Obli's Observations: crib notes

[Obliviax]

There aren't a ton of observations because so much has already been written and said. I, in fact, didn't see the game live. I was at a fashion show where my daughter participated. Me, a fashion show. Jeezuz. I believe I was the only straight guy there. Certainly the only older, white, straight guy. (I am still struggling with pronouns so when with "bob's" 'I/Me' I DVRed it, saw that PSU was up 28-20 with six minutes to go then stayed up until 2:00 AM watching it (then, couldn't sleep).

So here is my shortened version:

• So great for SC and the offense. Really one of the all-time best QB performances in PSU history. 28 of 32 is amazing. It was great to see him take a tour of the stadium, high fiving fans, after the alma mater. Nobody wanted to leave!
• Pass blocking was really good against a really good front seven. SC was great. Nothing against him but you don't have that kind of day without good protection (against a very good front seven).
• Hats off to Auburn...a tough team, fun to root for, wasn't intimidated at all. Future is really bright with two of the best RB's I've seen this year.
• I watched some of the MSU game and they are a tough team. I love their HC. After they beat Miami, he was asked how they did it and he gave one of the best upper midwest answers ever. It went something like this "we wanted to drag them into the 'deep water'. We wanted them to feel where we live. We wanted them to experience the hard work, the dirt, the sweat, the early mornings in the weight room. We wanted them to feel Spartan football." Embrace the suck and a great attitude against a glam school like Miami. I feel like Auburn brought that.
• Aside from all of the other observations about bad refing, they also missed an illegal motion later in the 3rd quarter. Auburn's RT got into pass position before the ball was snapped. It was not egregious but it was pretty obvious. Auburn gained ~ 11 yards and an important first down.
• The team and game showed really great on TV. A HUGE boost for PSU, HV and one of the biggest recruiting weekends in the history of the school. I am hoping this pays future dividends for everyone involved.
• CJF gave one of the best answers to a post game question ever when he just looked at Holly after she asked about the missed down.
• Lee put the ball on the ground and was never seen or heard from again. Cain played well and pass blocked as good as any RB I've seen. Lovett ran well and had a big gainer on a screen. He looks like a keeper. I didn't see Ford play.
• Mustipher needs to get behind the pads and GO! He isn't the next coming of Barry Sanders. And why aren't we teaching our players to push? I liked Warren at wildcat and you can see his athleticism. But when the pass was covered, he also needs to GO!
• Lots being said and written about the Auburn Turnover. Well, while the kid made a mistake, it happened because a) PSU stayed home and defended the pass well and b) they put a lot of pressure on the kid to make a play. Mistakes happen under pressure. His drop wasn't a stand-alone incident. It happened because of what PSU did.
• Dotson had a very good catch for a TD and an amazing one-handed catch. If he doesn't make the one-handed catch, that ball is intercepted. The CB, or S, was right there. Huge play. I loved the announcer saying the ball was overthrown only to have Dotson catch it. That is how superstars are made. Dotson, if he wasn't already, bought a ticket to the first round of the draft.
• Smith and Luketa had monster games against a quality opponent.
• OC brought his A game. In addition to Warren and Mustipher, we had a Dotson pass (a lousy pass because the TE was WIDE open but I'll take it) and the TE's were open all day. I am sure Auburn wasn't anticipating that.
• Looking at the team stats, a really close game. If you had to say there was one differentiator, you'd have to point to the fact that their turnover was huge and ours was minimal. it was with 15 seconds to go and from the Auburn 47.
• I thought taunting was going to be enforced this year. Smoke Monday, who had a great game, stood over a WR and yelled at him for a bit. I was surprised that didn't get flagged.
• Obviously, the missed downs was an egregious offense. Fireable, IMHO. One of the worst operational screw ups I've ever seen and it was across the board (all refs and booth). Also, the roughing call was ticky tack if not outright bad. The refs kind of let both teams play on holding by the OL. The PI against them late was HUGE but was a good call. Again, great call by our OC on second down. Honestly, that non-call on the potential Safety was also HUGE. The no-call on their TD try was also a good call. However, I would not have been surprised to see either or both go the other way. Joey Porter's long arms and a big weapon. He and TCF had good games. We don't win without that PI call.
• The worst call of the game was the intentional grounding against PSU. A horrible call. I recall that happening against PSU several years ago. Hack? McSorley? McGloin? I can't recall. But that is twice on PSU and I've never seen that called when there was clearly a communication screw up between R and QB. SC was clearly NOT under duress.

Good stuff. PSU now has two wins in three games against ranked opponents. MSU and Iowa look really good but with similar teams: physical, hard running, good defenses. Add in UM and tOSU and we have a really tough schedule this year. We'll see what Indy is like as they kind of imploded Saturday.

 

[NittanyLion15]

There aren't a ton of observations because so much has already been written and said. I, in fact, didn't see the game live. I was at a fashion show where my daughter participated. Me, a fashion show. Jeezuz. I DVRed it, saw that PSU was up 28-20 with six minutes to go then stayed up until 2:00 watching it (then, couldn't sleep).

So here is my shortened version:

