2010 10:52 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
The student section is more like a party
where a lot of people don’t really know or care much about football…it is just the “thing to do” on Saturdays at Penn State.
I do love the standing and yelling and cheering, though.
by The JuggerNitt on Sep 6, 2010 3:50 PM EDT up reply actions
Why do you think the student section never filled up? IAnd was emptying by the middle of the third quarter?
Joe Paterno - Not Unlike Hugh Hefner
Have we not beaten this topic to death?
Students can’t scalp their tix.
The non student sections never filled either and non students were leaving early as well. It looks worse in the student section, because when someone leaves, people move forward into their seats. This leaves the top open unlike the general seating where people just spread out and fill the gaps.
by scotty2hotty89 on Sep 5, 2010 6:57 PM EDT up reply actions
It's called
get to the game before kickoff.
But yes, I was pleased with the turnout. Section filled and stayed filled til mid 4th quarter. At that point I don’t blame you if you leave.
Penn State isn't just football, it's life.
@Ben_Jones88
were we at the same game?
It was never full. I even made a remark near the middle of the third about how it was already starting to empty
Joe Paterno - Not Unlike Hugh Hefner
It's always taken 20 minutes to get inside.
It took that long or longer 15 years ago when I was a student. It’s because everyone gets funneled up the same ramp to the seats.
Get there earlier!
Bolden is the real thing.
I’m trying to remember it was jYSU. But I really, really, really, really, really like what I saw from him.
No excuses for the running game. It was a dog pile, it was bad in short yardage last year and didn’t look any better yesterday. Maybe the way the schemes are we’ve just simply become a pass-first team.
"I’m trying to remember it was jYSU"
I agree with you on everything that you mentioned. That being said, we all have to realize that he was still playing against a college football team, levels and divisions be damned. He was going up against players 3-4 years older than him who have been playing at the collegiate level for quite sometime and he still looked insanely impressive. I’m totally psyched for Bolden and cannot wait to see this dude play every Saturday for the next 3-4 years.
Actually
The announcers stressed that a lot of their starters were frosh/sophs. So they’re at most 2 years older. But still, point taken. 1 year >>>>> 29 days.
"Every player we have, someone-maybe a parent, a grandparent, someone-poured their soul into that young man. They are handing that young man off to us. They are giving us their treasure, and it's our job to make sure we give them back that young man intact and ready to face the world."
-J.V.Pa.
Ditto
Of course Ant’ny lit up Akron back in ought-six.
Now I’m not comparing Bolden to QB14 but I’m trying to keep it in perspective. My initial thought is that I’m trying to remember a better debut for any starting QB. Maybe Zach Mills, but he had a chance to get his feet wet coming in off the bench. Maybe John Shaffer, but that was a long time ago on a very good team. DC and MRob never started a season this well. And speaking of DC, I’ve heard a few comments that Bolden was a off-target on some of his throws. Do these people not remember DC’s inability to control his adrenaline rush and throw 10 feet over the head of receivers running crossing routes?
It appeared the receivers were not ready for what Bolden was bringing. Smith should have caught that ball that bounced off his hands, Zug looked clumsy on the throw down by the 5 and the first pass to Brackett bounced off his hands although that one was a little high with a lot of zip. Bracket did redeem himself obviously. I particularly liked his first catch after the roughing the passer penalty, Bolden drilled the ball into his face mask and it looked like Brackett caught it out of self defense.
I’m going to wait a couple more weeks before calling him a four time Heisman winner but I like the good start.
by Frank O'Brien on Sep 5, 2010 11:32 AM EDT up reply actions
True
But when compared to QB14, DC17 and the others, they all had (I think) at least a year both in the system and on campus. For someone who has only been on the team for such a short amount of time, this is amazingly impressive.
by Bob Sacamano on Sep 5, 2010 11:44 AM EDT up reply actions
Bolden vs QB14
QB 14 threw his first TD into double coverage on a bad read. Bolden had single coverage and went through his coverage.
QB 14 screamed “I OWN THIS TEAM!”. Bolden went to the sideline and then got on the phone with Jay to discuss the last series.
Bolden never got the happy feet, didn’t try to run, etc. This player seems legit
by buk110 on Sep 5, 2010 11:56 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I remember the whole "I Own This Team" thing too
What a douche
by Bob Sacamano on Sep 5, 2010 12:09 PM EDT up reply actions
En route to the in-laws
I had to listen to the 1st half on the radio. Jones and Ham expressed concern with the running game. I know it’s only YSU, but perhaps some of what we were seeing was a defense committed to stopping the run against a team starting a freshman QB and were able to do in an O-line’s first game. I would like to see a lot of improvement, too, but I’ll cut them some slack since you have to give them credit for providing good protection and letting the passing game happen. Keep that up and we may see the passing game open up the running game, which we saw happen a couple of games during the Tony Hunt era, if I recall.
Like seeing a kick-off return for a TD and REALLY like seeing Wagner hitting from 44, 48 and 49. Someone that was there, chime in, Jones and Ham left the impression that he hit the 49 in less than ideal wind conditions. I know when we left State College in the morning it was windy. What was going on then? Did he have the wind? Against the wind? Swirling wind? Or was it not even really a factor on the 49 yarder?
"the secret to loving your job is having a hobby that you really despise"
We went through the same thing last year in the OOC games
I’m hoping the line get’s a little better this year
by Frank O'Brien on Sep 5, 2010 10:45 AM EDT up reply actions
someone practiced really, really hard during the off season
and how about the kick off that went through the uprights? Apparantly Mango Rum has powers
Joe Paterno - Not Unlike Hugh Hefner
We said this several times last year...
“Oh, we struggled to run against Temple/Akron/etc. because they were filling the box and daring PSU to throw!”
Alabama won’t have to stack the box to shove aside this O-line.
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