Fight On, State: John Rogers and the Nittany Lions

[Big Six]

Now that 1.1 has arrived, I'm reviving my BBCF dynasty.

I'm an avid Penn State fan, so I've chosen to feature the Nittany Lions. In the "universe" I've created, the 2004 season has just come to a close. Legendary coach Joe Paterno has decided to resign after 39 years as Penn State's head football coach.

JoePa made his wishes concerning the future of the Penn State football program very clear. "I have a coach on my staff who will make Penn State proud," he stated. That coach is John Rogers, who served as Paterno's offensive coordinator for the past four seasons.

Rogers is a Penn State product, graduating in the class of 1995. As a senior, Rogers backed up Kerry Collins at quarterback. The son of a high school coach, Rogers quickly realized that coaching was in his blood, and upon graduation took a position on Paterno's staff as a graduate assistant. He has remained at Penn State ever since; before taking the reins of Paterno's offense, he coached the Nittany Lion quarterbacks and demonstrated a knack for recruiting.

Rogers' youth--he is only 33 years old--has caused some skeptics to doubt his ability to handle the Penn State job. Some of the more outspoken members of Nittany Nation protested his hiring loudly, wanting the school to pursue a veteran coach with a proven track record. Others are encouraged by the fact that Rogers is a Penn State man, and by the decision of every member of Paterno's 2004 staff to remain on board.

Can John Rogers return Penn State to the ranks of the elite, or will he be remembered as the man who let Joe Paterno's proud legacy wither? I'll tell Rogers' story, through letters, journal entries, news reports, and a variety of other sources.

Soon, we'll be off to Happy Valley...

[Big Six]

From Coach Rogers' journal
July 20, 2005

Sometimes I sit at the desk in my office and take a look around, still trying to believe it is my office. A part of me might always consider this Coach Paterno’s office; his presence is still very real here. As it should be, because the man is truly a legend. Tonight I’m writing from my study, and among the photos on the desk in front of me is a shot of me and Coach Paterno, shaking hands before the Blue-White game my senior year. His presence is very real at my house, too.

I’m on the phone with Joe every day, but I always call him. During one of the many conversations we had about this transition, he assured me he would never meddle; that I was now the head coach of the Pennsylvania State University football team. He promised me I could always look to him for advice, and also that he would never offer it without me asking for it first.

Coach Paterno didn’t leave the cupboard bare when he retired, but we still have a long road ahead of us. We're not ranked in the preseason polls, and we probably shouldn't be. The fact that we’re also picked to finish eighth in the Big Ten says a lot about both our program's current state and the strength of our conference. Michigan is the media’s preseason #1, and Purdue (#7) and Wisconsin (#10) are also in the Top Ten. A handful of other teams are listed in the Top 20. It won't be an easy season, by any means.

Of course, all of us who have had any connection to Penn State football for a while aren’t satisfied with the way things are in Happy Valley right now. Our fans expect to win, and win a lot. I’ll be expected to have the Lions contending for a national championship before very long.

From our meetings, I’ve gathered that our AD, Scott Benson, has more realistic expectations for me in my first season on the job. Privately, he's told me he’ll be satisfied if we stay out of the conference cellar. I asked Coach Paterno about that, and he thinks that’s fair for a first-year head coach. He took his beatings when he started out, too.

The alumni and boosters are a little harder to read. I know they would like to see a victory over Michigan State, who has evolved into our biggest rival since we joined the Big Ten. And, they undoubtedly hope to make plans for a bowl trip in December or January. I know most coaches would love to be able to tell the alumni where to stick it sometimes, but they buy the tickets and contribute to the program. Here at Penn State, the football program is self-supporting, without any funds from the university's general budget. That means the alumni's voices have to be heeded.

Right now, there’s another voice that has to be heeded. My three-year-old son, Matt, is giggling like a maniac, chasing our dog down the hall, and I have to investigate the situation. My wife Kristin and I have three children: Matt; his older sister Caitlin, who is almost six; and their older brother John, Jr. who just turned eight. Johnny and Matt are both going to play quarterback for the Nittany Lions like their dad, and I hope they get more playing time than I did! Caitlin is going to be a cheerleader. I notice none of them are saying they want to coach yet.

So now I’m off to pursue a three-year-old.. Before long I’ll be pursuing seventeen-year-olds with scholarship offers in my hand. Somehow I think it’ll be a lot easier to corner Matt.

[Big Six]

August 1, 2005

Since it looks like I’ll be keeping a fairly detailed journal of my experiences this season, I thought it was time to introduce you to the players I’ll be coaching this season. On the whole, I’m fairly satisfied with our talent. Sure, I’d like to have five-star guys all over my three-deep chart, but that’s hardly realistic. I believe we can win some games with the ones I do have.

Quarterback
The starter will be junior John McKinney, an excellent passer with a strong arm and good touch. He has enough mobility to avoid the pass rush, but he won’t run much. His backup, senior Bobby Burton, is very capable, and we have a promising young QB in Joseph Collins.

Running Back
We’re very excited about the potential of Miguel Gregory,a redshirt freshman who could develop into one of the Big Ten’s most outstanding backs. He has the speed to turn the corner, and the toughness to run between the tackles, too. Gregory also has good enough hands to play a role in our passing game. Junior Raymundo Parker and senior Gene Fowler make us very deep and solid here. Our starting fullback will be Daniel Delgado, a very good receiver and an outstanding blocker. Delgado is undersized at 212 pounds, but he “plays big.”

Wide Receiver
Our starting wideouts, Randy Culpepper and Alton Gibbs, have the potential to earn All-Big Ten honors this season. Culpepper is a junior, with outstanding hands and the speed to get open on deep routes. Gibbs, a senior, runs sharp routes and has great instincts. Our third receiver will be promising sophomore Jerry Hubbard.

Tight End
Right now, James Virgil is listed as the starter. He’s more of a receiving threat than a blocker. His position coach has some questions about his work ethic, and he’ll be pushed hard by two talented freshmen, Modesto Stark and Pedro Davis. Davis is a true freshman who was one of the top recruits at his position in the nation last year.

Offensive Tackle
Our tackles are the strength of our offensive line. Both starters, Albert Randle and Tom McCormick, are seniors with impressive strength and bulk. Randle, the left tackle, has very quick feet for a 330-pounder, and protects our QB’s blind side effectively. McCormick is a punishing run blocker, and is the team’s hardest worker in the weight room. I doubt if Tom is six feet tall, but he holds his own against tall, rangy defensive ends. Sophomores Tom Montoya and Leland Olson are the backups.

Guard
Big Frank Smith starts on the left side, but if talented sophomore Chris Sandoval develops quickly, he will press Smith for playing time. Chris Silverman, also a sophomore, is listed first on the depth chart at right guard. We’ll be recruiting heavily at this position this year, because there’s a big dropoff in quality after these three guys.

Center
Here, too, we’re going with a young player who has the potential to become something special. Sophomore Wesley Herring has been dealing with some off-the-field issues, and if he can clear those up, the sky is the limit for him. Junior Clark Hill will be the second-stringer.

Defensive End
Milton Cole is attracting lots of attention from pro scouts. At 6’6” and 287 pounds, he has NFL size, and his quickness and agility make him an elite pass rusher. He is also one of the team’s hardest workers. We will probably start a true freshman, Gus George, at the other end spot. He is already good against the run and is developing his pass rush skills. Senior William Grossman will also get lots of playing time.

Defensive Tackle
Larry Dupont is one of our captains, and should be a contender for national honors this season. He has a complete package of skills, and might be a first-round NFL draft pick. The other starting tackle, Jerry Magee, is a tremendous run stopper. Redshirt freshman John James has tremendous potential, and we have a real stud in the making in true freshman John Bell, who is still 16 years old.

Linebacker
Penn State has been nicknamed “Linebacker U.” and there are three fine athletes at this position who could all become part of that rich tradition one day. All three are effective against the run, all can rush the passer, and all have good coverage skills. Junior Stephen Jones, the starter on the strong side, is a ferocious pass rusher with impressive speed. Jones is also a particularly sure tackler. John Becker, a sophomore, is tough and aggressive and, like Jones, can make plays all over the field. Another sophomore, Will Gross, will start at middle linebacker. He’s impressed us with his work ethic and his determination to improve. We believe Jones, Becker, and Gross all have the potential to earn post-season honors before their Penn State careers are over. In the pipeline are talented players like freshmen George Harris and Rick Hale, and sophomore Andrew Stone.

Cornerback
We’re very happy with the starters at this position. Francis Taylor has great size; at 6’3”, he’ll be able to match up well with even the tallest receivers. Taylor, a junior, lacks great speed, but has outstanding body control and is a physical player. Sophomore Daniel Jackson has the ability to be a true shutdown corner. Fast and athletic, Jackson’s potential is nearly limitless. The nickel back will be Alphonso Collins, who could start for many Big Ten teams. Keep an eye on true freshman Roy Thompson.

Safety
Senior captain Steve Perry is a 6’3”, 205 pounder who hits like a linebacker. He’ll be playing on Sundays once his career as a Nittany Lion ends. He is one of the team’s most intelligent players, and his quiet style of leadership inspires his teammates. Lawrence Hill has good coverage skills and outstanding instincts, and is a very good tackler. Redshirt freshman Richard Phillips will also see time here, and will contribute to the special teams.

Special Teams
Junior Stephan Phillips is as accurate as any kicker in the college game, and he’s been building his leg strength so he can connect on longer attempts and boom kickoffs out of the end zone. The punter, Philip Redd, will enable us to win many field position battles with his ability to hit long punts and knock the ball down inside the 10. Sophomore Patrick O’Flannery is an reliable long snapper, while QB Bobby Burton holds for placekicks. George Harris is a demon on kick coverage, and James Virgil and Chris Sandoval have also impressed special teams coach Ben Harvey with their willingness to work hard. If true freshman DB Eugene Nichols doesn’t redshirt, he will return kickoffs; otherwise, junior WR James Pollack and Lawrence Hill will handle this duty. Alphonso Collins is our best punt returner, and Alton Gibbs was effective in this role earlier in his career.

Overall Analysis
We’re strongest: on defense, particularly at linebacker, and at wide receiver.
We’re weakest: along the offensive line.
We have the most potential for greatness: at linebacker and at running back.
We need to recruit heavily: at guard and center.

[Big Six]

Last week of preseason, 2005

We'll be starting our season one week later than some schools are, so we have an extra week to prepare. Our guys are definitely ready to hit someone other than a teammate, however.

My offensive coordinator, Lance Rash, and I have installed a balanced offense that we think will play to our team's strengths. Most of our plays will be run out of the I formation or from a pro set, and we drop the QB back into the shotgun occasionally.

I delegate almost all the responsibility for our defense to the coordinator, David Tanner. He is one of the very best in the business. We'll be running a 4-3, with zone coverage a little over half the time and a nice blitz package.

I would love to see the three of us coaching together for decades, like Coach Paterno and his staff did, but I have a feeling that both Lance and David will have many opportunities for head coaching positions in the future. If the right chance comes their way, I will encourage them to take it.

We looked at our depth charts again and again and again, and concluded that we could afford to redshirt most of our freshmen. John Bell, the defensive tackle, will be redshirting, and so will linebackers Rick Hale and Andrew Stone. Andrew played last year as a true freshman, but after he realized playing time would be tough to come by again this year, he was very agreeable to the idea of a redshirt year.

Cornerback Roy Thompson and wideout Theodore Dick are probably the most promising true freshmen we're going to play this year. We can use their speed on special teams, and Thompson will probably play quite a bit in the secondary.

Here is our schedule for the year:


Week 1 Open
Week 2 at #9 Nebraska
Week 3 WESTERN MICHIGAN
Week 4 Open
Week 5 #10 WISCONSIN*
Week 6 #12 OHIO STATE*
Week 7 at #7 Purdue*
Week 8 at Michigan State*
Week 9 #20 MINNESOTA*
Week 10 INDIANA*
Week 11 at Illinois*
Week 12 at Northwestern*
Week 13 ARKANSAS STATE

Home games are listed in ALL CAPS.
Asterisks* denote Big Ten conference games.


Yes, that's five games against preseason Top 20 teams. Now you see why we are being picked to finish in the second half of the Big Ten standings. Hopefully we'll prove some of those prognosticators wrong.

[Big Six]

Week 2, 2005
Nebraska 30, Penn State 23


Penn State 0 10 7 6 23
Nebraska 14 10 3 3 30

First Quarter
NEB TD 11:45 7-0 Nathan Brown 10 YD Pass from Lawrence Davis (Wilmer Henry Kick).
NEB TD 07:33 14-0 Ellis Taylor 14 YD Pass from Lawrence Davis (Wilmer Henry Kick).

Second Quarter
NEB TD 10:37 21-0 Ellis Taylor 4 YD Run (Wilmer Henry Kick).
PNST TD 07:52 21-7 Miguel Gregory 1 YD Run (Stephan Phillips Kick).
NEB FG 04:08 24-7 Wilmer Henry 45 YD
PNST FG 00:50 24-10 Stephan Phillips 35 YD

Third Quarter
PNST TD 10:57 24-17 Alton Gibbs 9 YD Pass from John McKinney (Stephan Phillips Kick).
NEB FG 05:57 27-17 Wilmer Henry 23 YD

Fourth Quarter
NEB FG 01:30 30-17 Wilmer Henry 43 YD
PNST TD 00:37 30-23 James Virgil 9 YD Pass from John McKinney (Stephan Phillips Kick Failed).

Attendance: 70, 279
Temperature: 74
Weather: Slightly overcast


We know we won’t earn the respect we deserve unless we challenge ourselves with tough non-conference games every year. A win in one of these games provides our program with a huge boost. There’s a downside, too: a loss can erode some of our players’ confidence in themselves and in what we’re trying to do here.

We traveled to Nebraska this week to play the Cornhuskers, who came into the game ranked #9 in the country. They had beaten South Florida 31-17 the week before, and had held the Bulls to one yard rushing. That’s right; one yard. Actually, South Florida had gained 60 yards on running plays, but Nebraska’s six sacks negated 59 of them. Needless to say, we were prepared for a team that would be tough to run against.

We had a little more success moving the ball on the ground than South Florida did, but not much. Actually, our running game was 78 times as productive as USF’s had been, with Miguel Gregory gaining 62 yards on 14 carries. Our game plan emphasized the passing game more than usual, and John McKinney had a good day (27-40, 238 yds, 2 TD, 1 int). Jerry Hubbard opened our eyes with a couple of great catches, while Alton Gibbs and James Virgil caught TD passes.

Defensively, we played well against the run, too. However, their QB, Lawrence Davis, picked us apart methodically all day long. He finished 30-38 for 390 yards and two TDs. We didn’t put enough pressure on him, so he had all day to look for receivers. Steve Perry had 13 tackles, but far too many of them were on pass plays, after a receiver had picked up a first down.

We were very pleased with the job our kickoff return team did today. Eugene Nichols had two long returns: a 37-yarder in the second quarter that triggered a touchdown drive, and an 86-yarder that we basically threw away by missing a 19-yard field goal.

Nebraska is a very tough team, there’s no doubt about that. But we’re going to play Big Ten teams who are just as good as they are all season long, and if they gain over 500 yards on us like Nebraska did, this will be a very long season.

Wisconsin is feeling some pain, too. Miami beat them 42-28, and dropped them out of the Top Ten. The Hurricanes took over the #1 ranking from Michigan, who apparently didn’t whip Temple badly enough to remain on top.

Hopefully a good week of practice and the excitement of a home game will help us erase the memories of this week from our minds.

[Big Six]

Week 3, 2005

This week began on a very negative note. Two guys from our defense, linebacker George Harris and cornerback Roy Thompson, are now on academic suspension. Harris had beaten out John Becker and was starting, and he had seven tackles in the Nebraska game. Thompson didn’t play against Nebraska, but we had enough confidence in his ability to contribute this year that we didn’t redshirt him.

I’m frustrated when these guys don’t take advantage of the academic resources we have here at Penn State. Hopefully Harris and Thompson will get their priorities straightened out so we can have them back quickly. For now, Becker has his job at middle linebacker once again.

Wes Herring, our starting center, got banged up in the Nebraska game, but it looks like he’ll be ready to play on Saturday against Western Michigan. We’ll need him, because Western Michigan has played great defense in their two victories this season. Their defense has allowed only two touchdowns so far, and has been especially tough against the run. It looks like we’ll be throwing the ball quite a bit against them, too.

[Big Six]

Week 3, 2005
Penn State 35, Central Michigan 21


Western Michigan 7 0 7 7 21
Penn State 3 10 22 0 35

First Quarter
WMU TD 12:04 7-0 Gary Short 3 YD Run (Robert Mills Kick).
PNST FG 03:07 7-3 Stephan Phillips 38 YD

Second Quarter
PNST FG 06:19 7-6 Stephan Phillips 39 YD
PNST TD 02:51 13-7 Daniel Delgado 5 YD Pass from John Mckinney (Stephan Phillips Kick).

Third Quarter
WMU TD 11:50 14-13 Donald Lambert 1 YD Pass from Joshua Weber (Robert Mills Kick).
PNST TD 08:07 21-14 Miguel Gregory 2 YD Run (2 Pts - Alton Gibbs Pass from John Mckinney)
PNST TD 05:01 28-14 73 YD Int Return by Daniel Jackson (Stephan Phillips Kick).
PNST TD 01:07 35-14 Miguel Gregory 28 YD Pass from John Mckinney (Stephan Phillips Kick).

Fourth Quarter
WMU TD 01:53 35-21 Donald Lambert 16 YD Pass from Joshua Weber (Robert Mills Kick).

Attendance: 106,113
Temperature: 85 degrees
Weather: Slightly overcast


We’re lucky. We’re very lucky.

We allowed Central Michigan 502 yards of total offense and 25 first downs today. Fortunately, our defense also made some big plays—six sacks and four interceptions—or we would have lost this game. Stephen Jones and Louis Dupont had two sacks each, Steve Perry had two picks, and Daniel Jackson returned an interception 73 yards for a touchdown. We have the athletes on defense to make big plays; now we simply have to be more consistent.

I’m pleased with the play of Miguel Gregory, who picked up 110 yards against a very sturdy run defense. John McKinney had a good day too (16-27, 263 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT), and he’s developed a very good rhythm with Alton Gibbs, who caught eight more passes today.

There was a big crowd at Beaver Stadium on a nice, warm day, and while I know the fans enjoyed the win, I’m sure many of them are thinking what I’m thinking. If we keep letting teams move the ball like this against us, we’re in trouble.

[Big Six]

Week 4, 2005

We have an off week, so we’re taking a good, long look at why our defense was so generous in our first two games. Only eight Division I football teams are allowing more yards per game than we are, and we are DEAD LAST against the pass. On paper, it looks like we’re defending against the run very well, but that’s as much a function of the fact that teams are constantly throwing against us as anything else.

I honestly thought we were going to be better defensively than we have been so far, and I’ve been losing sleep over it. So has David Tanner, who is a fine coach and isn’t deserving the crap he’s catching in the media over the way our defense has played.

The players know they need to step it up. They’re embarrassed by the criticism, and they’re aware of the reputation that Penn State has for playing tough defense. They want to play their part in building that tradition, not eroding it.

Elsewhere in the Big Ten this week:
#2 Purdue 38, #12 Wisconsin 24
Michigan State 21, Illinois 10
Iowa 55, Indiana 10
Minnesota 38, Northwestern 20
#20 Notre Dame 38, #3 Michigan 20
#17 Ohio State 34, Army 7

Rankings reflect changes AFTER Week 4’s games. Purdue jumped from #6 to #2 with their win over Wisconsin, while the loss to Notre Dame dropped Michigan from #2 to #3.

The computer ratings came out for the first time this week, and we’re sitting at #44.

[Big Six]

Week 5, 2005
Penn State 31, Wisconsin 24


1Q 2Q 3Q 4Q
Wisconsin 7 7 10 0 24
Penn State 0 10 8 13 31


First Quarter
WIS TD 09:06 7-0 Fred Carmichael 14 YD Pass from Jose Pena (Howard Williams Kick).

Second Quarter
WIS TD 08:35 14-0 Arnold Charles 18 YD Pass from Jose Pena (Howard Williams Kick).
PNST TD 04:45 14-7 Miguel Gregory 50 YD Pass from John Mckinney (Stephan Phillips Kick).
PNST FG 00:56 14-10 Stephan Phillips 20 YD

Third Quarter
WIS TD 09:06 21-10 Arnold Charles 9 YD Pass from Jose Pena (Howard Williams Kick).
PNST TD 08:15 21-18 Daniel Delgado 18 YD Pass from John Mckinney (2 Pts - Randy Culpepper Pass from John Mckinney)
WIS FG 02:35 24-18 Howard Williams 20 YD

Fourth Quarter
PNST TD 13:53 25-24 Miguel Gregory 10 YD Pass from John Mckinney (Stephan Phillips Kick).
PNST FG 04:29 28-24 Stephan Phillips 48 YD
PNST FG 00:42 31-24 Stephan Phillips 31 YD


Once again, we allowed our opponents to gain more yards than we did, but we found ways to get the ball into the end zone, and came out with a big conference win. Wisconsin played us tough, as we knew they would, but we came up with a few big plays that made the difference.

Again, the special teams provided some of those big plays. In the third quarter, we were trailing 21-10 when Eugene Nichols caught a kickoff a yard deep and brought it out. He took it 98 yards to the Wisconsin 3, and after we lost 15 yards on an illegal crackback block, McKinney hit Delgado for the touchdown.

Alphonso Collins returned a punt 36 yards earlier in the game, and although we didn't score that time, it's great to see our return game giving us consistenlty good field position.

Steve Perry forced two fumbles that we recovered, and both times we scored touchdowns. One of the TDs was an exciting play in which John McKinney found Miguel Gregory open in the flat, and Miguel took it the distance for a 50-yard TD. Miguel caught another TD pass, and our fullback, Danny Delgado, caught one too. McKinney is doing a great job of spotting secondary receivers now, and we couldn't be happier.

John Becker had a very good game, starting in place of George Harris again. George will have to win his job back when, and if, he clears up his academic problems.

The weather was chilly, but there was another big crowd at Beaver Stadium. And, while I can't say we're where we want to be yet, we're taking steps in the right direction. A win against a quality opponent like Wisconsin helps everyone to believe in what we're doing.

[Big Six]

Week 6, 2005
Ohio State 32, Penn State 30


1Q 2Q 3Q 4Q
Ohio State 13 6 3 10 32
Penn State 10 7 0 13 30

First Quarter
OHST TD 10:25 7-0 Stanley Sumner 78 YD Pass from Randy Glover (Louis Jackson Kick).
OHST TD 05:29 13-0 George Beatty 11 YD Pass from Randy Glover (Louis Jackson Kick Failed).
PNST TD 01:47 13-7 Miguel Gregory 2 YD Run (Stephan Phillips Kick).
PNST FG 00:03 13-10 Stephan Phillips 34 YD

Second Quarter
PNST TD 09:42 17-13 Alton Gibbs 11 YD Pass from John Mckinney (Stephan Phillips Kick).
OHST FG 04:12 17-16 Louis Jackson 26 YD
OHST FG 00:09 19-17 Louis Jackson 21 YD

Third Quarter
OHST FG 04:44 22-17 Louis Jackson 35 YD

Fourth Quarter
PNST TD 10:17 23-22 Miguel Gregory 1 YD Run (2 Pts Failed)
OHST FG 03:34 25-23 Louis Jackson 29 YD
OHST TD 02:22 32-23 Russell Steele 32 YD Run (Louis Jackson Kick).
PNST TD 02:03 32-30 99 YD KO Return by Eugene Nichols (Stephan Phillips Kick).



I’m beginning to doubt whether or not I have the ability to judge football talent that a successful head coach must have. At the beginning of the season, I thought we would have a very strong defense. We’ve played four games now, and we haven’t been able to stop anybody. Ohio State is an excellent football team. They came into the game with us ranked #2 in the coaches’ poll, and #9 by the media. But we were able to score 30 points against them, and that should be enough to win. All afternoon, though, the Buckeyes moved the ball against us at will.

There are only five Division I teams that are allowing more yards per game than we are: Duke, Baylor, Rice, Cincinnati, and Rutgers. Only Duke has been worse against the pass. No insult intended, but those teams are not traditionally considered to be football powerhouses. Nobody expects a Penn State team to be as weak defensively as we have been so far. We’re making every quarterback we face look like a Heisman Trophy winner!

This week it was Randy Glover, who went 24-38 for 358 yards and two touchdowns. Glover hooked up with Stanley Sumner for a 78-yard TD early in the first quarter, and five minutes later threw a short TD pass to George Beatty. We put pressure on Glover all day; Stephen Jones and Milton Cole each sacked him twice. Our coverage kept breaking down, and Glover found the open receivers all day long.

Steve Perry didn’t start at safety because of a thumb injury. His replacement, Eugene Phillips hung in there, but when a player of Steve’s quality goes down, it will always make a difference. Eugene missed three tackles, and that hurt us some.

I was also frustrated with Larry Dupont, who looked lost at times. A senior shouldn’t be caught out of position three times in one game! That kind of poor execution can’t keep happening.

It was good to see George Harris and Roy Thompson back from their academic suspensions. Harris will have to earn his position back from John Becker, who has played very well in George’s absence.

We had the lead twice, but couldn’t hold it either time. McKinney, who didn’t have his best game, threw a TD pass to Gibbs that gave us a 17-13 lead in the second quarter, but Ohio State made two field goals to lead 19-17 at halftime. Early in the fourth quarter, we put together one of our best drives of the season, and Miguel Gregory scored from a yard out to put us up 23-22. We went for two, but the Buckeyes stopped us.

I’m trying hard to look past the negatives and see some of the things we did well. Gregory was the game’s leading rusher with 98 yards, and he scored twice. And Eugene Nichols is getting himself on ESPN every week now. He’s being called the most dangerous return man in college football today. With two minutes to play, after Ohio State had scored to make the score 32-23, Eugene took the kickoff to the house. At least it made the score closer, and it gave the big crowd at Beaver Stadium something to cheer about.

If we don’t turn things around, those big crowds are going to be a thing of the past. We have to travel to Purdue next week, so it isn’t getting any easier.

I relaxed with the Kristin and the kids on Sunday after church. Johnny and I fired up TiVo and watched Texas beat Oklahoma, 26-23, to take over the #1 ranking in the media poll. I can't tell you how much I enjoyed watching a football game with my son, the way I watched them with my dad when I was a boy. I hope the frustration I'm feeling this season doesn’t reach the point that I don’t enjoy football any longer.

Elsewhere in the Big Ten:
Wisconsin 17, Iowa 13
#5 Purdue 34, Northwestern 21
#23 Minnesota 36, Indiana 0
#6 Michigan 36, Michigan State 17

[Big Six]

Week 7, 2005
Penn State 18, Purdue 3


1Q 2Q 3Q 4Q
Purdue 0 3 0 0 3
Penn State 6 9 0 0 18

First Quarter
PNST TD 04:33 6-0 Modesto Stark 32 YD Pass from John Mckinney (Stephan Phillips Kick Failed).

Second Quarter
PUR FG 10:53 6-3 Walter Orr 25 YD
PNST TD 08:47 12-3 Randy Culpepper 36 YD Pass from John Mckinney (Stephan Phillips Kick Failed).
PNST FG 01:00 15-3 Stephan Phillips 28 YD

Third Quarter
PNST FG 10:02 18-3 Stephan Phillips 22 YD


It’s amazing what a big win can do to raise the spirits of everybody connected with a college football team. It's even better when we know we executed well, both offensively and defensively. We went down to Purdue and won a game very few people outside our locker room thought we could win, and we did it in a way that probably surprised people inside our locker room, too.

David Tanner really gave it to our defense this week in practice. To put it simply, he challenged them to play like men and to reverse the trends he’d been seeing before they went down as the worst defensive unit in Penn State history.

Coach Tanner’s words really hit home with the defensive captains. Steve Perry played a truly dominant game. He had 13 tackles and intercepted a pass. Larry Dupont knocked down three passes and avoided the mental errors he’d made against Ohio State. In general, the defense looked much more like a Penn State defense, holding Purdue to 276 total yards and only 159 through the air.

We also got a great game from our O-line, who dominated the line of scrimmage for all four quarters. They paved the way for Miguel Gregory to gain 158 yards on 28 carries, and did a great job of protecting our QB. John McKinney went 19-33 for 276 yards and two touchdowns. Both of the TDs were fairly long plays, with John hitting Modesto Stark and Randy Culpepper on medium routes and the receivers doing the rest.

Stephan Phillips missed two extra points, but he hit two field goals. I hope the misses don’t get into his head, because he’s a fine kicker and we still have a lot of confidence in him.

This week, coaching football was much more fun, and I know playing it was much more fun for the team, as well. As the game was ending, our sideline was full of players with smiling faces, like it should be. I’m especially happy for David Tanner, because I’ve known what an excellent coach he is for a long time. Hopefully the critics who don’t know what they’re talking about will shut their mouths now.

Our next opponent is Michigan State, and we’ll be playing them in East Lansing. Since we’ve been in the Big Ten, they have become our biggest conference rival. The Land Grant Trophy adds even more depth to the rivalry. The Spartans are 5-2, and have a strong, balanced team. We’ll have to play like we did this week to win, but I believe we’re ready to do just that.

Elsewhere in the Big Ten:
Michigan State 38, #24 Wisconsin 27
#5 Michigan 31, Iowa 10
Indiana 20, Northwestern 10

[Big Six]

Week 8, 2005
Penn State 24, Michigan State 22


1Q 2Q 3Q 4Q
Penn State 14 7 3 3 24
Michigan State 10 3 3 6 22

First Quarter
MIST FG 08:28 3-0 James Reynolds 20 YD
PNST TD 05:33 7-3 Modesto Stark 12 YD Pass from John McKinney (Stephan Phillips Kick).
PNST TD 03:25 14-3 Jerry Hubbard 53 YD Pass from John McKinney (Stephan Phillips Kick).
MIST TD 00:33 14-10 James Pierce 26 YD Pass from Roger Rich (James Reynolds Kick).

