| 14 November 2010
All those who believe the coaching staff nearly cost us the game in the first half raise your hands? Now leave the room as you have failed the advanced football class and must start over.
We saw a well prepared and motivated football team in Penn State in the first half and we were just awful. Poor tackling really hurt the defense badly. I don't know why Penn State did not just continue to run the ball. This was the worst half of football by the defense all season. Wisconsin was the worst first quarter. This was the worst first half. It was the worst game of the year for Pryor. The fans in the first few rows of the stadium had to be on guard. At any time the way Pryor was throwing a ball could have jacked someone in the head. The interior of the offensive line had a terrible first half in pass protection.
Pryor threw two good balls in the first half. One was the long ball to Posey. We had to settle for three because Boren got beat on the second down pass and Browning on the third down pass.
We played poorly. It was that simple.
The second half the coaches won the football game. Adjustments to what Penn State was doing turned the game around. I think going in we were counting on more pressure. Sacks have not been coming but pressure has been consistent. Making the quarterback throw the ball before he wants to is the next best thing to a sack. In this game we did not see that. The staff changed the zone coverage we were in and the difference was obvious. McGloin was 13 of 18 with 2 touchdowns in the first half. He was 2 of 12 with 2 interceptions for touchdowns in the second half.
The offensive line dominated the line of scrimmage running the ball the entire game. I am an old school smashmouth football kind of guy. I loved watching this line in the second half. I know alot of fans want Jordan Hall or Jamal Berry to be the starter. They might be better than Herron. Might is the key word in that sentence. With Herron we know what he can do. He is getting better every game. Then there are the intangibles. Go back and look at the long pass to Posey. Watch the left side of the line. Penn State has a blitz on. Adams takes the wide guy. The linebacker comes inside of him. I don't know if that was the blocking scheme or not but usually linemen take the inside guy, the one closest to the quarterback. Herron picked up on Adams taking the outside guy and stepped into the hole to meet the linebacker. Pryor has time to make the throw. Beautiful. I saw Saine make a couple of impressive blocks in this game.
Not a great game from the linebackers by any means but it must be pointed out that one key play, maybe the most important of the game, was the third fourth and short that Penn State went for. Hines is getting all the credit for the tackle but Homan spilled the run outside right into Hines.
What I love most about this game was facing adversity and coming back from it. That is something we need going into Iowa where a win over the Buckeyes is something they would love to send their seniors out with after a disappointing second half of the season.
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