• So great for SC and the offense. Really one of the all-time best QB performances in PSU history. 28 of 32 is amazing. It was great to see him take a tour of the stadium, high fiving fans, after the alma mater.
• Pass blocking was really good against a really good front seven. SC was great. Nothing against him but you don't have that kind of day without good protection (against a very good front seven).
• Hats off to Auburn...a tough team, fun to root for, wasn't intimidated at all. Future is really bright with two of the best RB's I've seen this year.
• I watched some of the MSU game and they are a tough team. I love their HC. After they beat Miami, he was asked how they did it and he gave one of the best upper midwest answers ever. It went something like this "we wanted to drag them into the 'deep water'. We wanted them to feel where we live. We wanted them to experience the hard work, the dirt, the sweat, the early mornings in the weight room. We wanted them to feel Spartan football." Embrace the suck and a great attitude against a glam school like Michigan. I feel like Auburn brought that.
• Aside from all of the other observations about bad refing, they also missed an illegal motion later in the 3rd quarter. Auburn's RT got into pass position before the ball was snapped. It was not egregious but it was pretty obvious. Auburn gained ~ 11 yards and an important first down.
• The team and game showed really great on TV. A HUGE boost for PSU, HV and one of the biggest recruiting weekends in the history of the school. I am hoping this pays future dividends for everyone involved.
• CJF gave one of the best answers to a post game question ever when he just looked at Holly after she asked about the missed down.
• Lee put the ball on the ground and was never seen or heard from again. Cain played well and pass blocked as good as any RB I've seen. Lovett ran well and had a big gainer on a screen. He looks like a keeper. I didn't see Ford play.
• Mustipher needs to get behind the pads and GO! He isn't the next coming of Barry Sanders. And why aren't we teaching our players to push? I liked Warren at wildcat and you can see his athleticism. But when the pass was covered, he also needs to GO!
• Lots being said and written about the Auburn Turnover. Well, while the kid made a mistake, it happened because a) PSU stayed home and defended the pass well and b) they put a lot of pressure on the kid to make a play. Mistakes happen under pressure. His drop wasn't a stand-alone incident. It happened because of what PSU did.
• Dotson had a very good catch for a TD and an amazing one-handed catch. If he doesn't make the one-handed catch, that ball is intercepted. The CB, or S, was right there. Huge play. I loved the announcer saying the ball was overthrown only to have Dotson catch it. That is how superstars are made. Dotson, if he wasn't already, bought a ticket to the first round of the draft.
• Smith and Luketa had monster games against a quality opponent.
• OC brought his A game. In addition to Warren and Mustipher, we had a Dotson pass (a lousy pass because the TE was WIDE open but I'll take it) and the TE's were open all day. I am sure Auburn wasn't anticipating that.
• Looking at the team stats, a really close game. If you had to say there was one differentiator, you'd have to point to the fact that their turnover was huge and ours was minimal. it was with 15 seconds to go and from the Auburn 47.
• I thought taunting was going to be enforced this year. Smoke Monday, who had a great game, stood over a WR and yelled at him for a bit. I was surprised that didn't get flagged.
• Obviously, the missed downs was an egregious offense. Fireable, IMHO. One of the worst operational screw ups I've ever seen and it was across the board (all refs and booth). Also, the roughing call was ticky tack if not outright bad. The refs kind of let both teams play on holding by the OL. The PI against them late was HUGE but was a good call. Again, great call by our OC on second down. Honestly, that non-call on the potential Safety was also HUGE. We don't win without that PI call.
• The worst call of the game was the intentional grounding against PSU. A horrible call. I recall that happening against PSU several years ago. Hack? McSorley? McGloin? I can't recall. But that is twice on PSU and I've never seen that called when there was clearly a communication screw up between R and QB. SC was clearly NOT under duress.

Good stuff. PSU now has two wins in three games against ranked opponents. MSU and Iowa look really good but with similar teams: physical, hard running, good defenses. Add in UM and tOSU and we have a really tough schedule this year. We'll see what Indy is like as they kind of imploded Saturday.

• CJF gave one of the best answers to a post game question ever when he just looked at Holly after she asked about the missed down.

Hands down... it was incredible. Holly could barely keep her composure. Loved it!

Great post!

 

[wilbury]

One thing that concerns me - several times, PSU players came in hot, head down, arms back leading with the crown of their helmet. Fortunately, they didn't make contact on these plays but they were fractions of a second away from an ejection. Hopefully this is something the coaches can identify and correct.

The turnover was big but don't put too much emphasis on it. Smith should have had an INT and Cliffords was a mistake on his part. Should have thrown that ball away earlier. Without that interception, I think we score on that drive. Point being, random stuff happens in football games. You might get one turnover but just miss another one so in the end it all evens out.

 

[Obliviax]

One thing that concerns me - several times, PSU players came in hot, head down, arms back leading with the crown of their helmet. Fortunately, they didn't make contact on these plays but they were fractions of a second away from an ejection. Hopefully this is something the coaches can identify and correct.

The turnover was big but don't put too much emphasis on it. Smith should have had an INT and Cliffords was a mistake on his part. Should have thrown that ball away earlier. Without that interception, I think we score on that drive. Point being, random stuff happens in football games. You might get one turnover but just miss another one so in the end it all evens out.

Agree. Although there were only :15 left in the half after the INT. But you are right, football is situational. Without that TD off of the Auburn TO, both teams play the rest of that half totally differently. PSU knew that they could not lose the game with a single score and an 8 point lead down the stretch. And Auburn would have played defense differently if the game was tied or PSU was behind. The only thing we know, for sure, is what happened (and that can be difficult too!).

 

[Still in State College]

I thought Clifford looked more at ease than I had ever seen him. Really didn't seem to have the anxiousness I am used to seeing. Loved the work to the TE's. Hated the trick plays. They just went to the well too many times. On 3rd and short don't outthink yourself.

Good effort and the team is looking very poised.

 

[Midnighter2]

There aren't a ton of observations because so much has already been written and said. I, in fact, didn't see the game live. I was at a fashion show where my daughter participated. Me, a fashion show. Jeezuz. I believe I was the only straight guy there. Certainly the only older, white, straight guy. I DVRed it, saw that PSU was up 28-20 with six minutes to go then stayed up until 2:00 AM watching it (then, couldn't sleep).

So here is my shortened version:

• So great for SC and the offense. Really one of the all-time best QB performances in PSU history. 28 of 32 is amazing. It was great to see him take a tour of the stadium, high fiving fans, after the alma mater. Nobody wanted to leave!
• Pass blocking was really good against a really good front seven. SC was great. Nothing against him but you don't have that kind of day without good protection (against a very good front seven).
• Hats off to Auburn...a tough team, fun to root for, wasn't intimidated at all. Future is really bright with two of the best RB's I've seen this year.
• I watched some of the MSU game and they are a tough team. I love their HC. After they beat Miami, he was asked how they did it and he gave one of the best upper midwest answers ever. It went something like this "we wanted to drag them into the 'deep water'. We wanted them to feel where we live. We wanted them to experience the hard work, the dirt, the sweat, the early mornings in the weight room. We wanted them to feel Spartan football." Embrace the suck and a great attitude against a glam school like Miami. I feel like Auburn brought that.
• Aside from all of the other observations about bad refing, they also missed an illegal motion later in the 3rd quarter. Auburn's RT got into pass position before the ball was snapped. It was not egregious but it was pretty obvious. Auburn gained ~ 11 yards and an important first down.
• The team and game showed really great on TV. A HUGE boost for PSU, HV and one of the biggest recruiting weekends in the history of the school. I am hoping this pays future dividends for everyone involved.
• CJF gave one of the best answers to a post game question ever when he just looked at Holly after she asked about the missed down.
• Lee put the ball on the ground and was never seen or heard from again. Cain played well and pass blocked as good as any RB I've seen. Lovett ran well and had a big gainer on a screen. He looks like a keeper. I didn't see Ford play.
• Mustipher needs to get behind the pads and GO! He isn't the next coming of Barry Sanders. And why aren't we teaching our players to push? I liked Warren at wildcat and you can see his athleticism. But when the pass was covered, he also needs to GO!
• Lots being said and written about the Auburn Turnover. Well, while the kid made a mistake, it happened because a) PSU stayed home and defended the pass well and b) they put a lot of pressure on the kid to make a play. Mistakes happen under pressure. His drop wasn't a stand-alone incident. It happened because of what PSU did.
• Dotson had a very good catch for a TD and an amazing one-handed catch. If he doesn't make the one-handed catch, that ball is intercepted. The CB, or S, was right there. Huge play. I loved the announcer saying the ball was overthrown only to have Dotson catch it. That is how superstars are made. Dotson, if he wasn't already, bought a ticket to the first round of the draft.
• Smith and Luketa had monster games against a quality opponent.
• OC brought his A game. In addition to Warren and Mustipher, we had a Dotson pass (a lousy pass because the TE was WIDE open but I'll take it) and the TE's were open all day. I am sure Auburn wasn't anticipating that.
• Looking at the team stats, a really close game. If you had to say there was one differentiator, you'd have to point to the fact that their turnover was huge and ours was minimal. it was with 15 seconds to go and from the Auburn 47.
• I thought taunting was going to be enforced this year. Smoke Monday, who had a great game, stood over a WR and yelled at him for a bit. I was surprised that didn't get flagged.
• Obviously, the missed downs was an egregious offense. Fireable, IMHO. One of the worst operational screw ups I've ever seen and it was across the board (all refs and booth). Also, the roughing call was ticky tack if not outright bad. The refs kind of let both teams play on holding by the OL. The PI against them late was HUGE but was a good call. Again, great call by our OC on second down. Honestly, that non-call on the potential Safety was also HUGE. The no-call on their TD try was also a good call. However, I would not have been surprised to see either or both go the other way. Joey Porter's long arms and a big weapon. He and TCF had good games. We don't win without that PI call.
• The worst call of the game was the intentional grounding against PSU. A horrible call. I recall that happening against PSU several years ago. Hack? McSorley? McGloin? I can't recall. But that is twice on PSU and I've never seen that called when there was clearly a communication screw up between R and QB. SC was clearly NOT under duress.

Good stuff. PSU now has two wins in three games against ranked opponents. MSU and Iowa look really good but with similar teams: physical, hard running, good defenses. Add in UM and tOSU and we have a really tough schedule this year. We'll see what Indy is like as they kind of imploded Saturday.

I feel bad because I didn't do a Midnighter Bar post in the 'in game' thread but happy to see you were able to keep your tradition of posting these (and they're great!). Honestly, had a ton going on right up to the game and no time to do any research. Iowa game looms large now noting Indiana is classic trap game.

As to loss of down sequence, what is most remarkable is that they f'd up three times! on that - first, the grounding penalty never should have been called. Ever. I have the game on now and re-watching that sequence I can't see who threw the flag. Fowler and Herbie seemed shocked when it's called because so much time has elapsed after the play. Then, they lose track of downs (f up #2), huddle, then make the wrong call anyway (f up #3). Fowler says there have been 'a few' issues with the linesmen during the game (not sure what else he was referring to). Then, the refs try to even things up a bit by trying to give Washington a first down when he was clearly a yard short and of course, it's reviewed and fails. It's hard to say what, if anything, changes if we have the extra down (Stoudt's punt pins Auburn inside the 10 IIRC), but that's not the point. Was a the worst call in a night full of them.

Hey! A fashion show!! Nice!!

 

[Aardvark86]

My most pleasant surprise of the game is that this team may well be much more balanced than I'd initially expected. At the end of the day, how far they go is likely to come down to the line play. The OL did a solid job in pass protection, but man they need some push on the ground. I'm not quite sure what to make of the D front seven yet - while the Auburn ground game put up some yards, a lot of it seemed to come in 3-4 yard chunks, which isn't too bad given the backs they were up against, and the pass pressure seemed a bit inconsistent. I'm thinking our linebackers have to be better than it seems.

As for play calling, I don't mind some gambling and aggressiveness once in a while; in fact, I kind of like it. But jeepers, everything doesn't have to be a trick play. Try something simpler but unexpected like short passing on 4th and one rather than jet sweep variations and wildcats. Or even run it a bit to the outside.

 

[ILLINOISLION]

I think Holly’s Q and Franklin’s non-response was at the half.

I thought Smith might have been called for targeting on a sideline hit a play or two before his dropped interception.

Re: Smith’s sideline roughing, Da’ Bears had an identical sideline roughing call on the Bengals QB yesterday. Identical! Several steps after going out-of-bounds, minimal contact, QB taking a dive. QB’s side of the field, his home bench. You just can’t give officials any opportunity to make that call.

Clifford’s interception came with under 20 seconds left in the half and was effectively a punt. Not sure if we would have had a chance to add a FG or not if that doesn’t happen.

So Clifford’s only had four non-completions: a dropped bubble screen that was well covered early in the game, the interception and two bad misses on short wide open receivers as he rolled right, maybe his two easiest throws of the night.

Kudos to Clifford for a great evening, but also kudos to his receivers for making some great catches all night long. Dotson alone had at least three ESPN TOP TEN PLAY-worthycatches.

 

[BrucePa]

There has to be a running game that can get late-game 1st downs and burn clock. The defense can't be on the field at the end of the game hoping for a hold because the offense went 3-and-out and couldn't get a 1st down on the last series. Certainly not at Iowa City, Columbus, East Lansing, and even College Park.

 

[mjh218]

In total I thought play calling was excellent. Good mix of pass and run. Kept Auburn on their toes. Thought that Clifford made a mistake at the end of the first half on the long ball. Not egregious because they intercepted inside their 10. But thought we had an opportunity to extend the lead and plenty of time to do it. He is playing much better this year. Making really good decisions. WRs caught everything on Sat and that helped. He only had 4 incompletions and one that I recall was an easy throw to #5.

I hate the college targeting rule. There are pretty obvious occurrences where the player deserves to be ejected. But on a lot of them it is a bang bang play and even though it might be targeting by the letter of the rule, it was not malicious. I’d like to see the NCAA adopt 2 levels of that foul. Garden variety would be 15 yards and the more egregious would be an ejection.

