Posts tagged ‘Altoona Mirror’
Is it Football Season Already?
The annual Blue-White spring football game kicks off Saturday, and while the forecast isn’t promising, there’s plenty worth watching for those willing to brave the cold, wind, and rain—or just watch from the comfort of their living room couch. Key is a quarterback battle that was never resolved last season, and which Nittany Lion fans are hoping produces at least one QB capable of a big season.
There’s also the matter of replacing Evan Royster ’10, Penn State’s career rushing leader, but folks close to the program don’t seem all that concerned. That’s because, as usual, there’s a ton of talent in the Nittany Lion backfield, and none of Royster’s understudies has generated more excitement than sophomore Silas Redd (pictured). The Altoona Mirror today profiles Redd, focusing on his surprising appreciation for running backs who, in many cases, starred in the NFL before Redd was born.
Speaking of old-school greats: for those living in Central Pa., Joe Paterno will appear tonight on WHVL’s Blue-White Tailgate Show. It’s nice to have football back.
Ryan Jones, senior editor
JoePa Gets 400, and Much More From a Busy Weekend of Penn State Sports
It’s shaping up to be a beautiful week in State College, fitting weather for the campus-wide good vibes still lingering from Saturday night. I took my 5-year-old to Beaver Stadium, and after the game I told him that one day he’d be able to tell his kids about seeing Joe Paterno win his 400th game. Honestly, I don’t think he grasped it; all my son knew was that he had a blast high-fiving our neighbors in section NAU over and over again in that second half.
In the two days since, there have been a bunch of great stories on Joe Paterno’s 400th career win (we’ve already linked to a couple of them on our Facebook page). Here’s a couple more you might have missed:
-This wrap-up from the Altoona Mirror is cool for the embedded video link, which offers a close-up view of Paterno on the shoulders of lineman Eric Shrive and graduate assistant coach Gus Felder ’02 (who I’m pretty sure was on the field as a player when Joe broke Bear Bryant’s Division I victory record back in 2001). It offers a (more…)
Two More Reasons Why Saturday Could Be Special
If you pay the least bit of attention to Penn State football, you know that Joe Paterno could win his 400th game as head coach Saturday afternoon. Lots of stories have been written this week about the potential milestone, and we’ve linked to a few of these on our Facebook page, but there’s one more that I think is worth sharing: This piece by David Jones of the Harrisburg Patriot-News offering perspective on why Joe’s 400th is a mark unlikely to be reached by any other college coach.
Win or lose Saturday, the game against Northwestern will be memorable for a group of veterans and staff members from the Van Zandt VA Medical Center in Altoona. It seems an anonymous donor is providing the group with 41 game tickets and a catered tailgate, all as a thank-you to the vets and those who help them. That’s just awesome.
Ryan Jones, senior editor
The Best From Penn State’s Preseason Media Day
Joe Paterno began the afternoon with a request.
“Please,” he said with a grin, “don’t ask me if I’m gonna die tomorrow.”
The more than 100 media members crammed into the Beaver Stadium press room laughed, both because we got the reference (the very first question Joe got at Big Ten media day a couple of weeks ago essentially asked if he expected to drop dead on the job), and because it was nice to hear Joe making light of the subject.
Photo by the Altoona Mirror
The undeniable fact is that, at 83 and after a rough few months of medical problems, Joe is not as spry as he was even last season. He seems to be moving and speaking a bit more slowly, and he seemed to admit as much when he acknowledged that he’ll no longer be doing his weekly Thursday night radio show. “It’s tough for me because I’ve got to come right off the field from practice,” Paterno said. “Sometimes, if we have a lousy practice and somebody wants to ask me something, I feel like telling them, ‘Go jump in a lake.’”
Joe said he “feels obligated to the fans,” but that he also feels he doesn’t have to do as much as he did earlier in his coaching career, when he was working hard to establish the program on a national level. He also implied that he continues to do less hands-on coaching than he used to, trusting his experienced assistants with more of the on-field instruction. All that said, there were plenty of reminders that Joe is still Joe, and he offered one when asked about delegating responsibility. Laughing, Joe replied, “I’m not sure if they’d agree that I’ve delegated more.” Clearly, he’s still the man in charge.
For another take, here’s a short video by Neil Rudel ’78 and Cory Giger of the Altoona Mirror, who were among the dozens on the scene yesterday.
Among the day’s big talking points:
• By all accounts, including Joe’s, the quarterback position remains wide open. The Lions have some talented and confident kids vying for the position, but none of them are proven, and none have done enough to claim the job as their own.
• Asked about trying to make sense of the QB situation, Joe pulled out one of those reliable sepia-toned stories from his football youth. “(Vince) Lombardi grew up in the same neighborhood I did in Brooklyn, and I used to go down when he was an assistant coach with the Giants. Lombardi used to say all the time,’the part of coaching you have to do is, you have to get the right guy in the right spot doing the right thing at the right time.’ Now, what combination that is, you don’t know.”
• Uncertainty at quarterback aside, the offensive line remains Joe’s biggest concern. For his part, All-American candidate Stefen Wisniewski — last year’s starting center, back this season at what seems to be his more natural guard position — thinks he and his relatively unproven line mates will be up to the task. “I’m impressed with how we’ve looked so far — we’re picking up a lot of things fast,” Wisniewski said. “Having said that, we can’t just be ‘good.’ We really have to be great, and we’re certainly not there yet.”