Second Quarter
PNST TD 07:18 21-10 Modesto Stark 4 YD Pass from John McKinney (Stephan Phillips Kick).
MIST FG 04:11 21-13 James Reynolds 26 YD

Third Quarter
PNST FG 06:04 24-13 Stephan Phillips 19 YD
MIST FG 00:00 24-16 James Reynolds 21 YD

Fourth Quarter
MIST TD 01:05 24-22 Scott Wyatt 96 YD Pass from Roger Rich (2 Pts Failed)



“Welcome to the John Rogers Show. Coach, our first caller is Reggie from Altoona. Reggie, you’re on the air with Coach Rogers.”

“Hi, Reggie. Thanks for calling.”

“Hi, Coach. First of all, congratulations on a nice victory on the road on Saturday.”

“Thanks, Reggie. Anytime we can win a road game in the Big Ten, it’s a big victory.”

“Coach, I wondered if you could talk a little bit about the play of our defense. We allowed a lot of yardage again this week.”

“You’re right, Reggie. Michigan State is a good offensive team, but we shouldn’t be allowing over 400 yards total offense to anyone. Michigan State gained more yards rushing than we thought they would. William Gill is a very good back, but we’ll face a lot of good backs this season and we have to contain them. We did a better job defending against the pass, with the exception of their last possession.”

“Bill from Selinsgrove is on the line with a question about John McKinney.”

“Coach, what do you think was the biggest key to John McKinney’s success on Saturday?”

“Hi, Bill. John has played well for us all year long, but he took a big step forward this week. He did a great job of spotting his second and third receivers when his first man was covered, and made very good decisions all afternoon long. Both his touchdown passes were good examples. Modesto Stark was open, and John spotted him both times.”

“Coach, this is Chris from Media. What is our injury situation like for this week? I’m especially concerned about Miguel Gregory.”

“Thanks for the question, Chris. Gregory’s bruised kidney will make him questionable for Saturday’s game. If he can’t play, Raymundo Parker will be starting in his place. That demonstrates how important it is to have good depth. Parker is a very good back and we can do a lot of things offensively with him in the game.

“Wes Herring’s neck is much better, and he should be ready to go this week.”

“Hi, Coach Rogers…this is Laura from Radnor. We have another tough road game this coming week against Minnesota. Are you going to try anything different defensively against them?”

“Well, Laura, we don’t expect Minnesota to do anything other teams haven’t tried. We expect them to throw the ball a lot against us. They’ve got two fine quarterbacks in Johnson and Merrill, and they have two really good receivers in James Murphy and Rich House. At the same time, we can’t neglect their running game. Derrick Russell is a big, strong back who can pound the ball inside all day long.”

“Coach Rogers, I’m Hank from Lancaster. Could you talk a little bit about the play of Steve Perry this year?”

“Sure, Hank. Steve Perry is a tremendous leader and one of the best safeties I’ve ever seen. He had 11 tackles against Michigan State, and he saved a possible touchdown when he tipped the ball away from their wideout inside the 10. I don’t have to tell you that play might have won the game for us.”

“Coach, there’s time for one more question. Larry from Tunkhannock wants to ask you about the big play our defense made on the two-point conversion attempt late in the game.”

“Coach, we’re really proud of Milton Cole, who is from Tunkhannock. Could you discuss the play he made when Michigan State went for two after that last touchdown?”

“Thanks for the call, Larry. I never mind talking about a great play like that. Cole simply overpowered their tackle and put a good, hard hit on William Gill. Milton wasn’t going to let them tie the score. He’s been a rock for us all year. If you have any more players like him out your way, please send them to us, ok?”

“Fans, that’s it for the John Rogers Show. Remember to tune in next week, when we’ll have Coach Rogers here to talk about the Minnesota game, or anything else you’d like him to discuss about Nittany Lion football.”

Elsewhere in the Big Ten:
#5 Michigan 34, Wisconsin 27
#19 Minnesota 35, #9 Purdue 17
#8 Ohio State 38, Indiana 6
Middle Tennessee State 35, Northwestern 13

[Big Six]

Week 9, 2005
Penn State 30, #11 Minnesota 20


1Q 2Q 3Q 4Q
Minnesota 0 14 6 0 20
Penn State 9 7 0 14 30

First Quarter
PNST FG 10:44 3-0 Stephan Phillips 41 YD
PNST FG 05:06 6-0 Stephan Phillips 25 YD
PNST FG 00:37 9-0 Stephan Phillips 28 YD

Second Quarter
MINN TD 11:15 9-7 James Murphy 41 YD Pass from James Johnson (Ronald Ramirez Kick).
PNST TD 09:09 16-7 Miguel Gregory 4 YD Run (Stephan Phillips Kick).
MINN TD 02:33 16-14 James Murphy 16 YD Pass from James Johnson (Ronald Ramirez Kick).

Third Quarter
MINN TD 06:26 20-16 Derrick Russell 5 YD Run (2 Pts Failed)

Fourth Quarter
PNST TD 06:46 23-20 Miguel Gregory 5 YD Pass from John McKinney (Stephan Phillips Kick).
PNST TD 05:04 30-20 72 YD Int Return by Francis Taylor (Stephan Phillips Kick).


It’s a beautiful, cool, sunny day, and with the window of my home office open, I can hear my children playing in the yard. I’m taking a quick look at some of the statistics from yesterday’s game, and reliving some of the best moments from what was easily the biggest victory of my short career as Penn State’s head football coach.

Any win against a Big Ten opponent is an achievement. Winning on the road makes it even more significant, and defeating a ranked team adds that much more to its importance. It’s the way we won the game, however, that makes this victory so satisfying.

Our defense, which has been much-maligned all season long, stepped up and contained one of the better offensive teams in the nation. We held Minnesota to under 300 total yards, only 77 on the ground.

Lawrence Hill, our strong safety, played his best game of the season. He had 11 tackles, and was around the ball all day long. Francis Taylor picked off two passes, one of which I’ll tell you more about later. The entire defense played like they’ve been capable of doing all season long, and it felt great to see David Tanner finally getting some credit. The media was much kinder to him in today’s papers.

The defense deservedly got much of the credit for our win, but the offense was clicking too. We controlled the ball for nearly 35 minutes, and gained nearly 500 total yards ourselves. John McKinney had another great game, throwing for 343 yards on 22-34 passing. Miguel Gregory bounced back strong, too. He would have had over 100 yards rushing if we hadn’t been so careful with him, but we aren’t taking any chances with that bruised kidney he has. It was great to let Gene Fowler have some carries in a meaningful situation. Gene’s a senior, he’s popular with his teammates, and he works hard. He picked up 65 yards on ten carries, and broke off a nice 33-yard run to set up a TD pass from McKinley to Gregory that gave us the lead in the fourth quarter.

Albert Randle played one of the best games a Big Ten O-lineman has had all year. I haven’t analyzed the film carefully yet, but I remember three huge blocks he made on running plays. He “pancaked” four guys, according to the players, who keep pretty good track of things like that.

And I really should mention Stephan Phillips, who put us on the scoreboard with field goals three times in the first quarter. Minnesota's defense did a good job of slowing down our drives early on, and Phillips made sure we came away with three points each time. Stephan has made 13 of 18 field goals this year; he's been money from 40 yards and in.

Beaver Stadium was full, and the crowd really responded to our effort. They were making the stadium rock when Francis Taylor picked off a pass and took it all the way--72 yards--to ice the victory. The students didn’t want to leave until they had a chance to give the players a little love, and most of the players went over to the student section and visited the fans for a few minutes.

I admit it; it felt good to have the fans cheering for me, too. I knew it would be tremendously difficult, taking a job that most of our fans can’t remember belonging to anyone other than Joe Paterno. You can’t replace a legend; you have to try your best to create your own legend, I suppose. I’m a long way from that point, but we are 5-2 now, and we’re 4-1 in the Big Ten. Ohio State and Michigan are still undefeated in conference play; Ohio State plays Minnesota next week, while Michigan has Purdue. Both Minnesota and Purdue are coming off losses, so the big boys will have their hands full. And, of course, they’ll play each other right before Thanksgiving.

We won’t play another ranked team all season long, so it’s not inconceivable that we could finish 9-2 with only one conference loss. That would probably land us in a New Year’s Day bowl, and would help our recruiting efforts significantly.

I’m going to enjoy the rest of the day with my family, and then it’s back to work tomorrow to make that pleasant forecast into reality.

Elsewhere in the Big Ten:
#6 Michigan 27, Illinois 9
#8 Ohio State 54, Northwestern 27
Notre Dame 27, #14 Purdue 21
Iowa 34, Michigan State 24
Wisconsin 31, Indiana 13

[Big Six]

Week 10, 2005
#21 Penn State 24, Indiana 14


1Q 2Q 3Q 4Q
Indiana 0 7 7 0 14
Penn State 3 7 14 0 24


First Quarter
PNST FG 09:45 3-0 Stephan Phillips 39 YD

Second Quarter
PNST TD 06:43 10-0 Jerry Hubbard 34 YD Pass from John McKinney (Stephan Phillips Kick).
IND TD 02:23 10-7 James Woods 7 YD Run (Raymond Carlton Kick).

Third Quarter
PNST TD 12:07 17-7 Raymundo Parker 37 YD Run (Stephan Phillips Kick).
IND TD 07:22 17-14 Dusty Sanchez 15 YD Pass from James Smith (Raymond Carlton Kick).
PNST TD 05:50 24-14 James Virgil 59 YD Pass from John McKinney (Stephan Phillips Kick).


It’s sometimes tough for a team that has just won a big game to focus on its next opponent, if the team they’re playing next is going through a tough year. Indiana came in this week with only two wins, but they’re still a Big Ten team, with some legit Big Ten talent. We continued to build on some of the things we’ve been doing better lately, and came away with another conference win.

Our game plan emphasized the passing game, because the Hoosiers have had some problems defending the pass all year. John McKinney executed that game plan extremely well, and completed 27 of his 42 attempts for 368 yards and two TDs. Statistically, it was John’s best game of the season. He showed a real command of the offense, and he’s demonstrating outstanding leadership.

In the first quarter, McKinney found Jerry Hubbard breaking free on a fly pattern, and John put it right in Jerry’s hands. He also connected with James Virgil on a 59-yard TD. That’s the second straight week that we’ve picked up big yardage on that play; last week Virgil got run down inside the 10 after a 63-yard gain, but this time he took it to the house himself.

Miguel Gregory was hurting too much to play more than a few plays, but again, we had another back step up and play well. Raymundo Parker did another great job, with 20 carries for 82 yards, including a very nice 37-yard touchdown run in which he found a hole up the middle and broke a couple of tackles.

Our defense allowed a few more yards on the ground than we would have liked, and we didn’t manage to put much pressure on Indiana’s quarterback. We tightened up when we had to, however, and held Indiana to 14 points. We missed Steve Perry, who didn’t play much because of a sore ankle, but Stephen Jones was a real force with 11 tackles. Jones has worked his way onto the Butkus Award watch list, and he ought to get some consideration for the All-Big Ten team.

This was our last Big Ten home game of the season, as we finish the conference schedule with games at Northwestern and Illinois. Michigan won a big game at home against Purdue and Ohio State won up at Minnesota, so the top of the conference standings look the same. It’s going to be difficult to avoid some scoreboard-watching the next three weeks, but unless we take care of business ourselves, it won’t matter what Michigan and Ohio State do.

Elsewhere in the Big Ten:
Wisconsin 54, Illinois 21
Iowa 30, Northwestern 12
#6 Michigan 30, #19 Purdue 9
#12 Ohio State 37, Minnesota 27

[Big Six]

Week 11, 2005
#17 Penn State 26, Northwestern 6


1Q 2Q 3Q 4Q
Penn State 0 17 9 0 26
Northwestern 0 0 0 6 6

First Quarter
No scoring.

Second Quarter
PNST TD 13:40 7-0 Alton Gibbs 27 YD Pass from John McKinney (Stephan Phillips Kick).
PNST TD 10:17 14-0 Jerry Hubbard 43 YD Pass from John McKinney (Stephan Phillips Kick).
PNST FG 00:30 17-0 Stephan Phillips 39 YD

Third Quarter
PNST FG 11:20 20-0 Stephan Phillips 33 YD
PNST FG 08:12 23-0 Stephan Phillips 29 YD
PNST FG 00:46 26-0 Stephan Phillips 28 YD

Fourth Quarter
NW FG 10:09 26-3 Jonathan Shaffer 52 YD
NW FG 04:16 26-6 Jonathan Shaffer 32 YD


If you had walked into our locker room after this week’s game, you might not have been able to tell that we’d won. Nobody felt much like celebrating, not after what happened to Albert Randle.

On a running play during the third quarter, Albert caught a knee in the small of his back and felt something pop. Wisely, he stayed down, and didn’t try to move. As it turned out, he cracked a vertebra in his lower back, and he will be out for the remainder of the season. Since he is a senior, Albert has therefore played his last down of football as a Nittany Lion.

Albert is still in the hospital in Evanston, and he’ll probably remain there for at least another week. His parents had flown out from their home in Delaware for the game, so they were already there; I had a chance to speak with them before we left for home. Fortunately, Albert hasn’t suffered any paralysis, and his doctors don’t think he’ll have any problems returning to “normal activity.” None of them are willing to speculate about whether or not that “normal activity” involves football, however.

Albert was considered an excellent NFL prospect, with great size (6’4”, 336) and tremendous strength. He hasn’t allowed a sack all year, and is on the watch list for the Lombardi Award. Albert is a quiet young man, but his teammates have a tremendous amount of respect for him, and they will miss his leadership on the field.With him out of the lineup, we’ll move Tom McCormick to left tackle, and Tom Montoya will start on the right side.

Until Albert’s injury, it had been a very enjoyable afternoon. We took good care of the football; we didn’t turn it over once, and we forced three turnovers of our own. We were ahead 26-0 at the end of the third quarter, on two TD passes by John McKinney and four field goals by Stephan Phillips. We didn’t move the ball as well as I would have liked, especially on the ground; Miguel Gregory still isn’t completely healthy, and this week Raymundo Parker and Gene Fowler weren’t nearly as productive. We gave George Drummond, our fourth-string tailback, a few carries, but he didn’t impress us much, either.

We looked a whole lot better when Northwestern had the ball. I’m very pleased with the way we pressured their quarterback; while we only got one sack—by DT Larry Dupont—several players got in the passer’s face and made him hurry his throws. Our outside linebackers, Steve Jones and John Becker, looked good in our blitz packages.

Our big defensive end, Milton Cole, was named the player of the game, and he deserved it. He had six tackles and forced FOUR fumbles, one of which he picked up and returned 37 yards. Milt looked really good running the ball. He was a fantastic tight end in high school, and he told me later he had always hoped he’d get a chance to carry the ball for the Nittany Lions at some point.

Here are the latest Big Ten standings:


Conference Overall
W-L PF PA W-L PF PA Streak Home Road
1 Ohio State 6-0 215 111 9-1 345 173 W9 6-1 3-0
2 Michigan 7-0 220 106 9-1 334 163 W7 6-0 3-1
3 Penn State 6-1 183 121 7-2 241 172 W5 4-1 3-1
4 Minnesota 4-3 220 156 7-3 304 193 W1 5-2 2-1
5 Iowa 4-3 217 178 5-4 257 215 L-1 3-0 2-4
6 Michigan State 3-4 166 175 6-4 257 225 W1 5-1 1-3
7 Wisconsin 3-4 204 188 5-5 334 240 W2 2-2 3-3
8 Indiana 2-5 100 211 2-8 145 299 L-4 1-5 1-3
9 Purdue 2-5 149 184 4-6 243 249 L-5 2-3 2-3
10 Illinois 0-6 75 213 1-8 131 312 L-7 0-3 1-5
11 Northwestern 0-6 96 202 0-9 115 321 L-9 0-6 0-3


As you can see, while our defense has given up a lot of yardage at times, we’ve done a very good job of keeping teams off the scoreboard. Ohio State and Michigan are clearly the class of the conference, but we’re not far behind them.

And here is the latest Top 25 poll from the media:


Record PTS 25 SOS LW
1. Florida State ACC 9-0 (7-0) 1612 2-0 34 1
2. Miami ACC 9-1 (6-1) 1549 0-1 50 3
3. Oklahoma B12 8-1 (5-1) 1485 2-1 23 6
4. Ole Miss SEC 8-1 (5-1) 1415 3-0 39 7
5. Michigan B10 9-1 (7-0) 1349 1-0 52 4
6. Florida SEC 7-2 (5-2) 1269 1-1 15 2
7. Oklahoma State B12 8-1 (5-1) 1196 2-0 37 5
8. Ohio State B10 9-1 (6-0) 1126 2-0 74 8
9. Washington Pac10 8-1 (6-0) 1048 0-1 44 9
10. Nebraska B12 8-2 (5-2) 990 4-1 21 11
11. Texas B12 7-2 (4-2) 905 2-2 4 10
12. Texas A&M B12 8-1 (5-1) 843 2-1 38 13
13. Georgia SEC 7-2 (5-2) 796 1-2 56 12
14. Alabama SEC 8-1 (6-0) 756 0-1 13 14
15. Wash State Pac10 8-1 (5-1) 708 1-0 67 16
16. Pittsburgh BigE 9-1 (5-1) 655 0-0 113 15
17. Minnesota B10 7-3 (4-3) 601 0-3 85 18
18. Penn State B10 7-2 (6-1) 515 1-2 64 17
19. Fresno State WAC 9-0 (7-0) 474 0-0 116 24
20. Arizona State Pac10 6-3 (3-3) 400 0-1 47 23
21. Brigham Young MWC 8-1 (5-1) 356 0-0 79 30
22. Utah MWC 7-1 (5-1) 289 0-0 78 27
23. Kansas State B12 7-3 (4-3) 223 1-3 30 22
24. Colorado B12 6-4 (3-4) 161 0-3 42 19
25. Auburn SEC 6-3 (4-2) 98 0-2 35 20

Others receiving votes
Missouri 70, USC 41, West Virginia 41, Notre Dame 41, Clemson 36,
Tennessee 36, LSU 32, California 29, Purdue 28, Arizona 24,
Texas Tech 24, Virginia 21, Michigan State 20, Kentucky 20,
Iowa State 18, Arkansas 16, North Carolina 16, Georgia Tech 11,
Iowa 8, Wisconsin 3

Dropped out of the Top 25
Missouri (21), USC (25)


Ole Miss’ 31-24 victory at Florida this week shook the top of the poll up a little bit. I guess the writers were more impressed with Minnesota’s 49-30 win over Iowa than they were with our victory over a winless Northwestern team, and I don’t guess I blame them there.

We’re going out to Illinois next week for our final Big Ten game of the season. With seven wins, we should be invited to a bowl, and if we beat Illinois, the invitation we get might be a better one. After what happened to Albert Randle, we could all use something to smile about.

[Big Six]

Week 12, 2005
#18 Penn State 17, Illinois 10


1Q 2Q 3Q 4Q
Penn State 0 3 7 7 17
Illinois 0 0 0 10 10

First Quarter:
No scoring.

Second Quarter
PNST FG 05:01 3-0 Stephan Phillips 22 YD

Third Quarter
PNST TD 09:17 10-0 80 YD Fumble Return by Steve Perry (Stephan Phillips Kick).

Fourth Quarter
ILL FG 03:23 10-3 Jackie Smith 31 YD
ILL TD 01:25 10-10 Keith Campbell 16 YD Run (Jackie Smith Kick).
PNST TD 00:06 17-10 73 YD Punt Return by Alphonso Collins (Stephan Phillips Kick).


Penn State Individual Statistical Leaders:

PASSING: John McKinney 17-31, 163, 2int.

RUSHING: Miguel Gregory 21-75, Danny Delgado 5-12, Raymundo Parker 4-3,
John McKinney 1-0.

RECEIVING: Randy Culpepper 6-57, Jerry Hubbard 3-46, Miguel Gregory 4-28,
Alton Gibbs 3-10, Modesto Stark 1-9, Danny Delgado 1-7

KEY RUN BLOCKS: Tom McCormick 2, Clark Hill 1.

PANCAKES: Tom McCormick 2, Modesto Stark 1.

TACKLES/ Stephen Jones 14, John Becker 5, Lawrence Hill 5, Larry Dupont 4.

SACKS: Larry Dupont 1.

STUFFS: Stephen Jones 3, Steve Perry 1, Larry Dupont 1.

HURRIES: Stephen Jones 3, John Becker 1, William Gross 1, Milton Cole 1.


What a week! Our hearts and minds were with Albert Randle all week long, and as a result, I don’t think playing football was as high a priority as it would otherwise have been for any of us. We were outplayed by an Illinois team that has won only one game this season, and we won because of two big plays that we can’t count on being there for us week after week.

Albert is doing better, and he’s come back to Penn State. He’s in the hospital here, and I believe every member of the Penn State family has been to see him at least once. My kids made cards for him, and they really seemed to cheer him up. Caitlin’s had a huge Penn State player wearing #76, Albert’s number, scaring a half-dozen Illinois players so much they cowered in fear on their sideline. I wish the game had actually gone that well for us.

The Illini outgained us on the ground, 200-57; they outgained us in the air, 228-163. We had a tough time moving the ball without Randle, against a defense that hadn’t stopped anyone all year long. Our offense didn’t score a point all day, so it’s a good thing our defense and special teams managed to find the end zone

Our defense had a tough time containing their quarterback, Kevin Campbell, who rushed for 120 yards. We pressured him into some bad throws, especially on their final possession when we forced them to kick the ball away to us.

Stephen Jones played a terrific game, and Lawrence Hill and Steve Perry combined on a game-changing play in the third quarter. Campbell completed a long pass to Edgar Rowland, and Hill just blasted him. Rowland, who is a tremendous receiver, fumbled the ball, and it bounced right to Perry. Steve took it 80 yards for a touchdown .

Our special teams play literally saved the game. George Drummond blocked a field goal late in the first quarter, and we pressured their kicker into missing an easy one right before halftime. And, of course, our punt return team deserves a lot of praise for the way they stepped up at the end of the game. The blockers did their jobs, and Alphonso Collins took care of the rest. He’s done a great job as a punt returner all season long, and he’s third in the Big Ten with a 14.4 average.

Our less-than-impressive victory cost us two spots in the media poll, but more importantly, it kept us in third place in the Big Ten. We finished our conference schedule with a 7-1 record, and I’m very pleased with that outcome in my first year as a head coach.

Michigan had an off-week, and has one more coming before their big game at Ohio State. The Buckeyes won, so they’re tied with Michigan at 7-0, and one of them will end up tied with us after they play.

Now that 32-30 loss to Ohio State hurts just a little bit more.

Next week, we play Arkansas State, out of the Sun Belt Conference. They’re 5-5, and they have some very good athletes. It will be our Senior Day game, and we’re all hoping Albert will be able to join us on the field.

He’ll be with us in spirit, at the very least.

Elsewhere in the Big Ten:
#18 Minnesota 33, Northwestern 28
#5 Ohio State 33, Iowa 14
Michigan State 20, Northwestern 10

[Big Six]

Week 13, 2005
#20 Penn State 31, Arkansas State 21


1Q 2Q 3Q 4Q
Arkansas St. 7 7 7 0 21
Penn State 7 10 14 0 31

First Quarter
ARKS TD 07:42 7-0 Michael Williams 12 YD Run (Andrew Jones Kick).
PNST TD 05:27 7-7 Miguel Gregory 2 YD Run (Stephan Phillips Kick).

Second Quarter
PNST FG 07:41 10-7 Stephan Phillips 22 YD
ARKS TD 05:17 14-10 Mario Santos 17 YD Pass from Edward Watson (Andrew Jones Kick).
PNST TD 00:52 17-14 Miguel Gregory 3 YD Pass from John McKinney (Stephan Phillips Kick).

Third Quarter
PNST TD 12:15 24-14 Gene Fowler 5 YD Pass from John McKinney (Stephan Phillips Kick).
PNST TD 02:01 31-14 Randy Culpepper 9 YD Pass from John McKinney (Stephan Phillips Kick).
ARKS TD 00:59 31-21 Phillip Picard 72 YD Pass from Edward Watson (Andrew Jones Kick).

Fourth Quarter
No scoring.

Penn State Individual Statistics:

Passing: John McKinney 21-33, 212, 3 TD, 1 int.

Rushing: Miguel Gregory 14-113-1, Gene Fowler 18-80, Randy Culpepper 1-9,
Franklin Ballard 2-1.

Receiving: Alton Gibbs 8-89, Randy Culpepper 7-84-1, Gene Fowler 2-14-1,
Miguel Gregory 2-14-1, Modesto Stark 2-11, Jerry Hubbard 1-0.

Key Run Blocks: Tom McCormick 4, Tom Montoya 1, Chris Silverman 1.

Pancakes: Tom McCormick 3.

Kicking: Stephan Phillips 1-1 FG, 4-4 XP.

Punting: Philip Redd 5-44.6.

Kick Returns: Eugene Nichols 2-66.5, James Pollack 1-27.

Punt Returns: Alphonso Collins 4-13.2.

Sacks: Steve Perry 1, John James 1.

Interceptions: Steve Perry 1-0.

Tackles: Steve Perry 8, Leonard Hill 8, William Gross 7, Stephen Jones 6,
John Becker 4, Francis Taylor 3, Milton Cole 2, Daniel Jackson 2.

Stuffs: Steve Perry 1, Leonard Hill 1, Stephen Jones 1.

Hurries: Milton Cole 4, Jerry Magee 1, John James 1.

Passes Defended: Steve Perry 2, Francis Taylor 2, William Gross 1, Leonard Hill 1,
Stephen Jones 1, John Becker 1.


Senior Day is one of my favorite things about Penn State. There’s always a big crowd, and no matter how the season might have gone so far, the fans invariably express their appreciation for our seniors in a very heartwarming fashion.

We usually have a number of recruits on campus this week, too, and I think several of the guys we’re most interested in bringing to Penn State were very interested. I’ll say much more about recruiting during the off-season, when I don’t have any on-the-field action to report.

This year, I decided to create a new tradition at Penn State by allowing each of our ten healthy seniors to start the game on offense or defense. Four of our seniors, therefore, got their first collegiate starts: Paul James at wide receiver, William Grossman at defensive end, and Elliott Allen and Charles Strickland at linebacker. They’ve all worked hard during their years at Penn State, and none of them have received a lot of playing time. Strickland and Allen are also excellent students; Strickland is applying to law schools, while Allen plans to teach and coach at the high school level. If they never did one thing to help us win a football game, they’d still be men in which this university should take great pride.

The most emotional moment of the afternoon came when Albert Randle walked out on the field with his parents. He was moving slowly, but he was walking without assistance, and the crowd gave him a standing ovation while he waved to them. Albert’s prognosis is improving, but his doctors haven’t said anything about football yet.

Arkansas State proved to be a tough opponent. Their play-calling was superb; they caught us off guard on several occasions by running plays from formations we hadn’t seen. Again, we allowed a few too many yards (404), and we relied on big plays to save us too often.

Fortunately, Steve Perry had a day full of big plays. In his final game at Beaver Stadium, Steve was all over the field—making tackles, pressuring and sacking the quarterback, knocking down passes and intercepting one of them. Several professional teams are very interested in Steve, and it looks like he has a good chance to be drafted in the first three or four rounds of the NFL draft.

Two more seniors deserve mention for their outstanding play this week. Tom McCormick was a force on our O-line, and Gene Fowler gained 80 yards on 18 carries, both career highs. Gene also caught a TD pass from John McKinney.

We completed our regular season, and with nine wins, we know we’re going to be invited to a bowl game. We’ll take it easier this week, and I’m sure most of us will be watching the Michigan-Ohio State game. It will decide the Big Ten championship, and regardless of the outcome, we’ll finish third in the conference.

That’s not bad for a team that was picked to finish eighth, is it?

[Big Six]

Week 16, 2005

The past three weeks have been very busy ones, since we know we’ll be playing in a bowl game next month. The media has been very complimentary of the job we’ve done at Penn State this season; we met or exceeded most people’s expectations and quieted, at least for now, the doubters who believed that Coach Paterno’s retirement meant the end of Penn State football.

We’ve received lots of news regarding awards recently. The choice of Dan Hamilton, the Alabama quarterback, for the Heisman Trophy didn’t surprise anyone. He threw for over 3800 yards and 37 touchdowns, and led the Crimson Tide to the SEC championship and a spot in a GDS bowl. They say Hamilton’s six feet tall, but I sincerely doubt that’s the case. They also say that he’s likely to fall victim to the “Heisman jinx” and never amount to much in the NFL because of his size, but in his case, I think they’ll be wrong.

We were disappointed to learn that none of our players earned All-American honors; I believe had Albert Randle not been injured, he would have made a fine All-American tackle. There was, however, a very good Penn State presence on the All-Big Ten teams.
Tom McCormick and Francis Taylor made the first team at offensive tackle and cornerback, respectively. The second team defense was full of Nittany Lions, with DE Milt Cole, LB Stephen Jones, and FS Steve Perry all earning that distinction. QB John McKinney, DT Larry Dupont, and SS Lawrence Hill made the third team, and so did Albert Randle, in spite of his truncated season.

Scott Benson, the AD, informed me yesterday that the players who had been on academic suspensions are cleared to play in our bowl game. I have half a mind not to take some of them to the bowl, because I’m so frustrated by the situation. Roy Thompson, for example. We chose not to redshirt him this year, and he started two games for us as a true freshman. Then, he fails to take his academics seriously, and winds up academically ineligible. His season was almost completely wasted! Even worse, it’s likely that John McKinney isn’t going to finish the semester with a 2.0. Because he won’t have his official grades until after the bowl game, he’ll remain eligible, but he and I have already had a very serious discussion about the matter.

On the other hand, there’s George Harris, who has busted his tail for three semesters here, and fell just short of that magic 2.0 GPA. He was in tears when he learned he’d be ineligible; he’s dreamed of playing for Penn State since he was a boy, because his uncle played here in the 1970s.

George is from a tough neighborhood in Washington, D.C., so his educational preparation was inconsistent, at best. Lauren Hardwick, one of our educational support staff, noticed some things about George’s academic work, and recommended that he be tested for dyslexia. It turns out that George is dyslexic, and now he’s receiving some extra assistance.

