Penn State vs. Eastern Michigan Game Review

Penn State Fullback Zach Zwinak provided the Nittany Lions with some insurance with 2 Rushing TD's

     Last week against Syracuse, Penn State got off to a slow start before finding its stride and coming out on top with the win. Penn State got off to another rocky start versus Eastern Michigan Eagles this weekend when True Freshman Quarterback Christian Hackenberg fumbled the ball in the 1st quarter. Eagles Linebacker Hunter Matt returned the ball 11 yards for a touchdown(TD) to give Eastern Michigan a 7-0 lead over Penn State. That would be the Eagles only points of the day as Penn State would go on to score 45 unanswered points and improve their record to 2-0 on the season.

     Penn State quickly responded after the turnover with two consecutive scoring drives with a Zach Zwinak and Bill Belton rushing TD's, respectively, to give the Nittany Lions a 14-7 lead. Place Kicker Sam Ficken connected on a 39 yard field goal to extend Penn State's lead to 10 heading into the half.
    
     Penn State would start off the 2nd half with the ball, but its offense could not execute early on in the 3rd quarter and were forced to punt the ball away three times before scoring on their final drive of the quarter with another Rushing TD from Zach Zwinak, giving Penn State a 24-7 lead. From that point on, the flood gates began to open for the Nittany Lion offense!

     Christian Hackenberg would find his favorite target Allen Robinson(who finished the day with 7 receptions for 129 yards) for a 45 yard TD pass. (Hackenberg would finish the day with 311 yards through the air with 1 TD and 1 Interception) Just as Penn State's offense was finding its stride, the defense had already found its rhythm!

     The Nittany Lion defense allowed only 61 yards on the ground thanks to another strong performance by Defensive Tackle(DT) DaQuan Jones, who finished the game a sack. Defensive End C.J. Olaniyan also recorded a sack, while Glenn Carson and Austin Johnson each shared 0.5, to give Penn State three sacks in total. Penn State was dominating the run game on the defensive side, the Nittany Lions started to show some signs of life running the ball on their end as Bill Belton and Akeel Lynch scored on a run of 51 and 18 yards respectively on their final two possessions. Both Belton and Lynch rushed for 108 yards each, as Penn State rolled to an easy win over Eastern Michigan.

NOTES
 -Sam Ficken's Field Goal gives him the school record for  most consecutive Field Goals made(14)

 -

Christian Hackenberg had 311 passing yards vs Eastern Michigan, setting the Penn State record for passing yards in a game by a freshman. 

 

 - Penn State is now just 2-26 on 3rd down through two games, but 4-4 on 4th down

 

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Penn State vs Syracuse Game Review

     The big question Penn State had heading into the 2013 Football season was "Who would be the starting Quarterback?" True Freshman Christian Hackenberg was given the nod over JUCO transfer Tyler Ferguson(who did play one series before fumbling the football after just two plays). Despite very little offensive production, Penn State's offense move the ball and Place Kicker Sam Ficken connected on two Field Goals(FG) (35, 36 yds) to give Penn State a 6-3 lead heading into halftime.(Ficken would connect on a 46 yarder, longest of his career later in the second half and has now made 13 consecutive FG's dating back to last season.)

     Wide Receiver Allen Robinson, who did not play in the first half for reasons unknown, (according to Head Coach Bill O'Brien it was a matter between him and Allen) made a huge impact immediately! On the Nittany Lions first possession of the second half, it only took two plays for them to find the endzone thanks to (Allen) Robinson who caught two passes for a total of 76 yards in just a 34 second time span. (Robinson would finish the day with 7 catches for 133 receiving yards and a Touchdown(TD), all in the second half!) The touchdown gave the Nittany Lions a 13-3 lead. The lead would not last long, as Syracuse responded with a quick TD of its own, trimming Penn State's lead back down to three at 13-10.

     Ficken's third FG of the game extended Penn State's lead to 16-10. On the Nittany Lions first play of the 4th Quarter, Christian Hackenberg set up a "Play-Action Fake" and found Redshirt Freshman Wideout, Eugene Lewis for a 54 yard TD reception to give Penn State a seemingly commanding 23-10 lead. Hackenberg did have some critical mistakes to go with his positive outputs. Looking to run some clock out and possibly expand on their lead, Hackenberg threw an interception, which Syracuse returned all the way inside Penn State's 5. The Orange would capitalize on this turnover with just one play and cut Penn State's lead down quickly to 23-17.

