We so much to do before tomorrow, forgive me for not posting a Penn State preview versus Temple.
Final Score Prediction: Penn State 38, Temple 7 -- and all eyes point to Big Ten opener versus Iowa
Until then, there is an article about the book in today's Daily Collegian -- Penn State's student newspaper. CLICK HERE to read the article.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Book Updates
Here are the latest updates on "Penn State Football: An Interactive Guide To The World of Sports."
- You can purchase "Penn State Football: An Interactive Guide To The World of Sports" at www.THONstore.com and half of all net profits will go to THON.
- You can purchase the book at www.savasbeatie.com and receive a FREE autographed book plate with your order. The book plate is signed by the Sports By the Numbers team and yours truly.
- You can come out to Beaver Stadium this Saturday morning from 9 am to 11 am for a book signing tailgate. You can purchase a book and get it signed by myself and/or Mike Poorman, Penn State's Director of Alumni Relations, who will be stopping by for a few to say hello. The book store is right in Beaver Stadium, so come out for a copy then go support the Nittany Lions versus Temple.
Joe Pa Press Conference Excerpts
Joe, do you expect Navorro Bowman to get back to practice this week, and how careful do you have to be with that kind of injury?
I don't know. He didn't do anything yesterday. We talked a little bit as a staff this morning. And I'm going to... I think he's got to start practicing pretty quick if he wants to play Saturday.
But, I haven't had a chance to talk to him today. So I'm reluctant to say. I talked to him a little bit before practice yesterday and he said it was still sore. But whether it was that sore that he can't practice today, I don't know. I think that's the doctor's and trainer's call. I don't know yet. I don't think we'll know until he gets out and tries to do a couple of things today. I think he's got to do it today. I don't think we can wait until tomorrow because we've got some other kids we've got to get ready.
Analysis: Penn State has the luxury to ease Bowman back for Big Ten play with the solid play of his back-up, Nathan Stupar. Bowman injured himself in the 31-7 season-opening victory over Akron, and Stupar recorded 10 tackles in that victory.
Q. Opposing defenses keep coming at you with different formations and stacking safeties. Are you comfortable to throw more than run?
If we're effective, I'm okay. I think we have to play each game, down, distance, situations, field position, kicking game, all those things tie in with the football game.
Hopefully we can run if we run into the situation where they take away the passing game from us, and vice versa. I can't tell you exactly what I'm prepared, what we are prepared to do except hopefully we're practicing for any contingency. I would hope when we stop getting blitzes I think Syracuse blitzed all but maybe eight times. I think we had the ball 67 times. And I think all but maybe eight or nine times they blitzed. So when you're facing that, we try to be stubborn and try to run the ball because I think we need the work.
But whether we can do that against Temple, I don't know. I don't know what Temple's going to do. Temple starts out with a different defensive scheme than Syracuse did. Temple plays a little different, as I said, scheme. So if they stay with the scheme they had it will be a little bit more balanced than what Syracuse gave us, and we'll have to adjust and so forth. So it's a cat and mouse thing.
Analysis: The lack of a running game, especially with Evan Royster's return this season, was been slightly worrisome, but a young, adjusting offensive line combined with eight-man stacked fronts has made holes hard to come by. The front five aren't doing a poor job off the ball, but they are having difficulty coming off blocks and getting to the next level. This job must mature and open holes for Royster and Stephfon Green heading into conference play.
And this final question-and-answer is typical Joe.
Q. I imagine you don't pay attention to rankings too much, national rankings, but being No. 5 in the country do you ever compare your team's development to other teams?
No, don't get me into that. I don't know what we are, for crying out loud. Geez, that's the same thing hey, I honest to God, are we No. 5 is that what you're telling me?
Q. Yes.
I don't know that we're No. 5. You guys don't seem to understand. I don't pay I don't read anything about us. I get the paper. I go to the bathroom. I take the paper in there and I scan it. I look at it. The first thing I do is look at who died. All right. Second thing I look at are headlines. Something that says, "Paterno is the Greatest," I read it.
(laughter) If it says I'm a bum, I don't even look at it. No, I don't pay attention. What you are today isn't what you're going to be tomorrow, all right? What you're going to be tomorrow is what you make happen tomorrow.
