As we mentioned in our Defensive Preview, when you think of Penn State football, the offense is not necessarily the first thing that comes to mind. In fact, for the last couple seasons our collective sentiment before the games was “let’s hope we can score enough to pull out the win.” The stats don’t lie either. Here’s a quick look at the team’s lofty offensive numbers from last season:
8th in the conference in passing offense (206.3 ypg)
7th in the conference in total offense (400.1 ypg)
8th in the conference in pass efficiency (58%)
Yuck. But this year, things could be different. The offense is bringing back a host of weapons from last year, and of course, as we are federally mandated to do, we must mention that the team is installing the “Spread HD” offense this season. We’re not sure what the HD stands for, but we can only hope it means the ball will be thrown downfield more than twice a game (and that Jay Paterno doesn’t have too much of a hand in it).
To continue the addition by subtraction theme started in the D Preview, maybe the most exciting part of the offense is that Anthony Morelli is no longer at the helm. Sure, he had a cannon arm, but his brain operated at a third grade level. You just couldn’t expect anything better than mediocrity with him leading the offense.
This year is a bit of a different story. It appears that senior Daryll Clark is the favorite to be taking snaps in the opener, but the all-time Pennsylvania high school passing leader, sophomore Pat Devlin, is waiting in the wings. There has also been plenty of talk of a situational platoon between the two.
While the thought of two-quarterback system would normally leave us shaking in fear, we think this year it may work out. Developing Devlin, a pocket passer, would probably be best for the long run, but Clark brings M-Rob-like agility and athleticism and would be a prime candidate to wreak havoc in the spread. (As much as we hate being the 500th party to make that comparison this season, it’s true.) Either way, the offensive output of this team relies heavily on the production of Clark and Devlin (obviously).
But fear not, because the QBs certainly won’t have to shoulder the whole load. This year’s backfield is more exciting than it has been in years, with sophomore Evan Royster returning at running back after an extremely promising freshman campaign (518 yards, 82 carries, 6.3 avg). While Royster brings more of a power game, freshman Stephfon Green is fast as hell (4.25 forty) and will compete for carries early and often. Green had a long touchdown run in the Blue-White game this past spring. Coincidentally, it was the only exciting play that entire day. Senior Dan Lawlor will start at fullback, a role he began last season after Matt Hahn went down with an injury.
And of course, you’re not running anywhere (or keeping a quarterback from getting crushed) without a good offensive line. This year, we’re looking pretty solid, as all five projected starters bring game experience from last year. Senior A.Q. Shipley is one of the best centers in the conference, with seniors Rich Ohrnberger and Gerald Cadogan flanking him to his left. Junior Dennis Landolt will continue to anchor the right side at tackle, while sophomore Stefen Wisniewski will get the nod at right guard after being one of only two true freshmen to see the field last year (he appeared in eight games). The experienced line will look to improve on their 20 sacks allowed last year, good for 4th in the conference.
At tight end, we have an interesting situation. Junior Andrew Quarless would almost certainly be the starter, that is if he wasn’t currently suspended for an unknown violation (not that this type of thing really surprises anyone anymore). Given this, our money is on junior Mickey Shuler, who was solid in a limited role last year.
Now we come to the most intriguing part of the offense, the receiving corps. Oh, it feels like mere days ago that three freshman receivers by the names of Derrick Williams, Deon Butler, and Jordan Norwood took the conference by storm in 2005. But in the two seasons since then, we’re not sure what happened. The guys have all been solid, but not spectacular. But most of all, we wonder what happened to the highly-touted Williams, who has yet to live up to the lofty standards of his injury-shortened freshman season. Just check this chart:
But hey, we’re not here just to rip on these three. These guys have talent, and they did combine for a large majority of last season’s receiving yards. Besides, we haven’t been running the most pass-happy system in the world (understatement) and they haven’t exactly been working with Brady or Manning (HUGE understatement). Williams says his real version will show this year, and we can only hope he’s right. Despite the ribbing, we actually think pretty highly of Butler (he led the team in receiving yards last year), and Norwood is a great possession guy. If these guys play up to their full potential, the offense will be borderline unstoppable. If not… well, 8-4, here we come.
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