Kristin, the kids, and I had a chance to spend a wonderful weekend together. We went down to Longwood Gardens, not far from Philadelphia, to see the Christmas light display. It’s one of our favorite things to do, and the kids were worried that since Daddy’s the head coach now, we wouldn’t have time for the trip. I’m never going to let myself become so absorbed in my job that I forget about my family; the times I’ve been most miserable as a coach have been the times I’ve let coaching swallow up everything in my life. Without a sense of balance, I can’t function nearly as well, as a father, a husband, or a coach.

I’ll have to remind myself of that over the next few weeks, with our bowl game coming up, and then the demands of recruiting season.

[Big Six]

Week 17, 2005

We’ve known for several weeks now that we’d be playing in a bowl game, and this week we learned where we’re going and whom our opponent will be.

We accepted an invitation to the Outback Bowl in Tampa, and we’ll play the Georgia Bulldogs. They’re a very tough and talented team, ranked #18 in the nation. The bowl organizers think they’ve come up with a great matchup between two evenly-matched teams. Most “experts” consider Georgia a slight favorite, but our players enjoy being the underdog, and the “expert” prediction is motivating our players to work hard in practice.

Georgia’s record is 8-3, with losses to SEC opponents Mississippi and Auburn. The Bulldogs lost their last game of the season to their arch-rival, Georgia Tech, on a Tech touchdown with five seconds left in the game. They have a very dynamic coach, Spencer Wilson, who’s just a few years older than I am. I’m sure Coach Wilson will have done a few things to put his team in the mood to erase the memories of their heartbreaking loss to Georgia Tech.

We’ve spend a lot of time the last few days looking at game films, and I’m very impressed with Georgia’s offense. The Bulldogs are ranked tenth in the nation in total yardage, and they’ll give our defense one of the sternest tests it’s faced all season.

Their running back, Roy Teel, made first team All-SEC and second team All-American. Teel averages almost 150 yards a game rushing, and he’s scored 17 touchdowns. He’s a compact back with sprinter’s speed, and he’s a dangerous receiver, too.

We can’t concentrate too much on stopping Teel, because they have another weapon who might be even more dangerous. Michael Swanson is a first team All-American wideout who has caught 63 passes for almost 1100 yards. Swanson, like Teel, has serious speed—the kind nobody on our team can match. Their other wide receiver, Alfred Nicholas, is just about as fast. We haven’t seen a team this fast all year, not even Ohio State.

Their quarterback, Mike Renner, has many of the same qualities as our John McKinney. Renner’s arm might be just a little stronger, but McKinney is more mobile. We’re going to tweak our blitz package between now and the bowl game, in an attempt to give Renner a few things to worry about that he won’t have seen on our game films.

Their offensive line is very solid, and they have an All-American tackle in Mike Tyson. We have spotted one matchup that’s very favorable for us, however. I think their right guard, Harold Key, will have his hands more than full with our left defensive tackle, Larry Dupont. Key has allowed twelve sacks this year, and he’ll need some help keeping Dupont out of their backfield.

Our defense has allowed teams to move the ball all year long, but we’ve done a very good job of keeping points off the scoreboard. Our defense ranks 96th among D-1 teams in yardage allowed, but when you look at POINTS allowed, we jump to 19th. The last time I checked, the winner of a football game is the team that scores the most points, not the team that gains the most yards.

The Georgia defense can be exploited, especially on the ground, and they haven’t managed to put much pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Their team total of 16 sacks is the lowest among Division I teams. I probably shouldn’t say much about that, since we have only 17 sacks ourselves—but we’ve done a much better job of hurrying passers and disrupting their rhythm.

Their best defensive player is linebacker Jermaine Gardner. He’s always around the ball, and he’s a deadly tackler. He’s an every-down linebacker because he drops back into pass coverage very well. Their best pass rusher is defensive end John Hanna, and Tom Montoya, our right tackle, will have the primary responsibility for keeping him under control.

Their secondary isn’t spectacular, especially if their free safety, Michael Cooper, isn’t healthy by the bowl. Our offensive coordinator, Lance Rash, and I are preparing a fairly aggressive game plan that will hopefully keep their defense guessing all day long.

Our defense has done a much better job of keeping opponents off the scoreboard than Georgia’s has, despite the fact that we’ve allowed teams to move the ball on us so freely. On the other hand, Georgia is averaging thirty points a game, so they’re very used to putting the ball in the end zone. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a high-scoring game, one that might turn on a big play or two.

We have taken pride all season long in the fact that we don’t give the football away, and we’ve been very opportunistic when it comes to creating turnovers. Our turnover margin is +11, which ranks us ninth in the country. If we can force Georgia into a few mistakes while minimizing our own, I really like our chances against them.

[Big Six]

Week 20, 2005
Outback Bowl
#20 Penn State 45, #18 Georgia 29


1Q 2Q 3Q 4Q
Georgia 10 7 6 6 29
Penn State 16 9 17 3 45

First Quarter
UGA TD 12:45 7-0 Michael Swanson 36 YD Pass from Michael Renner (Noah Lewis Kick).
PNST SAF 10:15 7-2 John Becker stuffed Michael Renner in the end zone for a safety.
UGA FG 06:31 10-2 Noah Lewis 28 YD
PNST TD 04:48 10-9 59 YD Int Return by Lawrence Hill (Stephan Phillips Kick).
PNST TD 01:54 16-10 Miguel Gregory 1 YD Run (Stephan Phillips Kick).

Second Quarter
PNST TD 10:03 23-10 James Virgil 3 YD Pass from John McKinney (Stephan Phillips Kick).
UGA TD 02:23 23-17 Roy Teel 1 YD Run (Noah Lewis Kick).
PNST SAF 00:05 25-17 Lawrence Hill stuffed Charles Macias in the end zone for a safety.

Third Quarter
PNST TD 10:40 32-17 Alton Gibbs 3 YD Pass from John McKinney (Stephan Phillips Kick).
UGA TD 08:50 32-23 Christopher Trujillo 48 YD Pass from Michael Renner (2 Pts Failed)
PNST FG 04:56 35-23 Stephan Phillips 40 YD
PNST TD 01:47 42-23 78 YD Int Return by Daniel Jackson (Stephan Phillips Kick).

Fourth Quarter
PNST FG 00:46 45-23 Stephan Phillips 48 YD
UGA TD 00:16 45-29 Michael Swanson 80 YD Pass from Michael Renner (2 Pts Failed)


Penn State Individual Statistics:

Passing: John McKinney 23-40, 270, 2 TD.

Rushing: Miguel Gregory 22-108, Gene Fowler 7-25, Randy Culpepper 1-9.

Receiving: Randy Culpepper 5-130, Alton Gibbs 5-60-1, Jerry Hubbard 3-36,
James Virgil 6-28-1, Gene Fowler 2-8, Miguel Gregory 2-8.

Key Run Blocks: Tom McCormick 3.

Pancakes: Tom McCormick 2.

Kicking: Stephan Phillips 2-2 FG, 5-5 XP.

Punting: Philip Redd 6-41.5.

Kick Returns: Eugene Nichols 3-20.0.

Punt Returns: Alphonso Collins 4-10.2.

Sacks: Stephen Jones 2, John Becker 1.

Interceptions: Steve Perry 2- -2, Daniel Jackson 1-78-1, Lawrence Hill 1-59-1.

Tackles: John Becker 8, Stephen Jones 7, Lawrence Hill 6, Steve Perry 5,
George Harris 2, Francis Taylor 2, William Gross 2, 8 players with 1.

Stuffs: John Becker 2, Lawrence Hill 1, Stephen Jones 1, George Harris 1, William Gross 1.

Hurries: Jerry Magee 1, Milton Cole 1.

Passes Defended: Francis Taylor 2, Daniel Jackson 2, Alphonso Collins 2, John Becker 2,
William Gross 1.



The phone has only recently stopped ringing, and the emails are still filling my inbox. I’m tired; no, make that exhausted! It’s a good exhaustion, though. I’m discovering what it’s like to coach a team to a victory in a bowl game.

It wasn’t the prettiest, or the easiest victory I’ve experienced as a coach, but it’s in the books. We fumbled the ball away twice, but we intercepted four passes. Once again, our defense allowed an opponent to move the ball, and like the other high-powered offensive teams we faced this year—Ohio State and Nebraska—Georgia managed to score touchdowns, too. We made some of the big plays that characterized our season, however, and scored more points than we have all season long. Our defense put quite a few points on the scoreboard itself, with two touchdowns and two safeties. Those 16 points, in fact, exactly equal our margin of victory.

The pace of the game was frenetic, and it seemed like there was almost always someone racing down the field for a touchdown. There were FIVE scoring plays of at least 35 yards, and we set up one of our other touchdowns with a 66-yard bomb from John McKinney to Randy Culpepper. It made for a very exciting game for the fans, who filled up Raymond James Stadium.

John Becker was all over the field, disrupting the flow of their offense and making key tackles. I was particularly impressed with the way he dropped back into pass coverage. We’ll have John for two more years, I hope, and over that time I can easily see him developing into one of the best linebackers in the nation.

I was also thrilled to see Steve Perry play so well in his final collegiate game. He has been a tremendous leader for us, and I’m looking forward to seeing him play in the NFL next year. He won’t be the only senior from this year’s team who will be playing football for a living. I think Tom McCormick and Larry Dupont will be drafted fairly high, and I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see Alton Gibbs’ name on a draft list, either. If Albert Randle’s health continues to improve, I’m sure an NFL team will take a chance on him.

After all the public appearances and interviews that are always part of winning a bowl game, my staff and I will be devoting almost all our football-related attentions to recruiting. In the next few weeks, I’ll be introducing you to some of the players we’re hoping to bring to Penn State next season.

For now, I’m going to relax and watch a few more bowl games. Two of the teams who beat us this year, Ohio State and Nebraska, are playing in GDCS bowls, and the national championship game, the Rose Bowl, will feature Oklahoma State and Miami. It’s not always easy for me to watch a game like a fan, but I’ll give it my best shot.

[Big Six]

Offseason Week 1, 2006

I sat down with our athletic director, Scott Benson, to talk about my first season on the job. Scott likes to give us coaches “report cards,” which rubs some people the wrong way. I don’t mind it, though, especially since my grades this season turned out good!

Our program received a B for Team Performance, which seemed about right to me. We went 10-2, losing to two ranked teams by seven and two points, respectively. We also received a B for our overall Talent level, and again, that’s what I’d have given our team, too. We were a step slower and a bit less athletic than the very best teams in the nation.

In every other category, Scott gave us an A: Recruiting, Board Expectations, and Prestige. He felt like we did an excellent job building for the future with last year’s recruiting class. The board had “requested” a Top 20 ranking, and we delivered it. They were thrilled by the fact that we finished third in the Big Ten, tool. Consequently, our program’s prestige continues to rise.

Our overall grade was an A, which put a big smile on my face. Just as importantly, Coach Paterno is very pleased with the job I did. I find myself constantly asking myself how he would handle the situations I face as a head coach, and I’m flattered that my performance has met with his approval.

Scott was very happy to let me know that the football budget has been raised $125,000 from last year, giving us a total of $2,275,000 to spend. Our weekly recruiting budget will be $69,000, which should be enough to keep us in the running for the most talented players in the nation.

Ten different schools offered me the opportunity to coach their football teams, but I’m not interested in leaving Penn State. This is where I played; this is where I coached; this is where I want to stay. The fact that Penn State is paying me $1,975,000 only makes the situation that much sweeter for me.

The only news I received all week that could be considered potentially negative for our program was the revelation that two of our players are considering leaving early for the NFL draft. I’m honestly not surprised that Stephen Jones is thinking about the NFL, but I’m a little perplexed by John McKinney’s interest in passing up his senior year. I think with one more year’s worth of development, John will be a very good NFL quarterback, but I’m afraid he’ll be making a mistake if he leaves early.

I left Scott’s office feeling like I was walking on air, and came home to surprise Kristin and the kids with a dinner out at our favorite Italian restaurant. I’m pumped about the recruiting season, and right now I’m thinking life is just about as good as it gets.

[Big Six]

Here are Penn State's 2005 statistics. The headings say "2006" because I didn't figure out a way to post them here until I'd advanced to the offseasion, but they do represent the season just completed by the Nittany Lions.

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<table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 width=100%>
<tr><td class=c8 width=100><img border=0 src=../helmets/PNST-t.gif></td><td class=c8><center>Penn State<br><font size=3>Player Stats</span></center></td><td class=c3 colspan=1 width=100>
<tr><td class=c3 colspan=3><b>Links: | <a href=team27a.htm>Attributes</a> | <a href=team27dc.htm>Depth Chart</a> | <a href=team27od.htm>Off/Def Ratings</a> | <a href=team27.htm>Overview</a> | <a href=team27r.htm>Roster</a> | <a href=team27st.htm>Special Teams Ratings</a> | <a href=team27s.htm>Stats</a> |</b></td></tr>
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</td></tr>
<tr><td width=100% align=center colspan=4>

<table cellspacing=1 cellPadding=2 width=100% class=standard>
<tr><td class=c2 colspan=16><b>2006 Passing Stats</b></td></tr>
<tr><td class=c7>#</td><td class=c7>POS</td><td class=c7>NAME</td><td class=c7>G</td><td class=c7>ATT</td><td class=c7>CMP</td><td class=c7>CMP%</td><td class=c7>YDS</td><td class=c7>YDS/ATT</td><td class=c7>TD</td><td class=c7>INT</td><td class=c7>LG</td><td class=c7>GP</td><td class=c7>BP</td><td class=c7>SACK</td><td class=c7>RATING</td></tr>
<tr><td class=c6><center>11</center></td><td class=c6><center>QB</center></td><td class=c6><a href="../playercard/player1952.htm">John McKinney</a></td><td class=c6><center>12</center></td><td class=c6><center>406</center></td><td class=c6><center>240</center></td><td class=c6><center>59.1%</center></td><td class=c6><center>3023</center></td><td class=c6><center>7.4</center></td><td class=c6><center>23</center></td><td class=c6><center>10</center></td><td class=c6><center>66</center></td><td class=c6><center>16</center></td><td class=c6><center>14</center></td><td class=c6><center>32</center></td><td class=c6><center>135.4</center></td></tr>
<tr><td class=c6><center>20</center></td><td class=c6><center>QB</center></td><td class=c6><a href="../playercard/player1953.htm">Bobby Burton</a></td><td class=c6><center>2</center></td><td class=c6><center>2</center></td><td class=c6><center>1</center></td><td class=c6><center>50.0%</center></td><td class=c6><center>20</center></td><td class=c6><center>10.0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>20</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>134.0</center></td></tr>

</table>
<br>

<table cellspacing=1 cellPadding=2 width=100% class=standard>
<tr><td class=c2 colspan=14><b>2006 Rushing Stats</b></td></tr>
<tr><td class=c7>#</td><td class=c7>POS</td><td class=c7>NAME</td><td class=c7>G</td><td class=c7>RUSH</td><td class=c7>YDS</td><td class=c7>YPG</td><td class=c7>YPC</td><td class=c7>TD</td><td class=c7>LG</td><td class=c7>CR</td><td class=c7>MH</td><td class=c7>FUM</td><td class=c7>FLOST</td></tr>
<tr><td class=c6><center>30</center></td><td class=c6><center>RB</center></td><td class=c6><a href="../playercard/player1955.htm">Miguel Gregory</a></td><td class=c6><center>12</center></td><td class=c6><center>209</center></td><td class=c6><center>991</center></td><td class=c6><center>0.0</center></td><td class=c6><center>4.74</center></td><td class=c6><center>7</center></td><td class=c6><center>44</center></td><td class=c6><center>2</center></td><td class=c6><center>1</center></td><td class=c6><center>5</center></td><td class=c6><center>2</center></td></tr>
<tr><td class=c6><center>38</center></td><td class=c6><center>RB</center></td><td class=c6><a href="../playercard/player1957.htm">Gene Fowler</a></td><td class=c6><center>7</center></td><td class=c6><center>51</center></td><td class=c6><center>221</center></td><td class=c6><center>0.0</center></td><td class=c6><center>4.33</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>33</center></td><td class=c6><center>1</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>2</center></td><td class=c6><center>2</center></td></tr>
<tr><td class=c6><center>31</center></td><td class=c6><center>RB</center></td><td class=c6><a href="../playercard/player1956.htm">Raymundo Parker</a></td><td class=c6><center>8</center></td><td class=c6><center>67</center></td><td class=c6><center>216</center></td><td class=c6><center>0.0</center></td><td class=c6><center>3.22</center></td><td class=c6><center>1</center></td><td class=c6><center>37</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>2</center></td><td class=c6><center>3</center></td><td class=c6><center>1</center></td></tr>
<tr><td class=c6><center>42</center></td><td class=c6><center>FB</center></td><td class=c6><a href="../playercard/player1960.htm">Daniel Delgado</a></td><td class=c6><center>10</center></td><td class=c6><center>22</center></td><td class=c6><center>88</center></td><td class=c6><center>0.0</center></td><td class=c6><center>4.00</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>18</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td></tr>
<tr><td class=c6><center>86</center></td><td class=c6><center>WR</center></td><td class=c6><a href="../playercard/player1965.htm">Alton Gibbs</a></td><td class=c6><center>12</center></td><td class=c6><center>8</center></td><td class=c6><center>44</center></td><td class=c6><center>0.0</center></td><td class=c6><center>5.50</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>20</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>2</center></td><td class=c6><center>1</center></td></tr>
<tr><td class=c6><center>45</center></td><td class=c6><center>FB</center></td><td class=c6><a href="../playercard/player1959.htm">Franklin Ballard</a></td><td class=c6><center>6</center></td><td class=c6><center>8</center></td><td class=c6><center>34</center></td><td class=c6><center>0.0</center></td><td class=c6><center>4.25</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>24</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td></tr>
<tr><td class=c6><center>80</center></td><td class=c6><center>WR</center></td><td class=c6><a href="../playercard/player1964.htm">Randy Culpepper</a></td><td class=c6><center>12</center></td><td class=c6><center>8</center></td><td class=c6><center>31</center></td><td class=c6><center>0.0</center></td><td class=c6><center>3.88</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>10</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>2</center></td><td class=c6><center>2</center></td></tr>
<tr><td class=c6><center>41</center></td><td class=c6><center>RB</center></td><td class=c6><a href="../playercard/player2021.htm">George Drummond</a></td><td class=c6><center>1</center></td><td class=c6><center>4</center></td><td class=c6><center>7</center></td><td class=c6><center>0.0</center></td><td class=c6><center>1.75</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>3</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td></tr>
<tr><td class=c6><center>11</center></td><td class=c6><center>QB</center></td><td class=c6><a href="../playercard/player1952.htm">John McKinney</a></td><td class=c6><center>12</center></td><td class=c6><center>16</center></td><td class=c6><center>3</center></td><td class=c6><center>0.0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0.19</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>4</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>2</center></td><td class=c6><center>1</center></td></tr>
<tr><td class=c6><center>20</center></td><td class=c6><center>QB</center></td><td class=c6><a href="../playercard/player1953.htm">Bobby Burton</a></td><td class=c6><center>2</center></td><td class=c6><center>1</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0.0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0.00</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td></tr>

</table>
<br>

<table cellspacing=1 cellPadding=2 width=100% class=standard>
<tr><td class=c2 colspan=16><b>2006 Receiving Stats</b></td></tr>
<tr><td class=c7>#</td><td class=c7>POS</td><td class=c7>NAME</td><td class=c7>G</td><td class=c7>ATT</td><td class=c7>REC</td><td class=c7>YDS</td><td class=c7>YPG</td><td class=c7>YPC</td><td class=c7>YAC</td><td class=c7>TD</td><td class=c7>LG</td><td class=c7>GC</td><td class=c7>DP</td><td class=c7>DP%</td><td class=c7>IR</td></td></tr>
<tr><td class=c6><center>80</center></td><td class=c6><center>WR</center></td><td class=c6><a href="../playercard/player1964.htm">Randy Culpepper</a></td><td class=c6><center>12</center></td><td class=c6><center>113</center></td><td class=c6><center>60</center></td><td class=c6><center>896</center></td><td class=c6><center>0.0</center></td><td class=c6><center>14.9</center></td><td class=c6><center>286</center></td><td class=c6><center>2</center></td><td class=c6><center>66</center></td><td class=c6><center>4</center></td><td class=c6><center>4</center></td><td class=c6><center>3.5</center></td><td class=c6><center>3</center></td></tr>
<tr><td class=c6><center>86</center></td><td class=c6><center>WR</center></td><td class=c6><a href="../playercard/player1965.htm">Alton Gibbs</a></td><td class=c6><center>12</center></td><td class=c6><center>148</center></td><td class=c6><center>70</center></td><td class=c6><center>780</center></td><td class=c6><center>0.0</center></td><td class=c6><center>11.1</center></td><td class=c6><center>270</center></td><td class=c6><center>4</center></td><td class=c6><center>48</center></td><td class=c6><center>4</center></td><td class=c6><center>6</center></td><td class=c6><center>4.1</center></td><td class=c6><center>3</center></td></tr>
<tr><td class=c6><center>84</center></td><td class=c6><center>WR</center></td><td class=c6><a href="../playercard/player1963.htm">Jerry Hubbard</a></td><td class=c6><center>10</center></td><td class=c6><center>47</center></td><td class=c6><center>29</center></td><td class=c6><center>404</center></td><td class=c6><center>0.0</center></td><td class=c6><center>13.9</center></td><td class=c6><center>77</center></td><td class=c6><center>3</center></td><td class=c6><center>53</center></td><td class=c6><center>4</center></td><td class=c6><center>3</center></td><td class=c6><center>6.4</center></td><td class=c6><center>2</center></td></tr>
<tr><td class=c6><center>30</center></td><td class=c6><center>RB</center></td><td class=c6><a href="../playercard/player1955.htm">Miguel Gregory</a></td><td class=c6><center>12</center></td><td class=c6><center>40</center></td><td class=c6><center>29</center></td><td class=c6><center>312</center></td><td class=c6><center>0.0</center></td><td class=c6><center>10.8</center></td><td class=c6><center>199</center></td><td class=c6><center>5</center></td><td class=c6><center>50</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>3</center></td><td class=c6><center>7.5</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td></tr>
<tr><td class=c6><center>82</center></td><td class=c6><center>TE</center></td><td class=c6><a href="../playercard/player1968.htm">James Virgil</a></td><td class=c6><center>5</center></td><td class=c6><center>23</center></td><td class=c6><center>16</center></td><td class=c6><center>259</center></td><td class=c6><center>0.0</center></td><td class=c6><center>16.2</center></td><td class=c6><center>77</center></td><td class=c6><center>3</center></td><td class=c6><center>63</center></td><td class=c6><center>1</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0.0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td></tr>
<tr><td class=c6><center>83</center></td><td class=c6><center>TE</center></td><td class=c6><a href="../playercard/player1967.htm">Modesto Stark</a></td><td class=c6><center>10</center></td><td class=c6><center>29</center></td><td class=c6><center>17</center></td><td class=c6><center>169</center></td><td class=c6><center>0.0</center></td><td class=c6><center>9.9</center></td><td class=c6><center>44</center></td><td class=c6><center>3</center></td><td class=c6><center>32</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0.0</center></td><td class=c6><center>1</center></td></tr>
<tr><td class=c6><center>42</center></td><td class=c6><center>FB</center></td><td class=c6><a href="../playercard/player1960.htm">Daniel Delgado</a></td><td class=c6><center>10</center></td><td class=c6><center>8</center></td><td class=c6><center>7</center></td><td class=c6><center>76</center></td><td class=c6><center>0.0</center></td><td class=c6><center>10.9</center></td><td class=c6><center>40</center></td><td class=c6><center>2</center></td><td class=c6><center>18</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0.0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td></tr>
<tr><td class=c6><center>31</center></td><td class=c6><center>RB</center></td><td class=c6><a href="../playercard/player1956.htm">Raymundo Parker</a></td><td class=c6><center>8</center></td><td class=c6><center>6</center></td><td class=c6><center>4</center></td><td class=c6><center>51</center></td><td class=c6><center>0.0</center></td><td class=c6><center>12.8</center></td><td class=c6><center>28</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>21</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0.0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td></tr>
<tr><td class=c6><center>38</center></td><td class=c6><center>RB</center></td><td class=c6><a href="../playercard/player1957.htm">Gene Fowler</a></td><td class=c6><center>7</center></td><td class=c6><center>8</center></td><td class=c6><center>6</center></td><td class=c6><center>33</center></td><td class=c6><center>0.0</center></td><td class=c6><center>5.5</center></td><td class=c6><center>27</center></td><td class=c6><center>1</center></td><td class=c6><center>9</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0.0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td></tr>
<tr><td class=c6><center>45</center></td><td class=c6><center>FB</center></td><td class=c6><a href="../playercard/player1959.htm">Franklin Ballard</a></td><td class=c6><center>6</center></td><td class=c6><center>2</center></td><td class=c6><center>2</center></td><td class=c6><center>29</center></td><td class=c6><center>0.0</center></td><td class=c6><center>14.5</center></td><td class=c6><center>17</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>20</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0.0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td></tr>
<tr><td class=c6><center>88</center></td><td class=c6><center>WR</center></td><td class=c6><a href="../playercard/player1962.htm">Theodore Dick</a></td><td class=c6><center>3</center></td><td class=c6><center>6</center></td><td class=c6><center>2</center></td><td class=c6><center>28</center></td><td class=c6><center>0.0</center></td><td class=c6><center>14.0</center></td><td class=c6><center>4</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>25</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>3</center></td><td class=c6><center>50.0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td></tr>
<tr><td class=c6><center>89</center></td><td class=c6><center>WR</center></td><td class=c6><a href="../playercard/player1961.htm">Paul James</a></td><td class=c6><center>2</center></td><td class=c6><center>1</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0.0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0.0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0.0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td></tr>

</table>
<br>

<table cellspacing=1 cellPadding=2 width=100% class=standard>
<tr><td class=c2 colspan=10><b>2006 Offensive Line Stats</b></td></tr>
<tr><td class=c7>#</td><td class=c7>POS</td><td class=c7>NAME</td><td class=c7>G</td><td class=c7>RB</td><td class=c7>PNK</td><td class=c7>SA</td><td class=c7>HOLD</td><td class=c7>FALSE</td><td class=c7>MISSBL</td></tr>
<tr><td class=c6><center>71</center></td><td class=c6><center>OT</center></td><td class=c6><a href="../playercard/player1969.htm">Thomas McCormick</a></td><td class=c6><center>12</center></td><td class=c6><center>20</center></td><td class=c6><center>20</center></td><td class=c6><center>2</center></td><td class=c6><center>4</center></td><td class=c6><center>1</center></td><td class=c6><center>1</center></td></tr>
<tr><td class=c6><center>76</center></td><td class=c6><center>OT</center></td><td class=c6><a href="../playercard/player1973.htm">Albert Randle</a></td><td class=c6><center>9</center></td><td class=c6><center>13</center></td><td class=c6><center>17</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>4</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td></tr>
<tr><td class=c6><center>62</center></td><td class=c6><center>OG</center></td><td class=c6><a href="../playercard/player1975.htm">Chris Sandoval</a></td><td class=c6><center>9</center></td><td class=c6><center>2</center></td><td class=c6><center>1</center></td><td class=c6><center>7</center></td><td class=c6><center>1</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>11</center></td></tr>
<tr><td class=c6><center>51</center></td><td class=c6><center>C</center></td><td class=c6><a href="../playercard/player1980.htm">Clark Hill</a></td><td class=c6><center>6</center></td><td class=c6><center>1</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>8</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>7</center></td></tr>
<tr><td class=c6><center>52</center></td><td class=c6><center>C</center></td><td class=c6><a href="../playercard/player1979.htm">Wesley Herring</a></td><td class=c6><center>8</center></td><td class=c6><center>1</center></td><td class=c6><center>2</center></td><td class=c6><center>3</center></td><td class=c6><center>1</center></td><td class=c6><center>1</center></td><td class=c6><center>4</center></td></tr>
<tr><td class=c6><center>66</center></td><td class=c6><center>OG</center></td><td class=c6><a href="../playercard/player1976.htm">Chris Silverman</a></td><td class=c6><center>11</center></td><td class=c6><center>1</center></td><td class=c6><center>1</center></td><td class=c6><center>7</center></td><td class=c6><center>1</center></td><td class=c6><center>1</center></td><td class=c6><center>4</center></td></tr>
<tr><td class=c6><center>70</center></td><td class=c6><center>OT</center></td><td class=c6><a href="../playercard/player1972.htm">Tom Montoya</a></td><td class=c6><center>3</center></td><td class=c6><center>1</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>3</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>3</center></td></tr>
<tr><td class=c6><center>42</center></td><td class=c6><center>FB</center></td><td class=c6><a href="../playercard/player1960.htm">Daniel Delgado</a></td><td class=c6><center>10</center></td><td class=c6><center>1</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>1</center></td></tr>
<tr><td class=c6><center>69</center></td><td class=c6><center>OG</center></td><td class=c6><a href="../playercard/player1977.htm">Frank Smith</a></td><td class=c6><center>6</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>3</center></td><td class=c6><center>2</center></td><td class=c6><center>1</center></td><td class=c6><center>1</center></td><td class=c6><center>2</center></td></tr>
<tr><td class=c6><center>82</center></td><td class=c6><center>TE</center></td><td class=c6><a href="../playercard/player1968.htm">James Virgil</a></td><td class=c6><center>5</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>2</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>2</center></td></tr>
<tr><td class=c6><center>83</center></td><td class=c6><center>TE</center></td><td class=c6><a href="../playercard/player1967.htm">Modesto Stark</a></td><td class=c6><center>10</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>1</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>1</center></td><td class=c6><center>9</center></td></tr>
<tr><td class=c6><center>45</center></td><td class=c6><center>FB</center></td><td class=c6><a href="../playercard/player1959.htm">Franklin Ballard</a></td><td class=c6><center>6</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>5</center></td></tr>