     Penn State's Defense hung tough though. Defensive Tackle DaQuan Jones had a big game, registering 9 Tackles (including 1 Sack and 3 Tackles For Losses(TFL). The Nittany Lions secondary, which consisted of Jordan Lucas, Trevor Williams, Malcolm Willis, Stephen Obeng-Agyapong(whom also registered a sack) among others, came up with some nice defensive plays by getting a hand on the ball and breaking up passes. (Trevor) Williams sealed the game for Penn State with an interception with just two minutes remaining and the Nittany Lions would run out the clock and start its 2013 campaign with a win.

NOTES

Unsung Hero-Garry Gilliam, made an open field tackle after an interception by Syracuse and in the process, saved giving up a TD. (Syracuse would end up with 0 points off the turnover as they missed a FG attempt on their possession following the turnover.)

Penn State was just 1 for 16 on 3rd down conversions

Penn State Linebacker Mike Hull, is listed day to day along with Tight End Kyle Carter. Tight End Matt Lehman is lost for the season after injuring his knee in the 2nd Quarter.

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2013 NFL Predictions

     AFC East

New England    13-3

Miami Dolphins   9-7

Buffalo Bills         8-8

NY Jets              4-12

AFC North

Balitmore Ravens  11-5

Pittsburgh Steelers 10-6

Cincinnati Bengals   9-7

Cleveland Browns   6-10

AFC South

Houston Texans  11-5

Indianapolis Colts 9-7

Tennessee Titans 7-9

Jacksonville Jaguars 5-11

AFC West

Denver Broncos 13-3

Kansas City Chiefs 7-9

San Diego Chargers 7-9

Oakland Raiders 2-14

NFC East

NY Giants             10-6

Dallas Cowboys      8-8

Washington Redskins 8-8

Philadelphia Eagles 6-10

NFC North

Green Bay Packers 12-4

Minnesota Vikings 10-6

Detroit Lions            7-9

Chicago Bears 4-12

NFC South

Atlanta Falcons        11-5

New Orleans Saints 8-8

Carolina Panthers      8-8

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 5-11

NFC West

San Fransisco 49ers 12-4

Seattle Seahawks      11-5

St. Louis Rams          5-11

Arizona Cardinals      4-12

Playoffs

                                                                          Wild Card

          Wild Card

 

                                   AFC                                                                              NFC

              Houston vs Pittsburgh                                                 Seattle vs NY Giants

              Baltimore vs Indianapolis                                         Atlanta vs Minnesota

                                                                           Divisional

           Baltimore vs Denver                                                            Green Bay vs Atlanta

           Pittsburgh vs New England                                                  Seattle  vs San Francisco

                                                                 Conference Championship             

New England  vs Denver                                                             Green Bay  vs  Seattle  

                                                                            Super Bowl  

                                                             Denver Broncos vs  Seattle Seahawks  

                                                         

                                                                             Champions

                                                                        Seattle Seahawks   

NFL MVP - Aaron Rodgers

NFL Passing Yards Leader- Drew Brees (4,931 yards)

NFL Touchdown Passes Leader- Aaron Rodgers (42)

NFL Rushing Yards Leader- Adrian Peterson (1,812 yards)

NFL Receiving Yards Leader- Calvin Johnson (1,747 yards)

Receiving Touchdowns- AJ Green (15)

Rushing Touchdowns- Doug Martin (18)

Sacks- Aldon Smith (19)

Interceptions- Richard Sherman (8)

Rookie of the Year- Dion Jordan

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My Predictions For 2013 Penn State Football

            

                                               (1.)
     Despite getting off to a rocky 0-2 start last year, Penn State bounced by to finish the season at 8-4. Penn State does lose some key players; Matt McGloin, Mike Mauti, Gerald Hodges,



Matt Stankiewtich, Jordan Hill, Sean Stanley.  On the flip side Penn State returns a lot of key players on both sides of the ball as well; Tight Ends Jesse James, Kyle Carter, Matt Lehman(All whom played a huge part of success in Bill O'Brien's Offense) 2012 Big Ten Wide Receiver of the Year Allen Robinson also returns. Zach Zwinak and Bill Belton both return and look to combine power and speed to the run game. On the Offensive Line the Nittany Lions return Garry Gillam(who played some Tight End last year and could still see some time there) John Urschel, Adam Gress, Ty Howle, Eric Shrive, Miles Dieffenbach, and Donovan Smith. Penn State's Defensive Front returns some key starters as well; 2012 Big Ten Freshman of the Year Deion Barnes, whom recorded 6 sacks last year leads the way with fellow Defensive End Anthony Zettel (who recorded 4 sacks of his own) and DaQuan Jones at Tackle. Mike Hull looks to be at the helm at Linebacker with Adrian Amos and

