Fight On, State: John Rogers and the Nittany Lions

[Big Six]

[QUOTE=wrestlerjrh;158385]This is good stuff keep it up[/QUOTE] Thanks, wrestler. Now that the 1.49 patch is out, look for me to update more often. I just finished recruiting before the patch was released, so I didn't get to use the new recruiting features this time. I'm looking forward to seeing how they improve the recruiting experience.

[Big Six]

[B]Offseason Week 18, 2006-2007[/B] It took some pretty intensive efforts over the past few weeks, but we’ve completed our recruiting for the Class of 2011. None of the fifteen players we’re bringing in is as highly regarded as Calvin Ferguson was last year, but we think each one of them will be able to contribute something to our success before they leave Penn State. We had been hoping to sign a talented quarterback, and we signed a player we believe will be a very dynamic playmaker. As a high school senior in Chillicothe, Ohio, Dan Pearson threw for over 3700 yards and rushed for over 1100 more. Like all young QBs, Dan will need time to develop, but he has both the tools and the intangibles to be an excellent college quarterback. With Stephan Phillips graduated and no standout kickers behind him in the program, we pulled Jeff Williams out of North Carolina. Jeff is a rarity, a placekicker good enough to be considered a five-star recruit. We were happy to add two big-time talents for our defense: DE Darrell Crumlish and CB Paul Braden. Crumlish is a Top 100 player from Massachusetts with 4.55 speed and impressive strength, while Braden runs a 4.47 forty and shows excellent coverage skills. Most of the rest of our recruits are solid, three-star caliber players. Teams often win or lose based on how well guys like this develop over the course of their careers. Our task as coaches will be making sure that development takes place. Here is a list of our 15 recruits for this season: [code] [B]Players committed to Penn State Rank Pos Name Stars Ht Wt School RR RP Type Cur Pot[/B] 25 WR(A) Ray Johnson 5 6-2 158 Pottsgrove (PA) 7 1 Speed WR 10 17 35 K Jeff Williams 5 6-0 198 Hendersonville (NC) 10 2 Accuracy 8 17 97 DE Darrell Crumlish 4 6-6 243 Austin Prep (MA) 14 3 Run stopper 8 15 165 QB(A) Dan Pearson 4 6-4 206 Chillicothe (OH) 32 7 Mobile QB 5 15 302 CB Paul Braden 4 5-11 172 St. Josephs (NJ) 56 27 Balanced 7 13 521 WR(A) Lou Davis 3 5-8 175 Governor Mifflin (PA) 92 78 Speed WR 5 11 545 OLB Henry Wallace 3 5-11 224 Central Catholic (PA) 100 46 Coverage LB 4 12 643 SS Dan Bishop 3 6-2 179 Varina (VA) 116 36 Balanced 5 12 755 TE Roger Page 3 6-1 222 Brighton (MA) 134 33 Receiving TE 4 13 775 FB Noe McCarthy 3 5-11 212 Wallington (NJ) 137 23 Balanced 3 13 975 C James Phelps 3 6-7 292 Burlington (VT) 170 36 Power 3 10 1370 RB Ramon DeLosSantos 2 5-9 190 Pocono Mountain East (PA) 246 96 Balanced 2 9 1570 OG Rich Redd 2 6-4 282 Shade (PA) 286 182 Power 3 8 2613 RB Wendell Steward 1 5-8 169 Delone Catholic (PA) 477 170 Balanced 1 5 2868 RB Sean Henry 1 5-10 184 Brookville Area (PA) 530 191 Inside runner 1 3 Johnson: 70-1073-10 receiving; 295 rushing yds; 3 punt return TDs Williams: 75.0% field goals, long kick of 52 yds; 40.8 punting Crumlish: 72 tackles, 13 sacks, 11 TFL Pearson: 56.8% completions, 3737 yards, 32 TD; 1138 yards rushing, 10 TD; 22.7 PR, 24.9 KR Braden: 72 tackles, 4 sacks, 10 passes defended, 4 INT Davis: 41-892-13 receiving; 11.2 PR Wallace: 89 tackles, 10 sacks, 7 TFL; 505 yards rushing Bishop: 58 tackles, 2 sacks, 9 passes defended; 47-804 receiving Page: 28-394-5 receiving McCarthy: 438 yards rushing, 4 TD; 24-372 receiving DeLosSantos: 875 yards rushing, 9 TD; 24-357 rushing Steward: 586 yards rushing, 9 TD; 15-245 receiving; 74 tackles, 4 sacks Henry: 446 yards rushing, 4 TD; 24-372 receiving; 17.3 PR, 26.6 KR RR = Ranking among all players in their region RP = Ranking among all players at their position, in their region [/code] And, here is a list of the top ten recruits in this year's class, plus the top five Big Ten recruits: [code] 1 Joe Ortiz QB 6-2 195 Braddock HS (Miami, FL) Florida State 2 Michael Lee QB 6-1 196 Morgan Co. HS (Versailles, MO) Nebraska 3 Gabriel Sosa CB 5-9 173 Oskaloosa-Walton JC (Miami, FL) Florida State 4 Ryan Edwards DT 6-5 298 Sacred Heart HS (Waterbury, CT) N.C. State 5 Johnny Crutchfield K 6-3 189 Potomac HS (Oxon Hill, MD) Pittsburgh 6 Donnie Webb QB 6-2 189 College of Marin (Lake Isabella, CA) Georgia 7 Mario Tanner DT 6-5 350 Jackson State CC (Fyffe, AL) Auburn 8 William Cunningham RB 5-11 191 Central HS (Hayneville, AL) Alabama 9 James Holmes RB 5-10 170 Mount Pleasant HS (Wilmington, DE) Virginia Tech 10 Frankie Carroll RB 5-11 186 Kent City Community HS (Kent, MI) Notre Dame 13 Ronald Simon CB 5-11 179 Jefferson (Monroe, MI) Ohio State 19 Josh Davis QB 6-3 194 Millard HS (Fillmore, UT) Ohio State 21 Chris Pratt OLB 6-1 226 York County Tech HS (York, PA) Ohio State 25 Ray Johnson WR 6-2 158 Pottsgrove HS (Pottstown, PA) Penn State 26 Michael Friend QB 6-3 183 J.F. Kennedy HS (Cleveland, OH) Michigan [/code] As you can see, Ohio State will probably be considered to have the strongest recruiting class in the conference. They have three four-star recruits in addition to these three five-star guys. We recruited Simon, Davis, and Friend pretty hard, but Pratt’s 1.7 GPA scared us off.

[Big Six]

[B]Offseason Week 18, 2006-2007[/B] It took some pretty intensive efforts over the past few weeks, but we’ve completed our recruiting for the Class of 2011. None of the fifteen players we’re bringing in is as highly regarded as Calvin Ferguson was last year, but we think each one of them will be able to contribute something to our success before they leave Penn State. We had been hoping to sign a talented quarterback, and we signed a player we believe will be a very dynamic playmaker. As a high school senior in Chillicothe, Ohio, Dan Pearson threw for over 3700 yards and rushed for over 1100 more. Like all young QBs, Dan will need time to develop, but he has both the tools and the intangibles to be an excellent college quarterback. With Stephan Phillips graduated and no standout kickers behind him in the program, we pulled Jeff Williams out of North Carolina. Jeff is a rarity, a placekicker good enough to be considered a five-star recruit. We were happy to add two big-time talents for our defense: DE Darrell Crumlish and CB Paul Braden. Crumlish is a Top 100 player from Massachusetts with 4.55 speed and impressive strength, while Braden runs a 4.47 forty and shows excellent coverage skills. Most of the rest of our recruits are solid, three-star caliber players. Teams often win or lose based on how well guys like this develop over the course of their careers. Our task as coaches will be making sure that development takes place. Here is a list of our 15 recruits for this season: [code] [B]Players committed to Penn State Rank Pos Name Stars Ht Wt School RR RP Type Cur Pot[/B] 25 WR(A) Ray Johnson 5 6-2 158 Pottsgrove (PA) 7 1 Speed WR 10 17 35 K Jeff Williams 5 6-0 198 Hendersonville (NC) 10 2 Accuracy 8 17 97 DE Darrell Crumlish 4 6-6 243 Austin Prep (MA) 14 3 Run stopper 8 15 165 QB(A) Dan Pearson 4 6-4 206 Chillicothe (OH) 32 7 Mobile QB 5 15 302 CB Paul Braden 4 5-11 172 St. Josephs (NJ) 56 27 Balanced 7 13 521 WR(A) Lou Davis 3 5-8 175 Governor Mifflin (PA) 92 78 Speed WR 5 11 545 OLB Henry Wallace 3 5-11 224 Central Catholic (PA) 100 46 Coverage LB 4 12 643 SS Dan Bishop 3 6-2 179 Varina (VA) 116 36 Balanced 5 12 755 TE Roger Page 3 6-1 222 Brighton (MA) 134 33 Receiving TE 4 13 775 FB Noe McCarthy 3 5-11 212 Wallington (NJ) 137 23 Balanced 3 13 975 C James Phelps 3 6-7 292 Burlington (VT) 170 36 Power 3 10 1370 RB Ramon DeLosSantos 2 5-9 190 Pocono Mountain East (PA) 246 96 Balanced 2 9 1570 OG Rich Redd 2 6-4 282 Shade (PA) 286 182 Power 3 8 2613 RB Wendell Steward 1 5-8 169 Delone Catholic (PA) 477 170 Balanced 1 5 2868 RB Sean Henry 1 5-10 184 Brookville Area (PA) 530 191 Inside runner 1 3 Johnson: 70-1073-10 receiving; 295 rushing yds; 3 punt return TDs Williams: 75.0% field goals, long kick of 52 yds; 40.8 punting Crumlish: 72 tackles, 13 sacks, 11 TFL Pearson: 56.8% completions, 3737 yards, 32 TD; 1138 yards rushing, 10 TD; 22.7 PR, 24.9 KR Braden: 72 tackles, 4 sacks, 10 passes defended, 4 INT Davis: 41-892-13 receiving; 11.2 PR Wallace: 89 tackles, 10 sacks, 7 TFL; 505 yards rushing Bishop: 58 tackles, 2 sacks, 9 passes defended; 47-804 receiving Page: 28-394-5 receiving McCarthy: 438 yards rushing, 4 TD; 24-372 receiving DeLosSantos: 875 yards rushing, 9 TD; 24-357 rushing Steward: 586 yards rushing, 9 TD; 15-245 receiving; 74 tackles, 4 sacks Henry: 446 yards rushing, 4 TD; 24-372 receiving; 17.3 PR, 26.6 KR RR = Ranking among all players in their region RP = Ranking among all players at their position, in their region [/code] And, here is a list of the top ten recruits in this year's class, plus the top five Big Ten recruits: [code] 1 Joe Ortiz QB 6-2 195 Braddock HS (Miami, FL) Florida State 2 Michael Lee QB 6-1 196 Morgan Co. HS (Versailles, MO) Nebraska 3 Gabriel Sosa CB 5-9 173 Oskaloosa-Walton JC (Miami, FL) Florida State 4 Ryan Edwards DT 6-5 298 Sacred Heart HS (Waterbury, CT) N.C. State 5 Johnny Crutchfield K 6-3 189 Potomac HS (Oxon Hill, MD) Pittsburgh 6 Donnie Webb QB 6-2 189 College of Marin (Lake Isabella, CA) Georgia 7 Mario Tanner DT 6-5 350 Jackson State CC (Fyffe, AL) Auburn 8 William Cunningham RB 5-11 191 Central HS (Hayneville, AL) Alabama 9 James Holmes RB 5-10 170 Mount Pleasant HS (Wilmington, DE) Virginia Tech 10 Frankie Carroll RB 5-11 186 Kent City Community HS (Kent, MI) Notre Dame 13 Ronald Simon CB 5-11 179 Jefferson (Monroe, MI) Ohio State 19 Josh Davis QB 6-3 194 Millard HS (Fillmore, UT) Ohio State 21 Chris Pratt OLB 6-1 226 York County Tech HS (York, PA) Ohio State 25 Ray Johnson WR 6-2 158 Pottsgrove HS (Pottstown, PA) Penn State 26 Michael Friend QB 6-3 183 J.F. Kennedy HS (Cleveland, OH) Michigan [/code] As you can see, Ohio State will probably be considered to have the strongest recruiting class in the conference. They have three four-star recruits in addition to these three five-star guys. We recruited Simon, Davis, and Friend pretty hard, but Pratt’s 1.7 GPA scared us off.

