:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/23208533/20130831_jla_ai8_756.0.jpg)
The worst thing about having just 65 61 57? scholarship players isn't the lack of high-end talent. It's the lack of depth. It's knowing that there's no margin of error, that if anyone gets hut, no matter their role on the depth chart, the consequences could be disastrous.
Penn State's been able to stay mostly healthy this year; the only key player who's missed extended time has been Matt Lehman, out for the season with an ACL, and that was a loss that a team deep at tight end could stomach. The latest injury has no such caveat: Ben Kline, one of four scholarship linebackers who sees regular playing time will miss the remainder of the season with a torn pectoral muscle, ceding his ever-growing, and of-late starting, role to the likes of Nyeem Wartman and Stephen Obeng-Agyapong, and leaving Penn State even thinner at what was already a dangerously thin position.
The only good news is that the other bits of news are really no news at all, so at least it's not bad news. Allen Robinson banged up his shoulder late in the Minnesota but returned to action and will play; the same could be said about Mike Hull, though substitute "knee" for "shoulder." Other than that, the lone stalwarts on the injury report are the standard few who've missed all season: Lehman, Brad Bars, DaeSean Hamilton, and Brent Wilkerson continuing to be out for the year.
On to the depth chart, where the only difference I spot is a mild change at safety:
^-denotes walk-on
| Off. | First Team | Second Team | Reserves |
|---|---|---|---|
| HC | Bill O'Brien | ||
| QB | #14 Christian Hackenberg | #5 Tyler Ferguson |
#17 D.J. Crook^ |
| RB | #1 Bill Belton | #28 Zach Zwinak | #22 Akeel Lynch |
| FB | #35 Pat Zerbe^ | -- | -- |
| TE-Y | #18 Jesse James | -- | -- |
| TE-F |
#87 Kyle Carter
|
#81 Adam Breneman | -- |
| WR | #8 Allen Robinson | #7 Eugene Lewis | #15 Alex Kenney |
| WR | #85 Brandon Moseby-Felder | #80 Matt Zanellato OR | #19 Richy Anderson |
| OT | #76 Donovan Smith OR | #58 Adam Gress | #59 Andrew Nelson |
| OG | #65 Miles Dieffenbach | #66 Angelo Mangiro | -- |
| OC | #60 Ty Howle | #66 Angelo Mangiro OR | #55 Wendy Laurent |
| OG | #64 John Urschel | #66 Angelo Mangiro OR | #56 Anthony Alosi |
| OT | #77 Garry Gilliam OR | #58 Adam Gress |
#75 Eric Shrive |
| Def. | First Team | Second Team | Reserves |
| DE | #86 C.J. Olaniyan | #95 Carl Nassib^ | #94 Evan Schwan |
| DT | #84 Kyle Baublitz OR | #99 Austin Johnson | #88 Tyrone Smith^ |
| DT | #91 DaQuan Jones | #72 Brian Gaia | #53 Derek Dowrey |
| DE | #18 Deion Barnes OR | #98 Anthony Zettel | -- |
| OLB | #43 Mike Hull* | #26 Brandon Bell | -- |
| MLB | #40 Glenn Carson | #8 Gary Wooten | #46 Adam Cole^ |
| OLB | #5 Nyeem Wartman OR | #7 Stephen Obeng-Agyapong | #26 Brandon Bell |
| CB |
#9 Jordan Lucas |
#3 DaQuan Davis | #16 Devin Pryor^ |
| S | #39 Jesse Della Valle^ OR | #23 Ryan Keiser | #7 Stephen Obeng-Agyapong |
| S | #1 Malcolm Willis | #39 Jesse Della Valle | -- |
| CB | #4 Adrian Amos | #10 Trevor Williams | #12 Trevor Smith |
| Sp. | First Team | Second Team | Reserves |
| K | #97 Sam Ficken | #37 Chris Gulla^ | -- |
| P | #45 Alex Butterworth | -- | -- |
| KR | #7 Eugene Lewis | #25 Von Walker | #1 Bill Belton |
| PR | #39 Jesse Della Valle^ | #25 Von Walker^ | #1 Bill Belton |
| LS | #60 Ty Howle |
#61 Zach Ladonis^ | #40 Glenn Carson |
| H | #27 Adam Geiger | #45 Alex Butterworth |
-- |
Follow @BSDtweet on Twitter
And join us on Facebook
All BSD community members should review our current Posting & Commenting Policies before creating any posts or