</table>
<br>

<table cellspacing=1 cellPadding=2 width=100% class=standard>
<tr><td class=c2 colspan=12><b>2006 Kicking Stats</b></td></tr>
<tr><td class=c7>#</td><td class=c7>POS</td><td class=c7>NAME</td><td class=c7>G</td><td class=c7>XP</td><td class=c7>FG 1-29</td><td class=c7>FG 30-39</td><td class=c7>FG 40-49</td><td class=c7>FG 50+</td><td class=c7>FG%</td><td class=c7>LONG</td><td class=c7>POINTS</td></tr>
<tr><td class=c6><center>19</center></td><td class=c6><center>K</center></td><td class=c6><a href="../playercard/player2009.htm">Stephan Phillips</a></td><td class=c6><center>12</center></td><td class=c6><center>32-35</center></td><td class=c6><center>9-10</center></td><td class=c6><center>8-10</center></td><td class=c6><center>4-7</center></td><td class=c6><center>0-2</center></td><td class=c6><center>72.4%%</center></td><td class=c6><center>48</center></td><td class=c6><center>95</center></td></tr>

</table>
<br>

<table cellspacing=1 cellPadding=2 width=100% class=standard>
<tr><td class=c2 colspan=10><b>2006 Punting Stats</b></td></tr>
<tr><td class=c7>#</td><td class=c7>POS</td><td class=c7>NAME</td><td class=c7>G</td><td class=c7>PUNTS</td><td class=c7>AVG</td><td class=c7>NET</td><td class=c7>TB</td><td class=c7>IN20</td><td class=c7>LONG</td></tr>
<tr><td class=c6><center>05</center></td><td class=c6><center>P</center></td><td class=c6><a href="../playercard/player2008.htm">Philip Redd</a></td><td class=c6><center>12</center></td><td class=c6><center>74</center></td><td class=c6><center>41.2</center></td><td class=c6><center>32.7</center></td><td class=c6><center>9</center></td><td class=c6><center>4</center></td><td class=c6><center>56</center></td></tr>
<tr><td class=c6><center>19</center></td><td class=c6><center>K</center></td><td class=c6><a href="../playercard/player2009.htm">Stephan Phillips</a></td><td class=c6><center>12</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0.0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0.0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td></tr>

</table>
<br>

<table cellspacing=1 cellPadding=2 width=100% class=standard>
<tr><td class=c2 colspan=9><b>2006 Kick Return Stats</b></td></tr>
<tr><td class=c7>#</td><td class=c7>POS</td><td class=c7>NAME</td><td class=c7>G</td><td class=c7>RET</td><td class=c7>YDS</td><td class=c7>AVG</td><td class=c7>LONG</td><td class=c7>TD</td></tr>
<tr><td class=c6><center>44</center></td><td class=c6><center>FS</center></td><td class=c6><a href="../playercard/player2006.htm">Eugene Nichols</a></td><td class=c6><center>12</center></td><td class=c6><center>31</center></td><td class=c6><center>1090</center></td><td class=c6><center>35.2</center></td><td class=c6><center>99</center></td><td class=c6><center>1</center></td></tr>
<tr><td class=c6><center>81</center></td><td class=c6><center>WR</center></td><td class=c6><a href="../playercard/player2012.htm">James Pollack</a></td><td class=c6><center>3</center></td><td class=c6><center>3</center></td><td class=c6><center>55</center></td><td class=c6><center>18.3</center></td><td class=c6><center>27</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td></tr>
<tr><td class=c6><center>96</center></td><td class=c6><center>DT</center></td><td class=c6><a href="../playercard/player1988.htm">Jerry Magee</a></td><td class=c6><center>9</center></td><td class=c6><center>1</center></td><td class=c6><center>25</center></td><td class=c6><center>25.0</center></td><td class=c6><center>25</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td></tr>
<tr><td class=c6><center>31</center></td><td class=c6><center>RB</center></td><td class=c6><a href="../playercard/player1956.htm">Raymundo Parker</a></td><td class=c6><center>8</center></td><td class=c6><center>2</center></td><td class=c6><center>32</center></td><td class=c6><center>16.0</center></td><td class=c6><center>18</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td></tr>
<tr><td class=c6><center>40</center></td><td class=c6><center>FB</center></td><td class=c6><a href="../playercard/player2016.htm">Todd Price</a></td><td class=c6><center>2</center></td><td class=c6><center>1</center></td><td class=c6><center>17</center></td><td class=c6><center>17.0</center></td><td class=c6><center>17</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td></tr>
<tr><td class=c6><center>43</center></td><td class=c6><center>ILB</center></td><td class=c6><a href="../playercard/player1993.htm">Charles Strickland</a></td><td class=c6><center>3</center></td><td class=c6><center>1</center></td><td class=c6><center>14</center></td><td class=c6><center>14.0</center></td><td class=c6><center>14</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td></tr>

</table>
<br>

<table cellspacing=1 cellPadding=2 width=100% class=standard>
<tr><td class=c2 colspan=9><b>2006 Punt Return Stats</b></td></tr>
<tr><td class=c7>#</td><td class=c7>POS</td><td class=c7>NAME</td><td class=c7>G</td><td class=c7>RET</td><td class=c7>YDS</td><td class=c7>AVG</td><td class=c7>LONG</td><td class=c7>TD</td></tr>
<tr><td class=c6><center>86</center></td><td class=c6><center>WR</center></td><td class=c6><a href="../playercard/player1965.htm">Alton Gibbs</a></td><td class=c6><center>12</center></td><td class=c6><center>2</center></td><td class=c6><center>6</center></td><td class=c6><center>3.0</center></td><td class=c6><center>4</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td></tr>
<tr><td class=c6><center>27</center></td><td class=c6><center>CB</center></td><td class=c6><a href="../playercard/player2000.htm">Alphonso Collins</a></td><td class=c6><center>12</center></td><td class=c6><center>37</center></td><td class=c6><center>511</center></td><td class=c6><center>13.8</center></td><td class=c6><center>73</center></td><td class=c6><center>1</center></td></tr>

</table>
<br>

<table cellspacing=1 cellPadding=2 width=100% class=standard>
<tr><td class=c2 colspan=17><b>2006 Defensive Stats</b></td></tr>
<tr><td class=c7>#</td><td class=c7>POS</td><td class=c7>NAME</td><td class=c7>G</td><td class=c7>TAK</td><td class=c7>SOLO</td><td class=c7>AST</td><td class=c7>SACK</td><td class=c7>STF</td><td class=c7>HUR</td><td class=c7>DP</td><td class=c7>PD</td><td class=c7>INT</td><td class=c7>DEF TD</td><td class=c7>MISSTAK</td><td class=c7>OOP</td><td class=c7>BPA</td></tr>
<tr><td class=c6><center>54</center></td><td class=c6><center>OLB</center></td><td class=c6><a href="../playercard/player1997.htm">Stephen Jones</a></td><td class=c6><center>12</center></td><td class=c6><center>107</center></td><td class=c6><center>80</center></td><td class=c6><center>27</center></td><td class=c6><center>6</center></td><td class=c6><center>9</center></td><td class=c6><center>13</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>11</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>2</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>3</center></td></tr>
<tr><td class=c6><center>32</center></td><td class=c6><center>FS</center></td><td class=c6><a href="../playercard/player2005.htm">Steve Perry</a></td><td class=c6><center>12</center></td><td class=c6><center>85</center></td><td class=c6><center>51</center></td><td class=c6><center>34</center></td><td class=c6><center>1</center></td><td class=c6><center>4</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>6</center></td><td class=c6><center>7</center></td><td class=c6><center>1</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>2</center></td><td class=c6><center>5</center></td></tr>
<tr><td class=c6><center>23</center></td><td class=c6><center>SS</center></td><td class=c6><a href="../playercard/player2004.htm">Lawrence Hill</a></td><td class=c6><center>12</center></td><td class=c6><center>83</center></td><td class=c6><center>47</center></td><td class=c6><center>36</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>3</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>3</center></td><td class=c6><center>4</center></td><td class=c6><center>1</center></td><td class=c6><center>4</center></td><td class=c6><center>1</center></td><td class=c6><center>5</center></td></tr>
<tr><td class=c6><center>50</center></td><td class=c6><center>OLB</center></td><td class=c6><a href="../playercard/player1996.htm">John Becker</a></td><td class=c6><center>11</center></td><td class=c6><center>64</center></td><td class=c6><center>44</center></td><td class=c6><center>20</center></td><td class=c6><center>2</center></td><td class=c6><center>3</center></td><td class=c6><center>4</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>5</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>3</center></td><td class=c6><center>1</center></td><td class=c6><center>4</center></td></tr>
<tr><td class=c6><center>53</center></td><td class=c6><center>ILB</center></td><td class=c6><a href="../playercard/player1992.htm">William Gross</a></td><td class=c6><center>12</center></td><td class=c6><center>63</center></td><td class=c6><center>40</center></td><td class=c6><center>23</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>5</center></td><td class=c6><center>1</center></td><td class=c6><center>1</center></td><td class=c6><center>3</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>5</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td></tr>
<tr><td class=c6><center>26</center></td><td class=c6><center>CB</center></td><td class=c6><a href="../playercard/player2001.htm">Francis Taylor</a></td><td class=c6><center>12</center></td><td class=c6><center>47</center></td><td class=c6><center>27</center></td><td class=c6><center>20</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>1</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>20</center></td><td class=c6><center>4</center></td><td class=c6><center>1</center></td><td class=c6><center>1</center></td><td class=c6><center>1</center></td><td class=c6><center>1</center></td></tr>
<tr><td class=c6><center>97</center></td><td class=c6><center>DE</center></td><td class=c6><a href="../playercard/player1985.htm">Milton Cole</a></td><td class=c6><center>12</center></td><td class=c6><center>30</center></td><td class=c6><center>30</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>4</center></td><td class=c6><center>3</center></td><td class=c6><center>12</center></td><td class=c6><center>3</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td></tr>
<tr><td class=c6><center>90</center></td><td class=c6><center>DT</center></td><td class=c6><a href="../playercard/player1989.htm">Larry Dupont</a></td><td class=c6><center>12</center></td><td class=c6><center>24</center></td><td class=c6><center>17</center></td><td class=c6><center>7</center></td><td class=c6><center>4</center></td><td class=c6><center>2</center></td><td class=c6><center>7</center></td><td class=c6><center>9</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>8</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td></tr>
<tr><td class=c6><center>37</center></td><td class=c6><center>CB</center></td><td class=c6><a href="../playercard/player1999.htm">Daniel Jackson</a></td><td class=c6><center>9</center></td><td class=c6><center>19</center></td><td class=c6><center>13</center></td><td class=c6><center>6</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>2</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>7</center></td><td class=c6><center>2</center></td><td class=c6><center>2</center></td><td class=c6><center>9</center></td><td class=c6><center>3</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td></tr>
<tr><td class=c6><center>27</center></td><td class=c6><center>CB</center></td><td class=c6><a href="../playercard/player2000.htm">Alphonso Collins</a></td><td class=c6><center>12</center></td><td class=c6><center>17</center></td><td class=c6><center>8</center></td><td class=c6><center>9</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>10</center></td><td class=c6><center>1</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>7</center></td><td class=c6><center>4</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td></tr>
<tr><td class=c6><center>59</center></td><td class=c6><center>OLB</center></td><td class=c6><a href="../playercard/player1995.htm">George Harris</a></td><td class=c6><center>3</center></td><td class=c6><center>10</center></td><td class=c6><center>7</center></td><td class=c6><center>3</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>1</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td></tr>
<tr><td class=c6><center>96</center></td><td class=c6><center>DT</center></td><td class=c6><a href="../playercard/player1988.htm">Jerry Magee</a></td><td class=c6><center>9</center></td><td class=c6><center>10</center></td><td class=c6><center>10</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>1</center></td><td class=c6><center>2</center></td><td class=c6><center>6</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>1</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>2</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td></tr>
<tr><td class=c6><center>48</center></td><td class=c6><center>FS</center></td><td class=c6><a href="../playercard/player2015.htm">Gabriel Kidd</a></td><td class=c6><center>6</center></td><td class=c6><center>7</center></td><td class=c6><center>2</center></td><td class=c6><center>5</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>3</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>5</center></td></tr>
<tr><td class=c6><center>44</center></td><td class=c6><center>FS</center></td><td class=c6><a href="../playercard/player2006.htm">Eugene Nichols</a></td><td class=c6><center>12</center></td><td class=c6><center>6</center></td><td class=c6><center>5</center></td><td class=c6><center>1</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>5</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>3</center></td></tr>
<tr><td class=c6><center>95</center></td><td class=c6><center>DE</center></td><td class=c6><a href="../playercard/player1981.htm">William Grossman</a></td><td class=c6><center>9</center></td><td class=c6><center>5</center></td><td class=c6><center>4</center></td><td class=c6><center>1</center></td><td class=c6><center>1</center></td><td class=c6><center>1</center></td><td class=c6><center>1</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>4</center></td><td class=c6><center>1</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td></tr>
<tr><td class=c6><center>21</center></td><td class=c6><center>SS</center></td><td class=c6><a href="../playercard/player2003.htm">Richard Phillips</a></td><td class=c6><center>2</center></td><td class=c6><center>4</center></td><td class=c6><center>3</center></td><td class=c6><center>1</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>1</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>1</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>2</center></td></tr>
<tr><td class=c6><center>39</center></td><td class=c6><center>CB</center></td><td class=c6><a href="../playercard/player1998.htm">Roy Thompson</a></td><td class=c6><center>5</center></td><td class=c6><center>4</center></td><td class=c6><center>3</center></td><td class=c6><center>1</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>2</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>1</center></td><td class=c6><center>3</center></td></tr>
<tr><td class=c6><center>94</center></td><td class=c6><center>DT</center></td><td class=c6><a href="../playercard/player1987.htm">John James</a></td><td class=c6><center>6</center></td><td class=c6><center>2</center></td><td class=c6><center>2</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>1</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>1</center></td><td class=c6><center>2</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>3</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td></tr>
<tr><td class=c6><center>93</center></td><td class=c6><center>DE</center></td><td class=c6><a href="../playercard/player1982.htm">Agustin George</a></td><td class=c6><center>4</center></td><td class=c6><center>2</center></td><td class=c6><center>2</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>2</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>1</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td></tr>
<tr><td class=c6><center>43</center></td><td class=c6><center>ILB</center></td><td class=c6><a href="../playercard/player1993.htm">Charles Strickland</a></td><td class=c6><center>3</center></td><td class=c6><center>1</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>1</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>1</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td></tr>
<tr><td class=c6><center>40</center></td><td class=c6><center>FB</center></td><td class=c6><a href="../playercard/player2016.htm">Todd Price</a></td><td class=c6><center>2</center></td><td class=c6><center>1</center></td><td class=c6><center>1</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td></tr>
<tr><td class=c6><center>25</center></td><td class=c6><center>CB</center></td><td class=c6><a href="../playercard/player2018.htm">Ramon Harris</a></td><td class=c6><center>1</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>1</center></td></tr>
<tr><td class=c6><center>56</center></td><td class=c6><center>OLB</center></td><td class=c6><a href="../playercard/player2017.htm">Elliott Allen</a></td><td class=c6><center>2</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>1</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td><td class=c6><center>0</center></td></tr>
</table>

</td></tr>

</table>

</body>

[Big Six]

This is the team overview from 2005, which contains game scores, final rankings, and team statistics.


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<head><title>Bowl Bound - 2006 Penn State Nittany Lions Overview</title><link rel=stylesheet type=text/css href=../htmlfiles/styles.css>
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<tr><td class=c8 width=100><img border=0 src=../helmets/PNST-t.gif></td><td class=c8><center>Penn State<br><font size=3>Team Overview</span></center></td><td class=c3 colspan=1 width=100>
<tr><td class=c3 colspan=3><b>Links: | <a href=team27a.htm>Attributes</a> | <a href=team27dc.htm>Depth Chart</a> | <a href=team27od.htm>Off/Def Ratings</a> | <a href=team27.htm>Overview</a> | <a href=team27r.htm>Roster</a> | <a href=team27st.htm>Special Teams Ratings</a> | <a href=team27s.htm>Stats</a> |</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td width=100% align=center colspan=2>

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<tr><td class=c2 colspan=7><center><b>Team Info</b></center></td></tr>
<tr><td class=c7>RECORD</td><td class=c7>COACH POLL</td><td class=c7>MEDIA POLL</td><td class=c7>RECRUIT CLASS</td><td class=c7>PRESTIGE</td><td class=c7>STRENGTH OF</td><td class=c7>CONF PROJ</td></tr>
<tr><td class=c3>10-2</td><td class=c3>14th</td><td class=c3>16th</td><td class=c3>24th</td><td class=c3>High (73)</td><td class=c3>59th</td><td class=c3>8th Place</td></tr>
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<tr><td class=c2 colspan=3><center><b>Team Schedule</b></center></td></tr>
<tr><td class=c7>WEEK</td><td class=c7>OPPONENT</td><td class=c7>SCORE</td></tr>
<tr><td class=c3>1</td><td class=c3>OPEN</td><td class=c3>-</td></tr>
<tr><td class=c3>2</td><td class=c3>at #13 Nebraska</td><td class=c3>L 30-23</td></tr>
<tr><td class=c3>3</td><td class=c3>Western Michigan</td><td class=c3>W 35-21</td></tr>
<tr><td class=c3>4</td><td class=c3>OPEN</td><td class=c3>-</td></tr>
<tr><td class=c3>5</td><td class=c3>Wisconsin</td><td class=c3>W 31-24</td></tr>
<tr><td class=c3>6</td><td class=c3>#11 Ohio State</td><td class=c3>L 32-30</td></tr>
<tr><td class=c3>7</td><td class=c3>at Purdue</td><td class=c3>W 18-3</td></tr>
<tr><td class=c3>8</td><td class=c3>at Michigan State</td><td class=c3>W 24-22</td></tr>
<tr><td class=c3>9</td><td class=c3>#14 Minnesota</td><td class=c3>W 30-20</td></tr>
<tr><td class=c3>10</td><td class=c3>Indiana</td><td class=c3>W 24-14</td></tr>
<tr><td class=c3>11</td><td class=c3>at Northwestern</td><td class=c3>W 26-6</td></tr>
<tr><td class=c3>12</td><td class=c3>at Illinois</td><td class=c3>W 17-10</td></tr>
<tr><td class=c3>13</td><td class=c3>Arkansas State</td><td class=c3>W 31-21</td></tr>
<tr><td class=c3>14</td><td class=c3>OPEN</td><td class=c3>-</td></tr>
<tr><td class=c3>15</td><td class=c3>OPEN</td><td class=c3>-</td></tr>
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</td><td width=50% align=center>

<table cellspacing=1 cellpadding=2 width=100% class=standard>
<tr><td class=c2 colspan=5><center><b>Big Ten Standings</b></center></td></tr>
<tr><td class=c7>TEAM</td><td class=c7>W-L</td><td class=c7>CONF W-L</td><td class=c7>PF</td><td class=c7>PA</td></tr>
<tr><td class=c3>Ohio State</td><td class=c3>11-2</td><td class=c3>8-0</td><td class=c3>426</td><td class=c3>230</td></tr>
<tr><td class=c3>Michigan</td><td class=c3>9-3</td><td class=c3>7-1</td><td class=c3>395</td><td class=c3>239</td></tr>
<tr><td class=c3>Penn State</td><td class=c3>10-2</td><td class=c3>7-1</td><td class=c3>334</td><td class=c3>232</td></tr>
<tr><td class=c3>Minnesota</td><td class=c3>9-3</td><td class=c3>5-3</td><td class=c3>357</td><td class=c3>238</td></tr>
<tr><td class=c3>Michigan State</td><td class=c3>8-4</td><td class=c3>4-4</td><td class=c3>307</td><td class=c3>262</td></tr>
<tr><td class=c3>Iowa</td><td class=c3>5-6</td><td class=c3>4-4</td><td class=c3>291</td><td class=c3>278</td></tr>
<tr><td class=c3>Purdue</td><td class=c3>5-6</td><td class=c3>3-5</td><td class=c3>256</td><td class=c3>259</td></tr>
<tr><td class=c3>Wisconsin</td><td class=c3>5-6</td><td class=c3>3-5</td><td class=c3>362</td><td class=c3>273</td></tr>
<tr><td class=c3>Indiana</td><td class=c3>2-9</td><td class=c3>2-6</td><td class=c3>155</td><td class=c3>312</td></tr>
<tr><td class=c3>Illinois</td><td class=c3>2-9</td><td class=c3>1-7</td><td class=c3>154</td><td class=c3>339</td></tr>
<tr><td class=c3>Northwestern</td><td class=c3>0-11</td><td class=c3>0-8</td><td class=c3>135</td><td class=c3>354</td></tr>
</table>

</td></tr>
<tr><td width=50% align=center>

<table cellspacing=1 cellpadding=2 width=100% class=standard>
<tr><td class=c2 colspan=4><center><b>Team Injury Report</b></center></td></tr>
<tr><td class=c7>POS</td><td class=c7>NAME</td><td class=c7>INJURY</td><td class=c7>STATUS</td></tr>
</table>

</td><td width=50% align=center colspan=1>

<table cellspacing=1 cellpadding=2 width=100% class=standard>
<tr><td class=c2 colspan=3><center><b>Team Stats</b></center></td></tr>
<tr><td class=c7></td><td class=c7>OFFENSE</td><td class=c7>DEFENSE</td></tr>
<tr><td class=c3>Points Per Game</td><td class=c3>27.8 (#27)</td><td class=c3>19.3 (#21)</td></tr>
<tr><td class=c3>Total Yards Per Game</td><td class=c3>372.4 (#66)</td><td class=c3>413.3 (#98)</td></tr>
<tr><td class=c3>Rushing Attempts</td><td class=c3>426 (#63)</td><td class=c3>404 (#17)</td></tr>
<tr><td class=c3>Rushing Yards Per Game</td><td class=c3>118.8 (#89)</td><td class=c3>132.7 (#48)</td></tr>
<tr><td class=c3>Rushing YPC</td><td class=c3>3.3 (#90)</td><td class=c3>3.9 (#80)</td></tr>
<tr><td class=c3>Passing Attempts</td><td class=c3>408 (#27)</td><td class=c3>448 (#115)</td></tr>
<tr><td class=c3>Passing Yards Per Game</td><td class=c3>253.6 (#44)</td><td class=c3>280.7 (#108)</td></tr>
<tr><td class=c3>Passing Completion %</td><td class=c3>59.1 (#22)</td><td class=c3>48.7 (#8)</td></tr>
<tr><td class=c3>Turnover Margin</td><td class=c3>-13.0 (#111)</td><td class=c3>-</td></tr>
</table>
</table>

</body>


I'm positive the turnover margin statistic is reversed. If you look at the individual statistics, you'll see that the Nittany Lions rarely turned the ball over, and that they were very aggressive when it came to taking the ball away.

[Big Six]

Offseason Week 8, 2006

The past few weeks have been busy ones for the Penn State football program, as our attentions are clearly focused on the 2006 season that lies ahead.

The first headlines of the new season came shortly after my meeting with Scott Benson. Our offensive coordinator, Lance Rash, decided to leave Penn State for San Diego State, who offered him a tidy raise. We began interviewing candidates for the position almost immediately, and we were thrilled when our first choice, George Dickson, accepted the job.

George is in his early forties, and last year he coached the quarterbacks at his alma mater, Brigham Young University. He brings with him an excellent reputation for developing quarterbacks, and we predict his talents will enable him to help players at all offensive positions reach their potential. Coach Paterno naturally participated in the interview process, and was particularly impressed with George’s ability to evaluate talent. I believe he will be able to devise game plans that will befuddle our opponents, and our players will be happy to hear that he favors the same kind of balanced offense we ran under Coach Rash. Coach Bingham isn’t coming cheaply, but Scott realizes that talent costs money, and approved a contract that will pay George $675,000 a year. That salary puts him roughly on par with David Tanner, his defensive counterpart, who earns $700,000. I’m not writing the checks, but to me, they’re worth every penny.

We learned that two of our players, linebacker Rick Hale and tight end Pedro Davis, are transferring out of our program. Both of them are very talented players—our staff evaluated their potential at 4.5 on a 5-“star” scale—so losing them really hurts. The fact that they’re both excellent students only makes the situation worse. I can’t stand losing young men of that caliber.

Hale has enrolled at Virginia, while Davis is on his way to Syracuse. They’re both redshirt freshmen, and of course, they’ll have to sit out a year at their new schools. I shook their hands and wished them well, and I sincerely hope they’ll be happy with their decisions.

We took a look at several players who were interested in transferring, but in the end, we didn’t offer a scholarship to any of them. With the departures of Rick and Pedro, we now have 13 available scholarships, and we’ve already made our first 13 offers.

Our number one target is Calvin Ferguson, a running back from Cardinal Gibbons High in Baltimore. He is universally considered the top high school running back in the nation, and we have him listed as the #1 player coming out of high school at any position, anywhere. Calvin is 6’0” and 193 pounds, and his calling card is his blinding speed. Calvin isn’t fast; he’s scary fast; 4.26-in-the-40, state 100 meter dash champion fast.

Apparently, the most important factor in Calvin’s eventual college choice will be his relationship with his head coach, and I’ve been very pleased with the rapport he and I have established so far. He’ll be one of the first five recruits we bring to State College for a visit. Joining him on campus on our first visit weekend will be Stephon Jones, a safety from Vermont; Anthony Lloyd, a guard from Connecticut; and two Pennsylvania athletes who are attending junior colleges in upstate New York: linebacker Joseph Martin and safety Charles Brown. All five are among the top fifty players in this year’s recruiting class, and if we manage to land all of them, you’ll hear me celebrating all over the state of Pennsylvania.

[Big Six]

Week 10, Postseason 2005-2006

I’ve always enjoyed recruiting. Sure, it’s stressful and exhausting; during recruiting season, I’m lucky if I put in less than 15 hours a day. While we naturally concentrate our recruiting efforts in Pennsylvania and the states closest to us, where many boys grow up dreaming of being Nittany Lions, we also recruit on a national scale. That can mean quick flights to California, Texas, Florida, and who knows where else.

Still, I’ve always looked forward to sitting down with a player and his family, talking to them about what Penn State and its football program have to offer. We can promise a recruit the opportunity to receive a fine education, and we can promise him the support he’ll need to achieve that goal. We can also promise him the chance to play high-quality football in an elite conference, for a program that has a long and proud tradition.

Perhaps I’m saying such positive things about recruiting because our efforts this year have been so successful thus far! The week after our first five recruits visited campus, I drove out to the town of Nanty Glo, the home town of Charles Brown, the junior college DB we’re so high on. Brown eagerly accepted our scholarship offer, and he officially became the first recruit of my career as a head football coach.

I’m thrilled about having Charles come to Penn State. He’s a tremendous athlete who will be able to step in and play right away for us. Charles is also an outstanding student and a potential leader in the locker room. Charles chose Penn State over schools like LSU, Michigan, and USC, so signing him was a real plus for our program.

Two days later, another of the players we brought in that first week signed his letter. Anthony Lloyd is a rangy 6’8”, 270-pound offensive lineman who can play both guard and tackle. He’s from Connecticut, and is considered one of the three best guards in this year’s class. Florida State, Virginia Tech, and Syracuse were among the other schools who offered Anthony a scholarship. We’re thin at guard, so there’s a chance he could contribute right away.

We were also thrilled to hear that Calvin Ferguson had us “very high” on his list. Both our new offensive coordinator, George Dickson, and I went down to Baltimore to visit Calvin and his family, and we watched him play in a basketball game. Calvin displayed his athleticism when he brought down the house with an incredible tomahawk dunk, made all the more impressive by the fact that he’s only 6’0”. George and I just looked at each other and smiled. That 39" vertical he's supposedly got? It's the real deal.

The next day, Calvin called to let us know he had us at the top of his list. It seemed that a couple of the schools who were recruiting him—he didn’t mention which ones—led him to believe he’d be used mainly as a third down back. While Ferguson is a very good receiver (he caught 22 passes for over 300 yards as a senior), we think he’s got the talent to be a feature back. I imagine it’s tough for a player who gained over 1800 yards rushing and scored 22 touchdowns to hear he’s being projected as a role player!

I spent the entire next day at home, playing with the kids and watching a movie with Kristin. Calvin Ferguson, and the other young men we hoped to bring to State College, knew how to reach me.

[Big Six]

Week 11, Offseason 2005-2006

It was the best of times; it was the worst of times.

Since Charles Dickens died one year after the first intercollegiate football game was played, I know he wasn’t referring to the career of a football coach. Nevertheless, his words seem to apply very well right now.

First, the good news. We signed three more players for next year. Jerry Martin, a big defensive end from the Philadelphia suburbs, was the first of the three to commit. He is a freakishly good athlete who runs a 4.58 forty and bench presses 428 pounds. Martin had 20 sacks as a high school senior.

Next to sign his letter was Warren Kirkpatrick, a 6’8”, 320-pound mountain of an offensive tackle who chose Penn State over Georgia, Miami, Notre Dame, and Oklahoma. He’s from Greenbelt, Maryland, just outside Washington, and after he signed his letter, he grinned and asked me, “Coach, I have a good feeling I’m going to be blocking for Calvin Ferguson.”

Kirkpatrick and Ferguson attended our camp together, and the two of them became friends there. Since they, they've been talking on their cell phones once a week or so. Had the two of them discussed playing together at Penn State? I didn’t dare ask Warren, but the way he smiled…

The next day, Calvin Ferguson announced there would be a press conference at Cardinal Gibbons, where he would announce his college choice. There were six schools still in the running: Florida State, Maryland, Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, and Texas. Had Calvin been honest with me when he told me we were first on his list? Did Warren Kirkpatrick already know that he and Calvin were going to be college teammates? All we could do was hope, and wait.

Calvin’s press conference took place in the Cardinal Gibbons school library. His parents—a police lieutenant and a social worker—were there, as were his two younger sisters, his football coaches, and a host of his teammates and friends. On the table in front of him were six baseball caps, each bearing the insignia of one of the schools he was considering.

Calvin looked classy; he had on a suit and tie, and he smiled as the he stepped to the microphone and looked into the television cameras that were pointed his way.

“I’m pleased to announce that I will be atending school and playing football for…”

Calvin paused, and reached across the table. He selected a cap and placed it on his head.

