The title sort of has two different ways it can be taken.
On one hand it's, Oh boy, Penn State really sucks. On the other, it's Oh boy! The Capitals pounded the snot out of the New Jersey Devils.
Penn State looked absolutely horrendous against Illinois on Saturday. They couldn't run, they couldn't pass and they couldn't tackle -- a total recipe for a disaster. Homecoming is supposed to be a game where you beat the other team handily, the alumni are happy and everyone goes to tailgate and to the bar on a high not. Not trying to block out the pain of suffering that will be this season.
As I mentioned last week, I thought PSU would go 6-6 at best after their showing against Iowa. One of those wins was supposed to be against the Fighting Illini. Whoops.
I know the defense is banged up and that we lost Lou Eliades on the offensive line for the season. But even the guys who are second on the depth chart, should be good enough to beat Illinois. This is Penn State we're talking about. For some reason the recruiting has dropped off and we're not getting the big boys of farmland Pennsylvania to come play ball.
Also, I keep hearing that the running game isn't Evan Royster's fault. So why is it that we keep changing the running back, seemingly on every series? Royster is a fifth-year senior, even though the offensive line can't muster the strength to block, Royster should be smart enough, veteran enough to figure out a way to make it work. Changing him and the receiving corps (which seems to be done on every play) could be playing a part in this. Perhaps a little consistency would do us some good. And throwing Kevin Newsome in the game every once in a while wouldn't hurt either.
Here's hoping the team takes the bye week seriously and gets back on track before Michigan and Denard Robinson show up.
**********
Even with the crappy afternoon, the night turned out OK.
Coming off a 4-2 loss to the Atlanta Thrashers, the Washington Capitals opened their home slate against the Devils. The Caps trailed twice in the game, but broke out for four goals in the second period and dominated the Devils, 7-2.
It was good to see Alex Ovechkin grab a couple goals and I was glad to see John Carlson stepping up in the offensive game. Ovechkin scored just his second goal on a penalty shot, in seven tries in his career. Perhaps he worked on that during the summer. He certainly had a head start, thanks to the Montreal Canadiens.
Also good, the fights in the third period. The Capitals took care of business when the Devils decided they'd rather box than play hockey. Needless to say, the Caps' new enforcer, D.J. King, will suit up the next time we see the Devils in New Jersey. A little payback may be in store for New Jersey, not that the Capitals need any more rivals or targets on their backs.
The team that played Saturday night was the team that the NHL was used to seeing, and hopefully the one that will be showing up to the next 80 games for the Caps. I know they won't win them all, but if they put in the effort like they did against New Jersey, things will be OK in D.C.
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Saturday, October 2, 2010
We're in for a long one...
It's getting to be a familiar scene.
Saturday's game against the Iowa Hawkeyes opened and was nearly a mirror image of the Alabama game, on September 11th. Iowa took the opening kickoff and marched right down the field and scored. And they continued to pour it on, while stifling the Penn State offense, led by freshman quarterback, Rob Bolden.
As they did in Tuscaloosa, Penn State fell, 24-3, to the Hawkeyes in Iowa City.
Penn State had two decent drives, one to end the first half and one to open the second half, yet the Nittany Lions only put three points on the board. The Lions got close at the end of the first half, but bungled the clock management game and let Colin Wagner boot a field goal to close out the half and trailed 17-3 at the break. Penn State got down inside the 5-yard line to open the second half, only be stopped a half yard short on fourth and goal.
I'm all for giving the freshman quarterback some confidence, but when you're down 14 points and your defense has been playing better, I would have put some points on the board. Also, I think that Kevin Newsome should have gotten into the game a lot earlier than with 1 minute, 30 seconds to go. Bottom line is that Penn State needs to win games and a change of pace may not be a bad thing. However, there is the saying that if you have two quarterbacks, you have zero quarterbacks.
Following the opening drive by the Hawkeyes, the Penn State defense seemed to settle down and kept the Lions within a reasonable striking distance. But, Bolden never had too much time, thanks to the Iowa defensive line. On the ground, Evan Royster looked like the Royster of the first three games, unable to find any running lanes.
That could be a product of an inept offensive line. The line hasn't jelled yet this year, mainly because starting positions are still not nailed down. The O-line has to be addressed after the season is over, Stefan Wisniewski will be graduating. That group has to come together so that 2011 provides a better result in the running game.
And as of the Iowa game, I think Penn State might get an early jump on the 2011 season. With the resurgence of Michigan and Michigan State playing like crazy, I think the best Penn State can do in 2010 is go 6-6. Ohio State and a surprising Northwestern team also should be Penn State. That should limit the number of bowl games Penn State will be invited to. The mostly likely destinations in my mind at this point would be the Little Ceaser's Bowl on Dec. 26 in Detroit, Mich. or the Insight Bowl on Dec. 28 in Tempe, Ariz.
Since Penn State lost by the same score and in very similar fashion, it makes me shutter about the Ohio State game on Nov. 13. Somehow, I think the Buckeyes can hang more than 24 points on Penn State.
Saturday's game against the Iowa Hawkeyes opened and was nearly a mirror image of the Alabama game, on September 11th. Iowa took the opening kickoff and marched right down the field and scored. And they continued to pour it on, while stifling the Penn State offense, led by freshman quarterback, Rob Bolden.
As they did in Tuscaloosa, Penn State fell, 24-3, to the Hawkeyes in Iowa City.
Penn State had two decent drives, one to end the first half and one to open the second half, yet the Nittany Lions only put three points on the board. The Lions got close at the end of the first half, but bungled the clock management game and let Colin Wagner boot a field goal to close out the half and trailed 17-3 at the break. Penn State got down inside the 5-yard line to open the second half, only be stopped a half yard short on fourth and goal.
I'm all for giving the freshman quarterback some confidence, but when you're down 14 points and your defense has been playing better, I would have put some points on the board. Also, I think that Kevin Newsome should have gotten into the game a lot earlier than with 1 minute, 30 seconds to go. Bottom line is that Penn State needs to win games and a change of pace may not be a bad thing. However, there is the saying that if you have two quarterbacks, you have zero quarterbacks.
Following the opening drive by the Hawkeyes, the Penn State defense seemed to settle down and kept the Lions within a reasonable striking distance. But, Bolden never had too much time, thanks to the Iowa defensive line. On the ground, Evan Royster looked like the Royster of the first three games, unable to find any running lanes.
That could be a product of an inept offensive line. The line hasn't jelled yet this year, mainly because starting positions are still not nailed down. The O-line has to be addressed after the season is over, Stefan Wisniewski will be graduating. That group has to come together so that 2011 provides a better result in the running game.
And as of the Iowa game, I think Penn State might get an early jump on the 2011 season. With the resurgence of Michigan and Michigan State playing like crazy, I think the best Penn State can do in 2010 is go 6-6. Ohio State and a surprising Northwestern team also should be Penn State. That should limit the number of bowl games Penn State will be invited to. The mostly likely destinations in my mind at this point would be the Little Ceaser's Bowl on Dec. 26 in Detroit, Mich. or the Insight Bowl on Dec. 28 in Tempe, Ariz.
Since Penn State lost by the same score and in very similar fashion, it makes me shutter about the Ohio State game on Nov. 13. Somehow, I think the Buckeyes can hang more than 24 points on Penn State.
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