Penn State Commit High School Stat Review

Here are this weeks stats

From the weekend of 30 October 2009

Paul Jones (QB Sto-Rox) Sto-Rox improved to 7-2 on the year with a win against Northgate 51-12. Jones was 6-11 passing for 81 yards and 2 touchdowns. On the season Jones is 97-178 for 1390 yards and 13 touchdowns to 4 interceptions, since his return from injury.

Robert Bolden (QB St Mary Prep) St Mary’s is 5-4 on the season after stomping Detroit Central 31-0. No stats for Bolden found.

DaQuan Jones (OL/DL Johnson City) Johnson City improved to 8-1 on the year defeating Norwich 20-7.

Kyle Baublitz (MLB/TE Central York) Central York dropped to 6-3 on the year after losing to Red Lion 29-28. Baublitz had 9 tackles from his middle linebacker position. He also returned an interception 22 yards for a touchdown. On the season he has 10 receptions for 98 yards and 2 touchdowns on offense. On defense he has 93 tackles 3 passes defended, 1 int (for a touchdown), a blocked punt and a forced fumble.

Tom Ricketts – (OL/DL North Allegheny) North Allegheny beat North Hills 28-3 to improve to 8-1. Ricketts showed up on the stat sheet with 3 tackles on defense.

Miles Dieffenbach – (Center Fox Chapel) Fox Chapel fell to 3-5 after losing to Central Catholic 42-14.

Luke Graham (OL Penn-Trafford) Penn Trafford improved to 3-6 on the year after beating Norwin 38-17.

Silas Redd (RB King Low Heywood) King Low Heyward beat Rye County Day 36-14 improving their record to 6-0. Redd ran for 150 yards on 17 carries and 3 touchdowns and recorded 3 tackles on defense. On the season Redd has 1485 yards on 96 carries for 19 touchdowns and 38 tackles on defense. 

Adrian Coxson  (QB Baltimore City College) City College improved to 7-2 after beating Edmonson-Westside 26-6. Coxson continued to show he is back from injury. He ran for 246 yds on 14 carries and 3 touchdowns. He returned 3 punts for 123 yds. In addition he completed a 28-yard pass and had an interception.

Mike Hull (LB/FB Canon Mac) Canon Mac dropped to 3-6 on the season losing 41-21 to Peters Township. Hull was on the sidelines on crutches due to a leg contusion sustained earlier in the week.

Dominique Easley – (DE Curtis HS) Curtis beat Port Richmond 32-19. No stats for Easley, they are tough to come by.

C.J. Olaniyan (DE Warren Mott) Warren Mott improved to 8-2 on the season beating Troy 35-21 for the schools first ever playoff victory. Olaniyan had 11 tackles and 1.5 sacks on defense and caught an 89-yard touchdown pass on offense. Bringing his season totals to 67 tackles, 12 sacks, and a blocked punt.

Zach Zwinak – (FB/RB Linganore) Linganore rolled to 9-0 defeating 24-14. Zwinak rushed 13 times for 198 yards but coughed up 3 fumbles (one caused by Cal commit Nick Forbes). On the season Zwinak has 1097 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns.

Dakota Royer – (DE/WR Manheim Central) Manheim Central jumped to 9-0 after cruising by Lebanon 47-0. Royer had 7 tackles and 2 sacks on defense. On offense he had 2 receptions for 26 yards.

Kevin Haplea – (TE North Hunterdon) North Hunterdon dropped to 2-5 after falling to Hunterdon Central 13-7. No hard stats for Haplea in this game.

Alex Kenney – (RB/DB State College) State College dropped to 7-2 losing to powerhouse Bishop McDevitt 28-17. On the game Kenney had 10 rushes for 58 yards. On defense he picked off a pass and returned it for a touchdown. On the season Kenney has 92 rushes for 754 yards and 15 touchdowns. He’s also caught 13 passes for 187 yards and 2 scores. On defense he has 21 tackles and 8 interceptions.

Levi Norwood – (WR Midway) Midway improve to 8-1 with a win over Waco 20-17. Norwood returned to action after missing several weeks with an ankle injury. Levi had 6 receptions for 89 yards on the game. The Waco Tribune has him at 29 receptions for 426 yards and three touchdowns on the year. He has also returned 10 punts for 169 yards and a score.

Khairi Fortt – (LB Stamford) Stamford dropped to 2-4 on Friday with a loss to Bridgeport Central 37-0. No stats for Fortt.

Evan Hailes – (DT Oscar Smith) Smith improved to 9-0 after dropping West Branch 42-6.

2011 Prospects

Terrel Chestnut – (QB/DB Pottsgrove) Pottsgrove improved to 9-0 beating Upper Perkiomen. Chestnut was 2-4 for 30 yards passing and ran 10 times for 122 yards and 2 touchdowns. He also recorded 5 tackles on defense.

Maika Polamalu – (RB/DB Pottsgrove) Polamalu ran 9 times for 28 yards and 1 touchdown. He also recorded 5 tackles and 1 sack on defense.

Ben Koyack – (TE/LB Oil City) Koyack did not play this week and will be out for the rest of the year due to a knee injury that occurred in practice. Per Bucknuts.com the injury will require surgery but appears to be cartilage rather than the MCL/ACL. To this point in the season Koyack had caught 43 passes for 748 yards and 7 touchdowns.

There are still some gaps in the information. If you happen to have a good source on a particular player, feel free to leave a comment on the blog so I can add those stats to the rest.

A Hack's Crack at the Top 25

I did my first Top 25 a couple of weeks ago. Lets just say that to certain teams (those I rated highly) I am a genius and should be working for ESPN. Then there were the ones that I didn't rate so highly or didn't rank at all, to them I'm a moron who should be banned from the Internet. I guess I enjoyed the abuse, so here is try number two.

