Sep 5, 2007, 16:11 GMT
University Park, PA - Two of the most storied programs in college football meet in Happy Valley this Saturday, as the Notre Dame Fighting Irish come calling on the 14th-ranked Penn State Nittany Lions.
Notre Dame dropped a 33-3 decision at home to Georgia Tech last Saturday, marking the most lopsided season-opening loss in school history. The three points scored were the fewest under third-year head coach Charlie Weis and there could be several more tough losses this year as the Irish play a formidable schedule.
As for Penn State, it made quick work of an overmatched Florida International squad in last week's lidlifter, blanking the Golden Panthers in a 59-0 final. As a result, legendary coach Joe Paterno's Nittany Lions have won 23 of their last 28 games and picked up their 100th season-opening victory. It was also PSU's third shutout victory in the last six games.
Notre Dame owns a narrow 9-8-1 lead in the all-time series with Penn State, with the most recent win taking place last year in South Bend, 41-17. The two teams haven't met in Beaver Stadium since 1991.
The Irish showed very little fight on offense in last week's embarrassing loss to Georgia Tech, gaining a mere 122 yards on the day. They were particularly ineffective running the ball, finishing with -8 yards on a staggering 41 attempts. The negative yardage total was a direct result of the nine sacks the team surrendered. Notre Dame's anemic offensive effort resulted in seven punts, three lost fumbles and a mere 1.9 yards per offensive play. With Weis tight- lipped on the QB situation in the team's first game without former standout Brady Quinn, three guys actually took snaps in the loss, with Evan Sharpley hitting 10-of-13 pass attempts for 92 yards and freshman Jimmy Clausen connecting on 4-of-6 tries for 34 yards. Clausen has been tabbed the starter against Penn State and is facing one of the more aggressive defenses in the country in one of the toughest stadiums -- a daunting task indeed.
The Notre Dame defense had a difficult time trying to stop Georgia Tech RB Tashard Choice last week, as he rushed for a career-best 196 yards and two TDs. The Irish allowed 386 yards of total offense to the Yellow Jackets who played their first game in the post Calvin Johnson era. Three players logged nine tackles on the day, and David Bruton and Maurice Crum combined for the team's three TFLs. With defending the run being UND's obvious weakness, this could be another game where the opponent gets the upper hand from the outset and batters the Irish into submission. There is some athletic guys on this side of the ball for Weis, but not enough to make a real difference.
Penn State made it look easy in last week's whitewashing of hapless Florida International, rolling up 549 yards of total offense -- 236 on the ground and 313 through the air. Senior QB Anthony Morelli had the best day of his up- and-down career, setting a new school record by throwing for 231 yards in the first half. In addition to Morelli, WR Jordan Norwood (five receptions, 92 yards), TE Mickey Shuler (four grabs, 54 yards, one TD) and RBs Evan Royster (eight carries, 70 yards, one TD), Rodney Kinlaw (eight carries, 67 yards, one TD) and Austin Scott (11 carries, 46 yards, two TDs) all had productive afternoons. As the competition gets better, it is imperative for Paterno's offense to maintain a level of consistency that allows it to produce at a high level and take advantage of what the defense allows.
The Lions showed plenty of teeth in holding FIU in check all afternoon, particularly on the ground where the Golden Panthers were stymied to the tune of -3 yards on 31 rushes. The pass failed to yield much in the way of breathing room for the Panthers (117 yards) as well, and they converted just 1-of-15 third down tries. Led by LB Sean Lee (seven tackles, two TFLs, one sack, one forced fumble, one PBU), the Penn State defense hunkered down and refused to allow FIU to get into any kind of offensive rhythm. Lee was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week as a result of his efforts. Butkus Award candidate Dan Connor tallied just five stops on the day, but was credited with one sack and a fumble recovery. The PSU secondary, led by talented defenders Justin King and Anthony Scirrotto, failed to come up with an INT, but big plays were everywhere to be found as the Lions amassed seven sacks and five fumble recoveries.
© 2007 The Sports Network
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