 

[SR108]

There aren't a ton of observations because so much has already been written and said. I, in fact, didn't see the game live. I was at a fashion show where my daughter participated. Me, a fashion show. Jeezuz. I believe I was the only straight guy there. Certainly the only older, white, straight guy. I DVRed it, saw that PSU was up 28-20 with six minutes to go then stayed up until 2:00 AM watching it (then, couldn't sleep).

So here is my shortened version:

• So great for SC and the offense. Really one of the all-time best QB performances in PSU history. 28 of 32 is amazing. It was great to see him take a tour of the stadium, high fiving fans, after the alma mater. Nobody wanted to leave!
• Pass blocking was really good against a really good front seven. SC was great. Nothing against him but you don't have that kind of day without good protection (against a very good front seven).
• Hats off to Auburn...a tough team, fun to root for, wasn't intimidated at all. Future is really bright with two of the best RB's I've seen this year.
• I watched some of the MSU game and they are a tough team. I love their HC. After they beat Miami, he was asked how they did it and he gave one of the best upper midwest answers ever. It went something like this "we wanted to drag them into the 'deep water'. We wanted them to feel where we live. We wanted them to experience the hard work, the dirt, the sweat, the early mornings in the weight room. We wanted them to feel Spartan football." Embrace the suck and a great attitude against a glam school like Miami. I feel like Auburn brought that.
• Aside from all of the other observations about bad refing, they also missed an illegal motion later in the 3rd quarter. Auburn's RT got into pass position before the ball was snapped. It was not egregious but it was pretty obvious. Auburn gained ~ 11 yards and an important first down.
• The team and game showed really great on TV. A HUGE boost for PSU, HV and one of the biggest recruiting weekends in the history of the school. I am hoping this pays future dividends for everyone involved.
• CJF gave one of the best answers to a post game question ever when he just looked at Holly after she asked about the missed down.
• Lee put the ball on the ground and was never seen or heard from again. Cain played well and pass blocked as good as any RB I've seen. Lovett ran well and had a big gainer on a screen. He looks like a keeper. I didn't see Ford play.
• Mustipher needs to get behind the pads and GO! He isn't the next coming of Barry Sanders. And why aren't we teaching our players to push? I liked Warren at wildcat and you can see his athleticism. But when the pass was covered, he also needs to GO!
• Lots being said and written about the Auburn Turnover. Well, while the kid made a mistake, it happened because a) PSU stayed home and defended the pass well and b) they put a lot of pressure on the kid to make a play. Mistakes happen under pressure. His drop wasn't a stand-alone incident. It happened because of what PSU did.
• Dotson had a very good catch for a TD and an amazing one-handed catch. If he doesn't make the one-handed catch, that ball is intercepted. The CB, or S, was right there. Huge play. I loved the announcer saying the ball was overthrown only to have Dotson catch it. That is how superstars are made. Dotson, if he wasn't already, bought a ticket to the first round of the draft.
• Smith and Luketa had monster games against a quality opponent.
• OC brought his A game. In addition to Warren and Mustipher, we had a Dotson pass (a lousy pass because the TE was WIDE open but I'll take it) and the TE's were open all day. I am sure Auburn wasn't anticipating that.
• Looking at the team stats, a really close game. If you had to say there was one differentiator, you'd have to point to the fact that their turnover was huge and ours was minimal. it was with 15 seconds to go and from the Auburn 47.
• I thought taunting was going to be enforced this year. Smoke Monday, who had a great game, stood over a WR and yelled at him for a bit. I was surprised that didn't get flagged.
• Obviously, the missed downs was an egregious offense. Fireable, IMHO. One of the worst operational screw ups I've ever seen and it was across the board (all refs and booth). Also, the roughing call was ticky tack if not outright bad. The refs kind of let both teams play on holding by the OL. The PI against them late was HUGE but was a good call. Again, great call by our OC on second down. Honestly, that non-call on the potential Safety was also HUGE. The no-call on their TD try was also a good call. However, I would not have been surprised to see either or both go the other way. Joey Porter's long arms and a big weapon. He and TCF had good games. We don't win without that PI call.
• The worst call of the game was the intentional grounding against PSU. A horrible call. I recall that happening against PSU several years ago. Hack? McSorley? McGloin? I can't recall. But that is twice on PSU and I've never seen that called when there was clearly a communication screw up between R and QB. SC was clearly NOT under duress.

Good stuff. PSU now has two wins in three games against ranked opponents. MSU and Iowa look really good but with similar teams: physical, hard running, good defenses. Add in UM and tOSU and we have a really tough schedule this year. We'll see what Indy is like as they kind of imploded Saturday.

Great game to watch, and great confidence game for Clifford.

Clifford looked poised, stood in the pocket, moved to buy time when needed and looked at his progressions well. He had a couple of inaccurate throws that were completions due to Dotson’s great hands/ hand.

Loved how the OC utilized the tight ends down field. Teams are taking away the long ball to Dotson so we used a lot of three tight end formations that Auburn had trouble with.

Running the ball and stopping the run seems to be an issue, however you have to credit Auburn and we were able to come up with big stops when needed. Lee needs to hold onto the ball, he is our best running back, but useless if he puts the ball on the ground and cannot pick up the blitz. Hopefully Lovett will stay out of the doghouse and give us more of a big play threat.
We are in a great position but have a meat grinder schedule ahead.

 

[RickinDayton]

There has to be a running game that can get late-game 1st downs and burn clock. The defense can't be on the field at the end of the game hoping for a hold because the offense went 3-and-out and couldn't get a 1st down on the last series. Certainly not at Iowa City, Columbus, East Lansing, and even College Park.

I believe CJF also spoke to that need in his post game comments. It appears they are trying to figure out the LG position as Wilson, Effner and I believe Holmes all saw snaps there, though Wilson had the majority of snaps.

 

[CF LION]

Obli, that was your "shortened" version?

Nice work. Good observations. I agree that the intentional grounding call on SC was ludicrous.

 

[psuro]

One thing that concerns me - several times, PSU players came in hot, head down, arms back leading with the crown of their helmet. Fortunately, they didn't make contact on these plays but they were fractions of a second away from an ejection. Hopefully this is something the coaches can identify and correct.