1. Alabama

2. Florida

3. Texas

4. Iowa

5. Cincinnati

6. TCU

7. Boise St.

8. USC

9. LSU

10. Oregon

11. Penn State

12. Georgia Tech

13. Pittsburgh

14. Oklahoma State

15. Miami

16.Ohio State

17.Houston

18. West Virginia

19. Arizona

20. Utah

21. South Carolina

22. Wisconsin

23. Mississippi

24. CMU

25. BYU

Well if you have not closed your browser by now in disgust, let me explain a few of the rankings or lack there of. Oklahoma is not listed, the reason, they lost 3 times and once was to BYU who only made my Top 25 because VT lost tonight. USC, they are probably better than a few teams listed ahead of them. That said, I think all the teams ahead of them could beat Washington. Supposedly every game in college football is a playoff, its time for voters to vote that way. At this point in the season undefeated teams should be voted higher. Boise State has the weakest schedule of all the non-BCS teams who are undefeated, therefore I put them seventh. The top three teams are about even, I would not complain if any of the three were ranked #1. I went with Alabama because they have played the best teams to date. None of the three have a very good OOC schedule (This coming from a PSU fan, talk about the pot calling the kettle black). I think this hurts Texas the most because the Big 12 is down this year. CMU, thats right, I think they are a pretty darn good team. All in all I don't think there is anything to crazy to my rankings. I'm sure you'll let me now what you think.

Penn State Commit High School Stat Review 2.1

Here are this weeks stats. I’m going to start throwing in some 2011 recruit stats on the end.

From the weekend of 23 October 2009

Paul Jones (QB Sto-Rox) Sto-Rox slipped to 6-2 on the year with a loss to Keystone Oaks 20-27. Jones was 16-27 passing for 143 yards. On the season Jones is 91-167 for 1309 yards and 11 touchdowns to 4 interceptions, since his return from injury.

Robert Bolden (QB St Mary Prep) St Mary’s is 4-4 on the season losing to Catholic Central 0-7. Bolden was 6-16 for 30 yds passing and had 11 carries for 26 yds.

DaQuan Jones (OL/DL Johnson City) Johnson City dropped to 7-1 on the year by losing to Maine Endwell 0-6.

Kyle Baublitz (MLB/TE Central York) Central York improved to 6-2 on the year after dropping South Western 13-12. Baublitz had 15 tackles from his middle linebacker position. He also blocked a punt on special teams. On the season he has 10 receptions for 98 yards and 2 touchdowns on offense. On defense he has 84 tackles 3 passes defended, a blocked punt and a forced fumble.

Tom Ricketts – (OL/DL North Allegheny) North Allegheny beat Butler 44-0 to improve to 7-1. 

Miles Dieffenbach – (Center Fox Chapel) Fox Chapel fell to 3-4 after losing to Penn Hills 7-48.

Luke Graham (OL Penn-Trafford) Penn Trafford fell to 2-6 on the year after losing to McDowell 31-56.

Silas Redd (RB King Low Heywood) King Low Heyward beat down Hackley 40-6 improving their record to 5-0. Redd ran for 303 yards on 9 carries for 3 touchdowns and recorded 3 tackles on defense. On the season Redd has 1335 yards on 79 carries for 16 touchdowns and 35 tackles on defense. 

Adrian Coxson  (QB Baltimore City College) City College improved to 6-2 after smacking Lewis 46-12. Coxson is finally healthy and it showed on the field. He ran for 211 yds on 5 carries and a touchdown. He returned 3 punts for 148 yds including a 75 yd touchdown. To top things off he had a 16 yard passing TD and kicked 3 PAT’s.

Mike Hull (LB/FB Canon Mac) Canon Mac dropped to 3-5 on the season losing 24-38 to Bethel Park. Hull is still battling the flu and ran 9 times for 13 yds and a touchdown.

Dominique Easley – (DE Curtis HS) Easley found his way back from the turf toe injury this week, but only played the first half. Curtis dropped Bayside 48-6. No stats for the game.

C.J. Olaniyan (DE Warren Mott) Warren Mott dropped to 7-2 on the season losing to Stevenson 21-49. Olaniyan had 1 tackle in the contest. Bringing his season totals to 56 tackles, 10.5 sacks, and a blocked punt.

Zach Zwinak – (FB/RB Linganore) Linganore rolled to 8-0 blowing out Tuscarora 40-7. Zwinak rushed 7 times for 99 yards and 3 touchdowns. On the season Zwinak has 899 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns.

Dakota Royer – (DE/WR Manheim Central) Manheim Central jumped to 8-0 after cruising by Elizabethtown 27-0. Royer had 7 tackles and 2 sacks on defense. On offense he had 2 receptions for 27 yards.

Kevin Haplea – (TE North Hunterdon) North Hunterdon dropped to 2-4 after falling to Warren Hills Regional 20-25. Haplea caught 5 passes for 58 yards and a touchdown. On another note, Kevin recorded 2 sacks and a forced fumble last week to become the schools all time leader in sacks.

Alex Kenney – (RB/DB State College) State College improved to 7-1 defeating Altoona 36-7. On the game Kenney had 9 rushes for 70 yards and a 2 touchdowns and 1 reception for 5 yards. On defense he picked of 3 passes and returned one for a touchdown. On the season Kenney has 82 rushes for 696 yards and 15 touchdowns. He’s also caught 13 passes for 187 yards and 2 scores. On defense he has 21 tackles and 5 interceptions.

Levi Norwood – (WR Midway) Midway improve to 7-1 with a win Ennis 14-0. I couldn't find stats for Norwood for the last three games most likely due to the ankle injury. The Waco Tribune still has him at 23 receptions for 337 yards and three touchdowns on the year. He has also returned 10 punts for 169 yards and a score.

Khairi Fortt – (LB Stamford) Stamford improved to 2-4 on Friday with a win over Trumball 15-14. Fortt is back in action and recorded 9 tackles.

Evan Hailes – (DT Oscar Smith) Smith improved to 8-0 after dropping West Branch 38-12.

2011 Prospects

Terrel Chestnut – (QB/DB Pottsgrove) Pottsgrove improved to 8-0 beating Methacton 41-6. Chestnut was 0-1 with an interception and ran 3 times for 8 yards. The game was played in horrible weather.

Maika Polamalu – (RB/DB Pottsgrove) Polamalu ran 11 times for 279 yards and 4 touchdowns. The touchdown runs were for 60, 71, 76, and 58 yards.

