BSD MVP Week 14: Coaching Staff

What a great game Saturday. For the first time since Rip Engle coached the Nittany Lions, an unranked Penn State squad traveled to a top 20 foe, #15 Wisconsin, and pulled off the upset. And it wasn't luck. For nearly the entire game, Penn State looked like the #15 team with hopes for a BCS bowl. Despite missing two field goals and having one punt blocked, the Lions won by seven, when they had nothing more to play for than pride.

What did you think, Wisconsin Badger coach Gary Andersen?

"First of all, I thought Penn State was very well prepared. The coaches did a nice job, and their players did a nice job. My hat's off to them. It was very obvious that they were pretty well schooled up. They were pretty schooled up on how to attack us and some things that have seemed to be a little less successful for us the last few weeks.

On the offensive side of the ball I guess, if I summed it up, real simple then I'll take your questions is this. Football becomes really hard to play when you can't rush the passer consistently and you can't protect the passer consistently. It's a bad spot to be in."

Since this is so fun, let's paste some more Gary Andersen quotes:

"I'm going to say it again. I give a lot of credit to Penn State. They put us in some situations today that they did some things offensively and they did some things defensively that they were well prepared. And their kids ended up executing."

On why Geno Lewis was left uncovered for a TD pass on 2nd and Goal:

"That personnel package has never been split out. Never seen a receiver come out of that. It's not an excuse. It's inexcusable. Person on the edge of the defense has got to be prepared to be able to play, and they did a nice job.

Their coaches on offense, they got us today in four or five different scenarios and situations. That's an unacceptable play. Couldn't get down there in time. I think their coaches did a great job coaching. Obviously, Coach O’Brien is calling it out there for them now. He calls the whole offense. So he got us to where he wanted us a few times, and we got schemed up pretty good by a very good football coach, and they took advantage of it."

On poor pass protection, particularly left tackle:

"We were just getting beat. It was tough sledding out there at times. They got a very good player out there (Anthony Zettel). We tried to do some chipping. We'll be okay."

Senior DE Tyler Dippel, on Zwinak's 50-yard draw late in the 4th quarter:

"They checked to the draw. We had a blitz coming off the edges and it just kind of opened up wide open for them. It was just a good check, a good call. I think we were more expecting a pass, for them to try and get a first down and run the clock out, kneel the ball and end the game."

Senior OG Ryan Groy, on poor (for Wisconsin) rushing performance:

"They did some things to us that made it difficult."

That's good enough for me. So your Week 14 MVP is the coaching staff. They prepared the team like it was the Super Bowl. They invented some perceived effrontery (the 24 point underdog bit), and clearly used that to foment rage. And, other than the 8 false starts, they got the team to execute better than they had all season long. That's one hell of a job. When is the last time you felt that way about the coaching job? The 87 Fiesta Bowl? The 1990 upset of Notre Dame?

Others Considered:

Sophomore DE Anthony Zettel - he recorded two sacks, a couple of pressures, and got a Badger lineman benched in the middle of the game.

Junior S Ryan Keiser - game clinching interception. Lots of activity on the backend, and tackles in run support.

Sophomore CB Trevor Williams - he came in for an injured Adrian Amos after the first series, and pulled down 1 INT, and nearly had a second.

Defensive Front Seven - they held the Badgers to their lowest home rushing output all season. Just 120 total yards. Only the 2nd time all year the Badgers rushed for fewer than 200 yards.

Freshman QB Christian Hackenberg - 21 of 30 for 339 yards, 4TDs, 0 INTs, and 0 sacks. Not too shabby.

Freshman WR Geno Lewis - 3 for 98 and 2TDs, including a back breaking 59-yarder in the 4th quarter.

Junior WR Allen Robinson - 8 for 122. Ho-hum.

Junior RB Zach Zwinak - 22 for 115.

Past Honorees:

Week 1 vs. Syracuse: Stephen Obeng Agyapong

Week 2 vs. Eastern Michigan: DaQuan Jones

Week 3 vs. UCF: I think we missed this one.

Week 4 vs. Kent State: Ryan Keiser

Week 5 vs. BYE

Week 6 vs. Indiana: Allen Robinson

Week 7 vs. Michigan: CJ Olaniyan

Week 8 vs. BYE

Week 9 at Ohio State: Allen Robinson

Week 10 vs. Illinois: Bill Belton

Week 11 at Minnesota: Zach Zwinak

Week 12 vs. Purdue: Zach Zwinak and Bill Belton

Week 13 vs. Nebraska: The Seniors

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