The turnover was big but don't put too much emphasis on it. Smith should have had an INT and Cliffords was a mistake on his part. Should have thrown that ball away earlier. Without that interception, I think we score on that drive. Point being, random stuff happens in football games. You might get one turnover but just miss another one so in the end it all evens out.

He had Lovett wide open underneath. Not sure if he saw him or not, but if he had flipped it to Lovett, that was going to be another 15-18 yards from the LOS as well as a first down. Put PSU within long FG range, barring any additional yards gained.

 

[Obliviax]

Great game to watch, and great confidence game for Clifford.

Clifford looked poised, stood in the pocket, moved to buy time when needed and looked at his progressions well. He had a couple of inaccurate throws that we’re completions due to Dotson’s grey hands/ hand.

Loved how the OC utilized the tight ends down field. Teams are taking away the long ball to Dotson so we used a lot of three tight end formations that Auburn had trouble with.

Running the ball and stopping the run seems to be an issue, however you have to credit Auburn and we were able to come up with big stops when needed. Lee needs to hold onto the ball, he is our best running back, but useless if he puts the ball on the ground and cannot pick up the blitz. Hopefully Lovett will stay out of the doghouse and give us more of a big play threat.
We are in a great position but have a meat grinder schedule ahead.

Agreed. On the Strange TD, where he was wide open, the team lined up in a V with a TE on the line, Dotson and Strange a step back in the backfield. Dotson was on the far right. Dotson ran to the middle of the field sucking up the entire offense. Strange ran an out and nobody was there, nobody. Great play call and smart to use Doton as a decoy.

 

[Obliviax]

He had Lovett wide open underneath. Not sure if he saw him or not, but if he had flipped it to Lovett, that was going to be another 15-18 yards from the LOS as well as a first down. Put PSU within long FG range, barring any additional yards gained.

IIRC, SC got hit as he released the ball. He saw the WR open but the ball had nothing on it and allowed the defender to react. But I agree, the under route was open and we'd have had the ball ~ 35 with 15 seconds, or so, left.

 

[psuro]

IIRC, SC got hit as he released the ball. He saw the WR open but the ball had nothing on it and allowed the defender to react. But I agree, the under route was open and we'd have had the ball ~ 35 with 15 seconds, or so, left.

For fun - assume he would have and a FG was made. If Brandon Smith would have held onto his INT he would have scored a TD - so add 10 points to PSU.

That would have changed Auburn's play calling, if PSU had 38 points, but....scoring 38 on an SEC team would have been just that much sweeter.

 

[NittPicker]

As to loss of down sequence, what is most remarkable is that they f'd up three times! on that - first, the grounding penalty never should have been called. Ever. I have the game on now and re-watching that sequence I can't see who threw the flag.

The initial flag was thrown by the deep official on the Penn State sideline. Field judge I think. Afterward he jogged down the field to discuss it with the referee. I don't really blame the guy who threw the flag since he's making the called based on what he sees in his area of responsibility. The referee could have easily told the field judge there was no duress and waved off the penalty. But he didn't. So even though the referee didn't throw the initial flag, the eff up falls squarely on his shoulders. After discussion, he dropped his flag and called the penalty.

 

[ILLINOISLION]

For fun - assume he would have and a FG was made. If Brandon Smith would have held onto his INT he would have scored a TD - so add 10 points to PSU.

That would have changed Auburn's play calling, if PSU had 38 points, but....scoring 38 on an SEC team would have been just that much sweeter.

Well, for more fun we fake the FG and score a TD as the first half click expires…..and for more fun we then fake the extra point and make the two point conversion!

 

[psuro]

Well, for more fun we fake the FG and score a TD as the first half click expires…..and for more fun we then fake the extra point and make the two point conversion!

You are having too much fun!

 

[PSUSignore]

CJF gave one of the best answers to a post game question ever when he just looked at Holly after she asked about the missed down.

Absolutely loved the look he gave her in response to that question, and she had the perfect response. "Well, that look says it all... back to you Chris."

Franklin also handled it well and humorously in the post-game presser. A reporter asked about seemingly losing a down and Franklin responded, "seemingly? Ask the question. I have to be diplomatic, but you don't."

Dotson had a very good catch for a TD and an amazing one-handed catch. If he doesn't make the one-handed catch, that ball is intercepted. The CB, or S, was right there. Huge play. I loved the announcer saying the ball was overthrown only to have Dotson catch it. That is how superstars are made. Dotson, if he wasn't already, bought a ticket to the first round of the draft.

Agreed on this point and I haven't seen many mention it. That pass was an INT if Dotson doesn't make that incredible catch.

OC brought his A game. In addition to Warren and Mustipher, we had a Dotson pass (a lousy pass because the TE was WIDE open but I'll take it) and the TE's were open all day. I am sure Auburn wasn't anticipating that.

Was Yurcich holding his cards with TE play through the first 2 games? There were a lot of comments here about how little the TEs were involved and they were unleashed against Auburn with fantastic results. Strange was wide open many times. The way Auburn kept losing him in coverage made me think they didn't spend much time game planning for TEs and that might be because Yurich didn't give them much TE tape in the first 2 games. Auburn may not have reviewed as much tape on the TEs from prior years because we had a different OC and it's possible we caught them by surprise.

 

[Obliviax]

Absolutely loved the look he gave her in response to that question, and she had the perfect response. "Well, that look says it all... back to you Chris."

Franklin also handled it well and humorously in the post-game presser. A reporter asked about seemingly losing a down and Franklin responded, "seemingly? Ask the question. I have to be diplomatic, but you don't."


Agreed on this point and I haven't seen many mention it. That pass was an INT if Dotson doesn't make that incredible catch.

Was Yurcich holding his cards with TE play through the first 2 games? There were a lot of comments here about how little the TEs were involved and they were unleashed against Auburn with fantastic results. Strange was wide open many times. The way Auburn kept losing him in coverage made me think they didn't spend much time game planning for TEs and that might be because Yurich didn't give them much TE tape in the first 2 games. Auburn may not have reviewed as much tape on the TEs from prior years because we had a different OC and it's possible we caught them by surprise.

Great comments. I have to give a shout out to my brother who pointed out that Dotson's one handed catch was probably an INT. I watched the 60 minute version and you could see the DB getting positioned to pick off the pass.

 

[NewEra 2014]

The Wisconsin win was a 20th century win--tough defense, field position, conservative, typical Paternoesque victory. The Auburn win was a 21st century win--aggressive play calling, usage of the entire playbook, throwing the ball to a variety of players, mixing up defensive coverages and blitz packages.