Ben Koyack – (TE/LB Oil City) Koyack did not play this week and will be out for the rest of the year due to a knee injury that occurred in practice. Per Bucknuts.com the injury will require surgery but appears to be cartilage rather than the MCL/ACL. To this point in the season Koyack had caught 43 passes for 748 yards and 7 touchdowns.

There are still some gaps in the information. If you happen to have a good source on a particular player, feel free to leave a comment on the blog so I can add those stats to the rest.

Week 9 Big 10 Power Rankings

1. Iowa – Iowa is growing accustom to weekly drama, oh, and weekly winning. Michigan State took Iowa to the wire and it took another amazing comeback by Stanzi to pull out the win. No turnovers and no big mistakes is a recipe for success and the Hawkeyes just keep winning. Iowa host an Indiana team next weekend that melted down in the second half against Northwestern. This is a good thing for an Iowa team with a banged up stud running back.

2. Penn State – I was concerned last week when PSU headed to the Big house. As a Penn State fan I have bad memories of that place. All those were washed away on Saturday as the Lions rolled over Michigan in convincing fashion 35-10. The conferences top rated defense held the top rated offense to 10 points. The Michigan offense imploded with turnovers and the secondary looked lost trying to corral the young stable of Lion wide receivers. This week he Lions head to Northwestern. If PSU plays their game, they should go into the OSU game at 8-1.

3. OSU – OSU rebounded nicely with a 38-7 drubbing of Minnesota. There is no questioning the OSU defense but the offense is still a question mark. When a team shuts down the OSU run and makes them one dimensional, can they put points on the board. They shouldn’t have to worry about that this weekend as New Mexico State comes to town. Thanks for giving PSU new ideas for cupcakes to schedule.

4. Wisconsin – Wisconsin was idle last week, giving them two weeks to prepare for a pretty good Purdue team and lick their wounds from brutal back-to-back games. I think this is a good team and barring a meltdown they should win out the rest of the year.

5. Michigan State – MSU had Iowa beat before they went into the old prevent defense and let Iowa march down the field and win as time expired. As a PSU fan let me tell you I know the feeling. This is a solid team that is getting better every week. They head to Minnesota to take on the struggling Gophers. The rest of the schedule looks pretty good for MSU prior to hosting PSU for the season finale.

6. Purdue - Purdue did its part to help rid the Big 10 of Ron Zook beating Illinois 24-14. Purdue had a rough start but they seem to be pulling it together. Things don’t get any easier as their next three opponents are Wisconsin, Michigan, and MSU.

7. Michigan – I guess you could say that the Wolverines were exposed on Saturday. PSU dismantled them in just about every aspect of the game. It was most evident on the offensive and defensive lines. Michigan just didn’t look ready for what was heading their way. This brings up the question, how bad is Notre Dame? Nothing will stop the bleeding better than heading up to Illinois to rack up some stats.

8. Minnesota – Minnesota looked outclassed for the second straight week. PSU and OSU dominated Minnesota on both sides of the ball. Things don’t get any easier as the gophers take on Michigan State Saturday.

9. Northwestern - Northwestern came back from a first half blowout to beat Indiana with a field goal with 20 seconds to go. Northwestern will look to upset PSU this weekend at home.

10. Indiana - Indiana has been like a tale of two cities all season. They play great one game, horrible the next. Last week they played great for one half and fell apart in the next. The Hoosiers lost to Northwestern 29-28. They try to spoil the season for Iowa next weekend.

11. Illinois – I can’t even do it this week, its just too easy!!!

 

PSU Michigan Preview

Previewing the upcoming game is probably my least favorite post of the week. This week it is even worse because I truthfully have no idea how this game is going to go. We've seen the stats, both teams played Iowa, the long history of PSU blowing it at the Big House, and don't forget the bias in the Big 10 refs. Anyway here goes nothing.

Keys to the game Penn State 

1. Stop the run, make the freshman beat you

2. Win the turnover battle

3. Find an OT that can stop or at least slow down Brandon Graham

4. Put up 7 in the red zone

5. Establish Clark as a run threat

Keys to the game Michigan

1. Get pressure on Clark

2. Limit turnovers

3. Solid play in the secondary

4. Keep the Penn State offense on the sideline

5. Get pressure on Clark (yes it is that important)

Who needs to step up for Penn State?

Offense: The run game (Oline and RB's) if PSU can establish the run early it will open up the entire field.

Defense: Jack Crawford - Crawford needs to have a good game, Forcier loves to roll out and improvise and Jack needs to play assignment football while staying aggressive.

Who needs to step up for Michigan?

Offense: Oline - If Michigan wants to win this game they will need to run the ball well. If they get one dimensional Penn State will pick them apart.

Defense: Brandon Graham - Every team that has beaten Clark has done it by pressuring him and forcing him to make bad decisions. When Clark gets in a rhythm there are not many quarterbacks in the country that are better.

Summary: I'm not going to get into the stats, truthfully in this game they are meaningless. The way I see it this a game of strength against strength, weakness against weakness. The PSU defense and Michigan offense head to head should be something to see. I however don't think the game will be decided there. Michigan will get its points, PSU's defense is pretty stout. I'm more interested in the PSU offense vs the Michigan defense. 

I tend to think that the PSU offense can exploit the holes in the Michigan defense.The Penn State running game has gotten traction the last few weeks. Quarless and Shuler should have a field day in the middle of the field. There is one major concern here, protecting Clark. The Lions offensive line has steadily improved over the past few weeks but this will be the best defense they have seen since Iowa. If Clark has a clean jersey at the end of the day Michigan will be in trouble.

What is not going to matter: The refs, I'm tired of hearing about how the refs have cost Penn State wins against Michigan. While I will admit there have been some questionable calls over the years, that is part of the game. Did the refs kick the ball to the best return man in the league? Did the refs play soft zone and allow Michigan to march down he field on numerous occasions. The answer is no, Penn State lost those games.

Prediction:

I've seen predictions all across the spectrum for this game and the spread will end up somewhere between 3-5 points by game time. I don't think anyone has a handle on how this one will end up, or how good Penn State is for that matter. I'm going to take a shot in the dark and say PSU 27- Michigan 20.