“…The Pennsylvania State University.”

Calvin grinned broadly, and the room exploded in cheers. Those cheers echoed in all sorts of places where Penn Staters were watching, from dormitory rooms in State College to offices where alumni worked all over the United States.

“My decision wasn’t easy, because I was recruited by a lot of outstanding programs,” Ferguson commented later. “The biggest factor in my decision was Coach Rogers. I felt comfortable with him right away, and so did my mom and dad.”

Coach Paterno called me right away, as soon as he heard the news. “There you go, champ,” he said. “That had to feel good, hearing Calvin say that about you.”

“You know exactly what it’s like, Coach,” I replied. “You heard that time and again for forty years.”

For a week, Happy Valley more than lived up to its name. Then came two pieces of news that popped our bubble, big time.

Stephen Jones and John McKinney announced they were leaving Penn State to enter the NFL draft. I suppose I’m not terribly surprised by their announcements. Both of them are extremely talented athletes, and both have heard from several NFL sources that they’ll be drafted very early on. In John’s case, the academic difficulties he encountered late last year could very well be a factor in his decision.

We now have a quarterback who played in two games last year atop our depth chart, instead of a proven leader who was one of the most productive quarterbacks in the Big Ten last year. Bobby Burton is a solid player, and he has the maturity that comes from being a fifth-year senior. What we don't know is how he'll respond to being the starting quarterback. Behind him we have Joseph Collins, a sophomore, who should be very good in time. Not coincidentally, there are three quarterbacks among the five players who will be visiting Penn State this coming week.

Jones’ departure means that George Harris will really have to step up, and with Rick Hale’s transfer, our linebacking corps has taken two big hits. A month ago, I would have said we were probably stronger at linebacker than anywhere else, and now it’s one of our biggest question marks.

Right now I’m trying to remind myself that when players like Stephen and John are ready to move on to the NFL before they use all their eligibility, it’s a sign of the strength of our football program. It says that we’re recruiting good athletes, and that we’re developing them properly when they get here. At the same time, their decision deprives us of their leadership and their contributions on the field, and those things can’t be replaced overnight.

In three years, I could be saying the very same things about Calvin Ferguson, or about any of the other outstanding players we’re bringing in this year. I don’t think it will be any easier to take then, either.

[Big Six]

Offseason Week 17, 2006

My first recruiting season has ended, and I’m very pleased with the players we’re bringing in for next year. We brought in three five-star recruits, the same number as Ohio State and Michigan, and after looking over the commitment lists, I’d say Michigan is the only Big Ten school whose recruiting class should rate higher than ours.

I’m especially pleased with the offensive linemen we were able to sign. We’re bringing in four very talented players, three of whom are four-star recruits. Two of them, Todd Main and Fred Felton, are junior college players who will be able to come in and compete for jobs right away. Felton is a good friend of Charles Brown, and after Charles signed with us, he persuaded Fred to come along with him.

We had almost given up on Jason Cruz, a wide receiver from Virginia who looked like he was on his way to Michigan. We were under the impression he had Georgia and Virginia Tech ahead of us on his list, too—and then we got a call from him telling us he was on his way to Penn State. We were thrilled to hear that, because we think he’ll be one of the best receivers in the country before he’s through. Jason runs a 4.48 forty, and he’s a 3.8 student with a 1380 SAT score, too. All in all, he’s a coach’s dream.

We’re also high on Man Ward, a fullback from North Carolina who looks like he has the whole package. He can block and catch the ball, and we think he’ll develop into a real running threat, too.

Here’s some information on each of the 17 players who make up Penn State’s recruiting class for 2006. Hopefully, a few of them will one day be ranked among the greatest players ever to put on the blue and white.


Players committed to Penn State

RNK Pos Name HT WT School REG POS Type of player C/P
3 RB Calvin Ferguson ***** 6-0 193 Cardinal Gibbons (MD) 1 2 Third down back 10/20
47 OG(A) Anthony Lloyd **** 6-8 270 Woodland Regional (CT) 12 3 Power 4/18
50 FS(A) *Charles Brown ***** 6-1 177 Morrisville State (PA) 13 3 Cover safety 13/15
63 DE Jerry Martin ***** 6-5 286 Pennridge (PA) 16 4 Balanced 6/17
95 OT Warren Kirkpatrick **** 6-8 321 Eleanor Roosevelt (MD) 20 7 Power 3/17
270 OT *Todd Main **** 6-0 304 St. John's College (PA) 53 19 Power 11/14
276 OT *Fred Felton *** 6-5 327 Morrisville State (PA) 54 20 Power 11/13
303 WR Jason Cruz **** 6-2 168 Park View (VA) 58 34 Possession WR 5/12
450 WR David Mills *** 6-4 180 Springfield Science & Tech (MA) 76 66 Speed WR 6/11
476 QB David Thompson *** 6-4 185 Deptford Township (NJ) 79 37 Drop back passer 2/11
526 FB Man Ward *** 6-2 225 South Stokes (NC) 91 12 Rushing FB 5/13
582 OLB Travis Moore *** 5-11 227 Pittston Area (PA) 97 44 Blitzing LB 5/11
651 DT Anthony Bacon *** 6-7 281 Brighton (CO) 134 41 Run stopper 3/11
871 TE(A) William Tolbert *** 6-4 235 Ragsdale (NC) 152 45 Blocking TE 4/12
1198 WR(A) Phil Vanderpool ** 6-5 186 Penn Trafford (PA) 218 143 Speed WR 3 /8
1907 ILB Stan Rodriquez * 6-0 214 Butler (PA) 339 113 Balanced 2 /6
2468 DT Gabriel Sanders * 6-8 263 Butler (PA) 449 102 Run stopper 1 /4

Ferguson: 1813 yds. rushing, 18 TD; 22 rec, 352 yds.
Brown: 60 tackles, 7 sacks, 19 passes defensed; 45-824-2 as receiver.
Martin: 81 tackles, 20 sacks, 2 INT, 2 TD
Cruz: 54 receptions, 821 yds, 11 TD; 16.8 avg. as punt returner w/2 TD
Mills: 49 receptions, 785 yds, 10 TD; 314 yds. rushing
Thompson: 60.8% completion percentage, 3357 yds, 28 TD; 3.9 rushing average
Ward: 481 yds, rushing, 4 TD; 18-263 as receiver; 91 tackles, 8 sacks
Moore: 90 tackles, 6 sacks, 5 TFL, 6 passes defensed
Bacon: 45 tackles, 7 sacks, 12 TFL, 4 forced fumbles
Tolbert: 25 receptions, 385 yds, 3 TD; 45 tackles, 10 sacks, 6 TFL
Vanderpool: 41 receptions, 720 yds, 4 TD; 20.8 avg. as punt returner w/3 TD
Rodriquez: 51 tackles, 6 sacks, 3 TFL
Sanders: 26 tackles, 7 sacks, 8 TFL, 1 interception

[Big Six]

Training Camp Week 6, 2006

Here is a unit-by-unit look at our 2006 team, beginning with our offense.


Quarterbacks
# POS NAME HT WT YR CUR POT
20 QB Bobby Burton 6-1 209 (Sr) 7 7
18 QB Joseph Collins (S) 6-1 211 (So) 7 11
12 QB Robert Dillard 6-1 204 Sr 5 6
2 QB Samuel Neff 6-1 191 (Fr) 5 9
4 QB John Thomas 6-2 211 (So) 4 6
6 QB David Thompson 6-4 190 (Fr) 6 11



Collins won the starting spot over Butler in one of the preseason’s most heated position battles. Joe is younger and has more upside than Bobby, and he’s a better passer. Bobby is more mobile, and has the maturity to accept his role as a backup once again. We won’t hesitate to play Butler if Collins struggles. Dillard, Neff, and Thomas all like to tuck the ball away and run, and could be useful if we want to change things up a little. Thompson will redshirt this season.


Running Backs
# POS NAME HT WT YR CUR POT
41 RB George Drummond 5-9 184 (Sr) 4 5
32 RB Calvin Ferguson (S) 6-0 195 Fr 12 20
35 RB Jerry Freeman 5-11 182 (Fr) 9 14
30 RB Miguel Gregory 5-11 191 (So) 12 17
31 RB Raymundo Parker 5-9 204 Sr 8 10
42 FB Daniel Delgado (S) 5-11 214 Sr 9 11
45 FB Franklin Ballard 6-0 228 (Jr) 7 10
40 FB Todd Price 5-11 209 Sr 3 4
33 FB Man Ward 6-2 232 Fr 8 13


We’ll match Gregory and Ferguson against any pair of backs in the Big Ten. Gregory fell nine yards short of a 1000-yard season in 2005, despite injuries that nagged him all year long. Ferguson’s blazing speed gives us a dimension we lacked this season. Both have good hands and can be assets in the passing game, too. We think Freeman has the potential to be a very good running back, and he’s a good return man, too. Parker filled in capably when Gregory was hurt last season. Drummond is an asset to all our special teams units. Delgado returns as our starting fullback; he’s a punishing lead blocker and a good pass receiver. We’re very high on Ward, who impressed us with his progress this fall and will see lots of playing time this year. Price is an outstanding special teams player. Ballard will redshirt.


Receivers
# POS NAME HT WT YR CUR POT
88 WR Theodore Dick 6-0 172 So 7 14
84 WR Jerry Hubbard (S) 5-8 194 Jr 9 13
89 WR David Mills 6-4 184 (Fr) 6 12
80 WR Randy Culpepper (S) 6-1 186 Sr 14 18
81 WR James Pollack 6-5 186 Sr 3 6
22 WR Phil Vanderpool 6-5 192 Fr 3 7
86 WR Jason Cruz 6-2 173 Fr 7 12
85 TE Brian Hagen 6-3 240 (Sr) 5 6
83 TE Modesto Stark (S) 6-2 224 (So) 8 13
87 TE William Tolbert 6-4 243 (Fr) 7 12
82 TE James Virgil 6-3 240 Sr 8 10


Culpepper is a candidate for All-Big Ten honors. He has terrific hands and excellent speed, and will be Collins’ favorite target. Hubbard will get the chance to start this season, after a productive season as our third receiver last year. Dick and true freshman Cruz will back them up. We’re pleasantly surprised with Vanderpool, who wasn’t rated highly as a recruit but has been very good in practice. Pollack excels on our coverage teams. At tight end, we return Stark and Virgil, who will both see lots of playing time. Virgil and Hagen are also special teams warriors; Virgil is our gunner on both kickoffs and punts. Tolbert and Mills are both very talented and will have a season to develop as redshirts.


Offensive Linemen
# POS NAME HT WT YR CUR POT
75 OT Warren Kirkpatrick 6-8 329 Fr 9 16
69 OT Todd Main (S) 6-0 305 Jr 12 14
70 OT Tom Montoya 6-7 294 (Jr) 7 9
67 OT Leland Olson 6-4 300 (So) 8 13
65 OT Fred Felton (S) 6-5 328 Jr 10 12
78 OT Lawrence Griffin 6-3 303 (Fr) 5 10
71 OG Anthony Lloyd (S) 6-8 280 Fr 10 18
64 OG Ryan Lopez 6-4 287 (Fr) 4 8
74 OG Steve McKinley 6-3 292 (Sr) 2 4
62 OG Chris Sandoval (S) 6-4 310 Jr 11 16
66 OG Chris Silverman 6-5 309 (Jr) 10 13
61 OG Mark Brady 6-3 304 (Jr) 3 6
51 C Clark Hill 6-2 279 Sr 6 9
77 C Pat O'Flannery 6-1 283 Jr 1 3
52 C Wesley Herring (S) 6-2 304 Jr 10 14

Our O-line will feature four new starters. Juco tackles Main and Felton are both outstanding additions. Main plays the left side, and is a particularly skillful pass blocker. Felton is a mauler with impressive strength. Sandoval, the left guard, is the only returning starter. He is our strongest offensive lineman and is a dominant run blocker. Lloyd will start at right guard as a true freshman; he has tremendous upside and should be an All-American candidate before he leaves State College. Silverman, who started at RG last year, can play either guard or tackle, and allows us to substitute freely without missing a beat. Center Herring battled through injuries last year; now he’s healthy and ready to go. Wes excels in pass protection and has the strength to take on big, powerful tackles when we run the ball. Kirkpatrick will play a lot as a true freshman, backing up both Main and Felton. He and Olson will be ready to step into the starting lineup when the two junior tackles graduate, and Montoya started the last three games of the 2005 season after Albert Randle got hurt. Lopez, Hill, Griffin, Huntley and Brady provide depth and help prepare our defense by working on the scout team. Griffin’s aggressiveness makes him an outstanding special teams player. O’Flannery is a fine long snapper.

Offensive Outlook
Despite the loss of quarterback John McKinney, who passed up his final year of eligibility for the NFL, we expect our offense to be more productive than it was last year. While Collins is not the passer McKinney was, opposing defenses will have to account for our running game first, and that should open up opportunities for us to gain yards through the air.

One of our biggest challenges will be finding enough carries for Gregory and Ferguson. Miguel is used to being a feature back, and we sure didn't sign Calvin, the best high school RB in the country, to sit on the bench. Ideally, both players will understand that splitting the carries will allow both of them to remain fresh.

The signings of Main and Felton were absolutely huge, as they give us two studs who are ready to step in as starters from Day One. Sure, we'll have them for only two years at most, but that gives us time to develop our young linemen and get them ready for Big Ten play.

Our new offensive coordinator, George Dickson, has earned the respect of the entire college football world for his ability to design gameplans that work. Between us, I'm confident that we'll be able to create an offense that will put our players in situations where they will excel.

[Big Six]

Now, meet the members of the 2006 Penn State defense, and our kicking and punting specialists.


Defensive Linemen
# POS NAME HT WT YR CUR POT
93 DE Agustin George 6-5 292 So 8 13
90 DE Jerry Martin (S) 6-5 293 Fr 9 16
98 DE Lee Elrod 6-5 270 (So) 7 11
92 DE Frank Golden 6-4 277 (Jr) 7 9
97 DE Milton Cole (S) 6-6 289 (Sr) 15 15
91 DT John Bell (S) 6-3 305 (Fr) 9 15
96 DT Jerry Magee (S) 6-2 302 (Jr) 10 14
99 DT Gabriel Sanders 6-8 271 (Fr) 1 5
94 DT John James 6-3 288 (So) 8 14
95 DT Anthony Bacon 6-7 290 (Fr) 6 10


Cole, a team captain, is back for his senior year with a second team All-Big Ten award to his credit. He is a ferocious pass rusher and a terror against the run. Martin and George will both see lots of action at the other end spot. Martin’s incredible athleticism will enable him to make big plays right away, and as he adjusts to the college game, he’ll become a star. George runs like a linebacker and is developing a fine repertoire of pass rush moves. Magee and Bell are both solid run stoppers who tie up blockers, freeing the LBs to make tackles. They’re both strong pass rushers, too. James started three games last year and played well, and we think he’ll eventually be a top-flight tackle. Golden, and Elrod are good enough to start for many teams and regularly give the offense all they can handle in practice. Sanders and Bacon will redshirt this fall.


Linebackers
# POS NAME HT WT YR CUR POT
53 ILB William Gross (S) 6-2 239 (Jr) 12 16
43 ILB Stan Rodriquez 6-0 221 (Fr) 2 6
49 ILB Andrew Stone 6-2 245 (So) 8 14
57 ILB Gary Jensen 5-9 219 (So) 2 4
46 OLB Billy Davis 6-0 234 (Fr) 2 6
59 OLB George Harris (S) 5-11 233 (So) 7 12
58 OLB Travis Moore 5-11 233 Fr 7 11
50 OLB John Becker (S) 6-1 229 (Jr) 13 16
47 OLB Dustin Wood 5-11 231 (Fr) 5 10


Becker, who started seven games in 2005, does everything a coach could ask of a linebacker and does it well. He will be among the Big Ten’s best LBs this season. Gross, who starts on the strong side, has the speed to drop back in coverage and the strength to play the run effectively. Harris is poised to take a big step forward as a sophomore after receiving lots of playing time last year. We’re excited about Stone’s potential to develop into a star, and Moore, who has risen to second team status as a true freshman, is coming on strong. Wood, Jensen, and Davis will see action on special teams while they develop their skills. We’ll redshirt Rodriquez this season.



Defensive Backs
# POS NAME HT WT YR CUR POT
37 CB Daniel Jackson (S) 5-11 177 Jr 9 14
24 CB Robert Jackson 5-9 184 (Fr) 3 7
25 CB Ramon Harris 5-9 168 (So) 1 6
26 CB Francis Taylor (S) 6-3 203 (Sr) 13 14
39 CB Roy Thompson 6-0 190 So 9 14
27 CB Alphonso Collins 5-11 189 Sr 7 9
48 FS Gabriel Kidd 6-0 196 (So) 5 9
44 FS Eugene Nichols 5-11 185 So 5 11
38 FS Charles Brown (S) 6-1 178 Jr 13 14
23 SS Lawrence Hill (S) 6-0 196 Sr 9 13
29 SS Benjamin Hill 6-0 180 So 3 7
21 SS Richard Phillips 5-10 174 (So) 8 11


Taylor, a 2005 first team All-Big Ten corner, returns to lead the secondary. He’s big, fast, and aggressive enough to shut down the conference’s top wideouts. His partner, Daniel Jackson, worked hard during the offseason and is poised for a big year. Brown has done nothing but impress since he arrived. Lawrence Hill made third team All-Big Ten on the strength of his big play abilities and his strength against the run. If Thompson can shore up his academics and stay eligible, he’ll be the nickel back; if not, Phillips or Collins will fill in there. Collins started five games at CB in 2005. Robert Jackson, Harris, Kidd, and Benjamin Hill are our depth guys, and they’ll be battling for spots on our special teams units. Nichols is an electrifying kickoff returner, while Phillips is equally dangerous returning punts. Brown was a fine return man in junior college, too.


Special teams
# POS NAME HT WT YR CUR POT
07 K Don Brady 6-4 203 So 7 8
19 K Stephan Phillips (S) 6-0 177 (Sr) 14 14
14 P John Stafford 6-0 178 Jr 6 8
05 P Philip Redd (S) 6-1 185 (Jr) 17 18


Both Redd and Phillips are on the watch lists for national awards, while Stafford and Brady are competent backups. Phillips is money on any kick of less than 40 yards, and he's improved his range and his ability to kick off deep. Redd can hit the long ball and pin opposing teams deep in their own end with regularity.

Defensive Outlook

Although we did a good job of keeping other teams from scoring, they moved the ball against us far too easily. I can't see that happening this year. We lost Stephen Jones and Steve Perry from last year's team, but the arrival of Brown and the continued development of the young linebackers should allow us to pick up the slack. Only two seniors--Cole and Taylor--start on defense, so this unit should only continue to get better.

Cole has been mentioned as a preseason All-American and an Outland Trophy candidate, and the leadership he provides for our defense is invaluable. He took Jerry Martin under his wing from the beginning, and the bond they formed on Martin's campus visit was a big reason why Jerry chose Penn State.

Coordinator David Tanner has inspired the defense to stand and deliver this season. They're a proud group, and they're determined to, in Francis Taylor's words, "win some games for Penn State this year, instead of making the offense outscore teams every week."

Philip Redd is a key component of our defense, as his punts will continually force teams to play on a long field.

On the whole, I can't imagine teams will look forward to playing against our defense this year. There will be some guys who wake up sore on Sunday mornings after they play us.

[Big Six]

Week 1, 2006
#13 Penn State 29, South Florida 20


1Q 2Q 3Q 4Q
Penn State 3 10 6 10 29
South Florida 7 7 6 0 20

First Quarter
USF TD 11:45 7-0 73 YD Int Return by Wayne Randall (Keith Townsend Kick).
PNST FG 07:00 7-3 Stephan Phillips 35 YD

Second Quarter
PNST FG 07:08 7-6 Stephan Phillips 22 YD
PNST TD 04:27 13-7 Miguel Gregory 31 YD Run (Stephan Phillips Kick).
USF TD 00:19 14-13 Mark Pierce 1 YD Pass from Amos Hill (Keith Townsend Kick).

Third Quarter
PNST FG 13:03 16-14 Stephan Phillips 34 YD
USF TD 10:54 20-16 William Bennett 70 YD Pass from Samuel Olson (2 Pts Failed)
PNST FG 01:15 20-19 Stephan Phillips 37 YD

Fourth Quarter
PNST FG 08:32 22-20 Stephan Phillips 32 YD
PNST TD 01:34 29-20 35 YD Fumble Return by John Bell (Stephan Phillips Kick).


Penn State Individual Statistics:

Passing: Joe Collins 7-16, 62 yds, 0 TD, 2 INT; Bobby Burton 7-12, 42 yds, 0 TD, 0 INT.

Rushing: Miguel Gregory 14-131, Calvin Ferguson 22-121, Randy Culpepper 2-12.

Receiving: Randy Culpepper 6-57, Theodore Dick 4-25, Calvin Ferguson 2-11,
Jerry Hubbard 2-7, Modesto Stark 1-3.

Key Run Blocks: Fred Felton 2, Chris Silverman 1, Todd Main 1.

Pancakes: Fred Felton 1, Todd Main 1.

Kicking: Stephan Phillips 5-5 FG, 2-2 XP.

Punting: Philip Redd 3-48.7.

Kick Returns: Eugene Nichols 2-18.0.

Punt Returns: Phil Vanderpool 1-8.

Sacks: Augustin George 2.

Interceptions: William Gross 1-0, Francis Taylor 1-0.

Tackles: Charles Brown 8, William Gross 8, John Becker 7, Milton Cole 4, Francis Taylor 4,
Daniel Jackson 4, Lawrence Hill 3, Augustin George 2, Roy Thompson 1, James Pollack 1,
Brian Hagen 1, Jerry Magee 1, John James 1, George Harris 1.

Stuffs: None.

Hurries: John Becker 1, Milton Cole 1, Jerry Magee 1, John James 1.

Passes Defended: William Gross 1.





It's never easy opening the season on the road, as we were reminded this week. We feel fortunate to come back from South Florida with a win, because it was a game that we could have lost very easily.

We learned a lot about ourselves this week, both good and bad. We discovered that we could move the ball effectively on the ground, for one thing. Both Calvin Ferguson and Miguel Gregory gained over 100 yards, and both of them made some very nice plays. The offensive linemen meshed like they'd been playing together for years.

We also discovered that we have a lot of work to do before our passing game is up to par. Joe Collins started and played the first half, and never really got it going. He missed a couple of open receivers, which got him out of his rhythm, and he threw an interception that was brought all the way back for a TD. That's a tough set of circumstances to face in your first collegiate start.

We replaced him with Bobby Burton for the second half, and Burton wasn't much more productive. In order to beat Big Ten teams--or tough non-conference opponents like the Virginia Tech team we're playing next week--we have to demonstrate that we can move the ball in the air. Otherwise, teams will load up the box and dare us to run the ball at them.

Stephan Phillips saved us five times when our drives stalled deep in USF territory. While we'd certainly like to score more touchdowns, having a kicker like Stephan reduces the pressure on our offense. We shouldn't be held scoreless on too many of our trips into the red zone this season.

There was good and not-so-good news from the defensive side of the ball, too. Milton Cole played an excellent game, stacking up runners at the line and forcing USF to account for him on every play. We noticed that after the first quarter, they rarely ran a play to Cole's side. Jerry Martin injured his hip and left the game in the first quarter, and Gus George came in and sacked their QB twice. Becker and Gross were hitting anything that moved, and Charles Brown introduced himself to Division I football with a bang.

USF's quarterback, Sam Olson, is a very good player--as good as most of the Big Ten QBs we'll face. He completed 16 of his 26 attempts against us for 261 yards. We got two picks against him, but on the whole we need to tighten up our pass defense a little bit.

We got a huge special teams play late in the fourth quarter that sealed our victory. James Pollack laid a huge hit on their punt returner and knocked the ball loose. John Bell, a 305-pound defensive tackle, scooped it up and rumbled 35 yards for a touchdown. Apparently it was the first touchdown Bell has ever scored in a game at any level, so it was an even bigger thrill for him. It was also great to see Pollack, a senior who has played very little during his career, make a big play like that.

We have quite a few players who will need to pay very close attention to their academics over the past few weeks--many more than we should have. They don't want to deal with me if they don't get those grades up.

Elsewhere in the Big Ten:
N.C. State 45, Indiana 0
#7 Miami 34, Northwestern 21
#15 Minnesota 55, Baylor 24
#3 Ohio State 52, Louisville 28
#11 Wisconsin 45, Florida International 26

[Big Six]

(I accidentally simmed the Virginia Tech game instead of coaching/playing it, so I'll have to come up with a creative story to explain why the computer decided to give so much playing time to the Nittany Lions' 3rd team QB, while the second stringer rode the bench.) :)

Week 2, 2006
#13 Penn State 31, #23 Virginia Tech 10


1Q 2Q 3Q 4Q
Virginia Tech 0 0 10 0 10
Penn State 7 7 7 10 31

First Quarter
PNST TD 04:09 7-0 Modesto Stark 37 YD Pass from Sam Neff (Stephan Phillips Kick).

Second Quarter
PNST TD 08:29 14-0 Calvin Ferguson 3 YD Run (Stephan Phillips Kick).

Third Quarter
PNST TD 12:12 21-0 Jerry Hubbard 27 YD Pass from Samuel Neff (Stephan Phillips Kick).
VT FG 08:39 21-3 Michael Cummings 47 YD
VT TD 01:39 21-10 Christopher Green 5 YD Run (Michael Cummings Kick).

Fourth Quarter
PNST TD 05:12 28-10 Calvin Ferguson 1 YD Run (Stephan Phillips Kick).
PNST FG 00:22 31-10 Stephan Phillips 25 YD


Penn State Individual Statistics:

Passing: Sam Neff 24-33, 269 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT

Rushing: Calvin Ferguson 25-99, Miguel Gregory 6-21, Theodore Dick 1-11, Randy Culpepper 1-4,
Man Ward 1-3, Sam Neff 2-0, Jerry Hubbard 1- -4

Receiving: Jerry Hubbard 8-109, Modesto Stark 6-81, Randy Culpepper 6-42, Calvin Ferguson 1-21,
Theodore Dick 2-9, Man Ward 1-7, James Virgil 1-0

Key Run Blocks: Chris Sandoval 2, Todd Main 2.

Pancakes: Chris Sandoval 4, Wes Herring 1.

Kicking: Stephan Phillips 1-2 FG, 4-4 XP.

Punting: Philip Redd 5-45.4.

Kick Returns: Eugene Nichols 2-30.5

Punt Returns: Alphonso Collins 5-16.6

Sacks: Milton Cole 2, Jerry Magee 1, John Bell 1.

Interceptions: Francis Taylor 2-12.

Tackles: Milton Cole 7, Charles Brown 7, John Becker 6, Richard Phillips 5, William Gross 4,
Travis Moore 3, Francis Taylor 2, Daniel Jackson 1, James Virgil 1, Jerry Magee 1,
Roy Thompson 1, John Bell 1.

Stuffs: John Becker 3, Milton Cole 1, William Gross 1, Charles Brown 1, Richard Phillips 1.

Hurries: John Bell 1, William Gross 1, John Becker 1.

Passes Defended: Francis Taylor 2, Daniel Jackson 2, John Becker 1, Alphonso Collins 1.


After our less-than-fantastic performance at South Florida last week, we were looking forward to a much better effort in our home opener. Our opponent was Virginia Tech, so we knew it wouldn't be easy. Despite a few problems with injuries and one off-the-field issue that affected our lineup this week, we treated the home crowd to a very entertaining, well-played college football game.

We suspended Joe Collins for an incident that took place at a party at one of the fraternity houses on Thursday night. That's all we're saying about the situation, and Joe will be back in uniform this week against Tulane. Joe has never been in trouble before, so we believe this is an isolated incident, and that's that.

We might well have started Bobby Burton at quarterback instead of Collins anyway, because Burton had a very good week in practice. On his first pass attempt of the game, Bobby was hit hard and had to leave the game. It was a doubly disappointing play, because his 48-yard completion to Randy Culpepper was nullified because of a holding penalty.

With Collins not in pads, we called on our #3 quarterback, Sam Neff. He's a redshirt freshman from western Pennsylvania, a very good student and a very tough kid. On the first play from scrimmage of his Penn State career, he hit Culpepper for a first down, and you could see his whole demeanor change. Before our eyes, he transformed into a leader, and his teammates later commented on how he took charge of the huddle like a quarterback should.

On our second possession, Neff hit Modesto Stark for a 37-yard TD, and when he pumped his fist the student section went wild. Meanwhile, our defense was playing as well as I've seen it play in two years. Milton Cole was all over the field; he blasted their quarterback, Dylan Scott, knocked the ball loose, and fell on it for a turnover that set up the TD pass to Modesto.

Honestly, I felt a little sorry for Scott. He's a true freshman, making his first collegiate start in front of 107,000 hostile fans, and we were in his face all day long. We sacked him four times and hurried him three times, and Francis Taylor intercepted him twice. After the way Sam Olson carved us up last week, it was great to see our pass defense rise to the occasion. Scott completed only 10 of his 30 attempts.

We shut down their running game even more completely, too--they had only 48 yards rushing, and we tackled them for losses seven times. That was without Jerry Martin, who suffered a concussion in practice this week and missed the game. We'll have him back next week, and we're looking forward to getting him back on the field.

Remember when I mentioned that we were lucky to have two running backs as good as Miguel Gregory and Calvin Ferguson, especially if one of them got banged up? I hope I didn't jinx Miguel when I said that. Late in the second quarter, he took a shot to the ribs and came out of the game. We played it safe and let Calvin go the rest of the way, and he performed well against a tough, veteran VT defense. Miguel will probably be able to play next week, but we won't use him unless he's back to 100 percent.

Our offensive line did a fantastic job of opening holes for our running backs, especially Chris Sandoval. Ferguson was named the Player of the Game with his two TDs, but he was very quick to acknowledge the play of the big guys in front of him. We awarded Sandoval a game ball in recognition of his great performance.