I read the newspapers. I feel bad about the way things have gone with the newspaper business, with the guys, with the computers (Internet), getting all that stuff on. Because it's taking away some of the guys, and I think some of the great guys I've known and who wrote well who set a standard for writing, people don't realize, they were all sports writers. They were all sports writers first. Grantland Rice and those guys. I don't know, it's a different world. And I'm not part of that world. I'm really not. I love to read the newspapers. I'd love to read the sports page, but to be very frank with you, I don't because so much of it is you guys have to base on what you are getting in an e mail, what you're getting because I've talked to a couple of guys about it.
You're influenced by, what people are after you to say something because you're competing. It's like I don't even turn on the television set anymore, because one television station is anti Obama. The other one you like to have somebody have an impartial view of some things because they studied it and they know about it. And they're not being influenced by the guy that owns the paper or the guy that owns the radio station, so it's a different world and it's not the kind of world that I'm comfortable with.
That's a speech. I usually get 100 bucks for that (laughter).
I don't know. He didn't do anything yesterday. We talked a little bit as a staff this morning. And I'm going to... I think he's got to start practicing pretty quick if he wants to play Saturday.
But, I haven't had a chance to talk to him today. So I'm reluctant to say. I talked to him a little bit before practice yesterday and he said it was still sore. But whether it was that sore that he can't practice today, I don't know. I think that's the doctor's and trainer's call. I don't know yet. I don't think we'll know until he gets out and tries to do a couple of things today. I think he's got to do it today. I don't think we can wait until tomorrow because we've got some other kids we've got to get ready.
Analysis: Penn State has the luxury to ease Bowman back for Big Ten play with the solid play of his back-up, Nathan Stupar. Bowman injured himself in the 31-7 season-opening victory over Akron, and Stupar recorded 10 tackles in that victory.
Q. Opposing defenses keep coming at you with different formations and stacking safeties. Are you comfortable to throw more than run?
If we're effective, I'm okay. I think we have to play each game, down, distance, situations, field position, kicking game, all those things tie in with the football game.
Hopefully we can run if we run into the situation where they take away the passing game from us, and vice versa. I can't tell you exactly what I'm prepared, what we are prepared to do except hopefully we're practicing for any contingency. I would hope when we stop getting blitzes I think Syracuse blitzed all but maybe eight times. I think we had the ball 67 times. And I think all but maybe eight or nine times they blitzed. So when you're facing that, we try to be stubborn and try to run the ball because I think we need the work.
But whether we can do that against Temple, I don't know. I don't know what Temple's going to do. Temple starts out with a different defensive scheme than Syracuse did. Temple plays a little different, as I said, scheme. So if they stay with the scheme they had it will be a little bit more balanced than what Syracuse gave us, and we'll have to adjust and so forth. So it's a cat and mouse thing.
Analysis: The lack of a running game, especially with Evan Royster's return this season, was been slightly worrisome, but a young, adjusting offensive line combined with eight-man stacked fronts has made holes hard to come by. The front five aren't doing a poor job off the ball, but they are having difficulty coming off blocks and getting to the next level. This job must mature and open holes for Royster and Stephfon Green heading into conference play.
And this final question-and-answer is typical Joe.
Q. I imagine you don't pay attention to rankings too much, national rankings, but being No. 5 in the country do you ever compare your team's development to other teams?
No, don't get me into that. I don't know what we are, for crying out loud. Geez, that's the same thing hey, I honest to God, are we No. 5 is that what you're telling me?
Q. Yes.
I don't know that we're No. 5. You guys don't seem to understand. I don't pay I don't read anything about us. I get the paper. I go to the bathroom. I take the paper in there and I scan it. I look at it. The first thing I do is look at who died. All right. Second thing I look at are headlines. Something that says, "Paterno is the Greatest," I read it.
(laughter) If it says I'm a bum, I don't even look at it. No, I don't pay attention. What you are today isn't what you're going to be tomorrow, all right? What you're going to be tomorrow is what you make happen tomorrow.
I read the newspapers. I feel bad about the way things have gone with the newspaper business, with the guys, with the computers (Internet), getting all that stuff on. Because it's taking away some of the guys, and I think some of the great guys I've known and who wrote well who set a standard for writing, people don't realize, they were all sports writers. They were all sports writers first. Grantland Rice and those guys. I don't know, it's a different world. And I'm not part of that world. I'm really not. I love to read the newspapers. I'd love to read the sports page, but to be very frank with you, I don't because so much of it is you guys have to base on what you are getting in an e mail, what you're getting because I've talked to a couple of guys about it.