Week 8 Big 10 Power Rankings

1. Iowa – Iowa is a team that is growing on me week by week. There is not much to say other than they win. It would be in their best interest to stop spotting teams 10 or so points in the 1^st half. Stanzi is not flashy and is not going to light up the stat sheets but he continues to manage the game and get it done. The defense is excellent. Their ability to pressure while only rushing four allows them to smother receivers and create turnovers. I think too many people look at recruiting stars and decide for themselves that Iowa is not talented. I’ll go with the play on the field. Iowa deserves more respect than they are being given. Despite previous disasters at MSU, I think Iowa is going to roll this Saturday. 

2. Penn State – I’m moving Penn State up this week, not because I’m a homer, but more because others have moved themselves down. Penn state cruised past Minnesota this week 20-0. The defense played lights out and the offense moved the ball at will. Minnesota seems to be a one trick pony and AJ Wallace took that trick away as Decker only had one catch in the game. PSU left a lot of points on the field and needs to capitalize on opportunities against better competition. Penn State heads to the Big House, which is never kind to Lions. Penn State should win, but I’m never confident when PSU plays Michigan.

3. OSU – Last week I stated that the OSU offense would lose them one or two more games. I was hammered by OSU fans claiming that I had no credibility due to that statement. Well, I agree on one point, I have no credibility period. I’m just a fan stating my opinion, but it has nothing to do with last week’s prediction. I just never thought it would happen against Purdue. I’m not really into the whole I told you so thing and I think they are smarting enough from the loss, so I’ll leave it at that. This week they hosts the Minnesota Golden Gophers. The Ohio State University defense should shut down Minnesota and roll to a win. After last week who knows.

4. Wisconsin – Wisconsin lost to Iowa last week at home. The Badgers played well enough to win in the first half but fell apart in the second. Wisconsin made too many mistakes to overcome against a good team. I think they are a solid football team, especially on defense. The offense has a ways to go and needs to cut down on turnovers, but that can be said for every team in the Big 10. The Badgers are off this week.

5. Michigan State – MSU beat Northwestern 24-14 on Saturday. MSU is a team that had a rough go of it out of conference, but they are hanging around in the Big 10 and could jump right in the mix of things if they knock off Iowa this week.

6. Michigan – Michigan whooped up on Delaware State last week allowing them to rest allot of starters and get everyone healthy for Penn State this weekend. Michigan’s offense is going to score some points, but they’ll need to get some pressure on Clark to win this game. Penn State will try to shut down the run and put this game on the shoulders of a freshman QB. A win would go a long way for Michigan right now and it’s not out of the question.

7. Minnesota – Minnesota pretty much got dominated by PSU. The Gopher offense didn’t manage to generate anything that resembled a drive until the 4^th Quarter and even then were stopped on 4^th down at the goaline. I was actually impressed with the Gopher defense. They have some nice linebackers this year. Minnesota heads to the Shoe to take on a reeling OSU team that fell to Purdue last week. If Minny comes out and punches OSU in the mouth early anything can happen.

8. Purdue - Purdue laid the blueprint for all Big 10 teams to follow against the OSU offense. Stack the box and make Pryor beat you with his arm. Force the young wide receiver, I mean quarterback, to make decisions. Look for Purdue to keep rolling this week as they host hapless Illinois on Saturday.

9. Northwestern - Northwestern lost to MSU Saturday. They do battle with Indiana this weekend. I wonder which Indiana team is going to show up this week.

10. Indiana - Indiana beat Illinois last week to keep them in the basement of the Big 10 for another week and make them the laughing stock of the conference. This week Indiana has the chance to move up by beating Northwestern.

11. Illinois – Illinois remains winless in the Big 10 after losing to Indiana. Things are getting heated for Zook and this team has all but fallen apart. There is no doubt that there is talent on the roster but it sure is not translating onto the field. To put it bluntly they are pathetic!

 

Penn State Commit High School Stat Review 2.0

This seemed to be a hit last week so I'll try it again.

From the weekend of 16/17 October 2009

Paul Jones (QB Sto-Rox) Sto-Rox is 6-1 on the year and beat South Park last week 28-8. Jones was 8-13 passing for 169 yards and 2 touchdowns with 0 interceptions. On the season Jones is 75-140 for 1166 yards and 11 touchdowns to 4 interceptions, since his return from injury.

Robert Bolden (QB St Mary Prep) St Mary’s is 4-3 on the season and beat Davidson 31-7. Bolden had rushing touchdowns of 16 and 10 yards and was 5-8 passing for 89 yards.

DeQuan Jones (OL/DL Johnson City) Johnson City improved to 7-0 on the year by dropping previously unbeaten Corning-Painted Post East. I talked to an old buddy who has a kid on the Corning team. He described Jones in one word "Beast". 

Kyle Baublitz (MLB/TE Central York) Central York is 5-2 on the year after crushing Dover 49-6. Baublitz had 1 reception for 5 yards and a touchdown in the game(only 5 passes were attempted). He also recorded 8 tackles from his middle linebacker position. On the season he has 10 receptions for 98 yards and 2 touchdown on offense. On defense he has 69 tackles 3 passes defended and a forced fumble.

Tom Ricketts – (OL/DL North Allegheny) North Allegheny beat Pine Richland 40-7 to improve to 6-1. 

Miles Dieffenbach – (Center Fox Chapel) Fox Chapel fell to 3-3 after losing to Woodland Hills 7-38.

Luke Graham (OL Penn-Trafford) Penn Trafford fell to 2-5 on the year after losing to Greater Latrobe 3-12.

Silas Redd (RB King Low Heywood) King Low Heyward beat down Kingswood Oxford 40-12 improving their record to 4-0. Redd ran for 209 yards on 8 carries for 2 touchdowns and recorded 11 tackles on defense. On the season Redd has 1032 yards on 72 carries for 13 touchdowns and 32 tackles on defense. 

Adrian Coxson  (QB Baltimore City College) City College improved to 5-2 after beating Merganthaler Vo-Tech 34-0. Coxson is still seeing limited action after the injury and connected on 2 of 4 passes for 60 yards and a touchdown. He had 2 rushes for 6 yards and a touchdown.