The media was apparently very impressed with our performance against a ranked team, and bumped us up seven spots in their poll. It was quite a week for upsets involving teams in the Top Ten, which had something to do with our bounce in the rankings. LSU and Miami both lost, and Ohio State was shocked by Oregon State. The Buckeyes only dropped from #3 to #5, but LSU and Miami fell out of the Top Ten.

The only bad news came from the academic front. Three players have been suspended until their grades improve: Daniel Delgado, Roy Thompson, and Phil Vanderpool. In Phil's case, it might be simply a matter of adjusting more successfully to the demands of college life. Danny and Roy don't have that excuse, especially Danny, who is a senior. This is Roy's second academic suspension, so let's just say I'm not too happy with him and let it go at that.

On the other hand, many of our players are excelling in the classroom. Six of our seniors have GPAs of 3.5 or better, and Milton Cole is right behind them at 3.45. Among the other upperclassmen, Charles Brown is carrying a 3.92, and Pat O'Flannery, our long snapper, has a perfect 4.0. Nine of the players from our most recent recruiting class have 3.50 or better, too, so it looks like we've done a good job of bringing in some true student-athletes.

George Harris has raised his GPA to a 2.34, with Lauren Hardwick's help. She and the other members of our academic support staff do a tremendous job of helping me maintain the dedication to academic excellence that Coach Paterno established here at Penn State.

Tulane is coming to Happy Valley on Saturday, and there's a definite buzz around campus as the game approaches. Maybe it's the Top Ten ranking; I'm not sure. We hope there's another huge crowd at Beaver Stadium, and knowing our students and fans, we're expecting one.

Elsewhere in the Big Ten:
#9 Texas 34, Iowa 20
Oregon State 20, #3 Ohio State 17
#11 Wisconsin 36, Kentucky 27
Pittsburgh 34, Michigan State 19
#1 Michigan 41, Duke 23
#15 Minnesota 35, Rutgers 21
#2 Georgia 38, Illinois 6
#12 Purdue 26, West Virginia 20
#16 Mississippi 24, Indiana 15
South Carolina 26, Northwestern 19

[Big Six]

Week 3, 2006
#6 Penn State 31, Tulane 12


Tulane 0 3 6 3 12
Penn State 9 9 7 6 31

First Quarter
PNST TD 12:31 7-0 82 YD Punt Return by Alphonso Collins (Stephan Phillips Kick).
PNST SAF 06:49 9-0 John Becker sacked Lawrence Sanchez in the end zone for a safety.

Second Quarter
PNST TD 06:28 15-0 Modesto Stark 24 YD Pass from Joseph Collins (Stephan Phillips Kick Failed).
TUL FG 02:04 15-3 Guy Medina 29 YD
PNST FG 00:00 18-3 Stephan Phillips 41 YD

Third Quarter
PNST TD 12:11 25-3 Miguel Gregory 17 YD Pass from Sam Neff (Stephan Phillips Kick).
TUL TD 06:00 25-9 Henry Larson 2 YD Pass from Lawrence Sanchez (2 Pts Failed)

Fourth Quarter
PNST FG 14:38 28-9 Stephan Phillips 23 YD
TUL FG 11:55 28-12 Guy Medina 35 YD
PNST FG 03:59 31-12 Stephan Phillips 30 YD


Penn State Individual Statistics:

Passing: Sam Neff 11-13, 117 yds, 1 TD; Joe Collins 7-16, 69 yds, 1 TD;
Bobby Burton 2-5, 16 yds, 1 INT

Rushing: Calvin Ferguson 25-97, Man Ward 4-24, Miguel Gregory 6-21,
Jerry Freeman 3-11, Randy Culpepper 1-5, Bobby Burton 1-1, Todd Price 1-0.

Receiving: Randy Culpepper 7-51, Jerry Hubbard 4-41, Miguel Gregory 2-29, Modesto Stark 2-26,
Theodore Dick 2-20, Man Ward 1-15, Jason Cruz 1-14, Calvin Ferguson 1-6.

Key Run Blocks: Chris Silverman 1, Todd Main 1, Chris Sandoval 1, Anthony Lloyd 1.

Pancakes: Fred Felton 2, Chris Silverman 1, Todd Main 1, Wes Herring 1.

Kicking: Stephan Phillips 3-3 FG, 2-3 XP.

Punting: Philip Redd 5-47.2

Kick Returns: Eugene Nichols 3-31.7

Punt Returns: Alphonso Collins 2-42.0

Sacks: John Becker 1, Milton Cole 1, Jerry Martin 1.

Interceptions: John Becker 1-(-1).

Tackles: Charles Brown 9, John Becker 8, William Gross 7, Francis Taylor 4, Leonard Hill 4,
Daniel Jackson 3, John Bell 3, Milton Cole 2, Richard Phillips 2, Gabriel Kidd 2,
Jerry Magee 2, Jerry Martin 1, George Harris 1, Dustin Wood 1.

Stuffs: John Becker 1, Daniel Jackson 1, Leonard Hill 1, Milton Cole 1.

Hurries: John Bell 2, Jerry Magee 2, Milton Cole 1, Dustin Wood 1.

Passes Defended: Daniel Jackson 1, Francis Taylor 1, Leonard Hill 1, Robert Jackson 1.





Don't ever let anyone tell you that just because a team is undefeated, things are always easy or good. We're off to a 3-0 start, but there are still far too many unsettled questions surrounding this year's team--beginning with the identity of our starting quarterback.

On the strength of his fine performance in the Virginia Tech game, we promoted Sam Neff to the first unit, and he started for us this week. Once again, he impressed us with his accuracy, especially on short patterns. Midway through the second quarter, with our offense moving the ball very well, Sam came up hobbling after a sack. We took him out of the game, and brought in Joe Collins. On his second play, Joe threw a screen pass to Modesto Stark, and Modesto took it 24 yards for a TD.

That play was the high point of Joe's afternoon. He kept missing open receivers completely, or throwing passes they couldn't get their hands on--just like he had against South Florida.

The trainers worked on Neff's ankle, wrapping it so he could return to the game to start the second half. On our first possession, he and Miguel Gregory hooked up for a nice catch-and-run play for a 17-yard touchdown.

The next time Sam dropped back to pass, he was hit hard, got his bell rung, and couldn't return to the game. Collins and Bobby Burton finished the game, but neither one of them did a whole lot.

The medical staff says Neff is questionable for our next game. He's suffering from vertigo as a result of the knock he took to the head. We'll have to see if he improves during the week. If he isn't better, we won't play him; if he can't go, I honestly don't know which quarterback I'll start. The temptation to take the redshirt off David Thompson is becoming very strong.

Even if Neff is healthy, he hasn't yet demonstrated that he can make the throws on the longer patterns that really open up our passing game. As a result, the talents of guys like Randy Culpepper are being underutilized. Sometimes I really wish I had John McKinney back!

I shouldn't be quite so negative; after all, we did win the game. It looked at first like a contest that would be dominated by big plays. Alphonso Collins scored our first TD on a punt return--he made a couple guys miss and took it 82 yards to the house. Later in the first quarter, a fantastic punt by Philip Redd backed the Green Wave up to its one-yard line. On first down, John Becker sacked their QB in the end zone for a safety.

The excitement of the first quarter turned out to be the exception, rather than a rule. We're more talented than Tulane is, and we were able to move the ball fairly consistently, even without a quarterback making big plays. I was particularly pleased with Man Ward at fullback, who made some nice blocks and did some good work carrying the ball. With Miguel still not 100%, Calvin Ferguson got the bulk of the carries, and he showed more flashes of the brilliance that made him such a highly prized recruit. We also got Jerry Freeman into the game, and he looked pretty good too.

Defensively, what a difference a year makes! We're ranked #1 in the Big Ten and #7 in the nation in total defense, allowing only 262 yards per game. We've done an outstanding job against the run, holding teams to 2.1 yards per carry. David Tanner, who last year was being crucified by the bloggers, is now being praised as a defensive mastermind. We've known how talented he is all along, and it's good to see him getting the credit he deserves for building our defense.

This coming week, we open our Big Ten schedule at Minnesota. They're ranked #18, and they're coming off a tough 34-28 loss to Louisville. That gives them all the more reason to be particularly tough this week.

Elsewhere in the Big Ten:
Maryland 26, Northwestern 21
Michigan State 40, Baylor 25
#1 Michigan 69, Houston 0
Louisville 34, #15 Minnesota 28
#5 Ohio State 17, Texas Christian 9
#12 Wisconsin 31, Akron 10
#10 Texas 20, Indiana 13
#14 Alabama 51, Illinois 10
#13 Purdue 43, Wake Forest 14

[Big Six]

Week 4, 2006
#6 Penn State 31, #15 Minnesota 7


Penn State 7 0 0 24 31
Minnesota 7 0 0 0 7

First Quarter
MINN TD 10:20 7-0 James Murphy 5 YD Pass from Jerald Merrill (Derrick Smith Kick).
PNST TD 00:38 7-7 Randy Culpepper 19 YD Pass from Sam Neff (Stephan Phillips Kick).

Fourth Quarter
PNST TD 13:19 14-7 Theodore Dick 37 YD Pass from Joe Collins (Stephan Phillips Kick).
PNST TD 08:12 21-7 48 YD Fumble Return by George Harris (Stephan Phillips Kick).
PNST TD 05:54 28-7 Miguel Gregory 60 YD Run (Stephan Phillips Kick).
PNST FG 01:08 31-7 Stephan Phillips 20 YD


Penn State Individual Statistics:

Passing: Sam Neff 5-13, 110 yds, 1 TD; Joe Collins 10-15, 114 yds, 1 TD;
Bobby Burton 3-5, 24 yds, 1 INT.

Rushing: Miguel Gregory 13-110; Calvin Ferguson 17-69, Randy Culpepper 2-9,
Todd Price 1-3, Man Ward 1-1, Sam Neff 1-(-1), Bobby Burton 1-(-2).

Receiving: Theodore Dick 6-110, Jerry Hubbard 3-40, Randy Culpepper 3-34,
Modesto Stark 4-34, Calvin Ferguson 1-28, Miguel Gregory 1-2.

Key Run Blocks: Chris Silverman 3, Chris Sandoval 1.

Pancakes: Chris Sandoval 1, Wes Herring 1, Anthony Lloyd 1.

Kicking: Stephan Phillips 1-2 FG, 4-4 XP.

Punting: Philip Redd 7-40.7

Kick Returns: Eugene Nichols 1-31.

Punt Returns: Alphonso Collins 4-9.8

Sacks: Milton Cole 2, John Becker 1, Charles Brown 1, William Gross 1,
Lawrence Hill 1, Jerry Magee 1.

Interceptions: None.

Tackles: Charles Brown 9, John Becker 9, William Gross 8, Milton Cole 5,
Daniel Jackson 5, Francis Taylor 4, Leonard Hill 3, Richard Phillips 2,
Alphonso Collins 2, James Virgil 1, Jerry Magee 1, Jerry Martin 1,
Dustin Wood 1, Travis Moore 1.

Stuffs: Charles Brown 2, William Gross 1, Milton Cole 1, Francis Taylor 1, Jerry Martin 1.

Hurries: John Becker 1, Milton Cole 1, Jerry Magee 1.

Passes Defended: John Becker 1, William Gross 1.


Aside from the fact that we're having problems keeping a quarterback on the field, I couldn't be much happier with the way the season has gone. In our Big Ten opener, we played a very good Minnesota team on the road. We went into the game as two-point underdogs, and I thought that was a very good assessment of the situation. I figured it would be a very close game, as our defense faced a very strong test against an extremely high-powered Minnesota offense.

They scored on their first drive, but our defense held them the rest of the way. Minnesota has an outstanding quarterback in Jerald Merrill, and two great receivers in James Murphy and Michael Rogers. Our defense held them to 223 total yards, and we sacked Merrill seven times.

We broke the game open in the fourth quarter with several big plays, which made the final score look a lot more lopsided than most of the game actually was. We scored on three different kinds of long plays, one contributed by our punt team.

Joe Collins took over at quarterback for us early in the third quarter, after Sam Neff was shaken up. Joe finally started to put things together this week, and looked a lot more like the quarterback we've always thought he could be. He hit Theodore Dick with a perfect pass on a post pattern for the TD that triggered our fourth quarter explosion.

Five minutes later, Philip Redd boomed a 62-yard punt from deep in our own territory. Their return man made a nice gain, but James Virgil blasted him and knocked the ball loose. George Harris scooped the ball up and returned it 48 yards for a touchdown. You could have heard a pin drop in that dome, which is usually so loud your ears ring for hours after the game.

On our next possession, Miguel Gregory busted a draw play up the middle and went 60 yards for another score. I know that the arrival of Calvin Ferguson hasn't been easy for Miguel. We've been careful to let him know that we didn't recruit Calvin because we felt we needed to upgrade our running back situation, and we've also been careful to make sure Miguel gets his carries, too. He's averaging over seven yards a carry for the season, so it makes sense to get him the ball.

Charles Brown was named the player of the game, but he's not the only member of our defensive unit who could have deserved this honor. Milton Cole played a great game, and at least one "expert" considers him the early-season favorite for the Outland Trophy. I'd love to see Milton get that kind of recognition, because he's such a first-class individual as well as a terrific player.

The members of the media who vote in the polls were impressed by our victory, and we moved up three spots to #3. Michigan and Oklahoma held on to the top two spots. We jumped past our Big Ten rival, Ohio State, who lost a spot after a close win over Northwestern.

Next week, Northwestern comes to town for our Big Ten home opener. The Wildcats have had a rough season so far; they're 0-4, and would love nothing more than to pull off the upset. They played tough against the Buckeyes, which reminds us that we can't afford to look past them to the three games we have coming up, against Purdue, Michigan, and Ohio State. "Play them one at a time" is a cliche, but in this case, it actually has real meaning. It's all we can do, and if we do it well enough, the big picture takes care of itself.

Elsewhere in the Big Ten:
#1 Michigan 27, Michigan State 13
#5 Ohio State 23, Northwestern 10
#12 Wisconsin 31, Illinois 10
#16 Notre Dame 27, #13 Purdue 10

[Holycow98]

Have you posted the 2006 Penn State schedule. I'm just curious what weeks you play Michigan and Ohio State and whether or not you are at home or on the road.

Looks like the conference is loaded (as usual). Nice 4th quarter win in your confernece opener. Beating a ranked team on the road at any time is a nice win...when its also a conference game...its even sweeter.

[Big Six]

I usually post the Penn State schedule at the beginning of the season. You reminded me that I forgot to do that, Holycow. Thanks!

So, without further ado, here it is:


Week 1 at South Florida
Week 2 VIRGINIA TECH
Week 3 TULANE
Week 4 at Minnesota*
Week 5 NORTHWESTERN*
Week 6 PURDUE*
Week 7 at Michigan*
Week 8 at Iowa*
Week 9 OHIO STATE*
Week 10 Open
Week 11 MICHIGAN STATE*
Week 12 at Illinois*


So, as you can see, we have both the Wolverines and Buckeyes on our schedule. Ohio State will come to State College, but we'll have to play Michigan at the Big House.

Purdue is a Top 25 team, and although Iowa has two losses, they've come at the hands of Texas and Michigan. They will be very tough to beat on the road.

You're right; that was a big win at Minnesota. It's as if someone flipped a switch in the fourth quarter and turned a defensive struggle into a rout.

Thanks for following the story, Holycow. I hope you continue to enjoy it.

[HomerSimpson98]

Great read, Big Six. Hope you continue with the interesting storylines and dynasty.

[shane]

I love the updates, let's hope the real Nits can have that kind of 4th quarter this Saturday. WE ARE!!!!

[Big Six]

...PENN STATE!!!

Thanks, Homer and Shane. I'm glad to see that people are reading the forums here. I got my dynasty-writing start over on the OOTP baseball forum, which is HUGE. I enjoy my college sports universes every bit as much and, like a lot of people do, I find myself getting into the different sims I play even more when the "real" sports are in season. So, this time of year, it's a lot of football with some baseball mixed in.

And, speaking of fourth quarters...wait until you see what happened in this week's Northwestern game.

I think you'd be happy if the real Nits can achieve the same outcome this Saturday. I know I would be.

[Big Six]

Week 5, 2006
#3 Penn State 34, Northwestern 33


Northwestern 10 10 13 0 33
Penn State 14 7 3 10 34

First Quarter
NW TD 11:08 7-0 Kim Rice 1 YD Run (Jonathan Shaffer Kick).
PNST TD 07:14 7-7 Calvin Ferguson 3 YD Run (Stephan Phillips Kick).
NW FG 04:41 10-7 Jonathan Shaffer 32 YD
PNST TD 01:16 14-10 Calvin Ferguson 1 YD Pass from Joe Collins (Stephan Phillips Kick).

Second Quarter
NW TD 06:05 17-14 William Moseley 2 YD Run (Jonathan Shaffer Kick).
PNST TD 01:26 21-17 Theodore Dick 10 YD Pass from Sam Neff (Stephan Phillips Kick).
NW FG 00:00 21-20 Jonathan Shaffer 24 YD

Third Quarter
NW TD 10:52 26-21 Chad Chapman 11 YD Pass from James Hall (2 Pts Failed)
PNST FG 05:52 26-24 Stephan Phillips 26 YD
NW TD 00:00 33-24 Charles Mullins 71 YD Pass from James Hall (Jonathan Shaffer Kick).

Fourth Quarter
PNST TD 03:45 33-31 Calvin Ferguson 11 YD Run (Stephan Phillips Kick).
PNST FG 00:25 34-33 Stephan Phillips 42 YD



Penn State Individual Statistics:

Passing: Joe Collins 15-23-159, 1 TD, 1 int.; Sam Neff 8-14-103, 1 TD; Bobby Burton 0-2.

Rushing: Calvin Ferguson 19-99, Miguel Gregory 8-36, Man Ward 2-18, Todd Price 2-6.

Receiving: Randy Culpepper 8-112, Jerry Hubbard 4-36, Theodore Dick 3-33, Miguel Gregory 1-25,
Calvin Ferguson 3-17, Jason Cruz 2-15, Modesto Stark 1-9, Man Ward 1-2.

Key Run Blocks: Chris Sandoval 2, Fred Felton 1.

Pancakes: Chris Sandoval 2.

Kicking: Stephan Phillips 2-2 FG, 4-4 XP.

Punting: Philip Redd 4-43.

Kick Returns: Eugene Nichols 5-27.4

Punt Returns: Alphonso Collins 2-9.5, Richard Phillips 1-9.

Sacks: None.

Interceptions: John Becker 1-16.

Tackles: Charles Brown 9, William Gross 7, John Becker 6, Milton Cole 6, Leonard Hill 5,
Francis Taylor 4, Travis Moore 3, Daniel Jackson 2, Dustin Wood 2, Richard Phillips 2,
John Stone 1, John Bell 1, Alphonso Collins 1, Jerry Magee 1.

Hurries: Milton Cole 2, William Gross 1, John Bell 1.

Passes Defended: Charles Brown 1, Lawrence Hill 1, Daniel Jackson 1.


This week we were reminded why you can never, ever underestimate how tough any game against any Big Ten team might be. We were careful to prepare for Northwestern, who hadn't won a game all year, the way we would if they were 4-0. We're very glad we did, because without a great kick by Stephan Phillips--under pressure that would cause many kickers to crack--we would not have won this week's game.

Northwestern played very well against Ohio State last week. We were impressed with a lot of things we saw on their game films, and we were prepared for their offense to be able to move the ball against us. It did exactly that, executing extremely well. They had a lot of success on the ground, something none of the teams we've played yet were able to do, and overall, they outgained us 427-376.

That said, we hurt ourselves with a bunch of stupid penalties, including three facemask calls. There's no excuse for us committing those kinds of fouls.

Once again, we couldn't keep a quarterback in the game all afternoon. Sam Neff will miss this coming week's game while he recovers from a root canal, which he needs to repair some dental damage he suffered late in the first half. Fortunately, Joe Collins came in the game and played well, and we'll need him to really step up against Purdue this coming Saturday.

Calvin Ferguson displayed a nose for the end zone, and he really looked good on the touchdown run he gave us in the fourth quarter. For a smaller back, Calvin runs hard, and he lowered his shoulder and knocked their strong safety on his back at the goal line on that play. Our student section, which was out in force again as usual, really got a kick out of that.

I want to make sure Chris Sandoval gets some props for his outstanding play on our O-line. He's doing the job both as a pass protector and a run blocker.

Although our defensive unit took a beating this week, there's no fault to be found with the play of Charles Brown. He was all over the field again, laying hits on people and keeping receivers from beating us deep when we're in a zone defense. We were playing man when James Hall hooked up with Charles Mullins on that long touchdown they got at the end of the third quarter.

Our defense saved the game for us when they stopped the Wildcats' two-point conversion attempt in the third quarter. Our pass rush forced Hall to get rid of the ball quickly, and we had their receivers covered well.

Thanks to that effort, Stephan had the chance to win the game for us with 25 seconds remaining. His 42-yarder was his longest field goal of the season, and it's the biggest one of his career here at Penn State. His teammates carried him off the field, and we all enjoyed seeing him get some love from the fans. There was a huge crowd at the game--107,262, to be exact--and fortunately, we played just well enough to send them home happy.

We moved up to #2 in the polls, because Oklahoma lost to Texas. Our ranking is a source of pride for us, but I'm not 100% convinced we're really the second best team in the nation right now.

We'll have to demonstrate that over the next four weeks.

Elsewhere in the Big Ten:
#1 Michigan 34, Iowa 18
#6 Ohio State 38, #19 Minnesota 3
#15 Purdue 27, #14 Wisconsin 22
Michigan State 34, Indiana 21

[Big Six]

Week 6, 2006
#2 Penn State 24, #13 Purdue 17


Purdue 0 7 7 3 17
Penn State 0 7 10 7 24


First Quarter
No scoring.

Second Quarter
PNST TD 12:48 7-0 Calvin Ferguson 1 YD Run (Stephan Phillips Kick).
PUR TD 06:05 7-7 Jordan Davis 1 YD Pass from Derek Howell (Walter Orr Kick).

Third Quarter
PUR TD 04:06 14-7 Richard Smith 4 YD Pass from Derek Howell (Walter Orr Kick).
PNST FG 01:18 14-10 Stephan Phillips 30 YD
PNST TD 00:00 17-14 Calvin Ferguson 81 YD Run (Stephan Phillips Kick).

Fourth Quarter
PNST TD 07:53 24-14 Jason Cruz 38 YD Pass from Joe Collins (Stephan Phillips Kick).
PUR FG 04:34 24-17 Walter Orr 40 YD


Penn State Individual Statistics:

Passing: Joe Collins 21-35-305, 1 TD, 2 int.

Rushing: Calvin Ferguson 26-178, Man Ward 8-36, Jerry Freeman 2-5, Raymundo Parker 1-1,
Joe Collins 1-0, Randy Culpepper 1-(-2).

Receiving: Randy Culpepper 6-91, Jason Cruz 5-76, Calvin Ferguson 3-49, Modesto Stark 3-44,
Jerry Hubbard 3-40, Theodore Dick 1-8, Man Ward 1-0.

Key Run Blocks: Chris Sandoval 1.

Pancakes: Chris Sandoval 2, Todd Main 2, Fred Felton 1, Wes Herring 1, Anthony Lloyd 1.

Kicking: Stephan Phillips 1-3 FG, 3-3 XP.

Punting: Philip Redd 6-44.5

Kick Returns: Eugene Nichols 2-22.5

Punt Returns: Alphonso Collins 4-9.8

Sacks: Milton Cole 1, John Bell 1.

Interceptions: Francis Taylor 2-0, Richard Phillips 1-0.

Tackles: Charles Brown 7, John Becker 6, Milton Cole 5, Francis Taylor 4, William Gross 3, Richard Phillips 3,
John Bell 2, Daniel Jackson 1, John James 1, Jerry Martin 1, Leonard Hill 1, Roy Thompson 1.

Stuffs: Charles Brown 1, John Becker 1, Francis Taylor 1.

Hurries: John Becker 3, Milton Cole 2, John Bell 2, William Gross 1.

Passes Defended: Francis Taylor 2, William Gross 1, Roy Thompson 1.



This week began on a down note, as we received news from the AD’s office that three more of our players would be ineligible to play until they pulled their grades up. Among them was Miguel Gregory, who hasn’t exactly endeared himself to anybody around here lately.

Miguel cracked a rib in the Minnesota game, the one in which he played so well. With Calvin Ferguson completely healthy, it would have been foolish to give Miguel 20 carries, but we didn’t bury him on the bench, either. He carried the ball nine times against Northwestern, and caught a pass. Apparently, that wasn’t enough for him, and he spent the next week sulking in his room and not going to class.

He is an extremely talented football player, and he is a big part of our plans for the next two years. He’s frustrated right now, and we’re frustrated with him. We would hate to see him leave Penn State, but I can’t say right now that won’t happen.

On a more positive note, Dan Delgado, Roy Thompson, and Phil Vanderpool were all cleared to come back from their academic suspensions. Dan will be rotating with Man Ward at fullback, Roy will play in our nickel and dime packages, and Phil will rejoin our special teams units. Dan, in particular, has made real strides in the classroom and looks like he might have a 2.5 this semester.

Besides the academic problems, this was a very good week for us. We beat a talented Purdue team by playing solid defense and making big plays on offense.

With Gregory out, Calvin Ferguson went into the game knowing he’d get the large majority of the carries. We gave it to him 26 times and he got us 178 yards, including 81 on one big run at the end of the third quarter. It was a simple inside run we call 22 Straight, and our left guard, Chris Sandoval, opened up a huge hole. Calvin took off, got into their secondary, and turned it into a footrace. If there’s anyone in college football who can catch Calvin Ferguson from behind, I haven’t seen him, and he had his first opportunity to shift into high gear on that play. The fans loved it; it’s been a long time since they’ve seen a Penn State player with that kind of speed.

Calvin also capped a 14 play drive that took over seven minutes off the clock with a one-yard TD in the second quarter. That was our longest drive of the season, and it gave our defense a good, long rest. They needed it against a Purdue offense that could strike quickly—which it did a couple of times. Richard Sierra, who torched Notre Dame for 243 rushing yards two weeks ago, broke a big one against us that set up the TD that put them ahead in the third quarter.

Because of the injury to Sam Neff, Joe Collins also knew he’d be playing the entire game. Joe responded to this situation extremely well, and had the best game any of our quarterbacks have had all year. He threw two interceptions, but he demonstrated the ability to move the ball and command the offense.

It looks like he’s found a go-to receiver in true freshman Jason Cruz. Joe and Jason hooked up several times for good gains, including a 38-yard TD where Jason caught the ball on a slant and outran the Purdue defense to the end zone.

We got a great game from Francis Taylor, who had two interceptions, broke up two other passes, and dropped a ballcarrier behind the line on a big third down play late in the game. Charles Brown was fantastic again, and John Becker had his typical outstanding game.

Now the stage is set for the game of the year: Michigan and Penn State; Number One against Number Two, in the largest football stadium in the country. The Wolverines are coming off a big win against Notre Dame, and are really riding high right now.

Michigan lost their starting left tackle, a big redshirt freshman named Ryan Adams, for the season with a knee injury two weeks ago. Sam Neff will be out for us again, but otherwise, we're healthy too.

Michigan two very good quarterbacks whom they have been rotating in and out: Will Donaldson, a senior, and a redshirt freshman named Boyd Massey. Steve Griffin gained over 1100 yards last season, and they have a true freshman running back named Keith Peterson who was almost as highly regarded as Calvin Ferguson coming out of high school. Put it all together, and they have the most explosive offense we will face all year.

Their defense is just about as good as ours is; we’re ranked #4 nationally, and they are #5. Opposing teams average exactly a yard less per game against us, but they’re allowing three fewer points per game: 13 to our 16.

The mood on our campus is electric, and I’m sure it’s the same way in Ann Arbor. And, as if there was any need for more excitement, College GameDay will be on hand.

I’ve been hesitant to mention the term “national championship,” but there’s no getting around the fact that a shot at that very thing might be riding on this week’s game. As a coach, or as a player, you never know when you might have that chance again, so you have to enjoy the feeling when you can. I hope our players take the time to let some of that excitement soak in, because they’ll remember it for the rest of their lives.

Elsewhere in the Big Ten:
#17 Wisconsin 41, # 24 Minnesota 31
Michigan State 35, Illinois 17
#1 Michigan 24, #8 Notre Dame 13
Indiana 34, Iowa 31

[Big Six]

Week 7, 2006
#1 Michigan 31, #2 Penn State 26


Penn State Michigan
28 First Downs 19
136 Rushing Yds. 236
357 Passing Yds. 163
493 Total Yds. 399
6-15 3rd Down Eff. 7-14
1-1 4th Down Eff. 0-1
7-67 Penalties 12-54
33:42 Possession 26:18



Penn State 0 6 6 14 26
Michigan 14 7 3 7 31

First Quarter
MICH TD 06:46 7-0 Jeffrey Daniels 13 YD Pass from Will Donaldson (Leo Shipley Kick).
MICH TD 01:46 14-0 Steve Griffin 78 YD Run (Leo Shipley Kick).

Second Quarter
PNST FG 11:43 14-3 Stephan Phillips 43 YD
MICH TD 09:11 21-3 Ian Wilson 12 YD Pass from Will Donaldson (Leo Shipley Kick).
PNST FG 00:00 21-6 Stephan Phillips 40 YD

Third Quarter
PNST TD 08:23 21-12 Calvin Ferguson 2 YD Run (2 Pts Failed)
MICH FG 03:24 24-12 Leo Shipley 35 YD

Fourth Quarter
PNST TD 12:31 24-19 Calvin Ferguson 1 YD Run (Stephan Phillips Kick).
MICH TD 09:08 31-19 21 YD Int Return by Julio Gilbert (Leo Shipley Kick).
PNST TD 07:13 31-26 Jerry Hubbard 12 YD Pass from Joe Collins (Stephan Phillips Kick).


Penn State Individual Statistics:

Passing: Joe Collins 26-39-357, 1 TD, 1 int.; Philip Redd 0-1.

Rushing: Calvin Ferguson 28-98, Man Ward 5-54, Randy Culpepper 1-5, Jerry Freeman 1-2,
Dan Delgado 1-(-3).

