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psu football

October 10, 2008

Badgering Penn State with a basic offense

Wisconsin plans on pounding on Nittany Lions with I-formation.

By Derek Levarse dlevarse@timesleader.com
Sports Reporter

On Saturday, Penn State will face the most exotic, the most unusual, perhaps the rarest offense in college football today.

But maybe that’s just a bit of hyperbole to describe the traditional I-form offense. This season, though, it doesn’t seem like much of an exaggeration.

It’s true that Wisconsin is a rare breed in 2008. A scheme based on stacking the line of scrimmage with five of the biggest monsters available in the Midwest and then battering the defense with 236-pound P.J. Hill and 237-pound John Clay.

Not exactly similar to the four-wide sets Purdue threw at the Nittany Lions last week. Or the spread option Illinois used with mobile quarterback Juice Williams the week before that.

“Well, it’s a different game, obviously,” Penn State’s Joe Paterno said. “You expect certain things to be different. It will be a little more smashmouth kind of football because Wisconsin’s a tough football team and prides themselves in their physical toughness.

“But I think you’ve gotta line-up properly, and you’ve gotta tackle and you’ve gotta get to the football.”

That’s not to say that the Badgers don’t have any wrinkles in their offense.

Certainly they won’t hide their intention to control the clock with their running game, especially with an average group of receivers and senior first-year starter Allan Evridge struggling at quarterback.

But one of Wisconsin’s most dangerous weapons is Travis Beckum, a tight end by trade that the Badgers use as an H-back to give them a different look at times.

The versatile Beckum is athletic enough to play wide receiver but also can contribute on the ground. Wisconsin had been using him in that role with Garrett Graham playing the traditional tight end role and becoming a threat in the passing game with three touchdowns.

Graham has missed the last two games, though, and is questionable for tomorrow’s game.

“You may not have quite as many lineup problems ordinarily,” Paterno said, “but Wisconsin gives you so many different looks with two or three tight ends that move around and jump around that you really don’t get any benefit out of (playing against an I-formation offense).

“So I think it’s just a question of mentally. You’ve got to get ready to get into a tough football game.”

Badgers coach Bret Bielema, for one, wouldn’t change a thing.

With so many Big Ten teams, including Michigan, Ohio State and yes, Penn State, experimenting or going all-out with spread-based offenses, the third-year Wisconsin head man likes that his team is suddenly so different.

“The thing I like about being at Wisconsin right now is we’re unique,” Bielema laughed before the season. “Five years ago when the spread first started coming into the league, you needed preparation vs. those teams. For us now, Wisconsin is unique. You line up with a fullback and tailback and have some big ugly guys in front that come downhill. It’s a different preparation.

“So I like that. I think now people have to go into a certain preparation mode against Wisconsin, which to me is an advantage.”

Tight end shuffle

Questions remain about Penn State’s own tight end situation headed into Camp Randall this weekend.

Mickey Shuler has been bothered by an ankle injury, sitting out the Illinois game and playing only briefly against Purdue after Andrew Quarless also went out with an ankle issue.

Players said this week that Andew Szczerba has seen plenty of first-team reps this week and that Mr. Versatile, Mike Lucian, has also been practicing at the position, after having played at both guard and defensive tackle this year.

UNC on deck?

On his weekly radio show Thursday, Paterno made reference to Penn State playing North Carolina in the future. The school has not yet announced any games against the Tar Heels, but any home-and-home series would likely not occur until 2014-15.