Mike Hull (LB/FB Canon Mac) Canon Mac dropped to 3-4 on the season losing 20-41 to Mt. Lebanon. The Mac's played without twenty players due to illness including Mike Hull.

Dominique Easley – (DE Curtis HS) Easley did not play for the second straight week due to a bruised foot sustained in the 28-0 victory over New Dorp. Curtis dropped this game to Wagner 26-30.

C.J. Olaniyan (DE Warren Mott) Warren Mott improved to 7-1 on the season beating Cousino 15-14. Olaniyan had 10 tackles and a sack in the contest. Bringing his season totals to 55 tackles, 10.5 sacks, and a blocked punt.

Zach Zwinak – (FB/RB Linganore) Linganore improved to 7-0 blowing out Frederick 48-0. No stats on this game yet. Prior to this game Zwinak had 796 rushing yards for 11 touchdowns.

Dakota Royer – (DE/WR Manheim Central) Manheim Central jumped to 7-0 after cruising by Conestoga Valley 36-0. Royer had 2 tackles and a fumble recovery for a touchdown on defense. On offense he had 2 reception for 20 yards and a score.

Kevin Haplea – (TE North Hunterdon)  North Hunterdon improved to 2-3 after knocking off one of the top teams in the state Linden 21-14. No stats for this game but prior to this game Kevin had 4 receptions for 82 yards and a sack on defense. Here is an article that explains Haplea's woes this season LINK

Alex Kenney – (RB/DB State College) State College improved to 6-1 defeating Central Dauphin East 21-3. On the game Kenney had 10 rushes for 28 yards and a touchdown and 1 receptions for 3 yards. On the season Kenney has 73 rushes for 626 yards and 13 touchdowns. He’s also caught 12 passes for 182 yards and 2 scores.

Levi Norwood – (WR Midway) Midway improve to 6-1 with a win over Midloathian 33-7. I couldn't find stats for Norwood for the last two games most likely due to the ankle injury. The Waco tribune still has him at 23 receptions for 337 yards and three touchdowns on the year. He has also returned 10 punts for 169 yards and a score.

Khairi Fortt – (LB Stamford) Stamford improved to 1-4 on Friday with win over Danbury 18-0. There is not much in the stat category for Fortt this year as he has been out most of the season with a knee injury.

There are still some gaps in the information. If you happen to have a good source on a particular player, feel free to leave a comment on the blog so I can add those stats to the rest.

Penn State vs Minnesota Preview

Keys to the Game: Minnesota Preview

Minnesota Offense – Adam Weber’s struggles continued last week despite the win against Purdue. He went 5/9 for 74 yards and 2 interceptions. On the season Weber is 96/168 for 1224 yards with 6 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. Eric Decker accounts for 689 of those yards and 5 of the touchdowns. In other words if you can shut down Decker, you can shut down the Gophers passing attack. I found this interesting in a CFN Blog last week:

A little note for Purdue this week and the rest of the Big Ten. Minnesota QB Adam Weber is tipping his pitches. If I'm seeing this then I'm sure a highly-paid Big Ten defensive coordinator must notice the same thing. When a pass play is supposed to go to the left side, Weber dips his left shoulder when he's under center and has a severe body lean to the left when he's in the shotgun. When the play calls for the pass to go to star WR Eric Decker on the left side, Weber might as well be turned 90-degrees. -- CFN's Cavalcade of Whimsy

 The Gopher running game has been largely ineffective this season. The Gophers come into this contest ranked dead last in the Big10 in rushing. As a team the Gophers have ran the ball 191 times for 687 yards at 3.6 yards per carry. That is just 114 yards per game. The Penn State defense leads the Big 10 in rush defense allowing just 82 yards a game and have only allowed two rushing touchdowns this season. The only thing I caution here is that Minnesota has played a better out of conference schedule than Penn State so the stats may be deceiving. That aside, I still believe that if Minnesota is going to beat Penn State they are going to have to do it through the air.

 

Penn State Offense – After a slow start this season, the Lion offense has got it going the last two weeks against Illinois and Eastern Illinois. The offensive line has had 6 games to get it together and this weekend will be a good judge as to how the rest of the season will go. The running backs have taken full advantage of the good work the Oline has put in the last two weeks. Royster and Green have been ripping off huge chunks of yardage at a time. Green has shown his big play ability and should see added playing time. He really seems to be putting it all together this year and has held on to the ball. Clark has rebounded nicely from a dismal game against Iowa. He needs to continue to play within himself and give his play makers a chance to move the ball. I would expect to see some designed runs again this week. Purdue’s Joey Elliott rushed for 50 against the Gophers despite being sacked twice. I expect to see a balance approach on offense, and the Lions should give the Gopher defense all they can handle.

 

Minnesota Defense – The Gopher defense has given up lots of yards this year and is giving up nearly 24 points a game. They are strong up the middle with a nice group of line backers and defensive tackles. The defensive ends have had trouble getting pressure on the opposing teams quarterback. The secondary is strong at the cornerback position but weak at safety. This causes the cornerbacks to give a cushion to the receiver, giving the underneath routes up to the opposing team. This unit needs to play opportunistic football against a Penn State team that has been known to turn the ball over.

Penn State Defense – The Lion defense has played well all year, even in the loss to Iowa they only gave up one touchdown. I expect to see Sean Lee back on the field at 100% this week which should only make this good front seven that much better. Lee and Bowman roaming the outsides of the Penn State defense is something that opposing offenses don’t want to see. Last week Minnesota was down to its third string center. Starter Jeff Tow-Arnette is out for the season with a broken leg. Last week back-up Trey Davis went down with an ankle injury. He was replaced by D.J. Burris. What I’m getting at is that Jared Odrick should have a field day on the interior line of Minnesota. They are going to have to double team him all day to slow him down, this should free up the defensive ends to make big plays. The front seven needs to get pressure on Weber early and often to keep Decker from exposing the big question mark of this defense, the secondary. Decker is a mismatch, but the front seven should even that out.

