(Sports Network) - The 2006 season kicks off for the 19th-ranked Penn State
Nittany Lions as they play host to the Akron Zips this Saturday at Beaver
Stadium in Happy Valley. Coach J.D. Brookhart's Zips are coming off one of
their most successful seasons ever as they went 7-5, 5-3 in the Mid-American
Conference which was good enough for a share of the East Division title and a
berth in the MAC championship game. The Zips were underdogs against the
Huskies of Northern Illinois, but Brookhart's boys posted a dramatic 31-30
victory to claim the school's first ever MAC title. Akron made its first-ever
appearance in a Division I-A bowl game as well, receiving an invite to play in
the Motor City Bowl. As for legendary coach Joe Paterno and his Nittany Lions,
it was a return to prominence in 2005 as they went a near-perfect 11-1 and
captured a share of the Big Ten title. Paterno, now in his 41st season at the
helm, had taken quite a bit of heat in recent years as his team had struggled
to find its way, but with a solid mix of experienced veterans and talented
youngsters, Penn State returned to the pinnacle of the college football world.
The Lions earned their first-ever BCS bowl game bid, upending Florida State in
the Orange Bowl, 26-23 in three overtimes. Penn State has won both previous
matchups with Akron, doing so in blowout fashion -- 48-10 in 2004 and 70-24 in
1999.
Eight starters return for the Zips, however, the top three offensive weapons
from last year are gone. Running back Brett Biggs and wideouts Domenik Hixon
and Jason Montgomery have all graduated, leaving the team with plenty of holes
to fill at key skill positions. Ohio State transfer Dennis Kennedy will most
likely get the nod in the backfield for Brookhart's club, but he rushed for
only 131 yards last season. Although the loss of Biggs will be felt, Kennedy
is a talented player who should enjoy a productive season. The more concerning
position for Brookhart is receiver, with Jabari Arthur likely to be the team's
go-to guy after pulling down 30 balls for 482 yards and three scores in '05.
Fortunately for the Zips, Luke Getsy is back under center and he is fresh off
a stellar campaign in which he threw for 3,455 yards and 23 TDs. Although
Getsy has lost almost all of his targets from a year ago, he will have plenty
of protection from an offensive line that returns all five starters.
The Zips should once again be dominant on the defensive side of the football,
as nine players are back from last season's MAC championship team. The front
line returns three starters, including Kevin Grant who recorded 73 tackles and
seven TFLs last year as a redshirt freshman. Also back is defensive end
Jermaine Reid who led the Zips with seven sacks. The linebacking corps took
the biggest hit with the loss of leading tackler Jay Rohr, but five of the top
six players are back, leaving the team with a ton of talent there. John Mackey
and Brion Stokes are a nice one-two punch for the Zips in the middle, while
the secondary is also loaded with experience and has seven of the top eight
players back in the fold, including the corner combo of Davanzo Tate and
Reggie Corner. Last season, Corner led Akron with nine PBUs and also had two
INTs, while Tate logged 41 tackles and six PBUs.
Led by Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year Michael Robinson, Penn State
rolled up more than 34 ppg behind 421.5 ypg last season. Robinson was
brilliant, but with him having moved on to the NFL, the burden of running the
offense now falls to 6-4 junior Anthony Morelli. The strong-armed Morelli is
more of a pocket passer than the athletic Robinson, and he will enjoy throwing
to two of the Big Ten's top receivers in sophomores Derrick Williams and Deon
Butler. Butler led the team with 37 receptions for 691 yards and nine TDs last
year, but Williams, who suffered a broken arm in a loss to Michigan last year,
is the better player and will be looked upon to make a ton of big plays down
the field. The PSU ground game boasts a pair of talented runners in seniors
Tony Hunt and Austin Scott, with Hunt having logged the bulk of the carries in
'05, amassing 1,047 yards and six TDs. The offensive line, which did a
tremendous job a season ago, returns just one starter, although he is a good
one in senior OT Levi Brown.
Long known as 'Linebacker U.', Penn State's strength on defense this year will
be in the middle of the field. 2005 Butkus Award winner Paul Posluszny is back
for his senior season and appears completely healed from the knee injury he
suffered in the Orange Bowl. Posluszny, who led the team with 116 tackles last
year, is a throw-back player who loves to get his nose dirty and has the
tenacity and quickness to make plays from sideline to sideline. Senior Tim
Shaw and junior Dan Connor round out what is probably the top LB trio in the
Big Ten, and they will be asked to make significant contributions as only
senior DT Jay Alford returns to his starting spot along the defensive line.
Alford had 8.5 sacks last season and was a crucial cog in a PSU defense than
ranked seventh in the nation in scoring defense (17.0 ppg) and 10th in
defending the run (93.0 ypg). The secondary features some talented, if
inexperienced guys, the best of the bunch probably being sophomore corner
Justin King.
Playing the top two teams in the nation (Notre Dame and Ohio State) in the
first four weeks, both on the road, Paterno will know early just how good his
team really is. Akron will be tough once again in the MAC, but the Zips are
overmatched in this contest. Expect the Nittany Lions to win, but if they make
too many mistakes the game could be closer than PSU fans would like to see.
Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Penn State 38, Akron 17
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