[Big Six]

[B]Week 1, 2007[/B] Here is Penn State's 2007 football schedule: [code] Week 1 open Week 2 NOTRE DAME Week 3 open Week 4 at Purdue* Week 5 WISCONSIN* Week 6 open Week 7 at Iowa* Week 8 MICHIGAN STATE* Week 9 NORTHWESTERN Week 10 at Michigan* Week 11 ILLINOIS* Week 12 at Minnesota* Week 13 at Army Week 14 BOWLING GREEN Home games in ALL CAPS. Big Ten games marked with asterisks.* [/code] We're ranked 15th in strength of schedule; I'd like to see who the 14 teams with supposedly tougher schedules are playing. All of our first five opponents are ranked in the preseason Top 25, and after the home game with Northwestern, we visit Michigan, the preseason #1. We will open the season ranked #9 in both the media and coaches' polls. Four Big Ten teams are ranked ahead of us: Michigan (1), Wisconsin (4), Purdue (6), and Ohio State (7). Consequently, we're picked to finish fifth in our own conference. Our incoming recruiting class was ranked #16 in the nation, but I think we've been underrated a little bit. Several of our freshmen have really been impressive in camp, and we will be starting three true freshmen, plus our placekicker. Our team prestige went up three points from last year, and now stands at 76.

[Big Six]

[B]Week 1, 2007[/B] Here is Penn State's 2007 football schedule: [code] Week 1 open Week 2 NOTRE DAME Week 3 open Week 4 at Purdue* Week 5 WISCONSIN* Week 6 open Week 7 at Iowa* Week 8 MICHIGAN STATE* Week 9 NORTHWESTERN Week 10 at Michigan* Week 11 ILLINOIS* Week 12 at Minnesota* Week 13 at Army Week 14 BOWLING GREEN Home games in ALL CAPS. Big Ten games marked with asterisks.* [/code] We're ranked 15th in strength of schedule; I'd like to see who the 14 teams with supposedly tougher schedules are playing. All of our first five opponents are ranked in the preseason Top 25, and after the home game with Northwestern, we visit Michigan, the preseason #1. We will open the season ranked #9 in both the media and coaches' polls. Four Big Ten teams are ranked ahead of us: Michigan (1), Wisconsin (4), Purdue (6), and Ohio State (7). Consequently, we're picked to finish fifth in our own conference. Our incoming recruiting class was ranked #16 in the nation, but I think we've been underrated a little bit. Several of our freshmen have really been impressive in camp, and we will be starting three true freshmen, plus our placekicker. Our team prestige went up three points from last year, and now stands at 76.

[Big Six]

[B]Week 1, 2007[/B] Here's a unit-by-unit look at the 2007 Nittany Lions. In the roster sections below, the following abbreviations are used: WE = Work Ethic IN = Intelligence ST = Status. (OK-healthy; RS-redshirt) OR = Overall Rating (present) PT = Potential Rating [code] Quarterbacks HT WT YR GPA WE IN ST High School OR PO 18 QB Joe Collins 6-1 213 (Jr) 1.97 58 58 OK Penn Wood (Lansdowne, PA) 8 12 2 QB Sam Neff 6-1 194 (So) 3.92 50 79 OK Conestoga (Berwyn, PA) 6 9 13 QB Dan Pearson (S) 6-4 214 Fr 3.55 82 88 OK Chillicothe (Chillicothe, OH) 12 17 4 QB John Thomas 6-2 212 (Jr) 3.32 54 95 OK Unionville (Kennett Square, PA) 3 6 6 QB David Thompson 6-4 192 (Fr) 3.13 63 71 OK Deptford Township (Deptford, NJ) 8 11 [/code] Pearson had a fantastic spring and will open the season as the starter. His ability to run adds a new dimension to the Penn State offense, and he has a rifle for an arm. Collins, last season’s first team QB, has proven he can win. Neff played very well as Collins’ backup last season. Thompson has lots of potential. Thomas has had very little opportunity to demonstrate what he can do. [code] Running Backs # NAME HT WT YR GPA WE IN ST High School OR PT 36 RB Ramon DeLosSantos 5-9 194 (Fr) 2.35 54 44 RS Pocono Mountain East (Swiftwater, PA) 4 8 32 RB Calvin Ferguson (S) 6-0 199 So 2.13 69 54 OK Cardinal Gibbons (Baltimore, MD) 16 19 30 RB Miguel Gregory 5-11 193 (Jr) 1.82 34 45 OK Colchester (Colchester, VT) 14 17 34 RB Sean Henry 5-10 192 Fr 3.27 69 76 OK Brookville Area (Brookville, PA) 6 11 31 RB Wendell Steward 5-8 174 (Fr) 3.18 52 68 RS Delone Catholic (McSherrystown, PA) 1 5 41 FB Noe McCarthy 5-11 218 Fr 3.51 44 83 OK Wallington (Wallington, NJ) 7 13 45 FB Franklin Ballard 6-0 230 (Jr) 2.26 45 63 OK Gilman School (Baltimore, MD) 7 10 33 FB Man Ward (S) 6-2 236 So 2.31 87 61 OK South Stokes (Walnut Cove, NC) 9 13 [/code] Ferguson gained over 1500 yards rushing last season, and was named the nation’s most outstanding freshman. He should contend for a number of major honors this season, and has been every bit as good as advertised. Gregory gives us a #2 tailback who would be the feature back at almost any other school. If he doesn't apply himself to his studies, Gregory will instead become a very talented Penn State football fan. Henry will immediately contribute as a return man. Starting fullback Ward will get more carries this season; he’s also a fine lead blocker and a sure-handed receiver. McCarthy and Ballard are also quality players; McCarthy will be the gunner for the kick return units. [code] Receivers # NAME HT WT YR GPA WE IN ST High School OR PT 88 WR Theodore Dick 6-0 175 Jr 3.95 54 85 OK Coolidge (Washington, DC) 9 13 84 WR Jerry Hubbard (S) 5-8 196 Sr 1.75 77 47 OK Greensburg Central Catholic (PA) 11 14 81 WR Ray Johnson (S) 6-2 165 Fr 1.66 74 50 OK Pottsgrove (Pottstown, PA) 12 17 86 WR Jason Cruz 6-2 176 So 3.44 82 76 OK Park View (South Hill, VA) 8 13 89 WR David Mills 6-4 187 (Fr) 3.39 53 76 OK Springfield Science & Tech (MA) 8 13 22 WR Phil Vanderpool 6-5 196 (So) 2.35 67 49 RS Penn Trafford (Harrison City, PA) 5 7 80 WR Lou Davis 5-8 178 Fr 2.47 43 57 OK Governor Mifflin (Shillington, PA) 6 11 89 TE Michael Nixon 6-5 263 (Fr) 3.11 55 72 TR West Side (Newark, NJ) 11 16 82 TE Roger Page 6-1 229 Fr 2.20 73 44 OK Brighton (Brighton, MA) 6 13 83 TE Modesto Stark (S) 6-2 227 (Jr) 1.88 43 61 OK Bishop Brady (Concord, NH) 9 12 87 TE William Tolbert 6-4 248 (Fr) 2.85 99 70 OK Ragsdale (Jamestown, NC) 8 11 [/code] Johnson has the potential to be one of the greatest receivers in Penn State history…if he can keep his grades up. He has tremendous hands, runs crisp routes, and has game-breaking speed. Hubbard, the team’s leading receiver with 45 catches, is surehanded and shifty. He seems to enjoy eluding his professors as much as he enjoys eluding defenders, however. Dick caught 27 balls and makes a fine #3 receiver, while Cruz has only started to scratch the surface of his ability. Mills can fly, and only needs more seasoning. Davis had a good spring, and will eventually see lots of action at Penn State. Vanderpool will redshirt this year. At tight end, Stark is a three-year starter who can catch the ball and block. Freshmen Tolbert and Page will battle for playing time behind him. Transfer Nixon will sit out this season, but we think he’s a future star. [code] Offensive Linemen # NAME HT WT YR GPA WE IN ST High School OR PT 75 OT Warren Kirkpatrick (S) 6-8 334 So 3.41 66 74 OK Eleanor Roosevelt (Greenbelt, MD) 12 17 69 OT Todd Main (S) 6-0 306 Sr 3.93 86 79 OK Pittston Area (Pittston, PA) 11 13 65 OT Fred Felton 6-5 328 Sr 2.09 88 56 OK Towanda Area (Towanda, PA) 11 13 70 OT Tom Montoya 6-7 296 (Sr) 3.43 53 76 OK Maplewood (Guys Mills, PA) 8 9 67 OT Leland Olson 6-4 303 (Jr) 1.77 45 54 OK Blackhawk (Beaver Falls, PA) 11 13 78 OT Lawrence Griffin 6-3 307 (So) 1.76 68 63 OK Susquehanna Community (PA) 7 10 73 OG Edward Huntley 6-4 279 (So) 3.52 66 81 OK Northern Lebanon (Fredericksburg, PA) 3 6 71 OG Anthony Lloyd (S) 6-8 286 So 1.93 60 56 OK Woodland Regional (Beacon Falls, CT) 12 18 64 OG Ryan Lopez 6-8 291 (So) 1.73 57 56 OK Ford City (Ford City, PA) 5 8 61 OG Mark Brady 6-3 307 (Sr) 3.31 57 99 OK Souderton Area (Souderton, PA) 2 6 55 OG Rich Redd 6-4 290 (Fr) 2.17 95 55 RS Shade (Cairnbrook, PA) 6 12 62 OG Chris Sandoval (S) 6-4 314 Sr 3.43 47 68 OK Fox Chapel Area (Pittsburgh, PA) 12 17 66 OG Chris Silverman 6-5 311 (Sr) 1.80 96 48 OK Salisbury School (Salisbury, CT) 11 14 52 C Wesley Herring (S) 6-2 308 Sr 3.89 84 83 OK Pocono Mountain West (PA) 10 14 77 C Pat O'Flannery 6-1 288 Sr 3.27 84 74 OK Pathfinder Tech (Palmer, MA) 1 3 68 C James Phelps 6-7 300 Fr 3.16 49 71 OK Burlington (Burlington, VT) 6 11 [/code] This year’s offensive line should be the best I’ve coached at Penn State. We have three guards and four tackles who are all good enough to start, so we can rotate players in and keep everyone fresh. Kirkpatrick has been even better than we expected, and he will start at left tackle, with senior Main on the right side. Main is a terrific pass blocker, while Felton, who started last year, excels in the running game. Olson was one of the most pleasant surprises of the spring, and has worked himself into position to get lots of playing time. Lloyd, the left guard, started eleven games as a freshman and is only going to get better. Sandoval earned second team All-Big Ten recognition. Silverman, who has started 13 games in his career, backs up both guards. Herring is a solid three-year starter at center. True freshman Phelps will back him up. O’Flannery is a reliable long snapper. Montoya, Griffin, Huntley, Lopez, and Brady provide depth. Griffin is also a special teams standout. Redd has promise, and will redshirt this year. [code] Defensive Linemen # NAME HT WT YR GPA WE IN ST High School OR PT 90 DE Jerry Martin (S) 6-5 297 So 3.57 92 71 OK Pennridge (Perkasie, PA) 11 15 98 DE Lee Elrod 6-5 272 (Jr) 3.85 38 79 OK Chambersburg Area (Chambersburg, PA) 7 11 97 DE Darrell Crumlish (S) 6-6 250 Fr 3.31 91 98 OK Austin Prep (Reading, MA) 11 16 93 DE Agustin George 6-5 295 Jr 1.89 29 44 OK Central Catholic (Reading, PA) 9 13 92 DE Frank Golden 6-4 278 (Sr) 3.85 65 79 OK Honesdale (Honesdale, PA) 8 9 91 DT John Bell (S) 6-3 311 (So) 2.05 86 54 OK Tri Valley (Hegins, PA) 10 15 99 DT Gabriel Sanders 6-8 276 (Fr) 2.28 96 59 OK Butler (Butler, PA) 2 4 95 DT Anthony Bacon 6-7 295 (Fr) 2.24 94 52 OK Brighton (Brighton, CO) 8 11 96 DT Jerry Magee 6-2 306 (Sr) 2.43 33 45 OK South Plainfield (NJ) 8 14 94 DT John James (S) 6-3 293 (Jr) 2.17 69 60 OK Kennard Dale (Fawn Grove, PA) 11 14 [/code] All four of our starting D-linemen are stout run defenders and good pass rushers. Martin’s combination of size, strength, and quickness give opposing blockers nightmares. Crumlish won the job at right end by demonstrating outstanding strength at the point of attack. As a redshirt freshman, Bell made second team All-Big Ten; he led our returning players with six sacks. Magee and James will both see plenty of playing time at the other tackle spot. Academic difficulties have limited George’s development, but he has played well when he’s had the opportunites. Golden and Elrod have also been effective when called upon. Our coaching staff is high on Bacon, and expect him to develop into a solid player. Sanders will find playing time hard to come by. [code] Linebackers # NAME HT WT YR GPA WE IN ST High School OR PT 56 ILB Josh Howe 6-1 222 (Fr) 2.73 99 66 RS Susquenita (Duncannon, PA) 2 6 57 ILB Gary Jensen 5-9 222 (Jr) 3.29 63 72 OK Plainfield (Plainfield, CT) 2 5 43 ILB Stan Rodriquez 6-0 225 (Fr) 2.28 95 53 OK Butler (Butler, PA) 3 6 53 ILB William Gross (S) 6-2 241 (Sr) 3.39 93 73 OK Solanco (Quarryville, PA) 13 16 49 ILB Andrew Stone 6-2 247 (Jr) 3.26 27 69 OK Columbia (Columbia, PA) 9 13 58 OLB Travis Moore (S) 5-11 237 So 2.85 69 67 OK Pittston Area (Pittston, PA) 8 11 46 OLB Billy Davis 6-0 238 (So) 3.55 58 72 OK Timberlane (Plaistow, NH) 3 6 59 OLB George Harris (S) 5-11 236 (Jr) 2.09 53 59 OK Wilson (Washington, DC) 9 12 54 OLB Henry Wallace 5-11 232 Fr 3.27 89 82 OK Central Catholic (Pittsburgh, PA) 7 12 47 OLB Dustin Wood 5-11 235 (So) 1.90 63 44 OK Thomas Edison (Alexandria, VA) 6 10 [/code] We were thrilled to hear that Gross was returning for his final year, and he should be among the Big Ten’s best linebackers. He will start for the third straight season in the middle of our 4-3 defense. Harris, who is outstanding in coverage, steps in as the full-time starter on the strong side after a solid sophomore season. He’s developing the instincts of a much more experienced player. The starter on the weak side will be Moore, but he’ll be pushed hard by Wood and true freshman Wallace, who is also a head-hunter on kick coverage. Stone will be Gross’s backup, and he’s probably the second-best linebacker on the team. He might shift to the outside some so we can get him on the field more. Howe will redshirt. Jensen, Davis, and Rodriquez should all contribute on special teams. We have to hope our starting LBs stay healthy, because we lack depth here. Harris and Wood struggle in the classroom too, so they better hit the books. [code] Defensive Backs # NAME HT WT YR GPA WE IN ST High School OR PT 24 CB Robert Jackson 5-9 188 (So) 2.35 88 60 OK Mount Carmel Area (Mount Carmel, PA) 4 6 28 CB Paul Braden 5-11 178 Fr 2.36 73 56 OK St. Josephs (Montvale, NJ) 7 12 39 CB Roy Thompson (S) 6-0 192 Jr 2.16 49 41 OK Unionville (Kennett Square, PA) 9 14 37 CB Daniel Jackson (S) 5-11 180 Sr 1.87 68 54 OK Trinity Christian (Peterborough, NH) 10 14 25 CB Ramon Harris 5-9 172 (So) 3.83 72 82 OK Columbia (Columbia, PA) 3 6 48 FS Gabriel Kidd 6-0 199 (Jr) 3.78 79 83 OK Bristol (Bristol, PA) 6 8 44 FS Eugene Nichols 5-11 189 Jr 3.21 62 73 OK Hanover (Hanover, NH) 6 11 38 FS Charles Brown (S) 6-1 178 Sr 3.99 61 94 OK Blacklick Valley (Nanty Glo, PA) 12 15 29 SS Benjamin Hill 6-0 184 Jr 3.94 87 89 OK Theodore Roosevelt (Washington, DC) 4 7 27 SS Dan Bishop 6-2 185 Fr 2.07 62 39 OK Varina (Richmond, VA) 6 11 21 SS Richard Phillips(S) 5-10 176 (Jr) 2.01 51 49 OK Sts. Neumann-Goretti (PA) 7 12 [/code] Like Gross, Brown considered leaving early for the NFL, but chose to return to Penn State. He’s a quick, tough, instinctive player who is always around the ball. Phillips steps in at strong safety and will contribute toughness against the run. Francis Taylor’s graduation puts the spotlight on Daniel Jackson, who brings his air-tight coverage skills over to the “press” corner spot. His partner will be Thompson, who excels in zone coverage schemes. The nickel back will be Braden, a true freshman, who will have to step up in a hurry. Nichols is a premiere kickoff returner, and he will be Brown’s backup at free safety. Another true freshman, Bishop, will play a lot at strong safety. We’re thin here, as Hill, Kidd, Harris, and Robert Jackson are all unproven and raw. Again, an injury could be disastrous. Harris, Brown, Hill, and Kidd need to tutor their less academically inclined unit mates so they all remain eligible. [code] Specialists # NAME HT WT YR GPA WE IN ST High School OR PT 7 K Donald Brady 6-4 205 Jr 3.49 79 68 OK Ford City (Ford City, PA) 7 7 1 K Jeff Williams (S) 6-0 202 Fr 2.92 93 63 OK Hendersonville (Hendersonville, NC) 12 17 5 P Philip Redd (S) 6-1 186 (Sr) 2.45 88 63 OK Malvern Prep (Malvern, PA) 16 16 4 P John Stafford 6-0 179 Sr 2.47 44 59 OK Harriton (Rosemont, PA) 6 7 [/code] Redd might be the best punter in the country. He can kick the ball deep or knock it down close to the goal line, and he helps us win field position battles week after week. Williams was a huge recruiting coup; he’s already a very accurate kicker with a strong leg. Neither Stafford nor Brady have attempted a kick at Penn State.