Receiving: Jerry Hubbard 7-149, Randy Culpepper 10-99, Theodore Dick 3-54, Modesto Stark 2-29,
Dan Delgado 1-12, Calvin Ferguson 2-9, Jason Cruz 1-5.

Key Run Blocks: Chris Sandoval 1, Fred Felton 1.

Pancakes: Chris Sandoval 3, Fred Felton 2, Todd Main 2, Wes Herring 1, Anthony Lloyd 1.

Kicking: Stephan Phillips 2-2 FG, 2-2 XP.

Punting: Philip Redd 5-41.6

Kick Returns: George Drummond 1-25.0, Eugene Nichols 4-24.2

Punt Returns: Alphonso Collins 5-7.6

Sacks: John Bell 1, Jerry Martin 1, John James 1.

Interceptions: Francis Taylor 1-0.

Tackles: William Gross 10, Charles Brown 9, John Becker 8, Francis Taylor 5, Daniel Jackson 4,
Leonard Hill 4, George Harris 2, John Bell 1, Jerry Martin 1, John James 1, Jerry Magee 1,
Roy Thompson 1.

Stuffs: William Gross 1.

Hurries: John Becker 1, John James 1.

Passes Defended: Francis Taylor 2, Daniel Jackson 2, Roy Thompson 1.



It was one of the most exciting football games I’ve ever been a part of, and despite the fact that the ending was a disappointment, we found out a lot of positive things about our team this week.

We were down 21-3 to the top-ranked team in the nation, playing before a crowd of over 107,000 hostile fans, and we refused to give up. We came back and gave ourselves a chance to win on our final possession.

As is usually the case in a close game like this one, a handful of big plays could be said to have decided the outcome. We let their outstanding running back, Steve Griffin, bust loose on a 78-yard TD run in the first quarter. That’s the second long run we’ve allowed in two weeks, and this time it made a lot bigger difference.

Joe Collins, who otherwise played an outstanding game, threw an interception in the fourth quarter that linebacker Julio Gilbert returned for a TD. Joe felt terrible about that, but those things will happen against a team as good as Michigan is. I think Joe made a much stronger statement about the kind of quarterback he’s becoming over the entire course of the second half, when he led us back into the game.

With 3:17 remaining, we forced Michigan to punt. Alphonso Collins returned it to our 34, and an incidental facemask penalty put the ball on the 39. We got a first down on an interference call, and Calvin Ferguson gave us another with runs of nine and six yards.

On first and ten from their 43, Man Ward got a great block from Chris Sandoval and picked up 14 yards. Man ran the ball extremely well this week, and we’re going to find ways to get the rock into his hands more often now.

Now the ball is on Michigan’s 29. Collins hit Randy Culpepper on a short corner route: 12 yards and another first down, and there was 1:57 left to play. Ferguson picked up nine more yards off tackle, down to the 8—but then Michigan’s defense made a stand.

Collins threw incomplete to Modesto Stark on second and one. Ferguson was stopped on the next play for a very short gain, and with just over a minute to play, we faced fourth and less than a yard. We decided to let Ward try to move the pile.

It didn’t look like he made it, and Michigan’s defense started celebrating. Then they saw the flag on the field. Their strong safety was called for grabbing Man’s facemask, and we got five yards, a first down, and a new lease on life.

The game became very simple at that point. We had four downs and fifty seconds to score from the four-yard line. There wasn’t a man, woman, or child sitting down, and the noise was as loud as I’ve ever heard it get at Michigan—and that’s pretty loud.

On first down, we set up in the shotgun. We tried to cross them up with a draw play, and Jerry Freeman picked up two yards. We called time out, and decided to try a pass. Collins found Ward running a little hook and hit him right in the numbers for a touchdown. The Big House itself seemed to howl with anguish…but there was another yellow flag on the field.

Modesto Stark was called for holding, nullifying the touchdown. The penalty backed us up ten yards to the 12.

Looking at the films, the question of whether or not Mo made a bad play can easily be asked. Their defensive end, Billy Phillips, was drawing a bead on Collins, and if Mo hadn’t grabbed his shirt, Phillips would have blasted Collins for a sack.
We would have lost five yards had Joe been sacked—plus we would have lost the down as well. As it was, Collins didn’t get hammered to the turf by Phillips, who weighs 278 pounds; the clock stops; and we still have three plays, if we have time to run them all. For all intents and purposes, we traded five yards for those advantages.

Instead of third and goal from the seven, it’s second and goal from the 12. Which situation would you rather face, if you have to have a touchdown?

On second and 12, Collins threw an incomplete pass, but on the next play Culpepper got open on a curl pattern and Collins made a nice throw. Randy didn’t have room to get into the end zone, so he stepped out of bounds at the 5 to stop the clock.

Fourth and goal, five yards to go, and seven seconds on the clock. Collins set up in the shotgun, and we sent Culpepper and Jerry Hubbard on a double slant route. The result was a play I must say will be a classic moment in Penn State, Michigan, and Big Ten football for years and years to come.

There won’t be time for another play, so the only possible negative result for Michigan is a Penn State touchdown. They’ll gladly let our guy catch a pass, as long as he doesn’t get across the goal line. Of course, Joe, Randy, and Jerry all know this, too. Collins figured his best chance was to get the ball into a receiver’s hands and see if he could bull his way into the end zone.

Culpepper was more open than Hubbard, so Joe threw his way. Randy, the ball, and Michigan safety Stephen Johnson all arrived at the same time. Randy blasted him, but Johnson held on and dragged him down just short of the goal line. There was no time left on the clock, so the game ended right there.

Our offense did an outstanding job throughout the last three quarters, moving the ball and putting points on the board, and our defense played every bit as well. They allowed only one field goal in the last 39 minutes of the game and gave the offense a chance to cut into that lead. The stats make it look like our defense got chewed up worse than it did. We gave up 236 yards on the ground, but a big chunk of that came on two long runs. William Gross, Charles Brown, Francis Taylor, and John Becker graded out the highest.

Apparently a few moron bloggers were making Modesto Stark out to be a goat because of the holding penalty. For one thing, they haven’t seen the films, and they might not be aware of how close Collins came to being sacked. Joe says there is no doubt Phillips would have had him, and that there was no way he could have gotten rid of the ball first. Collins could have fumbled when Phillips nailed him. There’s no guarantee we would have scored with only two plays. And, they conveniently forget that without the facemask call against Michigan the series before, we would have lost the ball on downs with 50 seconds left. The referees giveth, and the referees taketh away.

Our loss dropped us a half-game behind Michigan and Ohio State in the Big Ten standings. They’re both 3-0, and we’re 3-1. We play the Buckeyes in two weeks, but first we have to take on an Iowa team that really put a hurting on Michigan State this week.

We also lost a spot in the polls, trading spots with Oklahoma. And we probably lost any chance we had at a national championship. It’s far to early to talk any more about that. Leave that to the guys on TV.

Elsewhere in the Big Ten:
#7 Ohio State 36, # 13 Purdue 24
Iowa 49, Michigan State 3

[Big Six]

Week 8, 2006
#3 Penn State 24, Iowa 6


Penn State Iowa
19 First Downs 17
168 Yards Rushing 111
208 Yards Passing 180
376 Total Yards 291
4-17 Penalties 4-28
3-13 3rd Down Eff. 5-17
0-0 4th Down Eff. 0-0
27:57 Possession 33:03



Penn State 3 0 0 21 24
Iowa 0 3 3 0 6

First Quarter
PNST FG 01:19 3-0 Stephan Phillips 26 YD

Second Quarter
IOWA FG 00:26 3-3 Jeremy Jones 29 YD

Third Quarter
IOWA FG 01:11 6-3 Jeremy Jones 28 YD

Fourth Quarter
PNST TD 10:49 10-6 Calvin Ferguson 4 YD Run (Stephan Phillips Kick).
PNST TD 08:34 17-6 Randy Culpepper 44 YD Pass from Joe Collins (Stephan Phillips Kick).
PNST TD 05:25 24-6 Calvin Ferguson 33 YD Pass from Joe Collins (Stephan Phillips Kick).


Penn State Individual Statistics:

Passing: Joe Collins 16-26-207, 2 TD, 1 int.; Bobby Burton 1-2-1.

Rushing: Calvin Ferguson 23-132, Man Ward 1-20, Dan Delgado 3-15, Jerry Freeman 5-14,
Joe Collins 2-(-3).

Receiving: Randy Culpepper 6-121, Calvin Ferguson 5-49, Modesto Stark 2-19,
Jerry Hubbard 3-15, Theodore Dick 1-4.

Key Run Blocks: Todd Main 2, Chris Sandoval 2, Dan Delgado 2, Fred Felton 1.

Pancakes: Todd Main 1, Fred Felton 1, Anthony Lloyd 1.

Kicking: Stephan Phillips 1-1 FG, 3-3 XP.

Punting: Philip Redd 8-47.9

Kick Returns: Eugene Nichols 2-16.0

Punt Returns: Alphonso Collins 5-7.4

Sacks: John Bell 2, John James 1.

Interceptions: Charles Brown 1-23, Roy Thompson 1-10.

Tackles: John Becker 12, William Gross 11, Charles Brown 8, Richard Phillips 6,
Francis Taylor 6, Milton Cole 3, John Bell 3, Daniel Jackson 2,
Roy Thompson 2, George Harris 1, Travis Moore 1, John James 1, Lawrence Hill 1.

Stuffs: Charles Brown 4, John Becker 3, William Gross 2, John Bell 1.

Hurries: John James 2, Milton Cole 1, George Harris 1

Passes Defended: Daniel Jackson 1.


It’s natural for a team to suffer a letdown after a physically and emotionally draining game like the one we played at Michigan last week. Fortunately, that didn’t happen to us. Our defense played particularly well, and against an Iowa team that played very well defensively too, our offense finally got rolling in the fourth quarter to seal the win.

David Tanner challenged the defense to step up and demonstrate why it’s ranked among the best in the nation. The players responded extremely well. Charles Brown hit everything that moved, and had four TFLs. As a unit they recorded ten stuffs, which is outstanding. John Becker and William Gross had twelve and eleven tackles respectively, John Bell had two sacks, and Brown and Roy Thompson each had interceptions. If our defense keeps playing this well, we won’t lose another game all season.

Calvin Ferguson had another excellent game, and scored twice. The second came on a pass play, when Joe Collins checked down and found him open in the flat. Collins dumped it off to Ferguson, Calvin juked one guy, and then it became a footrace to the end zone. Calvin won’t lose many of those, and he turned a two-yard pass into a 33-yard TD. That play demonstrated perfectly why we looked for speed when we went out recruiting last year.

We’re a little banged up now, and hopefully everyone will be able to play against Ohio State this week. Milton Cole was accidentally stuck in the eye, and his cornea is scratched. He’ll probably be able to go, wearing a face shield. We told him he looks even badder, and I think he liked that. Our first string center, Wes Herring, dislocated his elbow, and it looks like Clark Hill will start in his place against the Buckeyes.

We’re going into the Ohio State game as eight-point favorites, but I think the game might be even closer. They had a week off last week, so they’ve had an extra week to prepare for us.

Ohio State is deadly against the run, so we’ll probably find it tough to move the ball against them. Miguel Gregory is back from his academic suspension, so we’ll be able to run two good tailbacks at them. That will help some, but we’ll need Collins to make something happen so they can’t load the box with eight guys against us.

I read that Randy Culpepper leads Division I receivers with 52 catches so far this season. He’s had a great senior year and has given our offense outstanding leadership. Look for him to enjoy a long, productive NFL career…but for now, look for him to give Ohio State worlds of trouble this coming Saturday.

Elsewhere in the Big Ten:
#1 Michigan 31, #17 Purdue 3
Minnesota 28, Illinois 14
Northwestern 19, Indiana 9
#13 Wisconsin 34, Michigan State 24

[Big Six]

Week 9, 2006
#6 Ohio State 41, #3 Penn State 13


Ohio State 21 6 7 7 -- 41
Penn State 0 10 0 3 -- 13

Ohio State Penn State
28 First Downs 18
285 Yards Rushing 115
350 Yards Passing 278
635 Total Yards 393
8-93 Penalties 4-40
12-17 3rd Down Eff. 2-12
0-0 4th Down Eff. 0-2
33:50 Possession 26:10

First Quarter
OHST TD 10:40 7-0 Gerald Forbes 22 YD Run (Louis Jackson Kick).
OHST TD 06:43 14-0 George Beatty 33 YD Pass from Scott Honeycutt (Louis Jackson Kick).
OHST TD 00:55 21-0 Robert Goodwin 6 YD Run (Louis Jackson Kick).

Second Quarter
PNST TD 11:07 21-7 Calvin Ferguson 59 YD Pass from Joe Collins (Stephan Phillips Kick).
OHST FG 08:31 24-7 Louis Jackson 50 YD
OHST FG 04:19 27-7 Louis Jackson 42 YD
PNST FG 00:51 27-10 Stephan Phillips 27 YD

Third Quarter
OHST TD 05:11 34-10 Larry Albright 47 YD Pass from Mario Allison (Louis Jackson Kick).

Fourth Quarter
OHST TD 13:30 41-10 George Beatty 17 YD Pass from Mario Allison (Louis Jackson Kick).
PNST FG 09:12 41-13 Stephan Phillips 46 YD


Penn State Individual Statistics:

Passing: Joe Collins 14-31-278, 1 TD, 1 INT; Robert Dillard 0-2.

Rushing: Calvin Ferguson 14-79, Miguel Gregory 6-41, Man Ward 1-5, Joe Collins 1-4,
Dan Delgado 1-0, Jerry Freeman 1-(-2).

Receiving: Randy Culpepper 7-153, Calvin Ferguson 3-79, Jerry Hubbard 2-23,
Theodore Dick 1-12, Dan Delgado 1-11.

Key Run Blocks: Todd Main 2, Chris Silverman 1, Dan Delgado 1.

Pancakes: Chris Sandoval 2, Chris Silverman 1.

Kicking: Stephan Phillips 2-2 FG, 1-1 XP.

Punting: Philip Redd 5-38.4.

Kick Returns: Eugene Nichols 4-21.2, Calvin Ferguson 2-14.0.

Punt Returns: Alphonso Collins 1-11.

Sacks: John Becker 1, Jerry Magee 1.

Interceptions: Jerry Martin 1-10.

Tackles: William Gross 14, John Becker 12, Charles Brown 7, Francis Taylor 6, Lawrence Hill 5,
Roy Thompson 4, George Harris 2, Andrew Stone 2, Richard Phillips 2, Jerry Magee 2,
Travis Moore 2, Jerry Magee 1, Gabriel Kidd 1, Milton Cole 1.

Stuffs: William Gross 2.

Hurries: Jerry Martin 2, William Gross 1.

Passes Defended: Francis Taylor 2, Daniel Jackson 2, Charles Brown 1, Roy Thompson 1.


Penn State fans, I apologize for what you had to endure this week. Those 107,282 of you who paid good money to watch the game at Beaver Stadium didn’t get your money’s worth, unless you were rooting for Ohio State.

Sure, the Buckeyes are a very, very good football team. There is no excuse, however, for our defense to allow them to gain 635 yards from scrimmage. Do you realize that total DOUBLED our per-game average going into this week? We allowed Ohio State to gain 285 yards rushing. We shouldn’t allow half that many yards rushing in a game! We did absolutely nothing to slow down their star running back, Gerald Forbes, and his backup went for over 100 yards, too.

It’s very difficult to find anything positive to say about this week’s game. Thank goodness we have an off week coming up, because we need all the time we can get to work this disaster out of our system.

Our next opponent is Michigan State, our rivals for the Land Grant Trophy. They’ve lost three straight games, and I know they’ll come in hungry for a victory. Their quarterback, Roger Rich, is a real playmaker, and they also have a very good running back, William Gill. They’ll throw everything they have at us, and after they watch the films of our defense’s performance against Ohio State, they’ll have every reason to believe they’ll be able to move the ball against us.

Elsewhere in the Big Ten:
#1 Michigan 24, Northwestern 13
Illinois 19, Indiana 7
Minnesota 28, Purdue 12
#11 Wisconsin 31, Iowa 23
#13 Notre Dame, Michigan State 17

[Big Six]

Week 10, 2006

We've had a good week of practice; the off week could not have come at a better time for us. It gave us a chance to get healthy, for one thing. Several of the players who had been nagged by minor injuries--Milton Cole, Charles Brown, Jerry Martin--aren't having problems any more. Wes Herring's elbow is much better, too, and he should be ready to play on Saturday against Michigan State.

Here's how the Big Ten standings look right now:


B10 OVR PTS OPP
Michigan 6-0 9-0 311 131
Ohio State 5-0 7-1 278 117
Wisconsin 5-1 8-1 306 191
Penn State 4-2 7-2 243 177
Minnesota 2-4 4-5 237 245
Michigan St. 2-4 3-6 195 242
Purdue 2-4 4-5 184 212
Iowa 2-4 3-5 187 182
Illinois 1-4 1-7 106 276
Northwestern 1-4 1-7 152 193
Indiana 1-4 1-7 115 217


As you can see, there's a Big Four and a Little Seven this year. Each of the top four teams in the conference are ranked in the top ten in the most recent poll, although I can't imagine how anyone who watched us play Ohio State could justify ranking us ninth and the Buckeyes tenth. Ohio State pounded Illinois, and LOST two positions in the media's poll!

I guess I'm biased, but I believe we coaches have done a much better job of identifying the best teams in the country. We agree with the media that Michigan should be #1, but the coaches rank Ohio State #4. I figure the coaches have ranked us right about where we belong; we're at #11 now.

I've tried to emphasize more positive things at practice and in our team meetings this week. We still have a very good chance to move up in the conference standings, because the three teams ahead of us will play a round robin over the next few weeks. That means they each have two very tough games left to play, and someone has to lose those games.

We, on the other hand, have made it through the toughest stretch of our schedule, and have Michigan State and Illinois ahead of us. And, while both of them are capable of playing well on any given Saturday, I'd much rather be playing them than Wisconsin and Michigan, for example.

Elsewhere in the Big Ten:
#1 Michigan 30, Minnesota 22
Iowa 17, Northwestern 16
#8 Ohio State 54, Illinois 10
Purdue 22, Michigan State 10
#11 Wisconsin 35, Indiana 13

[Big Six]

Week 11, 2006
#9 Penn State 30, Michigan State 15


Michigan State 2 10 0 3 15
Penn State 7 7 13 3 30

Mich. St. Penn State
13 First Downs 25
97 Yards Rushing 222
189 Yards Passing 229
286 Total Yards 451
12-125 Penalties 5-38
1-12 3rd Down Eff. 8-17
0-0 4th Down Eff. 0-0
23:41 Possession 36:22


First Quarter
PNST TD 07:37 7-0 Miguel Gregory 13 YD Run (Stephan Phillips Kick).
MIST SAF 03:27 7-2 Lloyd Culver sacked Joe Collins in the end zone for a safety.

Second Quarter
MIST TD 11:24 9-7 William Gill 1 YD Run (Hugh Stover Kick).
PNST TD 07:55 14-9 Modesto Stark 13 YD Pass from Joe Collins (Stephan Phillips Kick).
MIST FG 00:00 14-12 Hugh Stover 25 YD

Third Quarter
PNST FG 11:42 17-12 Stephan Phillips 23 YD
PNST FG 05:52 20-12 Stephan Phillips 35 YD
PNST TD 01:00 27-12 Calvin Ferguson 3 YD Run (Stephan Phillips Kick).

Fourth Quarter
MIST FG 13:53 27-15 Hugh Stover 50 YD
PNST FG 07:53 30-15 Stephan Phillips 29 YD


Penn State Individual Statistics:

Passing: Joe Collins 20-33-220, 1 TD, 1 INT; Bobby Burton 1-1-9.

Rushing: Calvin Ferguson 30-160, Dan Delgado 4-45, Miguel Gregory 9-32, Man Ward 3-3,
Joe Collins 1-0, Jerry Freeman 1-(-1).

Receiving: Randy Culpepper 8-94, Jerry Hubbard 5-47, Theodore Dick 2-40,
Calvin Ferguson 3-14, Modesto Stark 1-13, Miguel Gregory 1-12, Dan Delgado 1-9.

Key Run Blocks: Chris Sandoval 1, Chris Silverman 1, Fred Felton 1, Anthony Lloyd 1.

Pancakes: Chris Sandoval 1, Wes Herring 1, Todd Main 1.

Kicking: Stephan Phillips 3-3 FG, 3-3 XP.

Punting: Philip Redd 6-46.8

Kick Returns: Eugene Nichols 2-29.5

Punt Returns: Alphonso Collins 5-7.8

Sacks: Jerry Martin 1.

Interceptions: Leonard Hill 1-15, Andrew Stone 1-0.

Tackles: William Gross 7, Francis Taylor 7, Charles Brown 4, John Becker 3, Leonard Hill 3,
Jerry Martin 2, Milton Cole 2, Jerry Magee 1, Daniel Jackson 1, Richard Phillips 1,
Andrew Stone 1.

Stuffs: Jerry Martin 1, Milton Cole 1.

Hurries: John Becker 1, Milton Cole 1, Jerry Magee 1.

Passes Defended: Francis Taylor 2, Daniel Jackson 2, William Gross 1.


I’m just about as satisfied with this week’s game as I was dissatisfied with last week’s.

Against Ohio State, we played as poor a game defensively as I’ve ever seen. Against Michigan State this week, our defense stood and delivered. David Tanner drew up a solid game plan, and our players executed it skillfully.

We did an outstanding job of containing the Spartans’ quarterback, Roger Rich. We pressured him all afternoon long, forcing him to get rid of the ball quickly and make throws he hadn’t planned to make. Rich completed only 13 of his 35 throws, and we intercepted him twice.

Our defense also neutralized their other weapon, running back William Gill, holding him to 58 yards. We allowed less than half the yardage we’d given up last week. Our defensive players and coaches will find it much easier to hold their heads up high this week.

Francis Taylor played a particularly good game, showing a real willingness to play tough against the run while doing his customary fine job in coverage. And, as they have all year, Charles Brown, William Gross, and John Becker played extremely well.

Milton Cole cut his chin pretty badly in the first quarter and missed the rest of the game. His backup, junior Frank Golden, played well in his place, and Milton will be ready to play against Illinois. In fact, we came out of the game with our health basically intact. Safety Leonard Hill has a hurt elbow, and we’ll be keeping a close eye on him, but he’s the only player who might not be on the field next Saturday.

I’m also very happy with what we accomplished on offense against Michigan State. Once again, coordinator George Dickson had our players well-prepared for the defensive looks we faced, and the players did the rest.

We ran 84 plays from scrimmage; 50 runs and 34 passes. We ended up gaining almost the same number of yards each way: 229 passing, and an impressive 222 more on the ground. That’s the first time we’ve rushed for 200 or more yards since our first game of the season.

Calvin Ferguson carried the ball 30 times for us, which was the highest number of carries we’ve given to a back since I’ve been here. Calvin had absolutely no problem with that, and he was running as well in the fourth quarter as he had been in the first. He went over 1000 yards for the season very early in the game, and his total of 1132 yards ranks him second to Ed Crockett of Wisconsin among the Big Ten’s rushing leaders. Ferguson has demonstrated that he’s every bit as talented as we thought he was when we recruited him. We’re looking forward to seeing just how good he will become.

Chris Sandoval led an outstanding performance by our offensive line; they opened up holes for our backs all day long and kept pass rushers off Joe Collins, too. Again, I’m very satisfied with our performance, top to bottom.

Wisconsin handed Ohio State its first Big Ten loss of the season. Michigan had the week off, so they’re now in first place in the conference by themselves, with a 6-0 record. The Wolverines and Badgers play next week, and everybody in Nittany Nation will be pulling for Wisconsin this Saturday.

The outcome of that game won’t matter much unless we beat Illinois, so we’ll leave the scoreboard-watching to the fans.

Elsewhere in the Big Ten:
Indiana 27, Minnesota 13
#7 Wisconsin 12, #10 Ohio State 7
Northwestern 31, Purdue 28
Iowa 34, Illinois 3

[Big Six]

Week 12, 2006
#9 Penn State 33, Illinois 20


Penn State 21 9 3 0 33
Illinois 3 0 14 3 20

Illinois Penn State
17 First Downs 13
87 Yards Rushing 366
187 Yards Passing 76
274 Total Yards 442
8-65 Penalties 12-128
6-17 3rd Down Eff. 4-15
0-0 4th Down Eff. 1-2
29:59 Possession 30:01

First Quarter
PNST TD 14:04 7-0 Calvin Ferguson 91 YD Run (Stephan Phillips Kick).
ILL FG 08:23 7-3 Donald Nguyen 38 YD
PNST TD 02:58 14-3 59 YD Punt Return by Alphonso Collins (Stephan Phillips Kick).
PNST TD 00:00 21-3 Calvin Ferguson 59 YD Run (Stephan Phillips Kick).

Second Quarter
PNST TD 09:31 28-3 Miguel Gregory 40 YD Run (Stephan Phillips Kick).
PNST SAF 04:32 30-3 Charles Brown stuffed John Martin in the end zone for a safety.

Third Quarter
ILL TD 13:12 30-10 John Martin 1 YD Run (Donald Nguyen Kick).
ILL TD 07:04 30-17 John Martin 1 YD Run (Donald Nguyen Kick).
PNST FG 02:21 33-17 Stephan Phillips 46 YD

Fourth Quarter
ILL FG 07:08 33-20 Donald Nguyen 38 YD


Penn State Individual Statistics:

Passing: Joe Collins 7-17-73, 1 INT; Sam Neff 1-1-3.

Rushing: Calvin Ferguson 22-247, Miguel Gregory 13-107, Man Ward 4-7,
George Drummond 1-5, Dan Delgado 1-1, Jerry Freeman 1-0.

Receiving: Randy Culpepper 5-53, Jerry Hubbard 1-15, Man Ward 1-5,
Modesto Stark 1-3.

Key Run Blocks: Chris Sandoval 2, Fred Felton 2.

Pancakes: Chris Sandoval 1.

Kicking: Stephan Phillips 1-2 FG, 4-4 XP.

Punting: Philip Redd 7-44.6

Kick Returns: Eugene Nichols 3-26.3

Punt Returns: Alphonso Collins 5-17.0

Sacks: Jerry Martin 2, Milton Cole 1.

Interceptions: Charles Brown 1-0.

Tackles: Richard Phillips 8, William Gross 7, John Becker 7, Charles Brown 7,
Francis Taylor 6, George Harris 3, Milton Cole 2, Lawrence Hill 2,
Jerry Martin 2, Roy Thompson 2, Travis Moore 2, Andrew Stone 2, Daniel Jackson 2,
Billy Davis 2, Lawrence Griffin 1, Eugene Nichols 1, Frank Golden 1,
Alphonso Collins 1.

Stuffs: Charles Brown 2, John Becker 1, Richard Phillips 1, Milton Cole 1,
Lawrence Hill 1.

Hurries: Milton Cole 2.

Passes Defended: Francis Taylor 2, George Harris 2, William Gross 1, Dustin Wood 1.


This week’s game was one we should have won, and we did. In the process, we demonstrated that we have the ability to break big, game-changing plays, and one of our most exciting players established himself as a Heisman Trophy candidate.

On our third play from scrimmage, Calvin Ferguson took a handoff on a simple power run off left tackle. Todd Main made an incredible block to spring Ferguson, and Calvin burst to the outside. When Calvin turns a play into a foot race, nobody will catch him, and that’s exactly what happened. A holding penalty had put us back on our nine yard line, so Calvin’s touchdown run went for 91 yards.

The play energized our entire team, and that emotion fueled several more big plays during the first half. On his first punt return, Alphonso Collins was hit hard and fumbled the ball away to the Illini, so he was anxious to redeem himself. The next time he touched the ball, he took it 59 yards for a touchdown. Then, on the final play of the quarter, Ferguson took a pitch from Collins around left end for another 59-yard scoring play.

For the day, Calvin finished with 247 yards on 22 rushes. He could probably have had 300 yards or more if we’d let him, but we wanted Miguel Gregory to get some carries, too. Miguel gained over 100 yards himself, and just as we did against South Florida, we had two running backs in triple figures. Gregory also contribued a big play of his own, scoring on a 40-yard run in the second quarter.

We played old-fashioned football this week, keeping the ball on the ground on offense and playing suffocating, hard-hitting defense. Charles Brown smacked Illinois' best running back, John Martin, down in their end zone for a safety--our second this season.

With a 30-3 lead at halftime, we were able to get a lot of guys in the game, and Illinois scored two touchdowns against our second- and third-team defenses.

On Monday the finalists for the major yearly awards were announced. Ferguson is in the running for the Heisman Trophy and the Doak Walker award. Calvin is, of course, a freshman, so it’s not likely he’ll receive either award this year. He'll enter our bowl game with 1379 yards rushing and twelve touchdowns, and he's caught 24 passes for 287 yards and three more scores. By the time he’s finished here at Penn State, he will probably be regarded among the best backs in the school’s history.

Calvin isn’t the only Nittany Lion with a chance at some post-season recognition. Return man Alphonso Collins is on the list for the Mosi Tatupu Award. Our kickers, Philip Redd and Stephan Phillips, are nominated for the Ray Guy and Lou Groza Awards. And, Milton Cole is a finalist for the Outland Trophy. All of these players, except Ferguson, are seniors, and it would be fantastic for at least one of them to end his Penn State career with a prestigious award.

We’ve completed our regular season with a 9-2 record, and we went 6-2 in the Big Ten.

Michigan’s victory over Wisconsin put the Wolverines into position to clinch the Big Ten championship with a win over Ohio State in two weeks. Wisconsin’s season is now over, and their record is exactly the same as ours. We’re placed third in the conference due to the tiebreaker system, so it looks like we’ll be going back to the Outback Bowl. I’m pleased with that outcome, and I hope our fans will be, too.

Elsewhere in the Big Ten:
#1 Michigan 27, #4 Wisconsin 6
Michigan State 29, Northwestern 28
#13 Ohio State 33, Indiana 7

[Big Six]

Week 16, 2006

Last week we received the press release listing the national and Big Ten award winners for the season. All of us at Penn State are very proud of Calvin Ferguson, who was named NCAA Freshman of the Year!

