Inconsistent ground game faces tough Buckeyes ‘D’

Scranton Edition // Scranton Edition Sports

PENN STATE FOOTBALL

November 5, 2009

Royster, Nittany Lions face off against one of the best run defenses in the country.

By Derek Levarse dlevarse@timesleader.com
Sports Reporter

There were times when Penn State made no attempt to hide its intentions. On a third-and-2 in the first quarter against Northwestern last Saturday, the Nittany Lions came out with two tight ends, a fullback and one receiver split out wide – reserve Brett Brackett.

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That the ball was promptly handed off to tailback Evan Royster came as no surprise. Certainly the Wildcats saw it coming, as linebacker Nate Williams slammed Royster behind the line for a 1-yard loss to force a punt. Penn State’s next drive was snuffed out in similar fashion, as Royster was stuffed for no gain on third-and-1.

Though Penn State’s offensive line and ground game in general has notably improved as the season has gone on, the Lions struggled last week when they tried to push around Northwestern.

And the challenge this week will be dramatically tougher, as Ohio State comes to town allowing just 86.4 yards per game on the ground, second only behind the Lions in the Big Ten.

“One of the better defensive teams in the country,” Penn State’s Joe Paterno said of the Buckeyes. “They run really well, they’re disciplined, they hit hard, strong. So you just have to have a balanced attack, and you have to take advantage of any opportunities that you may get.

“But don’t think we’re gonna go in there and dominate the ballgame offensively. Nobody has done that really yet.”

Penn State finished the Northwestern game with 163 yards on the ground, but 69 of them came on one long run by Royster against a tired defense in the fourth quarter. The Lions had just 52 yards rushing entering the fourth quarter.

Though Royster leads the conference in rushing with 859 yards, he isn’t comfortable taking much credit for the Lions’ five-game winning streak.

“It’s hard to say,” Royster said. “I feel like I need to come out every week. It’s not all on one guy, whether I play well or not. We’ve had some consistency the past couple weeks as a whole offense.”

In last season’s 13-6 win in Columbus, Royster managed 77 yards against the Buckeyes, but the Lions finished with 160 for the game, as quarterback Daryll Clark added 39 yards, Stephfon Green chipped in 23 and Derrick Williams had 17.

Williams is obviously gone and Green’s status for Saturday is up in the air, as the sophomore has missed the last two games with an ankle injury.

This time around, the workload could fall more on Royster.

“We give him a little blocking and a little room, give him a crack … and he takes advantage of opportunities,” Paterno said. “So, I think that Royster is certainly a big-league tailback. I think he’s proven that over a couple years.”

Scout team secret weapon?

As one might imagine, Penn State doesn’t exactly have any spare 6-foot-6 athletes sitting around to simulate Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor on the scout team.

Last year, the Lions used multiple players to try and prepare for Pryor’s versatility, going with quarterback Matt McGloin and receiver Pat Mauti – a quarterback in high school – in Pryor’s role. Neither of them has a frame that would be mistaken for Pryor’s at any distance.

So, the coaching staff added a new man to mix this week – true freshman Gerald Hodges.

Hodges, who came into the program last winter as a safety, has since moved to linebacker. But this week, he’s splitting practice reps with the defense and as “Pryor.” At 6-foot-2, 220 pounds, Hodges presents a tougher challenge for the Lions’ starting defense because of his physicality.

“He’s done a really good job,” fellow linebacker Sean Lee said. “He’s out there using the stiff arm and trying to run out of the pocket for some extra yards.”

Hodges was a three-year starter at quarterback for Paulsboro (N.J.) High School.