[Big Six]

[B]Week 1, 2007[/B] Here's a unit-by-unit look at the 2007 Nittany Lions. In the roster sections below, the following abbreviations are used: WE = Work Ethic IN = Intelligence ST = Status. (OK-healthy; RS-redshirt) OR = Overall Rating (present) PT = Potential Rating [code] Quarterbacks HT WT YR GPA WE IN ST High School OR PO 18 QB Joe Collins 6-1 213 (Jr) 1.97 58 58 OK Penn Wood (Lansdowne, PA) 8 12 2 QB Sam Neff 6-1 194 (So) 3.92 50 79 OK Conestoga (Berwyn, PA) 6 9 13 QB Dan Pearson (S) 6-4 214 Fr 3.55 82 88 OK Chillicothe (Chillicothe, OH) 12 17 4 QB John Thomas 6-2 212 (Jr) 3.32 54 95 OK Unionville (Kennett Square, PA) 3 6 6 QB David Thompson 6-4 192 (Fr) 3.13 63 71 OK Deptford Township (Deptford, NJ) 8 11 [/code] Pearson had a fantastic spring and will open the season as the starter. His ability to run adds a new dimension to the Penn State offense, and he has a rifle for an arm. Collins, last season’s first team QB, has proven he can win. Neff played very well as Collins’ backup last season. Thompson has lots of potential. Thomas has had very little opportunity to demonstrate what he can do. [code] Running Backs # NAME HT WT YR GPA WE IN ST High School OR PT 36 RB Ramon DeLosSantos 5-9 194 (Fr) 2.35 54 44 RS Pocono Mountain East (Swiftwater, PA) 4 8 32 RB Calvin Ferguson (S) 6-0 199 So 2.13 69 54 OK Cardinal Gibbons (Baltimore, MD) 16 19 30 RB Miguel Gregory 5-11 193 (Jr) 1.82 34 45 OK Colchester (Colchester, VT) 14 17 34 RB Sean Henry 5-10 192 Fr 3.27 69 76 OK Brookville Area (Brookville, PA) 6 11 31 RB Wendell Steward 5-8 174 (Fr) 3.18 52 68 RS Delone Catholic (McSherrystown, PA) 1 5 41 FB Noe McCarthy 5-11 218 Fr 3.51 44 83 OK Wallington (Wallington, NJ) 7 13 45 FB Franklin Ballard 6-0 230 (Jr) 2.26 45 63 OK Gilman School (Baltimore, MD) 7 10 33 FB Man Ward (S) 6-2 236 So 2.31 87 61 OK South Stokes (Walnut Cove, NC) 9 13 [/code] Ferguson gained over 1500 yards rushing last season, and was named the nation’s most outstanding freshman. He should contend for a number of major honors this season, and has been every bit as good as advertised. Gregory gives us a #2 tailback who would be the feature back at almost any other school. If he doesn't apply himself to his studies, Gregory will instead become a very talented Penn State football fan. Henry will immediately contribute as a return man. Starting fullback Ward will get more carries this season; he’s also a fine lead blocker and a sure-handed receiver. McCarthy and Ballard are also quality players; McCarthy will be the gunner for the kick return units. [code] Receivers # NAME HT WT YR GPA WE IN ST High School OR PT 88 WR Theodore Dick 6-0 175 Jr 3.95 54 85 OK Coolidge (Washington, DC) 9 13 84 WR Jerry Hubbard (S) 5-8 196 Sr 1.75 77 47 OK Greensburg Central Catholic (PA) 11 14 81 WR Ray Johnson (S) 6-2 165 Fr 1.66 74 50 OK Pottsgrove (Pottstown, PA) 12 17 86 WR Jason Cruz 6-2 176 So 3.44 82 76 OK Park View (South Hill, VA) 8 13 89 WR David Mills 6-4 187 (Fr) 3.39 53 76 OK Springfield Science & Tech (MA) 8 13 22 WR Phil Vanderpool 6-5 196 (So) 2.35 67 49 RS Penn Trafford (Harrison City, PA) 5 7 80 WR Lou Davis 5-8 178 Fr 2.47 43 57 OK Governor Mifflin (Shillington, PA) 6 11 89 TE Michael Nixon 6-5 263 (Fr) 3.11 55 72 TR West Side (Newark, NJ) 11 16 82 TE Roger Page 6-1 229 Fr 2.20 73 44 OK Brighton (Brighton, MA) 6 13 83 TE Modesto Stark (S) 6-2 227 (Jr) 1.88 43 61 OK Bishop Brady (Concord, NH) 9 12 87 TE William Tolbert 6-4 248 (Fr) 2.85 99 70 OK Ragsdale (Jamestown, NC) 8 11 [/code] Johnson has the potential to be one of the greatest receivers in Penn State history…if he can keep his grades up. He has tremendous hands, runs crisp routes, and has game-breaking speed. Hubbard, the team’s leading receiver with 45 catches, is surehanded and shifty. He seems to enjoy eluding his professors as much as he enjoys eluding defenders, however. Dick caught 27 balls and makes a fine #3 receiver, while Cruz has only started to scratch the surface of his ability. Mills can fly, and only needs more seasoning. Davis had a good spring, and will eventually see lots of action at Penn State. Vanderpool will redshirt this year. At tight end, Stark is a three-year starter who can catch the ball and block. Freshmen Tolbert and Page will battle for playing time behind him. Transfer Nixon will sit out this season, but we think he’s a future star. [code] Offensive Linemen # NAME HT WT YR GPA WE IN ST High School OR PT 75 OT Warren Kirkpatrick (S) 6-8 334 So 3.41 66 74 OK Eleanor Roosevelt (Greenbelt, MD) 12 17 69 OT Todd Main (S) 6-0 306 Sr 3.93 86 79 OK Pittston Area (Pittston, PA) 11 13 65 OT Fred Felton 6-5 328 Sr 2.09 88 56 OK Towanda Area (Towanda, PA) 11 13 70 OT Tom Montoya 6-7 296 (Sr) 3.43 53 76 OK Maplewood (Guys Mills, PA) 8 9 67 OT Leland Olson 6-4 303 (Jr) 1.77 45 54 OK Blackhawk (Beaver Falls, PA) 11 13 78 OT Lawrence Griffin 6-3 307 (So) 1.76 68 63 OK Susquehanna Community (PA) 7 10 73 OG Edward Huntley 6-4 279 (So) 3.52 66 81 OK Northern Lebanon (Fredericksburg, PA) 3 6 71 OG Anthony Lloyd (S) 6-8 286 So 1.93 60 56 OK Woodland Regional (Beacon Falls, CT) 12 18 64 OG Ryan Lopez 6-8 291 (So) 1.73 57 56 OK Ford City (Ford City, PA) 5 8 61 OG Mark Brady 6-3 307 (Sr) 3.31 57 99 OK Souderton Area (Souderton, PA) 2 6 55 OG Rich Redd 6-4 290 (Fr) 2.17 95 55 RS Shade (Cairnbrook, PA) 6 12 62 OG Chris Sandoval (S) 6-4 314 Sr 3.43 47 68 OK Fox Chapel Area (Pittsburgh, PA) 12 17 66 OG Chris Silverman 6-5 311 (Sr) 1.80 96 48 OK Salisbury School (Salisbury, CT) 11 14 52 C Wesley Herring (S) 6-2 308 Sr 3.89 84 83 OK Pocono Mountain West (PA) 10 14 77 C Pat O'Flannery 6-1 288 Sr 3.27 84 74 OK Pathfinder Tech (Palmer, MA) 1 3 68 C James Phelps 6-7 300 Fr 3.16 49 71 OK Burlington (Burlington, VT) 6 11 [/code] This year’s offensive line should be the best I’ve coached at Penn State. We have three guards and four tackles who are all good enough to start, so we can rotate players in and keep everyone fresh. Kirkpatrick has been even better than we expected, and he will start at left tackle, with senior Main on the right side. Main is a terrific pass blocker, while Felton, who started last year, excels in the running game. Olson was one of the most pleasant surprises of the spring, and has worked himself into position to get lots of playing time. Lloyd, the left guard, started eleven games as a freshman and is only going to get better. Sandoval earned second team All-Big Ten recognition. Silverman, who has started 13 games in his career, backs up both guards. Herring is a solid three-year starter at center. True freshman Phelps will back him up. O’Flannery is a reliable long snapper. Montoya, Griffin, Huntley, Lopez, and Brady provide depth. Griffin is also a special teams standout. Redd has promise, and will redshirt this year. [code] Defensive Linemen # NAME HT WT YR GPA WE IN ST High School OR PT 90 DE Jerry Martin (S) 6-5 297 So 3.57 92 71 OK Pennridge (Perkasie, PA) 11 15 98 DE Lee Elrod 6-5 272 (Jr) 3.85 38 79 OK Chambersburg Area (Chambersburg, PA) 7 11 97 DE Darrell Crumlish (S) 6-6 250 Fr 3.31 91 98 OK Austin Prep (Reading, MA) 11 16 93 DE Agustin George 6-5 295 Jr 1.89 29 44 OK Central Catholic (Reading, PA) 9 13 92 DE Frank Golden 6-4 278 (Sr) 3.85 65 79 OK Honesdale (Honesdale, PA) 8 9 91 DT John Bell (S) 6-3 311 (So) 2.05 86 54 OK Tri Valley (Hegins, PA) 10 15 99 DT Gabriel Sanders 6-8 276 (Fr) 2.28 96 59 OK Butler (Butler, PA) 2 4 95 DT Anthony Bacon 6-7 295 (Fr) 2.24 94 52 OK Brighton (Brighton, CO) 8 11 96 DT Jerry Magee 6-2 306 (Sr) 2.43 33 45 OK South Plainfield (NJ) 8 14 94 DT John James (S) 6-3 293 (Jr) 2.17 69 60 OK Kennard Dale (Fawn Grove, PA) 11 14 [/code] All four of our starting D-linemen are stout run defenders and good pass rushers. Martin’s combination of size, strength, and quickness give opposing blockers nightmares. Crumlish won the job at right end by demonstrating outstanding strength at the point of attack. As a redshirt freshman, Bell made second team All-Big Ten; he led our returning players with six sacks. Magee and James will both see plenty of playing time at the other tackle spot. Academic difficulties have limited George’s development, but he has played well when he’s had the opportunites. Golden and Elrod have also been effective when called upon. Our coaching staff is high on Bacon, and expect him to develop into a solid player. Sanders will find playing time hard to come by. [code] Linebackers # NAME HT WT YR GPA WE IN ST High School OR PT 56 ILB Josh Howe 6-1 222 (Fr) 2.73 99 66 RS Susquenita (Duncannon, PA) 2 6 57 ILB Gary Jensen 5-9 222 (Jr) 3.29 63 72 OK Plainfield (Plainfield, CT) 2 5 43 ILB Stan Rodriquez 6-0 225 (Fr) 2.28 95 53 OK Butler (Butler, PA) 3 6 53 ILB William Gross (S) 6-2 241 (Sr) 3.39 93 73 OK Solanco (Quarryville, PA) 13 16 49 ILB Andrew Stone 6-2 247 (Jr) 3.26 27 69 OK Columbia (Columbia, PA) 9 13 58 OLB Travis Moore (S) 5-11 237 So 2.85 69 67 OK Pittston Area (Pittston, PA) 8 11 46 OLB Billy Davis 6-0 238 (So) 3.55 58 72 OK Timberlane (Plaistow, NH) 3 6 59 OLB George Harris (S) 5-11 236 (Jr) 2.09 53 59 OK Wilson (Washington, DC) 9 12 54 OLB Henry Wallace 5-11 232 Fr 3.27 89 82 OK Central Catholic (Pittsburgh, PA) 7 12 47 OLB Dustin Wood 5-11 235 (So) 1.90 63 44 OK Thomas Edison (Alexandria, VA) 6 10 [/code] We were thrilled to hear that Gross was returning for his final year, and he should be among the Big Ten’s best linebackers. He will start for the third