Are any of us going to bitch and moan about how we got there? We barely beat Appy State, and got out of Bloomington IN with a close shave, yet everyone is up in arms about a lackluster 20-7 win at Rutgers, in the wind, with an injured QB.
I'm cautiously optimistic they can beat MD at home next week, on Senior Day, which given them a month+ break to heal (Trace McSorley) and get ready for the bowl game.
I've been piling on RR all year long. But after further inspection, I've come to realize it's the lack of execution that's killing this team, commensurate with the OL play, more so than the play calling. Trace with the poor throws, likely attributed to his injury. First year receivers that are getting their feet wet, and vet receivers (Polk and Thompkins) that are showing why they took a back seat to the likes of Hamilton, Blacknall, Godwin, and others all these years. And all the while, the OL lacks the push with the opposing defenses more brazen this year in stacking the LOS and risk one-on-one coverage. Not to do an apples to oranges comparison, but the 1995 Penn State offense wasn't even close to the production in '94.
Next season, I'm optimistic that our D will be even better. Offense? You know, it really is going to come down to that offensive line. The OL is getting pushed around this season because of the decided dropoff in production, with Trace's injury combined with the losses of Barkley/Hamilton/Gesicki. Hoping that Hamler and Freiermuth continue to shine while Shorter/Dotson take it up a notch. That'll certainly help Stevens and/or Clifford.
I'm cautiously optimistic they can beat MD at home next week, on Senior Day, which given them a month+ break to heal (Trace McSorley) and get ready for the bowl game.
I've been piling on RR all year long. But after further inspection, I've come to realize it's the lack of execution that's killing this team, commensurate with the OL play, more so than the play calling. Trace with the poor throws, likely attributed to his injury. First year receivers that are getting their feet wet, and vet receivers (Polk and Thompkins) that are showing why they took a back seat to the likes of Hamilton, Blacknall, Godwin, and others all these years. And all the while, the OL lacks the push with the opposing defenses more brazen this year in stacking the LOS and risk one-on-one coverage. Not to do an apples to oranges comparison, but the 1995 Penn State offense wasn't even close to the production in '94.
Next season, I'm optimistic that our D will be even better. Offense? You know, it really is going to come down to that offensive line. The OL is getting pushed around this season because of the decided dropoff in production, with Trace's injury combined with the losses of Barkley/Hamilton/Gesicki. Hoping that Hamler and Freiermuth continue to shine while Shorter/Dotson take it up a notch. That'll certainly help Stevens and/or Clifford.