Calvin leads a lengthy list of Nittany Lions who received post-season honors this year. Here is the complete listing:


Player Award
Calvin Ferguson, RB NCAA Freshman of the Year
Calvin Ferguson, RB Big Ten Freshman of the Year
Milton Cole, DE First Team, All-Big Ten
Francis Taylor, CB First Team, All-Big Ten
Philip Redd, P First Team, All-Big Ten
Calvin Ferguson, RB Second Team, All-Big Ten
Dan Delgado, FB Second Team, All-Big Ten
Chris Sandoval, G Second Team, All-Big Ten
John Bell, DT Second Team, All-Big Ten
Todd Main, T Third Team, All-Big Ten
Stephan Phillips, K Third Team, All-Big Ten
John Becker, LB Third Team, All-Big Ten
Charles Brown, S Third Team, All-Big Ten


Cole, Taylor, Redd, and Phillips are the only award winners who are seniors, so we’ll have quite a few outstanding players to form the core of our team next year. And, in Ferguson and Bell, who is a redshirt freshman, we have two of the most outstanding young players in the nation.

I’m a little surprised that Randy Culpepper didn’t earn All-Big Ten recognition. To be honest, our style of play probably hurt his chances. We played two teams at the end of the season which we could run the ball against effectively, so Culpepper didn’t get as many balls thrown his way. And, while Joe Collins is certainly a capable quarterback, he doesn’t have a big-time arm like John McKinney gave us last year.

Consequently, our offense has been a little more run-oriented this year. We’ve averaged 40 rushes and 32 passes per game, and while we rank second in the Big Ten in rushing yardage (2052 yards, behind Michigan with 2311), we place ninth in the conference in passing yardage (2548 yards).

The Heisman Trophy was won by Peter Valenzuela, a junior running back from Texas who exploded onto the scene out of the junior college ranks this season. He gained 1736 yards rushing and caught 55 passes, and scored 22 touchdowns. Valenzuela won the Doak Walker award, too.

We’ll be practicing for the next four weeks to get ready to face Alabama in the Outback Bowl. They have a 9-2 record just like we do, and finished behind two very good football teams—Florida and Mississippi—in a tough Southeastern Conference. The Crimson Tide has an explosive offense, the most productive in Division I. We should be able to move the ball against them, but our defense will face an even sterner test than it did against Ohio State.

With the holidays coming up, I’m looking forward to spending more time with Kristin and the kids. I’ll admit that after another successful season, I’m feeling much more comfortable as a head coach. That makes it much easier to relax and enjoy life, and football too.

[Big Six]

Week 20, 2006

(Unfortunately, I advanced past the point where I could look at the stats from Penn State’s contest with Alabama in the Outback Bowl. I apologize to everybody who enjoys looking at the detailed stats reports each week.)

For the second straight year, we beat a tough SEC opponent in the Outback Bowl. We followed the offensive blueprint that had worked so well during the last weeks of the season: establishing our ground game early on. That created opportunities for our passing attack as well, and we gained nearly 600 yards from scrimmage in a 41-31 victory over Alabama.

Calvin Ferguson rushed for 180 yards, and he also caught a screen pass and outraced the Alabama defense for a 65-yard scoring play. Joe Collins threw four TD passes, two of them going to Randy Culpepper in his final game for the Nittany Lions. I particularly enjoyed watching Randy score those touchdowns; it was a very fitting way for a great player to end his college career. In two seasons playing for me, Randy caught 140 passes—80 of them this year—and he finished 2006 four yards short of 1000 for the season. If I’d known that at the time, I would have found a way to get the ball to him one more time.

Our defense knew it would have its hands full with Alabama’s potent offense. It did as good a job of containing the Crimson Tide as anybody had since South Carolina held them to 20 points back in October. Quarterback Ray Bartlett had huge shoes to fill, succeeding Alabama’s Heisman Trophy winner, Dan Hamilton. Bartlett had a very good game against us, and so did running back Steven Barton. He was a third-team All-American, and he demonstrated his skills against us in his final college game.

I’m a good friend of Alabama’s coach, Jeffrey Harding. He’s about my age, and we’ve basically grown up as coaches together. He runs a good, clean program, and I’m looking forward to playing against him often over the years to come.

About a week after we got back, I had my yearly meeting with our AD, Scott Dunbar. I left with a big, big smile on my face.

We completed the season with a 10-2 record for the second consecutive year. The media ranked us 6th in its final poll, while all the other polls had us somewhere in the teens. Here’s a comparison of our records and rankings from 2005 and 2006:


Year Record Coa Med CPU GDCS Off Rnk Def Rnk
2005 10-2 14 16 13 17 372 66 413 98
2006 10-2 16 6 15 14 430 19 357 30


Coa: Penn State's ranking in the coaches' poll.
Med: Penn State's ranking in the media poll.
CPU: Penn State's computer ranking.
GDCS: Penn State's ranking in the Grey Dog Championship Series.
Off: Average yards per game for Penn State's offense
Def: Average yards per game allowed by Penn State's defense.
Rnk: Penn State's ranking among Division I teams in offense and defense.


Scott evaluates our program each season in several areas: performance, talent level, recruiting, meeting our board’s expectations, and building or maintaining our program’s prestige. He gave me a report card with straight As, and his overall evaluation was even higher: an A+! I was a good student in high school and college, but it’s been a long time since I’ve received a grade that high. I think I’m going to ask him to put it in writing, maybe in an email I can print and hang on our refrigerator with the young Rogers’ schoolwork.

In a week or so, we’ll be intensifying our recruiting efforts. Two of our juniors are considering the possibility of declaring for the NFL draft: linebacker John Becker and safety Charles Brown. Selfishly, I’d like to keep them both in State College, but I also recognize their talent and realize they’re both talented enough to play pro football. They’ll need to make their minds up in several weeks.

I’m taking two weeks off from football, completely. The kids have a long weekend coming up, so Kristin and I are taking them skiing up in Vermont. It will be a great chance for us to all enjoy spending time together. I don’t think I let Kristin know often enough I appreciate her, and I always wish I could extend the day so I could spend much, much more time with my family. The next couple weeks, they will be all I’m focusing on.

[Big Six]

Here's a full statistical report for the 2006 Penn State Nittany Lions:


2007 Passing Stats
# POS NAME G ATT CMP CMP% YDS YDS/ATT TD INT LG GP BP SACK RATING
2 QB Sam Neff 6 74 49 66.20% 602 8.1 5 1 46 4 5 4 154.1
18 QB Joe Collins 11 276 159 57.60% 2127 7.7 13 10 65 11 15 18 130.6
20 QB Bobby Burton 6 27 14 51.90% 98 3.6 0 2 15 0 2 4 67.5
5 P Philip Redd 12 2 0 0.00% 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
12 QB Robert Dillard 1 2 0 0.00% 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

2007 Rushing Stats
# POS NAME G RUSH YDS YPG YPC TD LG CR MH FUM FLOST
32 RB Calvin Ferguson 12 274 1559 0 5.69 13 91 7 4 3 1
30 RB Miguel Gregory 9 81 529 0 6.53 4 60 3 0 1 1
33 FB Man Ward 12 36 213 0 5.92 0 25 0 0 1 0
42 FB Daniel Delgado 7 17 91 0 5.35 0 29 0 0 0 0
35 RB Jerry Freeman 8 17 71 0 4.18 0 36 0 1 0 0
80 WR Randy Culpepper 12 10 35 0 3.5 0 8 0 0 4 3
88 WR Theodore Dick 12 1 11 0 11 0 11 0 0 0 0
40 FB Todd Price 3 4 9 0 2.25 0 5 0 0 0 0
41 RB George Drummond 2 1 5 0 5 0 5 0 0 0 0
18 QB Joe Collins 11 5 4 0 0.8 0 4 0 0 1 0
31 RB Raymundo Parker 2 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0
20 QB Bobby Burton 6 5 1 0 0.2 0 1 0 0 0 0
84 WR Jerry Hubbard 12 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2 QB Sam Neff 6 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0

2007 Receiving Stats
# POS NAME G ATT REC YDS YPG YPC YAC TD LG GC DP DP% IR
80 WR Randy Culpepper 12 148 80 996 0 12.4 318 4 46 7 3 2 3
84 WR Jerry Hubbard 12 84 45 615 0 13.7 157 3 44 5 4 4.8 5
32 RB Calvin Ferguson 12 43 27 361 0 13.4 279 3 65 1 1 2.3 0
88 WR Theodore Dick 12 45 25 315 0 12.6 71 2 37 2 2 4.4 2
83 TE Modesto Stark 12 36 25 269 0 10.8 65 3 37 1 0 0 1
86 WR Jason Cruz 7 18 10 121 0 12.1 21 2 38 1 0 0 2
30 RB Miguel Gregory 9 12 5 68 0 13.6 38 1 25 1 0 0 0
42 FB Daniel Delgado 7 5 3 32 0 10.7 12 0 12 0 0 0 0
33 FB Man Ward 12 7 4 29 0 7.2 17 0 15 0 1 14.3 0
82 TE James Virgil 4 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
31 RB Raymundo Parker 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

2007 Offensive Line Stats
# POS NAME G RB PNK SA HOLD FALSE MISSBL
62 OG Chris Sandoval 12 13 18 1 0 0 1
69 OT Todd Main 12 9 8 3 2 2 6
66 OG Chris Silverman 8 9 2 3 0 0 2
65 OT Fred Felton 11 8 7 4 2 3 4
71 OG Anthony Lloyd 11 4 5 1 0 2 6
42 FB Daniel Delgado 7 3 0 0 0 0 1
75 OT Warren Kirkpatrick 4 0 0 3 0 0 4
33 FB Man Ward 12 0 0 0 0 0 3
40 FB Todd Price 3 0 0 0 0 0 2
51 C Clark Hill 5 0 0 2 1 0 5
52 C Wesley Herring 12 0 7 7 3 1 8
64 OG Ryan Lopez 1 0 0 0 0 0 1
67 OT Leland Olson 1 0 0 1 0 1 0
82 TE James Virgil 4 0 0 0 1 0 1
83 TE Modesto Stark 12 0 0 3 2 2 15

2007 Kicking Stats
# POS NAME G XP FG 1-29 FG 30-39 FG 40-49 FG 50+ FG% LONG POINTS
19 K Stephan Phillips 12 37-38 9-Sep 8-Jul 10-Aug 0-2 82.8%% 48 109

2007 Punting Stats
# POS NAME G PUNTS AVG NET TB IN20 LONG
5 P Philip Redd 12 66 44.1 37.4 8 14 66
19 K Stephan Phillips 12 0 0 0 0 0 0

2007 Kick Return Stats
# POS NAME G RET YDS AVG LONG TD
44 FS Eugene Nichols 12 34 847 24.9 47 0
32 RB Calvin Ferguson 12 4 87 21.8 45 0
41 RB George Drummond 2 1 25 25 25 0

2007 Punt Return Stats
# POS NAME G RET YDS AVG LONG TD
22 WR Phil Vanderpool 5 1 8 8 8 0
21 SS Richard Phillips 11 1 9 9 9 0
27 CB Alphonso Collins 11 40 487 12.2 82 2

2007 Defensive Stats
# POS NAME G TAK SOLO AST SACK STF HUR DP PD INT DEF TD MISSTAK OOP BPA53 ILB William Gross 12 94 61 33 1 7 4 1 5 1 0 6 3 4
50 OLB John Becker 12 93 73 20 3 11 8 1 2 2 0 0 1 1
38 FS Charles Brown 12 89 58 31 1 11 0 0 3 2 0 1 1 1
26 CB Francis Taylor 12 60 35 25 0 3 0 0 15 6 0 1 0 0
97 DE Milton Cole 12 37 29 8 7 5 14 5 0 0 0 0 1 0
23 SS Lawrence Hill 11 35 23 12 1 4 0 0 2 2 0 3 1 4
21 SS Richard Phillips 11 34 19 15 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 5 2 6
37 CB Daniel Jackson 12 28 18 10 0 1 0 0 12 0 0 9 5 2
39 CB Roy Thompson 9 13 8 5 0 0 0 0 3 1 0 4 0 3
58 OLB Travis Moore 6 12 7 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
91 DT John Bell 12 12 11 1 6 2 6 1 0 0 1 2 0 0
59 OLB George Harris 10 12 5 7 0 0 1 0 2 0 1 4 0 2
96 DT Jerry Magee 12 10 6 4 4 0 7 0 0 0 0 1 1 0
90 DE Jerry Martin 11 9 9 0 5 2 2 1 0 1 0 2 2 0
49 ILB Andrew Stone 5 7 5 2 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 3 0 1
27 CB Alphonso Collins 11 6 0 6 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 2
47 OLB Dustin Wood 5 5 3 2 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0
94 DT John James 7 4 3 1 2 0 6 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
48 FS Gabriel Kidd 3 3 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0
93 DE Agustin George 3 3 3 0 3 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
82 TE James Virgil 4 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
46 OLB Billy Davis 2 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0
44 FS Eugene Nichols 12 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
85 TE Brian Hagen 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
81 WR James Pollack 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
92 DE Frank Golden 2 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
78 OT Lawrence Griffin 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
24 CB Robert Jackson 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0
98 DE Lee Elrod 5 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 0

[Big Six]

Offseason, Week 11

I’m very glad I took that time off before the recruiting season began. Kristin, the kids, and I had a fantastic time, and I’ve needed every bit of energy I could muster these last few weeks.

We made no changes on our coaching staff this year. Our coordinators, David Tanner and George Dickson, both demonstrated their skills last season, and our special teams coach, Ben Harvey, had a great season too. Having a stable staff makes a big difference in recruiting top players and developing their skills within our system. They're not constantly having to learn new things.

One negative consequence of building a roster full of talented players is the fact that there won’t be enough playing time for all of them. We had more good running backs this past season than we had carries, and Jerry Freeman was the guy who ended up with the short end of the stick. Jerry got only seventeen carries, but with Calvin Ferguson and Miguel Gregory playing ahead of him, there simply wasn’t much way to get him in the game any more often. Jerry and I talked after the season, and he told me he would probably be transferring to another school. I told him that I understood his situation, and that I wished him the best of luck.

Jerry was also struggling somewhat in the classroom at Penn State. He was keeping himself eligible, but his GPA was barely above a 2.00. We recently learned that Jerry will be transferring to Rutgers, and after sitting out a year, he’ll have two more years of eligibility there. I hope Rutgers proves to be a good fit for him. Jerry will have the chance to be a feature back there, and I predict he’ll be very successful in that role.

Freeman’s loss was tempered somewhat by the news that a very talented player will be transferring to Penn State. We recruited Mike Nixon last year, when he was a high school senior in New Jersey. Mike was the #3 tight end prospect in the nation, and we were disappointed when he chose Virginia Tech.

Mike redshirted last year, so he didn’t play against us when we took on the Hokies. He had an outstanding year in the classroom, and continued to build his strength. When we learned Mike was interested in the possibility of transferring, we offered him a scholarship, and he accepted our offer right away. Mike is 6’5” and weighs 259 right now, and we think he’ll be able to carry up to 270. He’s a fantastic blocker, and although he’s not fast, he has excellent hands and will be a nice option in our passing game. I’ll be looking forward to seeing what he can contribute to our program in a year.

We also got one piece of good news and one piece of bad news regarding the NFL draft. John Becker will be leaving Penn State and entering the draft, but Charles Brown has decided to stay in school for his senior year. John is ready for the NFL, but we would certainly have enjoyed having him back with us for 2007. Now we’ll need at least one of our young linebackers, guys like Andrew Stone, George Harris, and Travis Moore, to step up and prove that he has what it takes to excel in the Big Ten.

On the other hand, we’re very pleased that Charles will be with us this year. He is an outstanding leader, one the other players like and respect. I’m expecting him to have a big, big year for us, and set himself up even better for next year’s draft.

We had eleven scholarships available to this year’s recruiting class, and we received our first commitment almost immediately. Ray Johnson is considered the best receiver coming out of high school this year, and he’s usually considered one of the 25 best players in the country, period. Ray is a Pennsylvania guy, from Pottstown, and he’s been a Penn State fan for years. He also has 4.38 speed and a 40-inch vertical leap. I confess I’m really looking forward to watching him play basketball next weekend; I hope he throws down a couple of monster dunks.

Our second commitment came from a fullback out of New Jersey, Noe McCarthy. He is a good, all-around player who can run the ball, catch it, and block effectively. We especially like the way he runs with his knees high; he’ll break a lot of tackles that way.

We’re still looking for help at several positions. We could use a talented quarterback with a strong arm; some help on our offensive line, especially at center; a placekicker; and a talented cornerback. Of course, lots of teams are looking for the same things, so we have our work cut out for us. Several Big Ten teams have signed six or seven players already, but we’re not panicking. There are quite a few very talented players left on our list, and we continue to bring them in for visits.

[wrestlerjrh]

This is good stuff keep it up

[Big Six]

This is good stuff keep it up

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]

Offseason Week 18, 2006-2007

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:


Players committed to Penn State

Rank Pos Name Stars Ht Wt School RR RP Type Cur Pot
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


And, here is a list of the top ten recruits in this year's class, plus the top five Big Ten recruits:


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



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]

Week 1, 2007

Here is Penn State's 2007 football schedule:


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.*


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]

Week 1, 2007

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


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

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.


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

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.


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

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.


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

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.


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

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.


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

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.


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

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.


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

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]

Week 2, 2007
#9 Penn State 50, #14 Notre Dame 24


Notre Dame 10 7 0 7 -- 24
Penn State 14 19 10 7 -- 50

Notre Dame Penn State
24 First Downs 15
182 Yards Rushing 123
314 Yards Passing 257
496 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


First Quarter
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

Second Quarter
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).

Third Quarter
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

Fourth Quarter
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).


Penn State Individual Statistics:

Passing: Dan Pearson 10-17-215, 2 TD; John Thomas 1-2-33; Joe Collins 1-2-9;
David Thompson 0-2.

Rushing: 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).

Receiving: 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.

Key Run Blocks: None. (!!)

Pancakes: Anthony Lloyd 2, Wes Herring 1.

Kicking: Jeff Williams 2-3 FG, 5-5 XP; Donald Brady 1-1 XP.

Punting: John Stafford 3-37.3; Phillip Redd 3-35.0

Kick Returns: Eugene Nichols 4-52.8

Punt Returns: Sean Henry 4-7.0

Sacks: John Bell 1.

Interceptions: Daniel Jackson 2-105, Dan Bishop 1-4.

Tackles: 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.

Stuffs: Charles Brown 2, William Gross 1, Richard Phillips 1, John James 1,
Darrell Crumlish 1.

Hurries: Jerry Martin 1.

Passes Defended: Charles Brown 2, Daniel Jackson 1.


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.

So far in the Big Ten:

Week One
Indiana 34, Florida Atlantic 10
#24 Minnesota 35, Akron 6
#4 Wisconsin 41, Northern Illinois 7

Week Two
#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.

Notable performances from Week One:
QB Wally Behrens, Kansas State: 28-40-353, 2 TD
QB Kent Huff, Washington: 18-29-324, 4 TD
RB Robert Smith, Oklahoma: 27-286, 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: 4 sacks, 4 TFL
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

Notable performances from Week Two:
QB Roger Rich, Michigan State: 31-48-453, 3 TD
QB Patrick Gilbert, South Carolina: 28-42-432, 5 TD
QB Eugene Molina, Virginia: 19-33-393, 2 TD
QB David Mosley, Florida: 28-33-370, 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: 17 tackles, 1 sack
FS John Wise, Memphis: 16 tackles
LB Cory Jackson, Southern Miss.: 15 tackles

[Big Six]

Week Three, 2007

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]

Week Three, 2006

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.

Elsewhere in the Big Ten:
#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]

Notable performances from Week Three:

OFFENSIVE STANDOUTS
QB Michael Friend, Michigan: 24-31-473, 2 TD
QB Robert Knight, Idaho: 19-30-452, 3 TD
QB Jeffrey Mullen, Wisconsin: 29-36-422, 5 TD
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, 3 TD
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.

DEFENSIVE STANDOUTS:
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: 2 INT, 2 TD

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]

Week 4, 2007
#6 Penn State 37, #4 Purdue 34


Penn State 14 7 3 7 6 -- 37
Purdue 3 6 8 14 3 -- 34

Purdue Penn State
19 First Downs 30
54 Yards Rushing 258
333 Yards Passing 301
387 Total Yards 559
7-49 Penalties 4-45
5-13 3rd Down Eff. 13-22
0-0 4th Down Eff. 0-0
25:35 Possession 36:23

First Quarter
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

Second Quarter
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).

Third Quarter
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)

Fourth Quarter
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).

Overtime
PUR FG - 34-31 Walter Orr 40 YD
PNST TD - 37-34 Calvin Ferguson 5 YD Pass from Dan Pearson


Penn State Individual Statistics:

Passing: Dan Pearson 20-33-301, 2 TD, 1 INT

Rushing: Calvin Ferguson 37-144, Dan Pearson 9-79, Man Ward 7-31, Sean Henry 2-13,
Noe McCarthy 1-4, Ray Johnson 1-0.

Receiving: Ray Johnson 7-116, Calvin Ferguson 5-83, Jerry Hubbard 5-78,
Modesto Stark 2-13, David Mills 1-11.

Key Run Blocks: Chris Sandoval 3, Anthony Lloyd 1, Fred Felton 1.

Pancakes: Warren Kirkpatrick 2, Anthony Lloyd 1, Wes Herring 1.

Kicking: Jeff Williams 1-2 FG, 4-4 XP

Punting: Philip Redd 4-42.5.

Kick Returns: Eugene Nichols 5-16.2.

Punt Returns: Sean Henry 2-8.5.

Sacks: Jerry Martin 2, John Bell 1, Darrell Crumlish 1.

Interceptions: Roy Thompson 1-(-3).

Tackles: 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.

Stuffs: William Gross 1, Jerry Martin 1.

Hurries: None.

Passes Defended: Daniel Jackson 1, Richard Phillips 1.


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.

Elsewhere in the Big Ten:
#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:

OFFENSIVE LEADERS
QB Kenneth Brown, Oregon: 30-41-455, 4 TD
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
RB Calvin Ferguson, Penn State: 37-144, 3 TD; 5-83 receiving, 2 TD
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: 4 sacks
OLB James Owens, BYU: 4 sacks
SS Mitchell O'Neal, Arizona: 15 tackles, 1 INT
OLB James Stafford, Northwestern: 14 tackles
ILB Edward Pena, Michigan: 14 tackles, 2 sacks
SS Rex Richmond, Virginia: 3 INT

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]

Week 5, 2007
#6 Penn State 39, #1 Wisconsin 33


Wisconsin 7 3 16 7 -- 33
Penn State 7 7 7 18 -- 39

Wisconsin Penn State
20 First Downs 25
78 Yards Rushing 270
312 Yards Passing 294
390 Total Yards 564
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


Penn State Individual Statistics:

Passing: Dan Pearson 15-31-294, 4 TD

Rushing: Calvin Ferguson 27-180, Dan Pearson 6-52, Man Ward 6-33,
Sean Henry 1-19, Noe McCarthy 3-(-3)

Receiving: Theodore Dick 4-158, Ray Johnson 2-53, Modesto Stark 4-36,
Jason Cruz 1-25, Calvin Ferguson 3-14, Jerry Hubbard 1-8.

Key Run Blocks: Anthony Lloyd 2, Fred Felton 1, Warren Kirkpatrick 1.

Pancakes: Anthony Lloyd 3, Chris Sandoval 2.

Kicking: Jeff Williams 1-1 FG, 4-4 XP.

Punting: Philip Redd 5-36.2

Kick Returns: Eugene Nichols 4-26.2, William Tolbert 1-17.

Punt Returns: Sean Henry 3-19.3

Sacks: Jerry Martin 3, Darrell Crumlish 1, Charles Brown 1.

Interceptions: Charles Brown 1-23, Roy Thompson 1-9.

Tackles: William Gross 12, 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.

Stuffs: William Gross 3, Darrell Crumlish 1, Richard Phillips 1.

Hurries: John Bell 1.

Passes Defended: William Gross 1.


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.

Elsewhere in the Big Ten:
#4 Michigan 31, Northwestern 17
#14 Ohio State 32, #10 Purdue 20
Indiana 30, Illinois 6
#19 Michigan State 43, #24 Minnesota 20

[Bulletproof Punk]

I smell a National Championship...

[Big Six]

I smell a National Championship...

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]

Week 6, 2007

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.

Elsewhere in the Big Ten:
#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:

Notable performers from Week 5:

OFFENSE
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
WR Theodore Dick, Penn State: 4-158, 2 TD
WR Jonah Whitney, Mississippi: 4-157, 2 TD

Klein, Reyes, and Cosby all had big days again.

DEFENSE
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.


Notable performers from Week 6:

OFFENSE
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.

DEFENSE
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.

HEISMAN WATCH
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]

Week 7, 2007
#3 Penn State 24, #20 Iowa 20


Penn State 14 7 0 3 -- 24
Iowa 3 14 3 0 -- 20

Iowa Penn State
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

First Quarter
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

Second Quarter
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).

Third Quarter
IOWA FG 07:30 21-20 Jeremy Jones 19 YD

Fourth Quarter
PNST FG 06:20 24-20 Jeff Williams 29 YD


Penn State Individual Statistics:

Passing: Dan Pearson 17-28-190, 3 INT

Rushing: Calvin Ferguson 33-132, Theodore Dick 1-7, Dan Pearson 6-7, Man Ward 1-1

Receiving: Theodore Dick 6-65, Calvin Ferguson 5-57, Man Ward 1-32, Ray Johnson 4-21,
Modesto Stark 1-15

Key Run Blocks: Warren Kirkpatrick 1, Wes Herring 1, Fred Felton 1

Pancakes: Warren Kirkpatrick 3, Wes Herring 1, Chris Sandoval 1

Kicking: Jeff Williams 1-2 FG, 3-3 XP

Punting: Philip Redd 6-42.5

Kick Returns: Eugene Nichols 4-22.0

Punt Returns: Sean Henry 2-10.5

Sacks: None

Interceptions: Charles Brown 2-26, 1 TD; William Gross 2-10

Tackles: 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

Stuffs: William Gross 1, George Harris 1, Daniel Jackson 1, Charles Brown 1, John Bell 1,
Darrell Crumlish 1

Hurries: William Gross 3, George Harris 1

Passes Defended: Roy Thompson 2, William Gross 1, George Harris 1, Benjamin Hill 1


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.

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!

[Big Six]

Notable performers from Week 7:

OFFENSE
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.

DEFENSE
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
FS Charles Brown, Penn State: 2-52 INT, 1 TD

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.

SPECIAL TEAMS
K Johnny Crutchfield, Pitt: 5-5 FG

HEISMAN WATCH:
1. Tyler Reyes, RB, Washington: Well over 100 yards rushing again against tough UCLA team. Three receiving TDs, too.
2. Tim Childs, RB, N.C. State: 1085 yards rushing, 8 TD.
3. Roger Rich, QB, Michigan State: Leads nation with 2244 passing yards; has thrown 15 TD passes.

Elsewhere in the Big Ten:
#7 Wisconsin 36, Northwestern 7: Badgers roll over hapless Wildcats.
#12 Purdue 27, Illinois 20: Purdue has to come from behind to defeat gritty Illini.
#16 Minnesota, #6 Michigan 12: The Little Brown Jug goes to the Gophers this year.
Notre Dame 31, #16 Michigan State 28: Despite fireworks by Rich, Greco, and John Darden (153 yards rushing) Irish beat Sparti on road.
Indiana 27, Army 6: Hoosiers move over .500 with win over Cadets.

[Big Six]

Week 8, 2007
#1 Penn State 34, #21 Michigan State 17


Michigan State 0 3 0 14 -- 17
Penn State 0 10 17 7 -- 34

Mich. St. Penn State
22 First Downs 25
42 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

First Quarter
No scoring.

Second Quarter
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

Third Quarter
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

Fourth Quarter
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)

Penn State Individual Statistics:

Passing: Dan Pearson 18-26-173, 1 TD; Philip Redd 0-1.

Rushing: Calvin Ferguson 26-108, Dan Pearson 6-82, Man Ward 5-23, Noe McCarthy 3-14,
Miguel Gregory 7-9, Sean Henry 1-1.

Receiving: Jerry Hubbard 4-48, Ray Johnson 5-36, Modesto Stark 3-26, Miguel Gregory 1-23,
Calvin Ferguson 3-20, David Mills 2-20.

Key Run Blocks: Chris Sandoval 2, Leland Olson 1, Warren Kirkpatrick 1, Anthony Lloyd 1.

Pancakes: Leland Olson 1, Warren Kirkpatrick 1, Anthony Lloyd 1.

Kicking: Jeff Williams 2-3 FG, 4-4 XP.

Punting: Philip Redd 3-44.0

Kick Returns: Eugene Nichols 3-25.7

Punt Returns: Sean Henry 3-12.7, Lou Davis 1-2

Sacks: Jerry Martin 2, George Harris 1, John James 1, Darrell Crumlish 1.

Interceptions: William Gross 1-94, 1 TD.

Tackles: 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.

Stuffs: None.

Hurries: William Gross 3, John James 1.

Passes Defended: Daniel Jackson 2, Roy Thompson 2, Benjamin Hill 1, Paul Braden 1.


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:

The good:
Great Gross: 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.

Potent Pass Rush: 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.

No Running Allowed: MSU gained 42 yards on the ground. 'Nuff said.

Roger, Over and Out: 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.

Dancin' Dan: 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.

The bad:
Down goes Brown: 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.

Flag on the play: 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]

Notable performances from Week 8:

OFFENSE
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

DEFENSE
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

SPECIAL TEAMS
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

Elsewhere in the Big Ten:
#9 Ohio State 38, Iowa 10: Bucks roll up 531 yards of total offense.
#7 Wisconsin 31, #12 Michigan 17: 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.
Indiana 38, #14 Minnesota 31: Hoosiers look like they're for real.
Illinois 25, North Texas 12: Illini put foot in football and win a non-conference game.
Louisiana-Lafayette 13, Northwestern 3: Clawless Wildcats drop to 1-6.