straight season in the middle of our 4-3 defense. Harris, who is outstanding in coverage, steps in as the full-time starter on the strong side after a solid sophomore season. He’s developing the instincts of a much more experienced player. The starter on the weak side will be Moore, but he’ll be pushed hard by Wood and true freshman Wallace, who is also a head-hunter on kick coverage. Stone will be Gross’s backup, and he’s probably the second-best linebacker on the team. He might shift to the outside some so we can get him on the field more. Howe will redshirt. Jensen, Davis, and Rodriquez should all contribute on special teams. We have to hope our starting LBs stay healthy, because we lack depth here. Harris and Wood struggle in the classroom too, so they better hit the books. [code] Defensive Backs # NAME HT WT YR GPA WE IN ST High School OR PT 24 CB Robert Jackson 5-9 188 (So) 2.35 88 60 OK Mount Carmel Area (Mount Carmel, PA) 4 6 28 CB Paul Braden 5-11 178 Fr 2.36 73 56 OK St. Josephs (Montvale, NJ) 7 12 39 CB Roy Thompson (S) 6-0 192 Jr 2.16 49 41 OK Unionville (Kennett Square, PA) 9 14 37 CB Daniel Jackson (S) 5-11 180 Sr 1.87 68 54 OK Trinity Christian (Peterborough, NH) 10 14 25 CB Ramon Harris 5-9 172 (So) 3.83 72 82 OK Columbia (Columbia, PA) 3 6 48 FS Gabriel Kidd 6-0 199 (Jr) 3.78 79 83 OK Bristol (Bristol, PA) 6 8 44 FS Eugene Nichols 5-11 189 Jr 3.21 62 73 OK Hanover (Hanover, NH) 6 11 38 FS Charles Brown (S) 6-1 178 Sr 3.99 61 94 OK Blacklick Valley (Nanty Glo, PA) 12 15 29 SS Benjamin Hill 6-0 184 Jr 3.94 87 89 OK Theodore Roosevelt (Washington, DC) 4 7 27 SS Dan Bishop 6-2 185 Fr 2.07 62 39 OK Varina (Richmond, VA) 6 11 21 SS Richard Phillips(S) 5-10 176 (Jr) 2.01 51 49 OK Sts. Neumann-Goretti (PA) 7 12 [/code] Like Gross, Brown considered leaving early for the NFL, but chose to return to Penn State. He’s a quick, tough, instinctive player who is always around the ball. Phillips steps in at strong safety and will contribute toughness against the run. Francis Taylor’s graduation puts the spotlight on Daniel Jackson, who brings his air-tight coverage skills over to the “press” corner spot. His partner will be Thompson, who excels in zone coverage schemes. The nickel back will be Braden, a true freshman, who will have to step up in a hurry. Nichols is a premiere kickoff returner, and he will be Brown’s backup at free safety. Another true freshman, Bishop, will play a lot at strong safety. We’re thin here, as Hill, Kidd, Harris, and Robert Jackson are all unproven and raw. Again, an injury could be disastrous. Harris, Brown, Hill, and Kidd need to tutor their less academically inclined unit mates so they all remain eligible. [code] Specialists # NAME HT WT YR GPA WE IN ST High School OR PT 7 K Donald Brady 6-4 205 Jr 3.49 79 68 OK Ford City (Ford City, PA) 7 7 1 K Jeff Williams (S) 6-0 202 Fr 2.92 93 63 OK Hendersonville (Hendersonville, NC) 12 17 5 P Philip Redd (S) 6-1 186 (Sr) 2.45 88 63 OK Malvern Prep (Malvern, PA) 16 16 4 P John Stafford 6-0 179 Sr 2.47 44 59 OK Harriton (Rosemont, PA) 6 7 [/code] Redd might be the best punter in the country. He can kick the ball deep or knock it down close to the goal line, and he helps us win field position battles week after week. Williams was a huge recruiting coup; he’s already a very accurate kicker with a strong leg. Neither Stafford nor Brady have attempted a kick at Penn State.

[Big Six]

[B]Week 2, 2007 #9 Penn State 50, #14 Notre Dame 24[/B] [code] [B]Notre Dame 10 7 0 7 -- 24 Penn State 14 19 10 7 -- 50 Notre Dame Penn State[/B] [COLOR="red"]24 [/COLOR] First Downs 15 182 Yards Rushing 123 314 Yards Passing 257 [COLOR="Red"]496[/COLOR] Total Yards 380 9-74 Penalties 4-35 3-15 3rd Down Eff. 3-13 1-2 4th Down Eff. 0-0 33:19 Possession 26:41 [B]First Quarter [/B] ND TD 13:55 7-0 Jacob Tucker 43 YD Pass from Joseph Medrano (Scott Hardin Kick). PNST TD 13:39 7-7 90 YD Kickoff Return by Eugene Nichols (Jeff Williams Kick). PNST TD 10:47 14-7 58 YD Fumble Return by John James (Jeff Williams Kick). ND FG 01:49 14-10 Scott Hardin 29 YD [B]Second Quarter [/B] PNST FG 14:33 17-10 Jeff Williams 37 YD ND TD 11:10 17-17 Steven Villarreal 1 YD Run (Scott Hardin Kick). PNST SAF 04:35 19-17 John Bell sacked Joseph Medrano in the end zone for a safety. PNST TD 02:16 26-17 Jerry Hubbard 17 YD Pass from Dan Pearson (Jeff Williams Kick). PNST TD 00:34 33-17 Jason Cruz 43 YD Pass from Dan Pearson (Jeff Williams Kick). [B]Third Quarter [/B] PNST TD 14:40 40-17 90 YD Kickoff Return by Eugene Nichols (Jeff Williams Kick). PNST FG 04:22 43-17 Jeff Williams 30 YD [B]Fourth Quarter [/B] PNST TD 12:52 50-17 86 YD Int Return by Daniel Jackson (Donald Brady Kick). ND TD 07:52 50-24 Charles Mitchell 2 YD Pass from Joseph Medrano (Scott Hardin Kick). [b]Penn State Individual Statistics: Passing:[/b] Dan Pearson 10-17-215, 2 TD; John Thomas 1-2-33; Joe Collins 1-2-9; David Thompson 0-2. [b]Rushing:[/b] Calvin Ferguson 12-71, Man Ward 3-24, Miguel Gregory 6-13, Sean Henry 2-13, Ray Johnson 1-5, Dan Pearson 3-4, John Thomas 1-3, Joe Collins 1-0, Noe McCarthy 2-0, Franklin Ballard 2-(-1). [b]Receiving:[/b] Jerry Hubbard 3-76, Jason Cruz 2-49, Ray Johnson 3-46, Calvin Ferguson 1-34, David Mills 1-33, Modesto Stark 1-10, Sean Henry 1-9. [b]Key Run Blocks:[/b] None. (!!) [b]Pancakes:[/b] Anthony Lloyd 2, Wes Herring 1. [b]Kicking:[/b] Jeff Williams 2-3 FG, 5-5 XP; Donald Brady 1-1 XP. [b]Punting:[/b] John Stafford 3-37.3; Phillip Redd 3-35.0 [b]Kick Returns:[/b] Eugene Nichols 4-52.8 [b]Punt Returns:[/b] Sean Henry 4-7.0 [b]Sacks:[/b] John Bell 1. [b]Interceptions:[/b] Daniel Jackson 2-105, Dan Bishop 1-4. [b]Tackles:[/b] William Gross 10, Charles Brown 8, Eugene Nichols 7, Dan Bishop 6, Richard Phillips 4, Dustin Wood 4, George Harris 3, John James 2, Darrell Crumlish 2, Jerry Martin 2, Roy Thompson 2, Stan Rodriquez 1, Henry Wallace 1, Paul Braden 1, Daniel Jackson 1, Benjamin Hill 1. [b]Stuffs:[/b] Charles Brown 2, William Gross 1, Richard Phillips 1, John James 1, Darrell Crumlish 1. [b]Hurries:[/b] Jerry Martin 1. [b]Passes Defended:[/b] Charles Brown 2, Daniel Jackson 1. [/code] If you had told me last week that every player in a Penn State uniform would see action against Notre Dame, I wouldn’t have believed you. The chances that either team would open up enough of a lead for that to happen aren’t good, but that’s exactly what happened at Beaver Stadium this week. It was a wild, wild game, and if you like to watch big plays, you were in for a treat. There were no fewer than six scoring plays of over 40 yards: two kickoff returns, one interception return, one fumble return, and two long pass plays. Fortunately, all but one of those touchdowns were scored by Penn State. Eugene Nichols ran two kicks back for touchdowns; each play went 90 yards. Daniel Jackson took an interception 86 yards to the house. Freshman quarterback Dan Pearson hooked up with Jason Cruz for a 43-yard TD. And, perhaps most entertaining of all, big John James carried all 293 pounds, plus the football, 58 yards for a score on a fumble recovery. Not surprisingly, there was a capacity crowd on hand, and they had plenty to cheer about. We brought the top-ranked high school player in Pennsylvania in for an official visit, and the atmosphere on campus all weekend long was electric. He also got to see us beat a very good football team, which was a huge plus. There were a few things about our performance that have me worried, however. We gave up a LOT of yards to Notre Dame, both on the ground and in the air. We had trouble stopping their excellent running back, Stephen Villareal, who burned us for 174 yards, including several long runs. We can’t always count on big plays to win football games, because they’re not always going to be there. Unless we tighten up, both offensively and defensively, we will have trouble with the better teams in the Big Ten. The recruit we brought in, George Crenshaw, is a free safety from Towanda Area High. He enjoyed his visit very much, and he told us before he left that he’s even more interested in coming to Penn State than he was before he came to campus. He particularly likes the way our defensive system takes advantage of the unique talents of Charles Brown. If George comes to Penn State, it will be Charles’ position he will inherit. The biggest news in college football this week was a tremendous upset victory by Southern Mississippi over Michigan at the Big House in Ann Arbor. The Wolverines were ranked #1, and Southern Miss beat them 23-20 on a 41-yard field goal by Bruce Webb in overtime. The Eagles were 20-point underdogs, but they refused to be intimidated by mighty Michigan. That’s what’s great about college football…unless you happen to be a Wolverines fan, that is. We have another week off to prepare for our next game, a tough road contest at Purdue. The Boilermakers’ defense is ranked first in the nation, so we’ll face a real challenge as we develop our game plan. [B]So far in the Big Ten: Week One[/B] Indiana 34, Florida Atlantic 10 #24 Minnesota 35, Akron 6 #4 Wisconsin 41, Northern Illinois 7 [B]Week Two[/B] #10 Ohio State 31, Virginia Tech 17 #23 Tennessee 21, #24 Minnesota 19 #4 Wisconsin 37, Texas Tech 10 Boston College 26, Illinois 21 Louisville 26, Indiana 11 #18 Iowa 27, Temple 20 #15 Michigan State 38, Baylor 20 Southern Mississippi 23, #1 Michigan 20 #6 Purdue 28, North Carolina 3 Colorado 13, Northwestern 10

