It didn't stand out in the boxscore, and it wasn't on the ESPN highlights, but punter Jeremy Boone made two of the biggest hustle plays during Penn State's 34-7 win over Indiana Saturday.
The first occurred after Penn State's opening drive stalled and displayed Boone's tackling ability. Boone nailed a 56-yard punt that Indiana return man Ray Fisher fielded at his own 12. Fisher made the first two Nittany Lion defenders miss and found a seam down the sideline.
But before Fisher could cross midfield, Boone came running in and grabbed Fisher's legs, sending him flying, head over heals, along the Hoosier sideline. It was the first tackle of Boone's career, but the junior said it came with a price, especially considering he hasn't really been hit since high school.
"I'm definitely feeling it right now,'' Boone said. "My back's stiff."
The second play, which happened after the Lions' second drive stalled, allowed Boone to show off some speed.
Kicker Kevin Kelly lined up to attempt a 51-yard field goal. But with Saturday's rainy and windy conditions, Penn State's coaching staff opted for a quick kick out of the field goal formation, and Kelly pooched a punt toward the Indiana goal line.
Boone, who was the holder on the play, took off as Kelly kicked the ball, and found himself unblocked as he streaked down the right hash. After snapper Andrew Pitz batted the ball to keep it from rolling into the end zone, Boone pounced on it at the 2-yard line. Downing that punt swung the field position battle in the Lions' favor.
Penn State coach Joe Paterno said it was plays like the ones Boone made, and reserve linebacker Nate Stupar's blocked punt that helped the Lions put Indiana away.
"That was where the game was probably turned around," Paterno said. "Their kicking game has really hurt them. I think ours played very well."
Penn State averaged seven more yards per punt than Indiana and dominated starting field position. The Lions average drive started from their own 42.3-yard line, while the Hoosiers started from their own 23.5.
Kelly, who made two field goals on the day, said special teams have been one of the main reasons why the Lions are 10-1 and preparing for the de facto Big Ten championship game this weekend.
"Special teams have been huge, especially [Saturday] with the field position more so than points." Kelly said, who extended his NCAA record for consecutive games with a field goal made. "The field position really set them back and that just allowed the defense to do what they needed to do. Field position is going to be huge for next week too so we're going to have to keep it up."
Day to remember
Offense: Deon Butler. The senior wide receiver grabbed five balls, including the 172nd of his career, passing Bobby Engram (167 career catches) to become the school's all-time leading pass catcher. Butler also moved into second place on the career receiving-yardage list (2,541 yards).
Defense: Linebacker Josh Hull recorded seven tackles and notched the first sack of his career against the Hoosiers.
Day to forget
Offense: Daryll Clark did throw for two touchdowns, but was responsible for three turnovers and missed on a couple of open throws.
Defense: Josh Gaines started against Indiana but was pulled early and missed the rest of the game with a right ankle injury. Defensive coordinator Tom Bradley said Gaines wasn't 100 percent healthy for Indiana, but said he thinks Gaines should be "OK" for Michigan State.
Injury report
On the offensive side of the ball, backup guard Mike Lucian saw increased action during the second half against Indiana, filling in for guard Stefen Wisniewski. Paterno said Wisniewski is still nursing a sprained right knee injury and plays with a brace.
"He is hurting a little bit," Paterno said. "And Lucian deserves a shot. He plays both guard positions and center on offense and he can be a back-up nose guard on defense in a jam and he practices hard, so you like to give him a shot."
Did you notice?
Former St. Louis Rams' coach Dick Vermeil on the sidelines...The Beaver Stadium turf holding up during the rain...Jordan Norwood and Graham Zug fielding punts in the fourth quarter (Zug also trying to hurdle a defender)...Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Have You Ever Seen the Rain?" slowly overtaking "Zombie Nation," as a fan favorite.
Quotable
"We are going through a period in this country where a lot of things that people didn't think could happen have happened. I think that when a kid like that comes in here as a walk-on and he turns out to be as good as he is, it's great. It's a tribute to the family and is something we can brag on and let a lot of people know about."
-- Joe Paterno's comments about Deon Butler becoming the school's receptions leader.
