PSU_Lions_84

Gosh, it's no wonder Thompkins (#3) scored on that punt return: He's got FOUR arms -- one to carry the ball and three to fend off would-be tacklers! (Sixth picture in this sequence. Thanks for posting!) Bet the NCAA outlaws that before next season!

Hey, guys, nothing I can say to help you, but I do want to point out the old truism, "You are never as good as you look in victory -- and never as bad as you may appear in a defeat." I think you have some good building blocks, esp. on offense, but had the misfortune to run into a Penn State team on a mission. The timing of Urban Meyer's comments that Penn State should have been among the 4 championship teams last year probably didn't help. Unrelated to you folks, of course, but those probably fanned the flames of discontent from last year just before Saturday's game. Many of us Penn State fans were unhappy about Franklin using Barkley on the kick-off and keeping the first string in for as long as he did. While I personally am still unhappy (fwiw) about Barkley and the kick-off, Franklin's comments about the first string were, "I've been in / seen games where the other team has come back from a big deficit to win." Youngstown State coming back against Pitt and UCLA overtaking TAMU bear witness to his view. Not sure that helps you, but offering the perspective fwiw. Wish you all the best the rest of the season! Keep the faith, and cheer on your young men and coaches -- they deserve respect because they are putting in the sweat equity to represent your University.

Miss the days when you could watch a football game with just a few commercials mixed in, instead of a commercial-fest with just a few football plays mixed in.

Good luck, Zips! Hoping for a fan's game (i.e., entertaining and certainly no injuries)!

Good morning, Zips fans! Hope you are well and safe. Keep praying and supporting our Gulf Coast folks; they will need us for years to come. If I were Coach Bowden, I'd come out and test the Penn State pass defense early, to see if that will loosen up the Lion front seven. Keep in mind that that front seven has several new starters. If Akron can force the LBs into coverage, it could open some running lanes. For the Zips defense, I don't know what to say. Lion fans believe our offensive line has been improving, which in theory makes life easier for the RBs and mobile QBs. I think Barkley is going to gash the defense a few times, then maybe Franklin will sit him while Sanders/Robinson/Allen get their carries. (Have no idea if Franklin thinks about "Barkley for Heisman" or not; Joe was never one to push for individual accolades.) This scenario is probably especially true if it's raining and chilly. Let Barkley get hit a couple times to knock off the rust, and then hold him out until/unless needed. There is talent with the WRs and TEs, but some of the WRs need more better focus. Godwin and Allen Robinson were not necessarily the most talented receivers during their respective times at Penn State, but they played with laser intensity. Gesicki basically re-invented himself between his sophomore and junior years, and was hugely productive last year as a result. It will be interesting to see who, if any, of the current WRs has decided this is their year. If it's one of the big guys like Irvin Charles or Juwan Johnson, it could be a long day for the shorter DBs. Watch for Miles Sanders on kicks. He came close to busting a few last year. It's been awhile since Penn State has returned a kick for a TD; statistically we are due. Wish you guys (almost) the best. Appreciate your continued graciousness during my visits here. Here's hoping for an injury-free game that is entertaining for us fans. 84

There is a fair amount of experience, but also a heaping dose of youth on that roster. Remains to be seen which attribute rises to the top this (and the other) Saturdays. Re weather: The field at Beaver Stadium tends to shed water pretty well (and I think they keep it covered for as long as possible to avoid the rain soaking in), but I haven't seen how severe the showers are expected to be. The team that has a fast start may end up winning the game, esp. if the rain is heavy and continuous. That potentiality worries me, as last year we usually had poor first halfs and then caught fire in the second. May not find that spark in a deluge . . . For those of you attending for the first time, try to stop in at the Berkey Creamery. One advantage of being a Moo U is GREAT ice cream! Two days and a wake-up, guys!

Recruiting is flavor-of-the-month with many Penn State fans right now, because CJF & Co. have been pulling in some highly ranked classes. My note of caution to the more exuberant guys is, "Please recall that kids (young men) mature at different rates. An 18-year-old 3 star recruit could be tearing up the field as a 21-year-old." While obviously some kids are more talented than others, history is full of talented players who didn't put in the work, made some bone-headed mistake that jeopardized his playing career, etc. As I noted in my comment to that write-up (my handle is the same there as it is here), Penn State's depth is probably going to cause Akron more problems than any other specific area. That's where recruiting might be a factor.

Guys, feel free to check out BlackShoeDiaries for Lion fans' views on the game. Some are homer-ish, of course, but most see your Zips as a solid team that will give us a good game. https://www.blackshoediaries.com/2017/8/29/16219014/know-your-foe-week-1-akron-zips-2017-penn-state-football-james-franklin-nittany-lions

Good stuff - thanks, Captain! Supposedly the coaches have been encouraging McSorely and Stevens (back-up QB) to focus a bit more on their RPO choices. If true, I am curious about that: In our first four games last year, McSorely was much more restrained in how he ran the RPO; it was when he turned loose that Penn State's offense really took off. Maybe they held the reins in early last year because Moorhead's system was new. Not sure why they would hold a tight leash this year . . . maybe because they think the O-line is better, and therefore the rushing attack will improve? Four days and a wake-up!