[Big Six]

I've decided to start giving props to some of the players from across the world of college football who turn in outstanding performances this week. [B]Notable performances from Week One:[/B] QB Wally Behrens, Kansas State: 28-40-353, 2 TD QB Kent Huff, Washington: 18-29-324, [B]4 TD[/B] RB Robert Smith, Oklahoma: [B]27-286[/B], 3 TD RB William Cunningham, Alabama: 31-250, 2 TD RB Tyler Reyes, Washington: 28-244, 2 TD RB Will Neely, Miami-FL: 30-203, 1 TD WR Gerardo King, Tulane: 6-163 WR Francisco Woody, Pittsburgh: 7-162 WR Robert Austin, Vanderbilt: 5-161, TD DE Carl Jones, Nebraska: [B]4 sacks, 4 TFL[/B] DE Eric Johnson, Auburn: 4 sacks, 3 TFL LB Leslie Cox, Rice: 14 tackles SS Jeffrey Jennings, Army: 13 tackles LB Phillip White, Middle Tennessee St.: 13 tackles FS Dwight Hunter, Louisiana-Lafayette: 10 tackles, 2 INT [B]Notable performances from Week Two:[/B] QB Roger Rich, Michigan State: 31-48-[B]453[/B], 3 TD QB Patrick Gilbert, South Carolina: 28-42-432, [B]5 TD[/B] QB Eugene Molina, Virginia: 19-33-393, 2 TD QB David Mosley, Florida: [B]28-33[/B]-370, 4 TD RB Keith Smith, LSU: 30-238, 2 TD RB Corey Cosby, Texas: 32-230, TD RB William Cunningham, Alabama: 39-222, 2 TD WR Wayne Miller, Utah: 8-188, 2 TD RB Bob Stark, San Jose St.: 7-172, TD WR Jeremy Nelson, Troy: 7-164, TD DE John Thompson, Purdue: 3 sacks, 3 TFL LB Cecil Brown, Duke: [B]17 tackles[/B], 1 sack FS John Wise, Memphis: 16 tackles LB Cory Jackson, Southern Miss.: 15 tackles

[Big Six]

[B]Week Three, 2007[/B] I think I'm more frustrated with Miguel Gregory right now than I've ever been with any football player, anyplace, anytime. I can understand why he's sometimes unhappy about the number of touches he's getting. Two years ago, he was the man, the feature back. Last year, Calvin Ferguson arrived at Penn State, and Calvin beat Miguel out. That's not a reflection on Miguel's ability; he was, and is, an extremely talented running back. Calvin is simply that much better. That being said, there is definitely a place for Gregory in our offense. He's a very strong runner between the tackles, and he catches the ball well out of the backfield. We can rest Calvin for a series or two without suffering much of a dropoff in quality. Very few teams possess that kind of depth at a crucial position. This week, we learned that once again, Gregory is academically ineligible for football. He'll be sitting out for at least three weeks while he gets his academics in order. Gus George will be joining him, and it's not the first time Gus has been in this position, either. Gregory's suspension leaves us very thin at a position that has been a real strength for us for the last two years. Sean Henry will move up to second string, and while Sean is already an outstanding return man and will be a very good running back, he's a true freshman and he's not quite there yet. We're deeper at defensive end, so George's absence won't hurt us quite as much. Still, here at Penn State we've always taken pride in the fact that our players are true student athletes. It's much harder to make that claim when some of them don't take the "student" part of that combination as seriously as they should.

[Big Six]

[B]Week Three, 2006[/B] The Big Ten has contained eleven teams since we joined the conference in 1993. Each of the other teams played this week, and many of them scored easy victories. The exception was Iowa, who was upset by Navy. The nation’s new #1 team, the Wisconsin Badgers, avenged the Big Ten’s honor against another of the service academies, beating Army with ease. Our next opponent, Purdue, tuned up for us by limiting Baylor to 82 yards of total offense. As the Big Ten season begins, nine of the conference’s eleven teams are ranked. Without a doubt, we are the strongest conference in all of college football. If we’re going to win ten games again this season, we’ll need every bit of talent, determination, and luck we can muster. [B]Elsewhere in the Big Ten:[/B] #8 Florida State 51, Illinois 10 Navy 26, #13 Iowa 7 #15 Michigan State 68, Central Florida 10 Indiana 12, South Florida 7 #7 Michigan 51, Ohio 3 #10 Ohio State 52, North Carolina 3 #6 Purdue 37, Baylor 5 #1 Wisconsin 41, Army 17 Northwestern 24, Iowa State 18 #24 Minnesota 35, Vanderbilt 6

[Big Six]

[B]Notable performances from Week Three:[/B] [B]OFFENSIVE STANDOUTS[/B] QB Michael Friend, Michigan: [B]24-31-473[/B], 2 TD QB Robert Knight, Idaho: 19-30-452, 3 TD QB Jeffrey Mullen, Wisconsin: 29-36-422, [B]5 TD[/B] QB Danny Harris, Central Michigan: 19-33-400, 3 TD RB Tyler Reyes, Washington: 31-227, TD RB Robert Thomas, Purdue: 25-221 RB Timothy Childs, N.C. State: 27-221, 2 TD WR Jason Hines, Louisiana-Lafayette: 4-183, TD WR Greg Williams, Nebraska: 7-161, [B]3 TD[/B] WR Norris Sample, Middle Tennessee St.: 4-155 Tyler Reyes rushed for over 1400 yards last season and was a third team All-Pac 10 selection for the second straight year. He isn't terribly fast or terribly powerful, but he finds a way to move the football, and that's what counts. Reyes will contend for the Doak Walker Award this season, and has to be listed among the early-season favorites for the Heisman. [B]DEFENSIVE STANDOUTS:[/B] DE Gregory Burke, Brigham Young: 3 sacks, 3 TFL LB Cecil Brown, Duke: 14 tackles LB Carlos Robinson, Northwestern: 13 tackles, 2 sacks LB William Williams, Eastern Michigan: 13 tackles, 2 sacks LB Dave Watkins, Troy: 3 INT, 6 tackles SS Tony Henley, Georgia: [B]2 INT, 2 TD[/B] Duke's defense is on the field almost constantly, so Cecil Brown has lots of opportunities to make tackles. That being said, Brown still has to make the plays. He is a two-time All-ACC first team linebacker, and as a senior, he's a frontrunner for the Butkus Award.

[Big Six]

[B]Week 4, 2007 #6 Penn State 37, #4 Purdue 34[/B] [code] [B]Penn State 14 7 3 7 6 -- 37 Purdue 3 6 8 14 3 -- 34 Purdue Penn State[/B] 19 First Downs [COLOR="red"]30[/COLOR] 54 Yards Rushing 258 333 Yards Passing 301 387 Total Yards [COLOR="Red"]559[/COLOR] 7-49 Penalties 4-45 5-13 3rd Down Eff. 13-22 0-0 4th Down Eff. 0-0 25:35 Possession 36:23 [B]First Quarter [/B] PNST TD 09:26 7-0 Calvin Ferguson 5 YD Run (Jeff Williams Kick). PNST TD 05:39 14-0 Calvin Ferguson 5 YD Run (Jeff Williams Kick). PUR FG 00:12 14-3 Walter Orr 51 YD [B]Second Quarter[/B] PUR TD 10:41 14-9 Marcus Skidmore 5 YD Pass from Robert Harris (Walter Orr Kick Failed). PNST TD 05:37 21-9 Calvin Ferguson 10 YD Run (Jeff Williams Kick). [B]Third Quarter [/B] PNST FG 03:35 24-9 Jeff Williams 26 YD PUR TD 02:47 24-17 Willie Aguilar 72 YD Pass from Raymond Patterson (2 Pts - Alvin Smith Pass from Robert Harris) [B]Fourth Quarter [/B] PNST TD 08:40 31-17 Calvin Ferguson 60 YD Pass from Dan Pearson (Jeff Williams Kick). PUR TD 07:16 31-24 Joseph Holliday 35 YD Pass from Robert Harris (Walter Orr Kick). PUR TD 04:17 31-31 Alvin Smith 4 YD Pass from Robert Harris (Walter Orr Kick). [B]Overtime[/B] PUR FG - 34-31 Walter Orr 40 YD PNST TD - 37-34 Calvin Ferguson 5 YD Pass from Dan Pearson [b]Penn State Individual Statistics: Passing:[/b] Dan Pearson 20-33-301, 2 TD, 1 INT [b]Rushing:[/b] Calvin Ferguson 37-144, Dan Pearson 9-79, Man Ward 7-31, Sean Henry 2-13, Noe McCarthy 1-4, Ray Johnson 1-0. [b]Receiving:[/b] Ray Johnson 7-116, Calvin Ferguson 5-83, Jerry Hubbard 5-78, Modesto Stark 2-13, David Mills 1-11. [b]Key Run Blocks:[/b] Chris Sandoval 3, Anthony Lloyd 1, Fred Felton 1. [b]Pancakes:[/b] Warren Kirkpatrick 2, Anthony Lloyd 1, Wes Herring 1. [b]Kicking:[/b] Jeff Williams 1-2 FG, 4-4 XP [b]Punting:[/b] Philip Redd 4-42.5. [b]Kick Returns:[/b] Eugene Nichols 5-16.2. [b]Punt Returns:[/b] Sean Henry 2-8.5. [b]Sacks:[/b] Jerry Martin 2, John Bell 1, Darrell Crumlish 1. [b]Interceptions:[/b] Roy Thompson 1-(-3). [b]Tackles:[/b] William Gross 8, Charles Brown 8, Jerry Martin 5, Daniel Jackson 5, Richard Phillips 5, Andrew Stone 4, Roy Thompson 4, George Harris 2, Robert Jackson 2, Chris Silverman 1, John Bell 1, Darrell Crumlish 1. [b]Stuffs:[/b] William Gross 1, Jerry Martin 1. [b]Hurries:[/b] None. [b]Passes Defended:[/b] Daniel Jackson 1, Richard Phillips 1. [/code] It wasn’t a perfect football game, but it sure was an exciting one. There were about 2,000 empty seats at Purdue’s Ross-Ade Stadium, which surprised me. The fans who were there got their money’s worth. I’d guess most of them weren’t happy with the outcome; nevertheless, they saw a thrilling game between two ranked teams. I was very pleased with the way we moved the ball against Purdue’s defense, which had completely shut down their first two opponents. Calvin Ferguson had a tremendous day, scoring all five of our touchdowns—three on runs and two, including the game-winner, on passes from Dan Pearson. The touchdown Calvin scored in the fourth quarter was simply a tremendous play. We faced a third-and-six on our own 40. Pearson got the ball to him on a screen, and guard Anthony Lloyd absolutely leveled a Purdue defender to spring Calvin loose. He took it up the sideline, all the way for the score. Ferguson creates excitement every time he touches the ball, because he has the ability to turn the simplest plays—like that halfback screen—into a touchdown. I have a feeling he’ll only be at Penn State for three years before the NFL lures him away, so enjoy him while you can! Speaking of exciting, Dan Pearson’s ability to run with the ball gives opposing defenses one more thing to worry about. In the first quarter, Dan exploded up the middle for 23 yards on a QB draw that caught Purdue completely off guard. Twice, he tucked the ball away and ran for first downs after his receivers were covered. Neither of the other quarterbacks I’ve coached here, John McKinney or Joe Collins, have had the ability to make that play. I’m also impressed with Pearson’s improving ability to find his receivers and deliver the ball to them. He didn’t play like a true freshman in his second college game this week; that’s for sure. Another of the true freshmen who’s making an impact this year, kicker Jeff Williams, was hanging his head a little bit after he missed a 38-yard field goal that would have put us ahead with less than two minutes to play in regulation. He expects to make every kick, which is exactly the kind of attitude we’d want him to have. He doesn’t have the consistency Stephan Phillips gave us, but we have to remember that Stephan was a junior when I arrived here. He’d kicked in a lot more pressure situations than Jeff has, and Jeff should be every bit as good by the time he’s through here. Jeff felt badly because our special teams had come up with a huge play to give us a chance to win the game. Chris Silverman made a huge hit on their punt returner, Willie Holliday, and knocked the ball loose. Fred Felton fell on it at their 23, which gave us the ball 34 yards closer to their goal line than it had been before. Purdue had just tied the game, 31-31, scoring a touchdown that had been set up by a big play of their own. Their good young defensive tackle, Dan Whitt, hit Pearson hard when he was about to release the ball, and it was ruled a fumble. Robert Lackey picked it up and returned it 25 yards to our 14. That’s a case of two very good football players doing what very good football players tend to do—make plays in crucial situations. Lackey is an All-Big Ten safety, and Whitt will probably be just as highly regarded in a couple years. Fortunately we have some playmakers of our own, and they led us to a big, big victory over an outstanding Big Ten team on the road. That’s a win you cherish, because they don’t come often. The upset of the week in the Big Ten was Illinois' pasting of Michigan State. I don't think anybody saw that coming, least of all the Spartans. Our victory lifted us to fourth in the GDCS standings, behind Wisconsin, USC, and Oklahoma. Remember who our next opponent is? That’s right; it’s Wisconsin. Once again, we’ll be facing a team that’s ranked #1 in the country against the run. Buckle those chinstraps tight, guys. It’s gonna be a good, old-fashioned Big Ten football game. [B]Elsewhere in the Big Ten:[/B] #24 Minnesota 24, Northwestern 9 #1 Wisconsin 23, #10 Ohio State 19 Illinois 48, #14 Michigan State 19 #18 Iowa 31, Indiana 10 #7 Michigan 17, #16 Notre Dame 13