I thoroughly enjoyed both games, but what I like the most is that Penn State COMPETED. Even if they had lost either or both of those games, it was great to see Penn State play with heart, passion, and aggression. The entire program should be proud.

Nothing is perfect, but I have found the coaching, playcalling, and level of play of both the offense and defense to be really good--as good as I have seen at Penn State this century. I thought the 2016 team was Penn State's best chance to make the playoff for a long, long time. But this team is rounding into form very quickly. Penn State probably won't go undefeated this year, but no one wants to play us.

Lastly, I hope folks don't let the officiating spoil enjoyment of the game or of the growth of this team. CFB has been corrupt for a very long time, and it will probably always be corrupt. But this Penn State team, and the Penn State program, are turning into something really special, even if it doesn't get rewarded the way it should. It has happened to Penn State before in the 60's, 70's, and in 1994. But those teams are still legendary. Don't let the approval of the corrupt be a requirement--you will likely be disappointed.

 

[Madsol]

The initial flag was thrown by the deep official on the Penn State sideline. Field judge I think. Afterward he jogged down the field to discuss it with the referee. I don't really blame the guy who threw the flag since he's making the called based on what he sees in his area of responsibility. The referee could have easily told the field judge there was no duress and waved off the penalty. But he didn't. So even though the referee didn't throw the initial flag, the eff up falls squarely on his shoulders. After discussion, he dropped his flag and called the penalty.

If true, I think this makes the grounding call all the more terrible. Why is a down field official calling intentional grounding? How can he possibly see what is going on with the QB? He could be asked "hey, was there a receiver in your area?" but no way should he be calling the initial penalty.

 

[TheWizardofCamelot]

The unnecessary roughness on Smith was a bad call - but I do give credit to the Auburn player because he sold it pretty perfectly in the scrum of the sideline. I don't think the ref had a clear view of the contact/flop.

I think part of the issue with the run game comes down to our opponents completely selling out on stopping the run. The defensive strategy continues to be "make Clifford beat you" which he was able to do against Auburn. If you watch the replay, Auburn LBers bit on the fake handoff every single time which opened up a bunch down the seem to the TEs. Yurcich leaned heavy on the play fake all game. So while we haven't necessarily killed it in the run game, its still setting up the play fake and some down the field opportunities.

 

[pandaczar12]

The worst call of the game was the intentional grounding against PSU. A horrible call. I recall that happening against PSU several years ago. Hack? McSorley? McGloin? I can't recall. But that is twice on PSU and I've never seen that called when there was clearly a communication screw up between R and QB. SC was clearly NOT under duress.

Are you thinking about the time when a play was whistled dead right after the snap, and McGloin fired the ball into the ground like every QB does at every level? I can't recall if it was grounding or delay of game?

 

[PSUSignore]

On the topic of penalties, what is the rule for WRs lining up offside? I noticed a couple of plays where it looked like an obvious penalty but neither was called. These two pics were from consecutive plays in the 4th quarter.

 

[PSUHarry33]

There aren't a ton of observations because so much has already been written and said. I, in fact, didn't see the game live. I was at a fashion show where my daughter participated. Me, a fashion show. Jeezuz. I believe I was the only straight guy there. Certainly the only older, white, straight guy. (I am still struggling with pronouns so when with "bob's" 'I/Me' I DVRed it, saw that PSU was up 28-20 with six minutes to go then stayed up until 2:00 AM watching it (then, couldn't sleep).

So here is my shortened version:

• So great for SC and the offense. Really one of the all-time best QB performances in PSU history. 28 of 32 is amazing. It was great to see him take a tour of the stadium, high fiving fans, after the alma mater. Nobody wanted to leave!
• Pass blocking was really good against a really good front seven. SC was great. Nothing against him but you don't have that kind of day without good protection (against a very good front seven).
• Hats off to Auburn...a tough team, fun to root for, wasn't intimidated at all. Future is really bright with two of the best RB's I've seen this year.
• I watched some of the MSU game and they are a tough team. I love their HC. After they beat Miami, he was asked how they did it and he gave one of the best upper midwest answers ever. It went something like this "we wanted to drag them into the 'deep water'. We wanted them to feel where we live. We wanted them to experience the hard work, the dirt, the sweat, the early mornings in the weight room. We wanted them to feel Spartan football." Embrace the suck and a great attitude against a glam school like Miami. I feel like Auburn brought that.
• Aside from all of the other observations about bad refing, they also missed an illegal motion later in the 3rd quarter. Auburn's RT got into pass position before the ball was snapped. It was not egregious but it was pretty obvious. Auburn gained ~ 11 yards and an important first down.
• The team and game showed really great on TV. A HUGE boost for PSU, HV and one of the biggest recruiting weekends in the history of the school. I am hoping this pays future dividends for everyone involved.
• CJF gave one of the best answers to a post game question ever when he just looked at Holly after she asked about the missed down.
• Lee put the ball on the ground and was never seen or heard from again. Cain played well and pass blocked as good as any RB I've seen. Lovett ran well and had a big gainer on a screen. He looks like a keeper. I didn't see Ford play.
• Mustipher needs to get behind the pads and GO! He isn't the next coming of Barry Sanders. And why aren't we teaching our players to push? I liked Warren at wildcat and you can see his athleticism. But when the pass was covered, he also needs to GO!
• Lots being said and written about the Auburn Turnover. Well, while the kid made a mistake, it happened because a) PSU stayed home and defended the pass well and b) they put a lot of pressure on the kid to make a play. Mistakes happen under pressure. His drop wasn't a stand-alone incident. It happened because of what PSU did.
• Dotson had a very good catch for a TD and an amazing one-handed catch. If he doesn't make the one-handed catch, that ball is intercepted. The CB, or S, was right there. Huge play. I loved the announcer saying the ball was overthrown only to have Dotson catch it. That is how superstars are made. Dotson, if he wasn't already, bought a ticket to the first round of the draft.
• Smith and Luketa had monster games against a quality opponent.
• OC brought his A game. In addition to Warren and Mustipher, we had a Dotson pass (a lousy pass because the TE was WIDE open but I'll take it) and the TE's were open all day. I am sure Auburn wasn't anticipating that.
• Looking at the team stats, a really close game. If you had to say there was one differentiator, you'd have to point to the fact that their turnover was huge and ours was minimal. it was with 15 seconds to go and from the Auburn 47.
• I thought taunting was going to be enforced this year. Smoke Monday, who had a great game, stood over a WR and yelled at him for a bit. I was surprised that didn't get flagged.
• Obviously, the missed downs was an egregious offense. Fireable, IMHO. One of the worst operational screw ups I've ever seen and it was across the board (all refs and booth). Also, the roughing call was ticky tack if not outright bad. The refs kind of let both teams play on holding by the OL. The PI against them late was HUGE but was a good call. Again, great call by our OC on second down. Honestly, that non-call on the potential Safety was also HUGE. The no-call on their TD try was also a good call. However, I would not have been surprised to see either or both go the other way. Joey Porter's long arms and a big weapon. He and TCF had good games. We don't win without that PI call.
• The worst call of the game was the intentional grounding against PSU. A horrible call. I recall that happening against PSU several years ago. Hack? McSorley? McGloin? I can't recall. But that is twice on PSU and I've never seen that called when there was clearly a communication screw up between R and QB. SC was clearly NOT under duress.

