Near the end of yesterday's practice, Penn State men's soccer coach Barry Gorman drove a mini-tractor onto the practice field. Attached to the vehicle was a cart, which contained a garbage can full of Miracle-Gro. The Nittany Lions filled orange cones with the substance and spread it over divots, in order to promote grass growth in patches of dirt.

Much like its battered practice field, Penn State (6-7, 1-3 Big Ten) has shown signs of wear and tear as of late, most recently on Sunday in its 4-3 loss against Michigan State.

Gorman, expelling mild profanity yesterday in frustration, has questioned the intensity of his players during the current four-game losing streak that removed Penn State from among the Big Ten's finest.

An example of what Gorman would consider a lack of urgency came during yesterday's up-and-down practice. After missing his target and kicking the ball out of bounds, defender Paul Omekanda was switched in position with David Gray.

Omekanda, unhappy with the temporary demotion, sulked and began walking slowly. Penn State assistant coach Marlon LeBlanc promptly removed him from the drill due to his behavior, upset at the display, later confronted Omekanda during a break in action.

According to captain Gabe Bernstein, Penn State needs a higher level of intensity in order to remedy the current slump.

"Sunday's loss was disappointing, and with four games left, we need to win out," Bernstein said. "We need all of our players to have a fighting mentality."

After an intense and concentrated beginning to practice, the conclusion of yesterday's training was marked by a physical short-field game during which the Lions remained in good spirits.

Sitting on a soccer ball and resting his chin on his hand, Gorman viewed practice in a pose similar to that of "The Thinker" sculpture.

With a team that was slated to vie for the conference title, even Gorman has to wonder what it is that will break Penn State from its current decline.