Stephen Obeng-Agyapong returning in the defensive backfield. With that said, here are my predictions!                                                                             My Prediction                         Actual Result Penn State - Syracuse                                         Penn State 31-13                Penn State 23-17               Penn State - Eastern Michigan                           Penn State 34-10                Penn State 45-7 Penn State - Central Florida                               Penn State 38-17                Central Florida 34-31 Penn State - Kent State                                       Penn State 35-8                  Penn State 34-0 Penn State - Indiana                                            Penn State 42-10                Indiana 44-24 Penn State - Michigan                                        Penn State 35-24                 Penn State 43-40 Penn State - Ohio State                                       Ohio State 42-20                Ohio State 63-14 Penn State - Illinois                                             Penn State 45-6                  Penn State 24-17 Penn State - Minnesota                                       Penn State 31-17                Minnesota 24-10 Penn State - Purdue                                            Penn State 41-14                 Penn State 45-21 Penn State - Nebraska                                         Penn State 35-28                Nebraska 23-20 Penn State - Wisconsin                                       Wisconsin 38-31                 Penn State 31-24 While it maybe a bit of a stretch, I do think Penn State has a realistic chance at 10-2 so I will go out on a limb and say that they will do so!  WE ARE PENN STATE! Image sources: (1.) http://www.espnradio1320.com/upload/psu-logo.gif     Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Nams-Noodle-Sports-Blog-FB-Page/252192688235247    Youtube  Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/namsnoodle?feature=mhee

Tom Brady "How My Disdain Turned Into Admiration For The Star Quarterback of the New England Patriots"

                                                                                           (John Bazemore/AP)
    (1.) Tom Brady did not always have it so good, but hard work and dedication allowed him to come out on top in his NFL career.  



     For a while, I could never stomach any of Tom Brady's success on the field, much less the sight of him.(He was like that popular guy in school who got all the chicks, no matter what you did, you were always overlooked by all of the of them in favor of him) Seeing him have the last laugh with the Lombardi Trophy three times in four years made me feel sick and uneasy as a fan, much like in baseball when the Yankees would always win the World Series. Because of his success, many football fans essentially saw Brady as a villain who everyone wanted to see be taken down! A great example would be during the New England Patriots historic 2007-08 season. No one could slow down Brady and this particular bunch as he would go on to set an NFL record 50 Touchdown(TD) Passes in a single season that year as he pioneered the New England Patriots to a perfect 16-0 regular record and entered the playoffs as clear Super Bowl favorites. Just as expected, New England would reach the Super Bowl.(the rich just kept getting richer) Not only was a Super Bowl title in Brady's and the Patriots sight, but a place in history as they looked to become the first team in NFL history to finish a season 19-0. The only thing Brady and the Patriots had to do was go through the New York Giants, whom they beat pretty handily in their regular season finale just a little over a month before.

     Late in the 4th Quarter of Super Bowl 42, Tom Brady connected with Randy Moss (whom was Brady's favorite target throughout the season and also set a record of his own that year with an NFL single season record for TD Receptions with 23) for a TD to give the Patriots a 14-10 lead with just 2:42 remaining. The Patriots defense just needed to make one more defensive stop and appeared to be well on their way to doing so until Giants Wide Receiver David Tyree made an acrobatic catch. Tyree's catch was a critical as it helped keep the Giants drive alive and just a few plays later Eli Manning found Plaxico Burress for the go ahead TD. Giving the Giants a 17-14 lead with just 35 seconds left. Despite having three timeouts left, Tom Brady and the Patriots could not even move the ball a single yard on their last possession, with Brady being sacked in the process. On 4th Down, Brady with one last desperate act, hurled the ball into the air intended for Moss only for it to fall incomplete. As a fan of football I was relieved! It felt as if the football gods made everything right, and in the end justice finally prevailed as the evil Tom Brady and New England Patriots were taken down by the New York Giants in a classic "David vs. Goliath" matchup.