Good stuff. PSU now has two wins in three games against ranked opponents. MSU and Iowa look really good but with similar teams: physical, hard running, good defenses. Add in UM and tOSU and we have a really tough schedule this year. We'll see what Indy is like as they kind of imploded Saturday.

All good observations but I would say I really have some concern about TCF. He got burnt at least once. Perhaps looking into the backfield too much for possible run support? Porter is great, he needs to stop jawing though and keep his head up when tackling and wrapping up. That's why he got hurdled. Auburn RBs were very very good. Held my breath for a sec several times when they hit the holes.

If 12 makes the interception we probably cruise in the second half. It's hard to believe he didn't real it in as he had about 3 chances. His movements in general just look raw to me like a bull in a china shop.

 

[NittPicker]

If true, I think this makes the grounding call all the more terrible. Why is a down field official calling intentional grounding? How can he possibly see what is going on with the QB? He could be asked "hey, was there a receiver in your area?" but no way should he be calling the initial penalty.

IMHO, the field judge did the right thing. Most IG calls take place where the referee can see all the elements for himself. Obviously on deep throws the referee can't really see if a receiver was in the area. If a deep official determines there was no receiver around, he sees that element of the penalty, throws the flag, then discusses it with the referee. It's the only penalty I can think of where there are different elements which can take place a considerable distance from each other.

 

[PSUSignore]

Nothing is perfect, but I have found the coaching, playcalling, and level of play of both the offense and defense to be really good--as good as I have seen at Penn State this century. I thought the 2016 team was Penn State's best chance to make the playoff for a long, long time. But this team is rounding into form very quickly. Penn State probably won't go undefeated this year, but no one wants to play us.

Completely agree. I summed it up to a friend as concisely as I could think as follows: for the first time in a while I felt like I was watching a PSU team that "belonged" to be included among the top teams in the country and they did it on a national stage. Modern offense, creative playcalling, getting playmakers in space, QB play, overall execution, etc. There were many, many positives that came out of this game. Yes there's still room to improve but PSU put on a show for a national audience on Saturday night.

 

[MacNit07]

There aren't a ton of observations because so much has already been written and said. I, in fact, didn't see the game live. I was at a fashion show where my daughter participated. Me, a fashion show. Jeezuz. I believe I was the only straight guy there. Certainly the only older, white, straight guy. (I am still struggling with pronouns so when with "bob's" 'I/Me' I DVRed it, saw that PSU was up 28-20 with six minutes to go then stayed up until 2:00 AM watching it (then, couldn't sleep).

So here is my shortened version:

• So great for SC and the offense. Really one of the all-time best QB performances in PSU history. 28 of 32 is amazing. It was great to see him take a tour of the stadium, high fiving fans, after the alma mater. Nobody wanted to leave!
• Pass blocking was really good against a really good front seven. SC was great. Nothing against him but you don't have that kind of day without good protection (against a very good front seven).
• Hats off to Auburn...a tough team, fun to root for, wasn't intimidated at all. Future is really bright with two of the best RB's I've seen this year.
• I watched some of the MSU game and they are a tough team. I love their HC. After they beat Miami, he was asked how they did it and he gave one of the best upper midwest answers ever. It went something like this "we wanted to drag them into the 'deep water'. We wanted them to feel where we live. We wanted them to experience the hard work, the dirt, the sweat, the early mornings in the weight room. We wanted them to feel Spartan football." Embrace the suck and a great attitude against a glam school like Miami. I feel like Auburn brought that.
• Aside from all of the other observations about bad refing, they also missed an illegal motion later in the 3rd quarter. Auburn's RT got into pass position before the ball was snapped. It was not egregious but it was pretty obvious. Auburn gained ~ 11 yards and an important first down.
• The team and game showed really great on TV. A HUGE boost for PSU, HV and one of the biggest recruiting weekends in the history of the school. I am hoping this pays future dividends for everyone involved.
• CJF gave one of the best answers to a post game question ever when he just looked at Holly after she asked about the missed down.
• Lee put the ball on the ground and was never seen or heard from again. Cain played well and pass blocked as good as any RB I've seen. Lovett ran well and had a big gainer on a screen. He looks like a keeper. I didn't see Ford play.
• Mustipher needs to get behind the pads and GO! He isn't the next coming of Barry Sanders. And why aren't we teaching our players to push? I liked Warren at wildcat and you can see his athleticism. But when the pass was covered, he also needs to GO!
• Lots being said and written about the Auburn Turnover. Well, while the kid made a mistake, it happened because a) PSU stayed home and defended the pass well and b) they put a lot of pressure on the kid to make a play. Mistakes happen under pressure. His drop wasn't a stand-alone incident. It happened because of what PSU did.
• Dotson had a very good catch for a TD and an amazing one-handed catch. If he doesn't make the one-handed catch, that ball is intercepted. The CB, or S, was right there. Huge play. I loved the announcer saying the ball was overthrown only to have Dotson catch it. That is how superstars are made. Dotson, if he wasn't already, bought a ticket to the first round of the draft.
• Smith and Luketa had monster games against a quality opponent.
• OC brought his A game. In addition to Warren and Mustipher, we had a Dotson pass (a lousy pass because the TE was WIDE open but I'll take it) and the TE's were open all day. I am sure Auburn wasn't anticipating that.
• Looking at the team stats, a really close game. If you had to say there was one differentiator, you'd have to point to the fact that their turnover was huge and ours was minimal. it was with 15 seconds to go and from the Auburn 47.
• I thought taunting was going to be enforced this year. Smoke Monday, who had a great game, stood over a WR and yelled at him for a bit. I was surprised that didn't get flagged.
• Obviously, the missed downs was an egregious offense. Fireable, IMHO. One of the worst operational screw ups I've ever seen and it was across the board (all refs and booth). Also, the roughing call was ticky tack if not outright bad. The refs kind of let both teams play on holding by the OL. The PI against them late was HUGE but was a good call. Again, great call by our OC on second down. Honestly, that non-call on the potential Safety was also HUGE. The no-call on their TD try was also a good call. However, I would not have been surprised to see either or both go the other way. Joey Porter's long arms and a big weapon. He and TCF had good games. We don't win without that PI call.
• The worst call of the game was the intentional grounding against PSU. A horrible call. I recall that happening against PSU several years ago. Hack? McSorley? McGloin? I can't recall. But that is twice on PSU and I've never seen that called when there was clearly a communication screw up between R and QB. SC was clearly NOT under duress.