[D16NJD16]

Go Lions!

[Big Six]

Notable performances from Week Four: [B]OFFENSIVE LEADERS[/B] QB Kenneth Brown, Oregon: [B]30-41-455, 4 TD[/B] QB Gary White, USC: 24-39-419, 3 TD QB Roger Rich, Michigan State: 31-45-413, 1 TD RB Eugene Klein, Florida State: 27-175, 1 TD RB William Cunningham, Alabama: 29-153 [B][COLOR="Navy"]RB Calvin Ferguson, Penn State: 37-144, 3 TD; 5-83 receiving, 2 TD[/COLOR][/B] WR Jean James, East Carolina: 7-160, 2 TD WR Francisco Parker, Iowa State: 5-159, 2 TD WR Robert Rollins, Idaho: 8-155, 1 TD WR Willie Aguilar, Purdue: 6-155, 1 TD It wasn't a great week for running backs, but Ferguson became the first player to score five touchdowns in a single game this year. Rich and Aguilar are well on their way to All-Big Ten recognition. DEFENSIVE LEADERS DE Glen Boone, Tulsa: [B]4 sacks[/B] OLB James Owens, BYU: [B]4 sacks[/B] SS Mitchell O'Neal, Arizona: [B]15 tackles[/B], 1 INT OLB James Stafford, Northwestern: 14 tackles ILB Edward Pena, Michigan: 14 tackles, 2 sacks SS Rex Richmond, Virginia: [B]3 INT[/B] Pena is a senior, the leader of Michigan's outstanding defensive unit. He made second team All-Big Ten last year, and should be in the running for Player of the Year this season.

[Big Six]

[B]Week 5, 2007 #6 Penn State 39, #1 Wisconsin 33 [code] Wisconsin 7 3 16 7 -- 33 Penn State 7 7 7 18 -- 39 Wisconsin Penn State[/B] 20 First Downs 25 78 Yards Rushing 270 312 Yards Passing 294 390 Total Yards [COLOR="Red"]564[/COLOR] 6-48 Penalties 5-34 4-12 3rd Down Eff. 5-34 0-0 4th Down Eff. 0-0 28:55 Possession 31:05 First Quarter WIS TD 04:25 7-0 Matthew Kiser 54 YD Pass from Jeffrey Mullen (Jamie Franklin Kick). PNST TD 02:32 7-7 Theodore Dick 43 YD Pass from Dan Pearson (Jeff Williams Kick). Second Quarter PNST TD 10:27 14-7 Calvin Ferguson 6 YD Pass from Dan Pearson (Jeff Williams Kick). WIS FG 00:40 14-10 Jamie Franklin 38 YD Third Quarter WIS TD 11:12 16-14 William Ogle 2 YD Run (Jamie Franklin Kick Failed). WIS TD 06:31 23-14 Antonio Hooper 14 YD Pass from Jeffrey Mullen (Jamie Franklin Kick). PNST TD 04:57 23-21 Theodore Dick 60 YD Pass from Dan Pearson (Jeff Williams Kick). WIS FG 02:03 26-21 Jamie Franklin 43 YD Fourth Quarter PNST TD 13:35 29-26 Calvin Ferguson 7 YD Run (2 Pts - Calvin Ferguson Run) WIS TD 09:08 33-29 85 YD Punt Return by Elmer Graves (Jamie Franklin Kick). PNST TD 06:15 36-33 Modesto Stark 12 YD Pass from Dan Pearson (Jeff Williams Kick). PNST FG 00:39 39-33 Jeff Williams 36 YD [b]Penn State Individual Statistics: Passing:[/b] Dan Pearson 15-31-294, [COLOR="red"]4 TD[/COLOR] [b]Rushing:[/b] Calvin Ferguson [COLOR="red"]27-180[/COLOR], Dan Pearson 6-52, Man Ward 6-33, Sean Henry 1-19, Noe McCarthy 3-(-3) [b]Receiving:[/b] Theodore Dick [COLOR="red"]4-158[/COLOR], Ray Johnson 2-53, Modesto Stark 4-36, Jason Cruz 1-25, Calvin Ferguson 3-14, Jerry Hubbard 1-8. [b]Key Run Blocks:[/b] Anthony Lloyd [COLOR="red"]2[/COLOR], Fred Felton 1, Warren Kirkpatrick 1. [b]Pancakes:[/b] Anthony Lloyd [COLOR="red"]3[/COLOR], Chris Sandoval 2. [b]Kicking:[/b] Jeff Williams 1-1 FG, 4-4 XP. [b]Punting:[/b] Philip Redd 5-36.2 [b]Kick Returns:[/b] Eugene Nichols 4-26.2, William Tolbert 1-17. [b]Punt Returns:[/b] Sean Henry 3-19.3 [b]Sacks:[/b] Jerry Martin [COLOR="red"]3[/COLOR], Darrell Crumlish 1, Charles Brown 1. [b]Interceptions:[/b] Charles Brown 1-23, Roy Thompson 1-9. [b]Tackles:[/b] William Gross [COLOR="red"]12[/COLOR], Charles Brown 8, George Harris 6, Andrew Stone 6, Roy Thompson 5, Jerry Martin 3, Daniel Jackson 3, Paul Braden 3, Richard Phillips 3, Darrell Crumlish 2, John James 1, John Bell 1. [b]Stuffs:[/b] William Gross [COLOR="red"]3[/COLOR], Darrell Crumlish 1, Richard Phillips 1. [b]Hurries:[/b] John Bell 1. [b]Passes Defended:[/b] William Gross 1. [/code] I'm still riding the high I got from the biggest victory of my coaching career. I can't stop reliving the highlights from last Saturday night in my mind. I don't only mean things that happened on the field; I'm talking about the rush I get when I think about 107,000 Penn State fans filling Beaver Stadium and supporting their team all night long. The atmosphere was electric, and the players definitely fed off the crowd's enthusiasm. I told our players we were good enough to beat Wisconsin, but that in order to do so, we needed to play the very best football we could play. Sure, it sounds like a cliche, but it's really not any more difficult than that. Wisconsin came in as a very deserving Number One team, and they fought us hard for 60 minutes. To beat a team like that, you have to be that much better, and we were. Dan Pearson made a few bad throws, but he also threw four TD passes and gained some big yards for us on running plays. Theodore Dick gained more yards receiving than any receiver I've coached in three years at Penn State. Calvin Ferguson nearly broke two long touchdown runs, but stepped on the sideline each time. Fortunately, he was already 20 yards downfield when he did so. Calvin did a great job of keeping our drives alive by gaining five or six yards at a time. That kept our defense fresh, and able to handle Wisconsin's explosive offense. William Gross played one of the best games of his Penn State career: 12 tackles, three for losses, and a great play in pass coverage. Jerry Martin was in their QB's face all night, and sacked him three times. We did give up a few too many big plays defensively, and Richard Phillips got beat badly twice for long gains. On the other hand, we were up against Jeffrey Mullen, one of the best quarterbacks in the nation, and a veteran group of receivers. We gained 270 rushing yards against a Wisconsin defense that had allowed only a little over 40 yards a game so far this season. Add to that our 294 yards passing, and you get an offense that was both balanced and productive. George Dickson deserves a tremendous amount of credit for the great job he did preparing our offensive players for this game. One of the two best high school running backs in the country, Ron Jones, came out from California to watch the game. Ron loved the atmosphere, and he really liked the way our offense makes use of Calvin Ferguson's talents. He's extremely interested in coming to Penn State now, and landing him would be an achievement similar to signing Calvin two years ago. We have another bye week coming up, and I almost wish we could keep playing because we have a tremendous amount of momentum right now. We're fairly healthy, too; only Todd Main, who has a stress fracture in his foot, is unable to practice right now. And, we got some good news from the academic front. Both Miguel Gregory and Augustin George have brought their grades up enough to practice again, and they'll both be dressed for our game at Iowa in two weeks. Neither will start, but they're both key players who will see quite a bit of action. We'll experiment with some sets that get Gregory and Ferguson on the field at the same time. The off week will, however, give me some time to savor our big, big victory. It's a great feeling, and I'm not ready to let go of it just yet. [B]Elsewhere in the Big Ten:[/B] [COLOR="Navy"]#4 Michigan 31[/COLOR], [COLOR="Purple"]Northwestern 17[/COLOR] [COLOR="Red"]#14 Ohio State 32[/COLOR], [COLOR="Olive"]#10 Purdue 20[/COLOR] [COLOR="Red"]Indiana 30[/COLOR], [COLOR="Navy"]Illinois 6[/COLOR] [COLOR="Green"]#19 Michigan State 43[/COLOR], [COLOR="DarkRed"]#24 Minnesota 20[/COLOR]

[Bulletproof Punk]

I smell a National Championship...

[Big Six]

[QUOTE=Bulletproof Punk;166766]I smell a National Championship...[/QUOTE] I catch a whiff of that fragrance too. It's a complex scent, made up of a very sweet-smelling offense and a defense that can be absolutely rancid. If the D can tighten up some, I think the Nittany Lions have an excellent chance at a GDS bowl game, at the very least. There are four ranked teams left on Penn State's schedule, and we'll play three of them on the road: #25 Iowa, #6 Michigan, and #16 Minnesota. The Lions have a non-conference road game at Army, and three Big Ten home games: #17 Michigan State, Northwestern, and Illinois. The toughest remaining test, then, will be the Week 10 trip to the Big House in Ann Arbor. Michigan suffered a stunning upset at the hands of Southern Mississippi, but since then they've been crushing teams right and left. I'm not convinced there are five teams in the country who are truly better than they are. Hopefully Penn State will go into that game 6-0, beat the Wolverines, and take over first place in the Big Ten and the #1 spot in the rankings. Then, we'll hold on to that spot and roll into the championship game. Thanks for following the Lions, BP.