     Tom Brady was now dealing with what is arguably one of his most bitter losses in his entire career (something every athlete, no matter at what level, hates to endure.) and to make matters worse for him, he would have to wait much longer for redemption as he would injure himself in the first game of the following season. The injury was severe enough to cause him to miss the entire 2008 season. In retrospect, (this was probably the turning point in which my feelings of turmoil for Tom Brady began to transform into admiration as I realized he was not always on top. He started with nothing and made something out of it). Brady's perseverance(much like he has faced his entire career dating back to his years in college at Michigan) is what allowed him to continue to play at an elite level as he returned the following season after his injury and win the 2009 NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award. Even with age, Brady maintains the same competitive level of play he had upon entering the league. Brady has practically always played with a chip on his shoulder. Coming into the 2000 NFL Draft, many of the football "experts" deemed Brady, slow, undersized, and was not perceived as a quality NFL type Quarterback, while others Quarterbacks like Chad Pennington(yes you read that right) received much hype heading into the draft. Hell, Brady was not expected to pose any threat to the New England Patriots backups upon drafting him. Brady (much like me or anyone else in life) had to prove his worth, (and just like many others want to do in whatever profession they are in) Brady did as he sits at the top at what he does best! (2.)
    
     Though I still root against Tom Brady come game day(mainly when he is playing against a team I like) I cheer and root him on as a football player in general as my respect for him continues to grow. Even his critics have to appreciate Brady's work as he proved many of them and the so called "experts" wrong. Brady's performance on the field and overcoming any and all adversity, should not only inspire young players looking to improve their performance for football but for your everyday "Ordinary Joe". Again, those whom are aspiring to make positive changes in their lives, should look at Tom Brady as an example. He took advantage of every opportunity that came his way and while doing so, proved many wrong along way! I think as humans we can all relate to that. I know I can thanks to someone like Tom Brady! (3.)
   
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Sources: (Image) (1.) http://onlyagame.wbur.org/2013/02/27/tom-brady-contract
                            (2.) http://www.footballperspective.com/what-did-the-media-say-about-tom-brady-in-2000/
                            (3.) http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/players/playerpage/187741/tom-brady

How The Hiring of Jacques Martin May Impact The Pittsburgh Penguins

   

                          (1.) Will Jacques Martin defensive coaching strategy be the perfect combination for the Pittsburgh Penguins high scoring offense?

     Dan Bylsma has been one of the most successful head coaches in Pittsburgh Penguins in the history of the franchise. Bylsma took over midway through the 2009 season as head coach when the Penguins were struggling to stay in playoff contention. The Penguins entered that season as the defending Eastern Conference Champions after reaching the Stanley Cup Finals. (losing to the Detroit Red Wings in 6 games) Despite receiving a three year extension, then head coach Michel Therrien, was given the axe. The Penguins called up Bylsma from Wilkes Barre/Scranton to serve as an interim coach (eventually going on to become head coach). Bylsma would lead the Penguins to its 3rd Stanley Cup title in franchise history, by redeeming themselves of the previous years Stanley Cup Finals against Detroit, beating them in 7 games.

     Bylsma already has 201 regular season wins, and is only 2nd to Eddie Johnston's (who had two separate tenures as head coach) 232 wins in the history of the Penguins organization. With success though comes high expectations. Especially when you sports world class players such as Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Despite his winning of the Stanley Cup in 09' and the success in the regular season, Blysma has had trouble matching that success in the playoffs. In 2011 and 2012, the Penguins were knocked out of the first round. In 2013, even after loading up with big talents at the trade deadline (Jarome Iginla, Brendan Morrow, Douglas Murray, Jussi Jokinen) the Penguins season ended in disappointment, being swept by the Boston Bruins in four games. 2010 saw the Penguins enter the season as the defending Stanley Cup Champions and looked to be the favorites to recapture Lord Stanley. Especially after the heavily favorited Washington Capitals were upset in the first round by the Montreal Canadiens, whom the Penguins would end up playing in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals. Montreal though would again shock everybody, beating the Penguins in seven games. Game 7 was also the last game ever played in the Mellon Arena.(As the Penguins would open up the New Consol Energy Center the following season) Then head coach of the Montreal Canadiens Jacques Martin, used his defensive minded approach to upset the Penguins. The Penguins have had trouble in the defensive department the past few years in the playoffs, so they went out to find someone to match Dan Bylsma's high offensive attack with an equally effective defensive minded coach. That man ended up being none other than...... Jacques Martin!

