It Gets Better: Penn State 13, Iowa 3

I saw them running a lot more nickel packages this game to match up with Iowa’s spread. I don’t recall too many times in the past when PSU looked this prepared for an opposing offense. I thought Willis came in and played a fantastic game and Fortt and Hodges were just awesome.

That was the base defense in the 1987 Fiesta Bowl.

I think he deserves some snaps in front of Beachum. He just needs to work on ball security.

I have also been a TeamBolden guy for the past year and a half, but he just doesn’t seem comfortable. Maybe if he didn’t get hurt last year and then was named starter this year he would be playing better, but clearly he’s not getting it. McGloin really does move the offense better and I think the team plays with a better pace when he is in. I was at the game and I’m pretty sure the crowd actually was cheering and more excited when McGloin came in.

As for McGloin’s INT in the endzone, I would argue that maybe it wasn’t a mental mistake, but just a physical one. Moye has space behind him in the endzone and if McGloin just throws the ball up a little higher and deeper, I think Moye makes the catch. I think the throw he made into triple coverage was more of a mental mistake than the end zone throw. The only reason the triple coverage throw isn’t talked about as much is because Moye made a fantastic play. But I think that throw was worse and could have been picked too.

But I can’t deny what way the wind’s blowing. I still think that giving Bolden all the snaps at the beginning of the season would’ve been the right move, but it’s too late for that now. Give our Gingered Reserve the ball and let’s hold onto our butts.

Because I feel like next year will be another “competition” in camp—with/without Bolden—adding Jones in the mix. If Bolden stays, this all gets recycled. I’m not sure my heart can take another year of this civil war.

Yeah I agree. He’s been a very pleasant surprise. The way he defended McNutt on that slant route late in the game made him look like a veteran player.

If he does’t put on too much weight, he’s going to be a NFL corner. If he does, he might be an NFL safety. Kid’s got something special. I mean how many defensive backs have been good enough to play meaningful snaps/start games in the first 6 weeks? And not because of attrition, but because their just really good?

After swiping Redd and Fortt from CT the previous season, I’m starting to feel bad for my home-state team. Not THAT bad, mind you.

He’s going to be very good. To cover a #1 target like McNutt so well in his first start is pretty amazing.

Speilman’s frontal release. He was not holding back. He completely ripped into one of the Iowa DB’s for diving at the feet of Redd or Dukes rather than taking him on. No sugar coating by him. But, yeah… who dresses that guy?

what he went through with his wife a few years ago is truly awful. And as a former LB, he has good insight into what’s going on.

But he’s also a Bill to me.

That team provided some actual insight into what was going on on the field, let each person talk, and didn’t try to sell the game. It was the first time in years I’ve actually listened to the booth

I think that was Willis. He played a pretty good game. He might have been in there because of the injuries to Lynn and Morris

Watch the first 3 games of last year (non-Alabama division). He had amazing zip on his ball and was generallly pretty accurate on his intermediate stuff. I remember watching and saying “man, if they can coach this kid up and get him experience, he looks like a star”

Now he doesn’t seem to have as much confidence and instead of just rocketing the ball, he seems to be aiming. I don’t think it has anything to do with defenses figuring anything out, I just think he’s not as confident in his arm and is playing the game inside his mind more than on the field. I know because this is what happened to me when I played certain sports (pitching, but the general point is the same)

I can understand them not seeing any freak athletes on the field like we had in the past in Bowman, or Maybin, etc. But Still is a mountain and our LB’s are collectively as athletic a group as we have ever had.

Considering Still is the largest man on that line both ways, linebackers were running around blocks all day, and the secondary put hands on the ball often…I think that covers fast, athletic, and size quite nicely? Whatevs…

That’s completely crazy. Our defensive just dominated them and their 38 ppg.

This is the most impressive physical defense we’ve had in a long time. It’s not like we have MAC measurables playing up because of B1G coaching. Astorino might be the only player on our D who is not physically imposing for his position, and he’s a good, heady player.

Devon Still is bigger than Grimace. Gerald Hodgers is both big and quick. Khairi Fortt is starting to look like a man. Carson is about the same size as Connor and Puz were and bigger than Lee at the same point in his career. Amos is a freak. Nick Sukay might be the largest safety in the B1G. And Lynn didn’t even play, but all the NFL Draft sites list him as S/CB, meaning that he’s not only fast enough to get drafted as a CB, but strong enough to be considered at S.

3 pts
5 sacks
2 ints

At least 2 of them had their helmets off and were trying to pump up the crowd. You could tell they were confident and had a little strut to their walk.

and this team’s make up, at least on offense, is pretty similar. So that explains that.

But I believe it is:
1) Overall conference record
2) Head-to-head
3) Division record

There is a potential for 4 teams to be invited to championship game, which will make for a very exciting game. And everyone gets to be a champion, just like the old days.

Did you like how the coaching and play met up with our sideline analysis from last week? I think the O managed that extra first down per possession I was hoping for, even if one of em came off the ref’s ankle lol.

Galen Hall after the game:

Q: What was the difference with the running game, the line or the back?
A: Probably both. Iowa is a very good sound defensive football team and we knew coming in we had to run it at a single back or two backs to be successful and take some time off the clock and help our defense. I think we did. We only had three drives the first half and 17 play drives which took time off the clock and helped keep our defense fresh.

Powers…

Nice…

Don’t worry about getting school by Vrabel…dude was unreal

I don’t think more is necessary, I would just like to see us blitz the same as saturday.

I’ve never seen us blitz so much, and it was beautiful.

we need you!!

He was in a class I TA’d as a senior. Good kid. I’m happy to hear he’s on the staff.

In his limited time against Alabama he didn’t throw any pick sixes. So many they’re not guaranteed?

and they loved Ricky the American Patriot. Let love McGloin.

Instead he was thrust into a job that he wasn’t ready for (because nobody else had seized it), and he might not get another chance to own the job until his senior year. Joe should have let him go when he asked out of the scholarship. He did nothing wrong except that he failed to live up to 4 star expectations as a true freshman and part-time sophomore.

The blame for that falls on him and the coaches though. I think a major reason Joe has been playing him with Mcgloin is because he refused to let him go last winter. If he ends up not playing that decision is harder to swallow. However, at some point the coaches have to stop hurting the QBs and the team with the carousel approach and at this point I blame them more than Bolden for his regression.

I know people around here don’t like it when we criticize the coaches

bwahahahahahahahahahahaha

perhaps they took the penalty for a more favorable punting position for Fera? I really don’t remember.

I was writting this off as the coaches weighing the option of a specific play they had confidence in (and not agreeing on it) and then electing to take the delay-of-game, thus pushing them back/giving a little better cushion for the punt and pin Iowa inside the 10???

Don’t know about said cover-up. The penalty was called on the field. Perhaps a typo or maybe they hired that Collegian writer girl to color it up a little?

we discussed this at the game but people were too giddy/nervous/excited to finish the conversation

come to the Dark Side. There is lots of room on the bandwagon and it is full of friends!

i wish bolden was good too, but he is not ready to be our starter.

MNC!