[Big Six]

[B]Week 6, 2007[/B] We’re not playing this weekend, so we’ve had more time to evaluate the development of some of our players. There are several guys who have made great strides since the beginning of the season, especially among our freshman class. They were considered the 22nd best recruiting class in the nation, but I believe that they will rate much better than that when they’re finished with their collegiate careers and their impact on our program can be evaluated thoroughly. Dan Pearson has taken on the daunting task of starting at quarterback in the Big Ten as a true freshman. He’s improving the accuracy of his throws, and is also delivering the ball with much better touch. Ray Johnson was already a fine player, especially for a freshman—but he has made great strides in his route running, and he’s doing a better job of catching balls when he gets his hands on them. We have two good young tight ends, Michael Nixon and Roger Page, who are both working hard to improve their blocking. We can’t wait to get Nixon, who is sitting out this season as a transfer, onto the field next fall. Freshman running back Sean Henry might have improved more than any offensive player in our program. We envisioned Sean as primarly a return man, but his running skills and ability to catch the ball out of the backfield have improved to the point that we’ve revised our projections upward. Noe McCarthy, who has played a lot at fullback for us already, is developing into a threat as a ball carrier, and his skills as a lead blocker are also improving. The offensive lineman who has made the greatest strides is Rich Redd, who is redshirting this year. He’s put on eight pounds of muscle, and he’s made great strides as both a run and pass blocker. Warren Kirkpatrick and Anthony Lloyd are sophomores, and are already good enough to start, but we’re pleased with the fact that both keep improving steadily. Our defensive coaches are thrilled with the play of freshman DE Darrell Crumlish. He took advantage of Gus George’s academic suspension to grab a starting job, and he hasn’t looked back. Darrell has improved his pass rush technique and tackling ability more than any player on our defense, and he’s becoming much stronger at the point of attack. Linebacker Henry Wallace, another first-year player, is impressing us with his ability to drop back into coverage. And if Dan Bishop can improve his effort in the classroom so it matches his efforts on the practice field, he’ll develop into a top-notch defensive back. Finally, I should mention the growth of Jeff Williams as a kicker. He’s missed a couple fairly easy field goal attempts, but he keeps working hard and isn’t letting the setbacks he faces get him down. It’s tough to see anything negative about a season in which we’ve beaten three ranked teams in our first three games. We’re winning because our offense has been hitting on all cylinders and putting tons of points on the scoreboard. We are ranked fourth in the nation in total offense, averaging just over 500 yards per game. Our running game is the fifth most productive at 217 yards a game. Only Florida is averaging more points per game than we are. Defensively, it’s a very different story. We’re allowing just over 30 points per game, 110th among the 119 Divison I teams. Only two teams in the country have allowed more yards passing per game than we have! Granted, that’s partially because we’ve faced some very productive offenses, and we’re tough to run the ball against. I’m afraid, however, that sooner or later some team is going to find a way to control our offense and force our defense to win the game for us. We’re certainly talented enough to win that way; we simply haven’t proven it yet. Next week, we’re traveling to Iowa to take on a Hawkeyes team that is smarting from the beating they took at Minnesota’s hands. I’m sure their coach, Mark O’Brien, will have them fired up to play us, especially because our ranking continues to climb. Texas, who was ranked #2, lost to Oklahoma this week, so we moved up a spot to #3. We’re second in the coaches’ poll, and the GDS computer has us at #2 as well. We have a chance to find out how it feels to be the hunted. [B]Elsewhere in the Big Ten:[/B] #11 Purdue 26, Northwestern 0 #8 Ohio State 26, Indiana 11 #5 Wisconsin 40, Illinois 13 Minnesota 44, #20 Iowa 13 #6 Michigan 43, #17 Michigan State 25

[Big Six]

I'm back, after a long break from the action. I realized I hadn't posted the offensive and defensive standouts from Weeks 5 and 6, so without further ado, here they are: [B]Notable performers from Week 5:[/B] [B]OFFENSE[/B] QB Elvin Morrison, Mississippi State: 15-25-424, 4 TD QB James Walker, North Carolina: 30-44-401, 2 TD QB Tyler Keaton, Mississippi: 15-32-359, 4 TD QB Joseph Medrano, Notre Dame: 17-27-350, 4 TD RB Mark Knutson, Nevada: 32-234, 1 TD RB Eugene Klein, Florida State: 28-222, 1 TD RB Tyler Reyes, Washington: 32-222, 3 TD RB Corey Cosby, Texas: 29-221, 1 TD WR John Nelson, Mississippi State: 5-170, 1 TD [B][COLOR="Navy"]WR Theodore Dick, Penn State: 4-158, 2 TD[/COLOR][/B] WR Jonah Whitney, Mississippi: 4-157, 2 TD Klein, Reyes, and Cosby all had big days again. [B]DEFENSE[/B] DE Jeff Hayden, Eastern Michigan: 3 sacks, 1 TFL, 11 (!!) hurries OLB Leroy McLaughlin, Missouri: 3 sacks, 1 TFL ILB Melvin Villegas, Louisville: 15 tackles, 5 TFL ILB Johnnie Lund, Navy: 15 tackles, 1 sack, 3 TFL ILB Carlos Robinson, Northwestern: 14 tackles, 1 sack OLB Ronald Lee, Michigan State: 14 tackles SS Michael Aleman, Western Michigan: 3 INT-115, 1 TD ILB Rick Hale, Virginia: 2 INT-110, 1 TD, 11 tackles Bowling Green QB David Holmes will be seeing Jeff Hayden in his nightmares for the rest of his life. Remember Rick Hale? He left Penn State after the 2005 season. [B]Notable performers from Week 6:[/B] [B]OFFENSE[/B] QB Kent Huff, Washington: 23-40-425, 5 TD QB Joe Soares, Alabama-Birmingham: 32-47-404, 1 TD QB Roger Rich, Michigan State: 32-51-403, 1 TD QB Ralph McConnell, Akron: 19-33-382, 5 TD RB Richard Donahue, Texas: 28-238, 1 TD RB David Barnett, Louisville: 28-224, 1 TD RB Barry Williams, LSU: 34-223, 1 TD WR David Byrd, UCLA: 7-188 WR Elmer Graves, Wisconsin: 8-164, 1 TD WR Kyle Moon, Akron: 6-160, 2 TD I have no idea why Texas benched Cosby in favor of Donahue this week. Cosby isn't hurt, and he has a 3.31 GPA. We'll see what happens next week. [B]DEFENSE[/B] ILB Raymundo Perez, Tennessee: 4 sacks DT Ralph Fletcher, Eastern Michigan: 3 sacks, 3 TFL ILB Sammie Bishop, Iowa: 2 sacks, 6 TFL, 16 tackles ILB Carlos Robinson, Northwestern: 14 tackles, 1 sack ILB Michael Eason, Tulane: 13 tackles CB James Ayala, Akron: 3 INT CB Adam Young, Miami-Ohio: 2 INT, 1 TD SS John Benson, Ball State: 2 INT, 9 tackles Another big game for Carlos Robinson, who is now the leading candidate for the Butkus Award. [B]HEISMAN WATCH[/B] My completely subjective ranking of the top three candidates for the Heisman Trophy: 1. Tyler Reyes, RB, Washington: Over 1000 yards rushing and 10 TD in six games for #2 team in the nation. 2. Eugene Klein, RB, Florida State: Leads NCAA with 186 yards/game. 3. Ron Carpenter, QB, Utah: 113-177-1389 for the season, with 14 TD passes.

[Big Six]

We're Number One Week 7, 2007 #3 Penn State 24, #20 Iowa 20 [code] [B]Penn State 14 7 0 3 -- 24 Iowa 3 14 3 0 -- 20 Iowa Penn State[/B] 18 First Downs 19 117 Yards Rushing 130 267 Yards Passing 190 384 Total Yards 320 3-20 Penalties 4-25 7-17 3rd Down Eff. 7-17 1-3 4th Down Eff. 0-0 30:49 Possession 29:11 [B]First Quarter [/B] PNST TD 10:00 7-0 Calvin Ferguson 1 YD Run (Jeff Williams Kick). PNST TD 06:20 14-0 36 YD Int Return by Charles Brown (Jeff Williams Kick). IOWA FG 00:02 14-3 Jeremy Jones 40 YD [B]Second Quarter[/B] PNST TD 06:50 21-3 Calvin Ferguson 1 YD Run (Jeff Williams Kick). IOWA TD 04:57 21-10 Frank Sanchez 5 YD Pass from Luis King (Jeremy Jones Kick). IOWA TD 00:37 21-17 Frank Sanchez 4 YD Pass from Luis King (Jeremy Jones Kick). [B]Third Quarter[/B] IOWA FG 07:30 21-20 Jeremy Jones 19 YD [B]Fourth Quarter [/B] PNST FG 06:20 24-20 Jeff Williams 29 YD [b]Penn State Individual Statistics: Passing:[/b] Dan Pearson 17-28-190, 3 INT [b]Rushing:[/b] Calvin Ferguson 33-132, Theodore Dick 1-7, Dan Pearson 6-7, Man Ward 1-1 [b]Receiving:[/b] Theodore Dick 6-65, Calvin Ferguson 5-57, Man Ward 1-32, Ray Johnson 4-21, Modesto Stark 1-15 [b]Key Run Blocks:[/b] Warren Kirkpatrick 1, Wes Herring 1, Fred Felton 1 [b]Pancakes:[/b] Warren Kirkpatrick 3, Wes Herring 1, Chris Sandoval 1 [b]Kicking:[/b] Jeff Williams 1-2 FG, 3-3 XP [b]Punting:[/b] Philip Redd 6-42.5 [b]Kick Returns:[/b] Eugene Nichols 4-22.0 [b]Punt Returns:[/b] Sean Henry 2-10.5 [b]Sacks:[/b] None [b]Interceptions:[/b] Charles Brown 2-26, 1 TD; William Gross 2-10 [b]Tackles:[/b] William Gross 9, George Harris 7, Daniel Jackson 6, Eugene Nichols 5, Charles Brown 4, Roy Thompson 3, John Bell 2, Anthony Bacon 2, Darrell Crumlish 2, Benjamin Hill 2, Gus George 1, Andrew Stone 1, Gabriel Kidd 1, Paul Braden 1, Henry Wallace 1 [b]Stuffs:[/b] William Gross 1, George Harris 1, Daniel Jackson 1, Charles Brown 1, John Bell 1, Darrell Crumlish 1 [b]Hurries:[/b] William Gross 3, George Harris 1 [b]Passes Defended:[/b] Roy Thompson 2, William Gross 1, George Harris 1, Benjamin Hill 1 [/code] I've never been prouder of a football team than I am right now. They didn't win the game at Iowa in classic style, but they played tough for 60 minutes in a very hostile environment. Iowa played very well, but we played that much better, especially when it mattered most. The Hawkeyes gained more yards than we did, but we scored more points--three more, in fact--and that's what decides the outcome of a football game. We opened the game with a very crisp drive that culminated in a one-yard plunge by Calvin Ferguson. On our next possession, we moved the ball to the Iowa 23, but Dan Pearson threw an interception. Our defense then made a huge play that compensated for our offensive mistake, and then some. Charles Brown picked off a Luis King pass and returned it 36 yards for a score. Charles later got his bell rung, and had to leave the game. He's probable for next week against Michigan State, and we really hope he'll be available. We scored again midway through the second quarter to take a 21-3 lead. Some teams would have folded right there, but I give a lot of credit to Iowa and their coach, Mark O'Brien, for being tougher than that. The Hawkeyes scored twice before halftime to cut our lead to three points. The second half was old-fashioned, hard-hitting Big Ten football. Both defenses dug in and played very well, and neither team scored a touchdown in the last two quarters. We went three-and-out to open the second half, and after we punted, Iowa began to drive down the field. With Brown and linebacker Andrew Stone out of the game, our defense was forced to play a little bit short-handed, and the Hawkeyes penetrated deep into our territory. On fourth down and goal from our one yard line, O'Brien elected to kick a field goal; Jeremy Jones connected and cut our lead to one. Iowa had three chances to take the lead, and our defense stopped them each time. The play of William Gross was the deciding factor; twice, he intercepted passes after Iowa had driven into our territory. If you look at William's stats for the game, you can see he was all over the field. He made several big plays that either gave us the football or stopped Iowa's momentum. Coach O'Brien has been second-guessed quite a bit for kicking the field goal on fourth-and-goal from the one, instead of going for the TD. I think he made the right call, however. It was only midway through the third quarter, and Iowa's offense had been able to move the ball. In that situation, I'd put the easy three points on the board. That decision expresses confidence in both my defense and my offense. It says to the defense, "I trust you to hold the other team and get the ball back for us;" it says to the offense, "I trust you to score once you get the ball again." We were thrilled to win an important road game, but in this conference, you can't afford to rest on your laurels. On Monday, we went right back to work preparing for our Land Grant Trophy game against Michigan State. We then learned that the media and coaches were sufficiently impressed with our victory to vote us #1 in the nation! It was a big surprise to all of us here at Penn State, because both teams who entered the week ahead of us in the media poll--USC and Washington--won their games by big margins, and both were also playing on the road! USC beat California 40-6, and Washington defeated UCLA 44-13. What's more, UCLA entered their game against the Huskies ranked #23, two spots ahead of Iowa! We were already at #2 in the coaches' poll, behind only USC, so the coaches' decision to swap us makes a little more sense. Notice I said "a little," and that's exactly what I mean. I don't claim to understand how the polls work, and I'm not at all sure I want to be ranked #1 at this point in the season. It makes the bullseye on our chests that much bigger, doesn't it? I noticed, however, that our ranking seems to have generated more interest in our program among the top recruits in the nation. In fact, two of the top three players in the country want to visit us next week for the Michigan State game! Charles Morgan is a running back from Ittawamba Community College in Florida. He's considered the top recruit in the country, and he emailed us this week to let us know he'd like to come to Happy Valley this week. We've already entertained one stud running back, Ron Jones, who watched us beat Wisconsin. Should I bring in another player at the same position? The #3 recruit in the nation, cornerback Larry Patel, is also eager to visit us. He's also a juco player, from Kilgore, Kansas. We could use help in our secondary, and we've already had a great visit from George Crenshaw, a very good free safety from here in Pennsylvania. Both Morgan and Patel could contribute right away, although Charles would be in the same class as Calvin Ferguson next year. The third recruit who's inquired about a visit is Richard Chandler, a high school CB who is ranked #18 overall and #5 nationally at his position. He's from Vernon, Florida. While Richard isn't as highly ranked as either Charles or Larry, he's also a high school player whom we'd have for four years. My staff and I will think long and hard before we invite one of them to campus for the Michigan State game. I hope we make the right choice. [I]If any of you want to "play the role" of my coaching staff and offer an opinion about which recruit to bring in, please feel free! [/I]