Special Teams – The advantage here has got to go to Minnesota. Troy Stoudermire is a dangerous kick returner. He leads the Big 10 in kick return yardage and averages 28.3 yards per return. I expect that average to go up after this weekend. The Penn State special teams have been anything but special. It apparent that Anthony Fera will be redshirted so it looks like Wagner will continue to handle the kick-off duties. Ryan Breen had a kickoff for a touch back last week, but I don’t think the ball made it 10 yards off the ground. If the ball hadn’t made it to the end zone the returner would have made it to the 25 before the coverage got anywhere near him. Jeremy Boone is the lone bright spot for the Lions on special teams. He has consistently pinned the opposition back in its territory all year.

 Wild Card Minnesota – Last week against Purdue Gopher running back Kevin Whaley broke onto the scene. He ran the ball 8 times for 79 yards and a touchdown. This guy runs like someone is shooting at himJ Link

Wild Card Penn State – The secondary will get its second test of the season when Adam Weber and Eric Decker come to town. Allot of pressure will be on the front seven to get to the quarterback but in the end its going to come down to this young secondary covering the receivers. If I were Minnesota I would try to get Weber in rhythm with the short passing game. This means that the Penn State secondary needs to tackle and prevent yards after the catch.

Prediction: I really don't think anyone has a handle on how good Penn State will be this year. Allot depends on the offensive line and if they can continue to dominate up front. I think this is going to be a close game through the half and the Lions will pull away in the second half. If Decker goes of in this game all bets are off. I'm going with 35-17 Penn State

Penn State Commit High School Stat Review

This is something that I have been thinking about doing for a while. Every week the bits and pieces of information come out through different channels about the stats of the Penn State commits from the weekend before. I'm going to attempt to put all this together once a week and post it out on the blog. Here is my first attempt.

From the weekend of 9/10 October 2009

Paul Jones (QB Sto-Rox) Sto-Rox is 5-1 on the year and beat Steel Valley last week 26-21. Jones was 16-30 passing for 240 yards and 2 touchdowns with 0 interceptions. On the season Jones is 67-127 for 997 yards and 9 touchdowns to 4 interceptions, since his return from injury.

Robert Bolden (QB St Mary Prep) St Mary’s is 3-3 on the season and beat Brother Rice 34-27 in triple OT. Bolden had rushing touchdowns of 16 and 10 yards and a 10 yard passing touchdown. The latter two coming in the over time periods.

DeQuan Jones (OL/DL Johnson City) Johnson City improved to 6-0 on the year by blowing out Dryden 51-14. Jones anchored the line that paved the way for 461 yards rushing on 60 carries.

Kyle Baublitz (MLB/TE Central York) Central York is 4-2 on the year after beating Dallastown 34-7. Baublitz had 3 receptions for 40 yards and a touchdown in the game. He also recorded 11 tackles from his middle linebacker position. On the season he has 9 receptions for 93 yards and 1 touchdown on offense. On defense he has 61 tackles 3 passes defended and a forced fumble.

Tom Ricketts – (OL/DL North Allegheny) North Allegheny beat Shaler 28-17 to improve to 5-1. Ricketts came back from an MCL sprain and played in this game. He showed up in the stat column with one tackle on defense.

Miles Dieffenbach – (Center Fox Chapel) Fox Chapel fell to 3-2 after losing to Plum 6-23.

Luke Graham (OL Penn-Trafford) Penn Trafford fell to 2-4 on the year after losing to McKeesport 0-44.

Silas Redd (RB King Low Heywood Thomas) Redd’s team was off last weekend after beating Brunswick 27-20 improving the team to 3-0. Redd ran for 202 yards on 28 carries for 2 touchdowns and recorded 5 tackles on defense. On the season Redd has 823 yards on 64 carries for 11 touchdowns and 21 tackles on defense. 

Adrian Coxson  (QB Baltimore City College) City College fell to 4-2 after losing to Patterson 22-28. Coxson saw limited time coming off an injury and threw 1 pass for 34 yards and a touchdown.

Mike Hull (LB/FB Canon Mac) Canon Mac improved to 3-3 on the season as the Macs beat Baldwin 41-26.

Dominique Easley – (DE Curtis HS) Easley did not play in Curtis’s 36-14 victory over Tottenville. He was out with a bruised foot sustained in the 28-0 victory over New Dorp. Easley wanted to play and probably could have but the coach held him out as a precaution.

C.J. Olaniyan (DE Warren Mott) Warren Mott improved to 6-1 on the season beating Grosse Pointe 49-21. Olaniyan had 4 tackles and a sack in the contest. Bringing his season totals to 45 tackles, 9.5 sacks, and a blocked punt.

Zach Zwinak – (FB/RB Linganore) Linganore improved to 6-0 blowing out Friendship Collegiate 48-8. Zwinak carried the ball 5 times for 123 yards for 3 touchdowns. His touchdown runs were for 25, 27, and 51 yards.

Dakota Royer – (DE/WR Manheim Central) Manheim Central jumped to 6-0 after cruising by Ephrata 64-23. Royer had 2 tackles and a fumble recovery for a 45 yard touchdown on defense. On offense he had 1 reception for 44 yards and a score.

Kevin Haplea – (TE North Hunterton)  North Hunterton fell to 1-3 after a loss to Westfield 0-3.

Alex Kenney – (RB/DB State College) State College improved to 5-1 defeating Cedar Cliff 40-28. On the game Kenney had 3 rushes for 15 yards and 2 receptions for 34 yards and a touchdown. On the season Kenney has 63 rushes for 598 yards and 12 touchdowns. He’s also caught 11 passes for 179 yards and 2 scores.

Levi Norwood – (WR Midway) Midway improve to 5-1 with a win over University. I couldn't find stats for Norwood for this game but the Waco tribune has him at 23 receptions for 337 yards and three touchdowns on the year. He has also returned 10 punts for 169 yards and a score.

Khairi Fortt – (LB Stamford) Stamford fell to 0-4 on Friday with a loss to Norwalk. Thereis not much in the stat category for Fortt this year as he has been out most of the season with a knee injury.

There are definitely some gaps in the information. If you happen to have a good source on a particular player, feel free to leave a comment on the blog so I can add those stats to the rest.