Putting guys into the NFL is no mean feat, and speaks to the coaching quality. Hopefully those coaches are able to repeat their success with this year's WR crop. Here's hoping for a great game with no injuries on either team!

Hey, guys, checking in again with just a few days before game day. Word is the Lion offense is ahead of the defense, although the summer concerns about our defensive line appear to have diminished somewhat. LB depth continues to be a question mark. Secondary seems solid, with a lot of experience there (with the possible exception of the replacement for John Reid). It sounds like the offensive line is capitalizing on the experience it's gained over the last couple of years (esp. from last year where injuries forced other, younger guys to play a role). Barkley and McSorely are getting a lot of press, of course, but Tommy Stevens (back-up QB) and the three-headed RB beast of Sanders (#24), Robinson (#6), and Allen (#8) should give the starters a breather once in a while. Kicking may or may not be affected by Joey Julius' departure; hopefully Gillikin continues his punting success. Read your comments about your RB. If Penn State loads the box to force your QB to throw, how's your passing game look? From what I read, some of our larger receivers (Charles, Johnson, et al.) are having good practices; how is your secondary shaping up? Safe travels for those of you making the trip, and hope you enjoy the game.

Excellent summary, Cykron. I've mentioned this site to the folks at BlackShoeDiaries.com; I expect some will make their way here over the summer -- I encourage you to check that place out. Be prepared for wild tangents, such as debates of bacon vs. scrapple, Sheetz vs. WaWa's, etc. but hopefully the football discussions are of value.

Assuming decent health, O-line should be a position of strength relative to the years when Hackenberg was being constantly buried by opposing teams. Injuries last year pushed some younger players onto the field, giving them experience and confidence during the winning streak. Another Land of 10 article: https://www.landof10.com/penn-state/penn-state-2017-early-depth-chart (I don't usually read them all that much, sticking with BlackShoeDiaries.com, but Land of 10 usually has good analyses and is a good alternative while waiting for BSD to publish its reviews.) BlackShoes does a 100-day countdown, with each day featuring a current player if he is wearing that particular day's number. Mike was featured for Day 73: https://www.blackshoediaries.com/2017/6/21/15819544/penn-state-mike-miranda-offensive-lineman-nittany-lions-football-stow-ohio-limegrover-hogs For as much praise as Moorhead gets for his offensive schemes, Limegrover deserves great respect for his work on the o-line. Last year he had to move guys around to plug in for injuries, and those guys did a fantastic job for McSorely and the running backs. Hoping Moorhead has even more offense to reveal, with the line showing still more improvement.

Here is a Land of 10 article that introduces most of the potential receivers: https://www.landof10.com/penn-state/candidates-replace-wide-receiver-chris-godwin-penn-state-2017 It even mentions some of the lesser lights such as Brandon Polk and KJ Hamler (who might see the field as a true freshman returning kicks). There is a great deal of potential here but it is unclear if any of these guys will be a direct replacement for Godwin. We had a similar situation when Allen Robinson (now of the Jags) left, and had us wondering if he could be replaced -- Godwin became the man. I honestly can't give you an informed opinion as to whether any of these guys will fill Godwin's shoes. Johnson was praised by Franklin during spring practices, but seemed to have a meh Blue-White (spring) game. Might not mean much, given the venue, but offering FWIW. Gesicki is not a "true" TE in terms of size (weight) and blocking ability, but he has good hands and a knack for getting open. Not huge top-end speed, but has a long stride that'll eat up some yardage. The true key, imho, is Moorhead's scheming. He seems to find ways to get the most out of the players by exploiting an opponent's defense. Even though I've heard them claim they do not do this, it seems half-time adjustments are HUGE: The guys seem to go through the motions in the first half, then come out with a whole new game plan and mind set in the second. Again, more gray hairs for some of us . . . 84

Hopefully not many of you have as many gray hairs as I do, and thus I understand how counting noses since, say, 2000 can influence one's viewpoint. My CFB viewing history is a bit longer -- heck, I remember when Jack Ham PLAYED -- in college! (I was 10 years old in 1968; laid up in the hospital after a car accident in late Sep. Not many games were on TV back then, but the coverage of Penn State's 11-0 season featured Jack Ham and another LB named Denny Onkontz.) Whether Penn State has/deserves the "Linebacker U" title today is almost irrelevant; the fact remains that it appears to be one of the weaker segments of the team this year. Hopefully the other parts of the defense can bolster the overall play, or the offense is dominant enough to win some of the close shoot-outs we lost last year, or the LBs have significantly improved over the summer. (Obviously I want to be greedy and say, "All of the above.") How does Akron's offense stack up against this LB corps?