You can read more about the o-line uncertainty here.
Jeff Rice ’03 offers one of the better round-ups of the day’s events here. And here’s the complete transcript of Joe’s press conference.
Ryan Jones, senior editor
Those Special Teams … Ouch
I usually watch Penn State football games on TV while getting stuff done around the house, but yesterday some friends from Boiling Springs took me to the Indiana game. (I got to sit in the club seats!) And by the end of the first quarter, I almost wished I were at home doing laundry.
Two interceptions, a fumble, a 10-0 Indiana lead, and the sight of Chaz Powell on the sidelines with his shoulder wrapped in ice—all in the first 15 minutes—tend to take a lot of enjoyment out of the experience for the fans.
At halftime, the Blue Band reprised some of their top performances of the season, with the Lion and PJ Maierhofer reenacting their "Rocky" bit.
Obviously Penn State turned things around in the end and came away with a W, but oh my, was that ever a painful win. Daryll Clark’s two interceptions in the first period were part of the story, but Penn State’s special teams also made us grimace: The Lions fumbled three punts in the first half and a kickoff return in the second.
Neil Rudel ’78, who has covered Penn State football for the Altoona Mirror for 30 years, has a fairly pointed commentary this morning in which he laments the problems in special-teams play that have plagued Penn State all season. Last week against Ohio State it was the coverage teams; yesterday it was the return teams. And, when Joe Paterno said after yesterday’s game, “I thought the special teams did well except for handling the punts,” Rudel says that’s like a pitcher throwing a three-hitter but giving up three grand slams.
“The Nittany Nation is hoarse screaming for a special teams coordinator,” says Rudel.
Tina Hay, editor
Penn State v. Pitt: A Rivalry Renewed?
With a 35-10 dismantling of Michigan on Saturday, Penn State kept alive its hopes for the Big Ten title and a possible return to the Rose Bowl. Even if they don’t defend their conference crown (still-unbeaten Iowa controls its destiny in that race), the Nittany Lions are in great shape for a BCS bowl berth. Joe Paterno and his team won’t entertain speculation about their postseason destination, but of course, that hasn’t stopped fans or media. On Monday, the Altoona Mirror did more than just speculate, breaking down the possibilities by which Penn State would play in the Fiesta Bowl. The opponent? Pitt.
It’s only a possibility, and not necessarily a likely one. But it’s fun to think about, isn’t it?
Ryan Jones, senior editor
Neil Rudel on Derek Moye
Neil Rudel ’78 has a good story in today’s Altoona Mirror on redshirt sophomore Derek Moye, who is emerging as a first-rate wide receiver for Penn State. Moye had six receptions for 120 yards in yesterday’s win over Minnesota, and he’s the one who caught that pass at the edge of the end zone that, upon review by the officials, was ruled a completion and a touchdown.
Here’s a little fact from Neil’s story that I didn’t know: Moye lettered in four sports in high school.
Tina Hay, editor
Neil Rudel’s Day of Useless Air Travel
Those of us who live in State College—and maybe anyone, really, who has ever traveled by air—can relate to the day Neil Rudel ’78 had yesterday. Neil has covered Penn State football for the Altoona Mirror for about 30 years, and yesterday he had a little adventure in trying to get to Champaign, Ill., in time for the Penn State-Illinois game. He didn’t quite make it.
Read his tale here.
Tina Hay, editor
An Interview with PJ Maierhofer
Neil Rudel ’78 of the Altoona Mirror has a nice interview today with PJ Maierhofer, who recently was named the top collegiate majorette in the country—and who will begin her senior season as the Blue Band’s “Blue Sapphire” this coming Saturday at Beaver Stadium.
Just as I was thinking, “Man, it seems like PJ has been here for years,” the story mentions that this indeed will be her fifth year with the Blue Band/majorettes corps. In the interview she explains how that’s possible—a little bit of trivia about eligibility that I didn’t know before.
Penn State opens the football season by hosting Akron at noon Saturday; the Big Ten Network will carry the game.
Tina Hay, editor
Let’s Not Even Talk About That Game
I don’t wanna talk about that Rose Bowl thing, OK?
But in catching up on some e-mails from the past week, I did come across this column from Neil Rudel ’78, of the Altoona Mirror. It’s called “Peeking into Penn State’s ’09 fortunes” and it’s a tongue-in-cheek list of predictions for Penn State sports in 2009. My favorites:
“Dr. Wayne Sebastanielli is seen screaming at JoePa after the latter tries an onside kick in an August practice.”
And:
“JoePa makes more national news by coaching the entire game against Eastern Illinois from his back porch.”
One last note about the Bowl Game of Which We Will Not Speak: My 23-year-old nephew, Hunter, lives in L.A. and managed to get tickets to yesterday’s game. (Though he’s a Pitt grad, I’m pretty sure he was rooting for Penn State yesterday.) I told him that he had to promise to go up to at least one Penn State fan and ask if they were familiar with The Penn Stater magazine. He e-mailed me this morning to report: “I sat by a guy that said he reads The Penn Stater front to back. He did not stay the entire game.”
Tina Hay, editor
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