Nobody is going to mistake them for the Pittsburgh Steelers, but the Penn State Ruggers have made their recent living on the road. And for the fifth time in as many matches, they will don their all-too-familiar road jerseys once again this weekend.
No. 2 Penn State (10-3, 5-0 MARFU), in its final tune-up before the postseason, will take on the Washington Irish in the 25th Annual St. Patrick's Day Tournament. Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m. tomorrow in Washington, D.C.
The friendly match will mark the third different venue this semester for the Ruggers, who have also played three times in Utah and once in New York. In those contests, they amassed a less-than-stellar 1-3 record.
But you won't hear anything but optimism from road-tested Penn State.
"The traveling has helped us out a lot because we weren't use to it. It has really been a shot to us, especially since we have had some big games against quality opponents," senior fly-half Justin Hundley said.
Those quality opponents Hundley refers to --Brigham Young, Army and Utah -- are loaded with world-class talent and ranked nationally in the top five. If anything, the time spent on the road has been nothing but beneficial to the club.
Still, things could be better for one of the best teams in the country.
"We are still looking for continuation in our 'getting better' theme," head coach Don Ferrell said. "I want to see staunch defense and the offense flow with sharp and crisp execution. If we can get to that point, we will be going into the playoffs where we want to be."
The fact remains, however, that the Ruggers have not fielded their entire first team, due to injuries and other circumstances, since November. This unwanted trend will continue tomorrow as two starters, center Tim Ryland and flanker Matt Price, compete overseas. To some players, crucial on-field unity is lacking because of this.
"We need to start playing as a team. I feel that we have played as two separate entities: forwards and backs," Hundley said. "It kind of came together a little bit last week against Army, but it would be nice to see it come together completely."
In the end, it may all end up to be a blessing in disguise for Penn State. Overall team depth has improved as younger players have developed into solid substitutes and regular contributors in the absence of some starters. This will ultimately bode well for the squad as the postseason looms.
"It is certainly beneficial to play a lot of players," Ferrell said. "Determining our depth is crucial, especially when we start to play multiple matches in consecutive days."
