People are still trying to figure out if Air Paterno was an illusion or a revolution. That's just one myth the Lions began to answer last week in the Kickoff Classic. Notorious slow starters was the other as No. 5 Penn State swarmed all over Georgia Tech, 34-22, last Wednesday night.
After playing at such a high level for 60 minutes, the Lions (1-0) hope to avoid a flameout against Cincinnati (0-0) at 12:10 this afternoon in Beaver Stadium.
"Cincinnati may not be in the same league with Georgia Tech, but they sure may be in the same league as Memphis State," Coach Joe Paterno said, referring to Memphis State's upset victory over USC on Monday. "You never know how well a football team's going to be in the first game.
"I don't think Georgia Tech played nearly as well as I thought they would and that's why I have to be careful in evaluating our team."
Players agreed with Paterno, as the sentiment seems to be, "Let's do it again."
"All we can do is put Georgia Tech behind us," hero Darren Perry said. "We made some mistakes in that game. We just have to learn from our mistakes and be physically and mentally ready."
After three seasons of inconsistency coupled with flashes of brilliance, Tony Sacca could finally emerge this season as a top quarterback.
The Georgia Tech game may have been the beginning. The senior, who won the Flynn Award as the game's most valuable player, had a career day completing 13-of-24 passes for 206 yards with five touchdowns and no interceptions.
While Sacca had a great game, his decision making is still a little suspect. The Delran, N.J., native was sacked five times against Georgia Tech. Each sack was almost a replica of the one before. Sacca drops back, after three seconds nobody is open and the pocket breaks down, Sacca hesitates then steps up but it's too late and he's dropped for a loss.
The offensive line must also share some of the blame for those sacks. A big question mark coming into the preseason, the line began to settle in after a shaky start. The Lions opened holes, particularly on a 17-play drive in the second quarter. While pass protection was at times poor, Penn State usually gave Sacca the time he needed.
The running game was effective and only figures to improve against the Bearcats. Fullback Sam Gash ran for 89 yards on 12 carries while redshirt sophomore Richie Anderson looked smooth, picking up 48 yards.
Paterno was particularly impressed with the offensive tri-captain.
"This is the best Sam (Gash) has been. He's quicker. He's worked very hard on his speed," Paterno said. "Sam has always been the kind of person who has been a natural leader . . . I think people gravitate towards him."
The wideouts could make things scary for Cincinnati. O.J. McDuffie, Terry Smith and Tisen Thomas are all speed merchants. All three run in the 4.3-to-4.4 range with Thomas the fastest at 4.32. Smith and McDuffie already have two touchdowns apiece this season. McDuffie's was the most dramatic as he snatched a ball from the defender and juggled it three times as he fell before making a one-handed catch that made the highlight films at ESPN and CNN.
The surprise could be Anderson, who caught four balls for 93 yards and a touchdown. Receiving out of the backfield, a sore spot in the past, would bring an added dimension to the Lions' passing attack. The Bearcats return three experienced seniors in the secondary, but the Lions' speed and athletic ability could cause problems. One of Sacca's trusted targets, tight end Al Golden, is out today with a bruised knee.
Penn State's defense, with 10 days off, is hungry. With arguably the best front seven in college football, running on this group is a tough chore. Georgia Tech only picked up 113 yards rushing last week -- Cincinnati doesn't figure to do much better, although its offensive line also could pose some problems for Penn State. The Bearcats are huge, averaging 6-foot-3-inches, 281 pounds a man.
The Lions are led by the trio of Mark D'Onofrio, Keith Goganious and Perry. While the Bearcats have the size, Penn State's athletic ability and speed could cause serious problems for the passing game.
Penn State, however, is facing a team that's a mystery to them.
"Who knows what they're going to come out with this year?" Perry said. "Someone could have come in and changed their whole offensive scheme since they didn't have much success last year. We don't know anything about them. We're just gonna prepare for everything."
Behind the linebackers, Penn State boasts a talented pass coverage team. Left corner Leonard Humphries is one of the best in the country. Humphries, Perry and Derek Bochna anchor a unit that gave up only nine passing touchdowns last season. Perry kept the Ramblin' Wreck from getting a passing attack started. Cincinnati's sophomore quarterback Paul Anderson may have the same problem.
While Cincinnati lacks experience on offense, a trio of sophomore wideouts could keep the secondary busy.
"Our secondary is gonna have our work cut out for us," Perry said. "They have very fast wideouts comparable to our wideouts in terms of speed. Our experience will be the difference. We feel we can cover their guys man to man. It's gonna be a big factor in the game."
Special teams, expected to be a strong point, encountered mixed results. Backup linebacker Andre Powell helped to shut down Georgia Tech's kickoff and punt return games. Ironically, the Lions' punt returns were shaky, as McDuffie fumbled two punts and Smith one.
The punting game was productive as senior Doug Helkowski averaged 43.3 yards on six punts. The kicking game was poor as sophomore kicker Craig Fayak missed two field goals.
"I don't think it was first game jitters," Paterno said. "I think he was just a little bit off. I don't see any reason why he'll have any problems."
While Penn State is confident coming into today's game, one can sense uneasiness from Paterno. Practice this week has been difficult as Penn State prepares to play the second-worst team in the nation, according to Penthouse magazine.
"I don't think on either side of the ball that you can feel confident that you've arrived after the Georgia Tech game," Paterno said. "I'm not getting carried away with either the offense of the defense . . . because I don't think that was one of Georgia Tech's better games."