You're influenced by, what people are after you to say something because you're competing. It's like I don't even turn on the television set anymore, because one television station is anti Obama. The other one you like to have somebody have an impartial view of some things because they studied it and they know about it. And they're not being influenced by the guy that owns the paper or the guy that owns the radio station, so it's a different world and it's not the kind of world that I'm comfortable with.
That's a speech. I usually get 100 bucks for that (laughter).
Penn State vs. Temple Game Notes
When: Saturday, September 19, 2009
Where: Beaver Stadium (107,282)
Kickoff: 12:00 p.m.
Attendance: 105,000
Series Record: Penn State leads, 34-3-1
Penn State Captains: No. 17 Daryll Clark, Sr., QB No. 45 Sean Lee, Sr., LB
TELEVISION: The contest will be televised by Big Ten Network with Ari Wolfe, Anthony Herron and Kenny Jackson calling the action. The Nittany Lions are appearing on television for the 180th time in their last 182 games.
RADIO: Penn State Sports Network (60 stations) Radio Team (10th year) Play-by-Play: Steve Jones; Analysis: Jack Ham
Web stream: www.GoPSUsports.comWPHT Radio (Harry Donahue, play-by-play; Steve Joachim, analysis).
COACHES: Joe Paterno Penn State Record . .385-127-3 (75.0), 44th Year
Overall Record . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Same
vs. Temple . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25-0
60th year on Penn State staff...all-time leader in career wins among FBS (1-A) coaches...300 wins faster than any coach in NCAA history...College Football Hall of Fame inductee in 2007.
Al Golden Temple Record . . . . . . . . . .10-27, Fourth Year
Overall Record . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Same
vs. Penn State . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0-3
THE SERIES: The Nittany Lions and Owls are meeting for the 39th time, with Penn State owning a 34-3-1 series lead. The teams have met the last three years, with Lions winning, 45-3, in Beaver Stadium in 2008. The intra-state rivals are are scheduled to meet each of the next three seasons.
Where: Beaver Stadium (107,282)
Kickoff: 12:00 p.m.
Attendance: 105,000
Series Record: Penn State leads, 34-3-1
Penn State Captains: No. 17 Daryll Clark, Sr., QB No. 45 Sean Lee, Sr., LB
TELEVISION: The contest will be televised by Big Ten Network with Ari Wolfe, Anthony Herron and Kenny Jackson calling the action. The Nittany Lions are appearing on television for the 180th time in their last 182 games.
RADIO: Penn State Sports Network (60 stations) Radio Team (10th year) Play-by-Play: Steve Jones; Analysis: Jack Ham
Web stream: www.GoPSUsports.comWPHT Radio (Harry Donahue, play-by-play; Steve Joachim, analysis).
COACHES: Joe Paterno Penn State Record . .385-127-3 (75.0), 44th Year
Overall Record . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Same
vs. Temple . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25-0
60th year on Penn State staff...all-time leader in career wins among FBS (1-A) coaches...300 wins faster than any coach in NCAA history...College Football Hall of Fame inductee in 2007.
Al Golden Temple Record . . . . . . . . . .10-27, Fourth Year
Overall Record . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Same
vs. Penn State . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0-3
THE SERIES: The Nittany Lions and Owls are meeting for the 39th time, with Penn State owning a 34-3-1 series lead. The teams have met the last three years, with Lions winning, 45-3, in Beaver Stadium in 2008. The intra-state rivals are are scheduled to meet each of the next three seasons.
Monday, September 14, 2009
For the Kids: Do Your Penn State Football Shopping at THONstore.com
The dancers at Penn State's 46-hour dance marathon ache in the final moments. Yet, their hearts and their pride keep them going, until finally, they can sit.
The picture below is a great indication of how devoted those dancers are, and how relieved they feel when they can finally fall to the floor.
THON is an inspiration to many. And we can all give back by purchasing "Penn State Football: An Interactive Guide To The World Of Sports" and all other Penn State football books and merchandise through http://www.thonstore.com/.
Penn State in Fifth Place; Florida leads both polls
Off its methodical 28-7 victory over Syracuse, Penn State is tied with Ole Miss for fifth in the Associated Press poll and alone in the fifth spot in the USA Today poll.
The top fourth in each poll are identical, with Florida a near unanimous No. 1.
CLICK HERE to view both polls.
The top fourth in each poll are identical, with Florida a near unanimous No. 1.
CLICK HERE to view both polls.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
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