2005 PREVIEW: Penn State Nittany Lions
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Pete Fiutak / CollegeFootballNews.com
Posted: 4 hours ago
The Rolling Stones might be old and way past their prime, but you'd still like to hear them rip off Satisfaction one more time. After forty licks, Joe Paterno will likely finish out one of the most successful eras any coach has ever had with one final run. After years of mediocrity, there's a sense that he has the band back together for one last encore. It would be nice to see a little of the old magic.
Penn State Nittany Lions
Head coach: Joe Paterno
40th year: 343-116-3
Returning O Lettermen: 14
Returning D Lettermen: 19
Returning ST Lettermen: 1
Lettermen Lost: 16
Ten Best Nittany Lions
1. LB Paul Posluszny, Jr.
2. CB Alan Zemaitis, Sr.
3. CB Anwar Phillips, Sr.
4. LB Dan Connor, Soph.
5. OT Levi Brown, Jr.
6. DE Tamba Hali, Sr.
7. WR Derrick Williams, Fr.
8. DT Jay Alford, Jr.
9. RB Tony Hunt, Jr.
10. QB/WR M. Robinson, Sr.
2005 Schedule
9/3 South Florida
9/10 Cincinnati
9/17 Central Michigan
9/24 at Northwestern
10/1 Minnesota
10/8 Ohio State
10/15 at Michigan
10/22 at Illinois
10/29 Purdue
11/5 Wisconsin
11/19 at Michigan State
Through all the criticism and calls for a coaching change, Paterno has hung around just long enough to see what should be his best team since his 1999 killer highlighted by one of his best defenses ever. There might not be a Millen an Arrington or a Conlan, but there are more than enough very, very good players returning from the nation's tenth best defense to carry the team to a big season. Unfortunately, there isn't a Blackledge, Collins or Warner on offense.
In last year's 4-7 disappointment, the defense didn't give up more than 21 points in any game while the offense couldn't do anything suffering from a horrible season from the line, lousy receivers and an underachieving running back corps. Penn State lost five games by fewer than ten points and likely could've beaten Boston College and Ohio State if the offense had provided even the slightest amount of help. To turn things around and get back among the elite, the old legend will have take a dip into the fountain of youth.
Ironically, Paterno, who has always been staunchly against playing young players when there's a perfectly acceptable veteran who has waited his turn, will need two flashy true freshmen, receivers Derrick Williams and Justin King (who will also play corner), to give it one last go for glory. If this is the end of the road, college football's greatest coach deserves to go out with, at least, a winning season. He has the team to do even more.
The Schedule: Northwestern is always pesky, but there's no reason Penn State can't be 4-0 going into the make-or-break two-game home stand against loaded Minnesota and Ohio State teams. With a road game at Michigan to follow, there can't be any slips in the first half of the season to have any prayer of a Big Ten title. There's no Iowa on the slate, but there's no Indiana either. In the end, this is a great schedule getting the biggest games at home (outside of the Michigan showdown).
Best Offensive Player: Freshman WR Derrick Williams. OT Levi Brown will end up making a lot of money in the NFL and is actually the best offensive player going into the season. RB Tony Hunt will have to carry the running game and is underrated in the horrible offense. However, Williams is the one, true lights out playmaker who can turn things around just by using his 4.3 speed to stretch the defense. Many are expecting him to be this year's freshman sensation.
Best Defensive Player: Junior LB Paul Posluszny. You can take your pick of any one of a number of Nittany Lion defenders and you might have the best one, but Posluszny will once again be the leading tackler and the one to restore the good name of Linebacker U.
Key player to a successful season: Senior QB Michael Robinson. With a veteran, but mediocre, offensive line, the speedy Robinson's mobility will come in handy. Now he has to show he can hit the broad side of a barn when he has to throw. The good: he's the team's most dangerous runner. The bad: he turn out to be the team's leading rusher.
The season will be a success if ... Penn State wins eight games and briefly flirts with a Big Ten title run. Anything less than a bowl season will be an utter failure considering how good the defense is.
Key game: October 1 vs. Minnesota. The Gophers have owned Penn State winning the last four meetings since 1999. With Ohio State and at Michigan ahead, the Nittany Lions can't let Glen Mason's bunch leave Happy Valley with another win.
2004 Fun Stats:
- Third quarter scoring: Penn State 71 - Opponents 23
- Rushing yards per game: Penn State 129.9 - Opponents 129.3
- Points scored against Akron, UCF and Michigan State: 122 (40.67 points per game). Points scored in the other eight games: 73 (9.125 points per game)
Offense Breakdown and Analysis | Defense Breakdown and Analysis
- Depth Chart
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2005 Recruiting Class
Star of the Class
Derrick Williams DB/WR 6-0 189 Greenbelt (Eleanor Roosevelt) Md.
Instant Impact Players
Jerome Hayes LB 6-2 225 Bayonne (Bayonne) N.J.
Justin King DB 6-0 180 Pittsburgh (Gateway) Pa.
Rest of the Class
Chris Baker DL 6-3 290 Windsor (Windsor) Conn.
Daryll Clark QB 6-3 200 Youngstown (Ursuline) Ohio
Francis Claude TE 6-5 245 Lennoxville, Que (Champlain Regional College) Can
Brennan Coakley TE 6-5 235 Sandy Hook (Newtown) Conn.
Kevin Cousins WR 6-3 185 Richmond (Huguenot) Va.
Devin Fentress DB 5-10 165 Chesapeake (Western Branch) Va.
Willie Harriott DB 5-10 180 Hamden (Hyde) Conn.
Kevin Kelly PK 5-9 175 Langhorne (Neshaminy) Pa.
Dennis Landolt OL 6-5 268 Delran (Holy Cross) N.J.
Sean Lee DB 6-3 215 Pittsburgh (Upper St. Clair) Pa.
Matt Lowry OL 6-6 305 Springfield (Cardinal O'Hara) Pa.
James McDonald WR 6-2 176 Washington (Dunbar) Wash. D.C.
Lydell Sargeant RB 5-10 175 Lompoc (Cabrillo) Calif.
Anthony Scirrotto DB 6-1 185 Westville (West Deptford) N.J.
Mickey Shuler Jr TE 6-4 215 Enola (East Pennsboro) Pa.
Knowledge Timmons WR 5-10 175 York (William Penn) Pa.
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