[Big Six]

[B]Notable performers from Week 7:[/B] [B]OFFENSE[/B] QB Roger Rich, Michigan State: 29-45-412, 2 TD QB George Kirk, Alabama: 25-46-396, 5 TD QB Roderick McGowan, Nebraska: 20-37-382, 4 TD RB William Ogle, Wisconsin: 29-214, 2 TD RB Cory Ritter, Oregon: 33-209, 2 TD RB Tim Childs, N.C. State: 27-177, 2 TD WR Derek Newell, Utah State: 6-196, 2 TD WR William Guy, South Florida: 7-170, 2 TD WR Marc Greco, Michigan State: 8-143, 1 TD Another big game for Rich, who will give Penn State's defense all they can handle next week. [B]DEFENSE[/B] DT Robert Jordan, USC: 4 sacks ILB Lester Large, Boise State: 3 sacks, 3 TFL, 12 tackles ILB Gary Rodriguez, Miami-Florida: 16 tackles, 2 sacks ILB Ron Estrada, Army: 15 tackles OLB Daniel Cole, Indiana: 13 tackles, 3 sacks CB Peter Cormier, Kansas State: 3-88 INT, 1 TD [B][COLOR="Navy"]FS Charles Brown, Penn State: 2-52 INT, 1 TD[/COLOR][/B] Jordan isn't big for a DT (6'1", 275) but he's very quick and as tough as nails. He's also steadily climbing toward the top of the Outland Trophy watch list. [B]SPECIAL TEAMS[/B] K Johnny Crutchfield, Pitt: 5-5 FG [B]HEISMAN WATCH: 1. Tyler Reyes, RB, Washington:[/B] Well over 100 yards rushing again against tough UCLA team. Three receiving TDs, too. [B]2. Tim Childs, RB, N.C. State:[/B] 1085 yards rushing, 8 TD. [B]3. Roger Rich, QB, Michigan State: [/B] Leads nation with 2244 passing yards; has thrown 15 TD passes. [B]Elsewhere in the Big Ten: #7 Wisconsin 36, Northwestern 7:[/B] Badgers roll over hapless Wildcats. [B]#12 Purdue 27, Illinois 20: [/B] Purdue has to come from behind to defeat gritty Illini. [B]#16 Minnesota, #6 Michigan 12: [/B] The Little Brown Jug goes to the Gophers this year. [B]Notre Dame 31, #16 Michigan State 28:[/B] Despite fireworks by Rich, Greco, and John Darden (153 yards rushing) Irish beat Sparti on road. [B]Indiana 27, Army 6:[/B] Hoosiers move over .500 with win over Cadets.

[Big Six]

[B]Week 8, 2007 #1 Penn State 34, #21 Michigan State 17[/B] [code] [B]Michigan State 0 3 0 14 -- 17 Penn State 0 10 17 7 -- 34 Mich. St. Penn State[/B] 22 First Downs 25 [COLOR="Red"]42[/COLOR] Yards Rushing 214 339 Yards Passing 173 381 Total Yards 387 10-82 Penalties 10-73 7-15 3rd Down Eff. 11-19 0-0 4th Down Eff. 1-1 24:27 Possession 35:33 [B]First Quarter[/B] No scoring. [B]Second Quarter [/B] PNST TD 12:47 7-0 94 YD Int Return by William Gross (Jeff Williams Kick). MIST FG 07:30 7-3 Hugh Stover 25 YD PNST FG 01:56 10-3 Jeff Williams 22 YD [B]Third Quarter [/B] PNST TD 09:54 17-3 Modesto Stark 17 YD Pass from Dan Pearson (Jeff Williams Kick). PNST TD 05:44 24-3 Calvin Ferguson 4 YD Run (Jeff Williams Kick). PNST FG 01:36 27-3 Jeff Williams 44 YD [B]Fourth Quarter[/B] MIST TD 11:13 27-11 John Darden 5 YD Run (2 Pts - Kenneth Hall Pass from Roger Rich) PNST TD 01:53 34-11 Calvin Ferguson 1 YD Run (Jeff Williams Kick). MIST TD 00:00 34-17 Andrew Barry 16 YD Pass from Roger Rich (2 Pts Failed) [b]Penn State Individual Statistics: Passing:[/b] Dan Pearson 18-26-173, 1 TD; Philip Redd 0-1. [b]Rushing:[/b] Calvin Ferguson 26-108, Dan Pearson 6-82, Man Ward 5-23, Noe McCarthy 3-14, Miguel Gregory 7-9, Sean Henry 1-1. [b]Receiving:[/b] Jerry Hubbard 4-48, Ray Johnson 5-36, Modesto Stark 3-26, Miguel Gregory 1-23, Calvin Ferguson 3-20, David Mills 2-20. [b]Key Run Blocks:[/b] Chris Sandoval 2, Leland Olson 1, Warren Kirkpatrick 1, Anthony Lloyd 1. [b]Pancakes:[/b] Leland Olson 1, Warren Kirkpatrick 1, Anthony Lloyd 1. [b]Kicking:[/b] Jeff Williams 2-3 FG, 4-4 XP. [b]Punting:[/b] Philip Redd 3-44.0 [b]Kick Returns:[/b] Eugene Nichols 3-25.7 [b]Punt Returns:[/b] Sean Henry 3-12.7, Lou Davis 1-2 [b]Sacks:[/b] Jerry Martin 2, George Harris 1, John James 1, Darrell Crumlish 1. [b]Interceptions:[/b] William Gross 1-94, 1 TD. [b]Tackles:[/b] William Gross 9, George Harris 5, Daniel Jackson 5, Gabriel Kidd 4, John James 3, Roy Thompson 3, Benjamin Hill 2, Jerry Martin 2, Eugene Nichols 1, Charles Brown 1, Darrell Crumlish 1, Paul Braden 1, Andrew Stone 1, Richard Phillips 1, John Bell 1. [b]Stuffs:[/b] None. [b]Hurries:[/b] William Gross 3, John James 1. [b]Passes Defended:[/b] Daniel Jackson 2, Roy Thompson 2, Benjamin Hill 1, Paul Braden 1. [/code] I don't understand what the members of the media who vote in the polls could be thinking. Apparently, they were sufficiently impressed with the performance of USC's football team this past Saturday that they voted them the #1 team in the nation, dropping us to #2. While our players were decisively winning a game against a nationally-ranked conference opponent, USC's players were relaxing in their dorm rooms, watching other players on TV, enjoying some video games, or partying with their friends. The Trojans must have performed these demanding tasks with a very high degree of skill. I feel sorry for our players. They took great pride in being ranked Number One, and to have that status taken from them AFTER they won this week's game--is very unfair to them. And being able to tell a high school player whom I'm recruiting that we're the #1 team in the nation makes a difference. My fellow coaches did the same thing to us, too. I suppose they also believe USC's ability to rock their off week outweighs our victory over Michigan State. I don't blame USC at all. They're probably wondering what they did to deserve the #1 ranking, too. Here's my evaluation of the Michigan State game: [B]The good: Great Gross[/B]: Early in the second quarter, the Spartans were driving deep into our territory when Gross picked off a Roger Rich pass. Not only did he keep Michigan State off the board, he returned the pick for a TD. Gross' "pick-six" broke a scoreless tie and brought the big Beaver Stadium crowd to its feet. William ended the game with nine tackles and hurried Rich three times. [B]Potent Pass Rush:[/B] We knew Rich was going to throw a lot, so we pinned our ears back and went after him. Jerry Martin sacked him twice, and three other guys got him once each. Rich had a Nittany Lion in his facemask all day long. [B]No Running Allowed:[/B] MSU gained 42 yards on the ground. 'Nuff said. [B]Roger, Over and Out:[/B] Our defense deserves a lot of credit for keeping Rich under wraps all day long. Not until the fourth quarter, when the game was basically decided, did Rich begin to connect with his receivers. His stats don't look bad--24 for 47, 339 yards, 2 TD--but he got most of those when it didn't matter much. [B]Dancin' Dan:[/B] Freshman QB Pearson is emerging as a real playmaker who can do a lot of damage with his feet and with his arm. We didn't throw the ball much, because we were playing with a lead most of the day. When we did, Dan did everything we asked him to do. [B]The bad: Down goes Brown:[/B] Charles Brown took a knock to the head in the first quarter and did not return to the game. It looks like he'll be out for several weeks, and we'll miss both his outstanding play and his leadership. Junior Gabriel Kidd will need to keep playing at least as well as he did against Michigan State. [B]Flag on the play:[/B] We made far too many mental mistakes, and committed several stupid penalties. Fortunately, they didn't affect the outcome of the game, but in several cases they kept Michigan State drives alive. We can't afford to be that sloppy, especially if we're playing a close game.

[Big Six]

[B]Notable performances from Week 8: OFFENSE[/B] QB Douglas Romero, Minnesota: 21-47-388, 3 TD QB Robert Harris, Purdue: 25-37-388, 3 TD QB Greg Dunham, Oklahoma: 23-48-353, 4 TD RB Randy Eldridge, Stanford: 23-203, TD RB Tyler Reyes, Washington: 32-182, 4 TD RB Sean Wilson, Oklahoma State: 29-170, 2 TD WR Ezra Johnson, Oklahoma State: 7-174 WR Richard Smith, Purdue: 7-165 WR Michael Durham, Texas A&M: 4-160, 3 TD WR Leon Walker, Oklahoma: 9-153, 3 TD [B]DEFENSE[/B] OLB Earl Nesbitt, Kansas: 3 sacks ILB Edward Pena, Michigan: 3 sacks, 12 tackles ILB Nick Gauthier, Florida: 15 tackles, 2 TFL FS George Boone, Navy: 14 tackles, 1 sack OLB Timothy Matos, Mississippi State: 13 tackles, 2 sacks [B]SPECIAL TEAMS[/B] KR Frank Strong, N.C. State: 4-228, 1 TD (100) PR Raymond Wheeler, Illinois: 9-158 K Donald Nguyen, Illinois: 6-7 FG, long of 50 [B]Elsewhere in the Big Ten: #9 Ohio State 38, Iowa 10:[/B] Bucks roll up 531 yards of total offense. [B]#7 Wisconsin 31, #12 Michigan 17:[/B] 154 yards for Big Ten rushing leader William Ogle of Badgers. Wisconsin (4-1 in Big Ten) moves into second place in Big Ten standings. [B]Indiana 38, #14 Minnesota 31:[/B] Hoosiers look like they're for real. [B]Illinois 25, North Texas 12:[/B] Illini put foot in football and win a non-conference game. [B]Louisiana-Lafayette 13, Northwestern 3: [/B] Clawless Wildcats drop to 1-6.