     Bygones be bygones though, as Martin is now one of the good guys and the impact he could have, may make the Penguins a more well balanced team. Kris Letang, who is one of the best offensive defenseman in the league today, struggles on the defensive aspect of the games by committing costly turnovers and overcommitting on defense that lead to many scoring opportunities for the opposition. With Martin now on board, he will be able to gel his defensive scheme into Letang's gameplay and improve his performance all around. Letang though is not the only one who could surely benefit from Martin's coaching style. Even superstars such as Crosby, Malkin, James Neal, and others, will be able to polish their defensive games and become better two-way players by matching their offensive abilities with an equally effective defensive gameplay.

     Pittsburgh has had no trouble in the scoring department, and now with the hiring of Jacques Martin, the Penguins hope to have an equal balance of offense and defense.


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File Profile: Evgeni Malkin

                                                            Matt Freed/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
                       (1.)

     Name: Evgeni "Geno" Malkin

     Achievements: (2.) 2006-07: Calder-Rookie of the Year
                                    2008-09: Art Ross-Scoring Champion
                                    2009:    Conn Smythe-Playoff MVP
                                    2011-12: Art Ross-Scoring Champion
                                    2011-12: Hart-Most Valuable Player
                                    2011-12: Lester Pearson-Player Assn. Top Player

     Career Stats(2.)(as of 2013 off season): Regular Season-  458 Games Played,  217 Goals, 343 Assists, 560 Points    Postseason- 83 Games Played, 36 Goals, 61 Assists, 97 Points

     Strengths: -Strong slapshot
                      -Puck Movement & Stick Handling
                      - Good Vision
                      - Great Hockey Instinct

     Areas for Improvement: - Defensive Game
                                             - Stepping up in the clutch
                                             - Controlling his emotions (leads to taking dumb penalties)
                                          

     Evgeni Malkin is arguably one of, if not, the best hockey player in the world today. Though as of late Malkin has had times where he has gone unnoticed, he still has the capability of taking over a game. Case in point, go back to Game 2 of the 2009 Eastern Conference Finals against the Carolina Hurricanes. Malkin dominated the game registering a Hat Trick, but the way he finished it off is something that will be talked about for a long time to come. With two goals, Malkin was set for a faceoff in Carolina's zone. Malkin would win the faceoff, bounce the puck off the end board and skate behind the net with a defender on him. As Malkin came out on the other side of the net with the defender still on him, he released a wicked backhander that would go over the shoulder of Carolina Goalie Cam Ward and into the net. The entire crowd went into a frenzy, with Malkin's parents in the crowd sharing their joy and excitement with Pens Nation at what their son just did!
                                     (3.)

     Malkin has great vision and when he creates space, he becomes a magician with the puck by showcasing his amazing puck control and stick handling abilities, Malkin becomes a human highlight reel! Here are some highlights!

                                       (4.)(5.)

     For as awe-aspiring Malkin's talents are, he, like any other player, still has his flaws. These flaws not only affect Malkin's play, but his team's as a whole. Malkin is not necessarily known for his defensive game. Though he has improved it, he still commits costly turnovers that have led to scoring opportunities for the opposition. Just as equally debilitating is Malkin's control of his emotions (Or lack thereof). With his emotions running wild, Malkin will take costly penalties and put his team at a disadvantage by forcing his team to go on the Penalty Kill(PK), again putting the other team in a great position for a scoring opportunity.

     As good as Malkin is with the puck with his great vision and puck control and stick handling abilities, he often will force a play and try to make something happen when it is not there. This is another reason for Malkin's turnovers. At times, Malkin will pass up great scoring chances of his own, and instead pass it to one of his line mates even if they are not set up in the best position to score. Though this may be evident for the fact that Malkin  puts his team first before individual success.

     Evgeni Malkin has accomplished so much in just six seasons. Malkin will be 27 at the start of next season and is getting ready to enter his prime. With more experience as seasons and years go by, Malkin should and will be able to naturally improve upon the flaws in his game, all the while maintaining his high offensive productions and dynamic game play and performance!

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Sources: (1.) Matt Freed/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette http://thehealthyscratches.com/2013/01/24/the-healthy-scratches-comprehensive-3795-word-nhl-primerinitial-power-rankings/
               (2.) http://www.cbssports.com/nhl/players/playerpage/1128973/evgeni-malkin
               (3.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=dUDm8RE-oho
               (4.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=NEvYzM2ow5A
               (5.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=9IpdcG8a5Qk