 

Silas Redd

Silas Redd – One of two Penn State verbal commitments from the state of Connecticut, gave his pledge to Joe Paterno back in May. One might say that the coaches will be fighting over what side of the ball Redd plays on at the next level. As a running back, he reminds me, in some ways, of Stephfon Green. Green is obviously faster, while Redd is a little more physical than Green was at this stage of the game. Their recruitment's were also similar. Both were looked at as defensive backs, until the coaches saw their highlights at running back, and decided they could play running back at Penn State. They also both played against week competition in High School. Recently Silas ripped off 360 yards and six touchdowns in a single game. Green had a similar senior season.

            Redd hit the camp circuit hard this year. He traveled afar to put himself up against the best competition he could find and has performed well everywhere he has gone. Redd is more quick than he is fast, but explodes through holes using subtle moves to get by defenders. He is a north/south runner who always falls forward for those few extra yards. While relatively small in stature at 5’10” 185lbs, he runs with power and never seems to get hit directly. Redd seems to chop his steps when he breaks away, this can easily be corrected, and increase his speed even more.

            Joe Pa and the staff got themselves another good versatile athlete from the northeast. I have no clue where he will line up when he gets to Happy Valley but I’m confident that he will be successful no matter which side of the ball lines up on.

 

Week 7 Big 10 Power Rankings

1a. Ohio State – The Buckeyes cruised to a win easily against Wisconsin, or so it would seem from looking at the score. In actuality Wisconsin double OSU in total yardage. The defense/special teams outscored the offense 21-10 in this contest. How long can the Buckeye defense keep bailing the offense out? Unless this offense improves I see another loss or two coming for OSU. 

1b. Iowa – Iowa squeaked by Michigan in an all around sloppy game. While the Hawkeyes did not give up much through the air, Michigan was able to run the ball on the Iowa defense. Stanzi continues to struggle early in games and will need to turn that around to make a run at an unbeaten season. There were three stumbling blocks in the way of that goal this season for Iowa. They got past the first one in Penn State. Iowa heads to Wisconsin this week, and Iowa should handle the Badgers, barring a complete meltdown. After the Badgers the only huge hurdle left for the Hawkeyes is the Nov 14 game at OSU.

3. Penn State – Penn State continued to strengthen its strength of schedule last week whooping up on perennial Ohio Valley League super power Eastern Illinois. It was hard to get much from this game as it was a complete mismatch from the start. Penn State should have won in convincing fashion and they did. Minnesota comes to town on Saturday and should give us some clue as to how good the young secondary of Penn State really is.

4. Wisconsin – Wisconsin moved the ball well against Ohio State. As I mentioned above, they doubled OSU in total yardage. The two pick 6’s and a punt return for a touchdown were too much for the Badgers to overcome. Things don’t get any easier as Iowa come to town this Saturday.

5. Michigan State – MSU beat Illinois on the road Saturday to improve their Big 10 record to 2-1. They seem to be getting back on track as the last wheel fell of the Illinois train.

6. Michigan – Michigan dropped another close one Saturday at Iowa. Iowa is a good football team and Michigan hung around and was in it at the end but came up just short. The inexperience at the Quarterback position is catching up with them. I was surprised to see Forcier benched in the 4^th Quarter with the game on the line.

7. Minnesota – Minnesota beat Purdue Saturday despite being outgained 402-281 by capitalizing on the Boilermakers mistakes. Adam Weber was 5-9 for 74 yds and 2 ints. The Gophers are going to have to get the passing attack going this Saturday. If Minnesota is going to beat PSU it best chance is against a young secondary, not the talented front seven of the Penn State defense.

8. Purdue - Purdue continues to show flashes of being a good football team. They are putting points on the board, but continue to make mistakes that take them out of the game. Things don't get any easier for the Boilermakers when Ohio State comes to town this weekend. Is it a good thing to be the best winless team in Big 10 play?

9. Northwestern - Northwestern beat Miami (Oh) in unconvincing fashion on Saturday 16-6. Northwestern meets up with Michigan State for a tough match-up against the Spartans.

10. Indiana  - Somehow Indiana almost beat Michigan, put 14 points on the OSU defense, then managed to get slapped around by a Virginia team that lost to William and Mary. If Illinois wasn’t so pathetic Indiana would be 11th.

11. Illinois – Illinois remains winless in the Big 10 after losing to Michigan State over the weekend. The notion that Juice Williams was the problem was debunked when his back-up failed to deliver any sort of offense whatsoever. The future looks brighter for the Illini as they head to Indiana in a battle for the basement of the Big 10.

My October 12th College Football Top 25

Why a Top 25 poll? Well, I’ve never sat down and tried to do a 1-25 poll before. Maybe it will give me some insight into why some voters make moronic choices. You never know!

 

1.     Florida

2.     Alabama

3.     Texas

4.     Cincinnati

5.     Virginia Tech

6.     LSU

7.     Boise State

8.     USC

9.     Ohio State

10.  Iowa

11.  Miami

12.  TCU

13.  Oregon

14.  Penn State

15.  Oklahoma

16.  Nebraska

17.  Kansas

18.  Oklahoma State

19.  Georgia Tech

20.  BYU

21.  South Florida

22.  Houston

23.  Utah

24.  South Carolina

25.  Oregon State

 

Let me know what you think.

Penn State EIU Recap

There is not a whole lot to say about this game. Penn State should have dominated EIU and they did. From the start of the game until the end and in every facet (except kick-offs). I have a few quick thoughts on the game, then I'll get into the young guys.

The Good - The offense looked comfortable running and throwing. This was the first complete game that this team has played. Everything they ran at EIU worked and the confidence is building. Lots of substitution on the defensive side of the ball. This allowed younger guys to get 1st team reps. The secondary played  a very physical game for the second game in a row. I think this is essential, if we are going to play a soft zone continuously we need to make receivers pay for catching the ball.

The Bad - This has probably been said a thousand times already but Clark was in the game for way to long for no reason. This was a perfect opportunity to get Newsome 1st team reps when the game somewhat mattered and it never happened. We will here in the off season about how the coaches wish that they would have gotten Newsome more reps, just like every year. There is really no excuse for this.

The Ugly - Once Newsome did get into the game he put the ball on the ground twice while carrying the ball around the field like a loaf of bread. This was after he ran up and down the sideline looking for his helmet.

Justin Brown - Brown saw playing time early and often, hauling in passes from both Clark and Newsome. Brown certainly looks the part, you would never know he was a freshman. Brown displayed some nice hands and body control along the sideline in the 4th qtr. 

Sean Stanley - Stanley continues to see increasing playing time. He shows good explosion off the snap and has a non-stop motor. He will need to improve the use of his hands to get off blockers but the fact that LJ Sr. has him out there this early speaks volumes.

Gerald Hodges - Hodges lined up at OLB in this game. I would guess that this occurred due to the depletion of depth, but it may be permanent. He delivered a big hit at the end of the game, that I hope we continue to see for years to come. I would not want to be a back or receiver catching the ball in the flat with him barreling at me.

Kevin Newsome - Newsome is fast, very fast, but his throwing technique leaves allot to be desired. His release is a little slow and his footwork seemed all over the place. Last but not least he fumbled the ball twice and needs to work on securing the football. That all being said, he is a true freshman with very little experience. All of the things I mentioned can be corrected. He has all of the physical tools, the question is, can he put it all together? I think its a little to early to make any kind of decision either way. One thing is for certain, there is going to be a quarterback controversy next year in State college. I can say one thing after being a Penn State fan for as long as I have, whoever starts next year will have a short leash with the PSU faithful. With two blue chip quarterbacks verbally committed, the fans will want a change early if New New doesn't get it together. The grass is always greener on the other side.

A Look at Tom Ricketts

Tom Ricketts is one of the least talked about verbal commitments the lions have in this class. I for one was completely surprised when he committed. Tom's grandfather Charles "Doc" Hartwig was an All-American at Pitt in the 1930's. His father was a standout offensive lineman at Pitt and went on to be a 1st round pick by the Steelers. His mother Sandy Albright Ricketts was a standout swimmer at Pitt. Pitt looked to have this one all rapped up, but Tom had other plans. He committed to the Lions this back in the spring.

The first thing you notice when you look at Ricketts is that he is skinny. At 6' 6" and 270 lbs, he could easily add another 30-40 lbs and keep his explosion and agility. The good thing about a tall skinny lineman in high school is that they need to have the fundamentals down. Tom has that mean streak that you here so often talked about with good lineman. He explodes off the line and doesn't stop hitting until the whistle blows. Tom played guard last season, but moved out to tackle for the 2009 season. Ricketts sustained a MCL sprain in practice and has missed the last two weeks. Tom was back in action tonight as North Allegheny topped Shaler 28-17. He seemed to have no ill effects with the knee as Ricketts took in some action on the defensive side of the ball also. 

Ricketts has some weight to add, and a red shirt year will probably do him good. I like the direction that the staff is going in. They are bringing in the athletes with good fundamentals and building them up with good weight. I expect to see Ricketts make a splash in Happy Valley when he is physically ready.

Friday October 9th Big Ten Power Rankings

1. Ohio State - While the OSU offense hasn't exactly set the world on fire, the defense has been stout. The big question is can anyone in the Big 10 put up points on this defense. This weekend Wisconsin visits the shoe, Wisconsin should come crashing back down to reality.

2. Iowa - One week after putting it to Penn State, Iowa let Arkansas State hang around in game they had no business being in. Which team will show up this week. Michigan isn't going to sneak up on anyone this season, they have proven they can put up some points. I think the Michigan's losing streak extends to two this Saturday.

3. Penn State - After getting beat at home by Iowa, Penn State played a near perfect second half offensively against Illinois. If the offensive line can get it together Penn State could win any game left on the schedule. This Saturday Eastern Illinois comes to Happy Valley for a BCS Blockbuster for the ages. Hopefully no one falls asleep on the second level of Beaver Stadium and falls over the railing. 

4. Wisconsin - Wisconsin has rushed to a 5-0 record, 2-0 in the Big 10. The big question I have about this team is, when a good defense shuts down the run, can they get it done through the air? I guess we will find out this weekend as Wisconsin heads to the Shoe. I think we'll find out if they are contenders or pretenders pretty fast.

5. Michigan State - After a sluggish and overall lousy start to the season, MSU knocked off the new little brother in the state of Michigan (I'm going to get some heat for that one) last weekend. Could this be the game that kick starts the season for MSU. MSU is headed to Illinois for a match-up with the Illini, who have seen the wheels come of their season early.

6. Michigan - Some of the shine wore off the Michigan star last weekend, but they could gain it back by knocking off undefeated Iowa. Michigan has been in a shoot out in 3 out of 5 games so far, I don't expect this one to be much different. This is a much improved Michigan team but they  still may be a year away.

7. Minnesota - The Adam Weber and Eric Decker show is back this year in a stadium near you. The only problem is there are no other weapons emerging to compliment them. The run game has averaged less than a 100 yards a game allowing defenses to pin their ears back and sack Weber 11 times. Purdue comes to town Saturday looking to end a four game skid. This one is a toss up to me, your guess is as good as mine.

8. Northwestern - Northwestern is chugging along this season. This is a team that could win any weekend or go out and lose to Syracuse (which they did). The Wildcats go out of conference this week to play a win less Miami(Ohio) team at home.

9. Indiana - Indiana has beaten the teams on the schedule that they should have. They almost knocked off Michigan in the big house. They head to Virginia to face a Cavaliers team who scored their first win last weekend over North Carolina. Virginia had lost its previous three contests including its opener against William and Mary.

10. Purdue - Purdue is 1-4 heading into the contest with Minnesota. The Boilermaker's have been in every game so far and I don't expect this one to be any different.

11. Illinois - This is a team that has the talent to be good. I don't know if its the players will to win or the coaches that are preparing them, but the Illini gave up on defense in the second half against PSU last week. The Penn State Oline who struggled against Temple and Syracuse were opening holes that I could cold drive a truck through. If the defense plays  that way again this week MSU will beat them like a red headed step child.