Good stuff. PSU now has two wins in three games against ranked opponents. MSU and Iowa look really good but with similar teams: physical, hard running, good defenses. Add in UM and tOSU and we have a really tough schedule this year. We'll see what Indy is like as they kind of imploded Saturday.

Great observations.

Targeting rule is one of the worst in the history of any sport.

Loved seeing the pure joy in Cliff’s victory lap…its scenes like this that may disappear in college sports with NIL and that is sad.

 

[Madsol]

IMHO, the field judge did the right thing. Most IG calls take place where the referee can see all the elements for himself. Obviously on deep throws the referee can't really see if a receiver was in the area. If a deep official determines there was no receiver around, he sees that element of the penalty, throws the flag, then discusses it with the referee. It's the only penalty I can think of where there are different elements which can take place a considerable distance from each other.

Maybe. Of course, I've never seen grounding called on a long pass like that so maybe that's why I just can't imagine a down field official throwing a flag.

 

[Obliviax]

Completely agree. I summed it up to a friend as concisely as I could think as follows: for the first time in a while I felt like I was watching a PSU team that "belonged" to be included among the top teams in the country and they did it on a national stage. Modern offense, creative playcalling, getting playmakers in space, QB play, overall execution, etc. There were many, many positives that came out of this game. Yes there's still room to improve but PSU put on a show for a national audience on Saturday night.

I agree....and with the exception of QB and guard, we are pretty deep.

 

[MacNit07]

The Wisconsin win was a 20th century win--tough defense, field position, conservative, typical Paternoesque victory. The Auburn win was a 21st century win--aggressive play calling, usage of the entire playbook, throwing the ball to a variety of players, mixing up defensive coverages and blitz packages.

I thoroughly enjoyed both games, but what I like the most is that Penn State COMPETED. Even if they had lost either or both of those games, it was great to see Penn State play with heart, passion, and aggression. The entire program should be proud.

Nothing is perfect, but I have found the coaching, playcalling, and level of play of both the offense and defense to be really good--as good as I have seen at Penn State this century. I thought the 2016 team was Penn State's best chance to make the playoff for a long, long time. But this team is rounding into form very quickly. Penn State probably won't go undefeated this year, but no one wants to play us.

Lastly, I hope folks don't let the officiating spoil enjoyment of the game or of the growth of this team. CFB has been corrupt for a very long time, and it will probably always be corrupt. But this Penn State team, and the Penn State program, are turning into something really special, even if it doesn't get rewarded the way it should. It has happened to Penn State before in the 60's, 70's, and in 1994. But those teams are still legendary. Don't let the approval of the corrupt be a requirement--you will likely be disappointed.

The Wisconsin win was a 20th century win--tough defense, field position, conservative, typical Paternoesque victory. The Auburn win was a 21st century win--aggressive play calling, usage of the entire playbook, throwing the ball to a variety of players, mixing up defensive coverages and blitz packages.

I thoroughly enjoyed both games, but what I like the most is that Penn State COMPETED. Even if they had lost either or both of those games, it was great to see Penn State play with heart, passion, and aggression. The entire program should be proud.

Nothing is perfect, but I have found the coaching, playcalling, and level of play of both the offense and defense to be really good--as good as I have seen at Penn State this century. I thought the 2016 team was Penn State's best chance to make the playoff for a long, long time. But this team is rounding into form very quickly. Penn State probably won't go undefeated this year, but no one wants to play us.

Lastly, I hope folks don't let the officiating spoil enjoyment of the game or of the growth of this team. CFB has been corrupt for a very long time, and it will probably always be corrupt. But this Penn State team, and the Penn State program, are turning into something really special, even if it doesn't get rewarded the way it should. It has happened to Penn State before in the 60's, 70's, and in 1994. But those teams are still legendary. Don't let the approval of the corrupt be a requirement--you will likely be disappointed.

Spot on…this team at lose as many as 4 games. But they will be a tough out because of how we are playing and the developing talent. If we can bottle this approach, better times are ahead.

 

[Aardvark86]

In total I thought play calling was excellent. Good mix of pass and run. Kept Auburn on their toes. Thought that Clifford made a mistake at the end of the first half on the long ball. Not egregious because they intercepted inside their 10. But thought we had an opportunity to extend the lead and plenty of time to do it. He is playing much better this year. Making really good decisions. WRs caught everything on Sat and that helped. He only had 4 incompletions and one that I recall was an easy throw to #5.

I hate the college targeting rule. There are pretty obvious occurrences where the player deserves to be ejected. But on a lot of them it is a bang bang play and even though it might be targeting by the letter of the rule, it was not malicious. I’d like to see the NCAA adopt 2 levels of that foul. Garden variety would be 15 yards and the more egregious would be an ejection.

I agree re: the play calling on downs 1-3. Other times, way too much of an adventure.

Spot on re: targeting. What we need is something like a "flagrant" variation. The absence of this kind of differentiation almost makes me wonder whether the rule is the way it is so as to "protect" refs from having to exercise their judgment to make ejection decisions (and be to blame for them). But the reality is they're making them already.

 

[McCloudersportLion]

If Cliff Dogg moves aroun in the hot pocket hot pocket like that all year we probably dont lose again, but you cant expect a 6' 2" Tom Cruise 6'1" Tom Brady performance every week. Ohio will probably bring a better pass rush but hopefully not as stout against the run as Wisconsin Iowa, and Auburp.

 

[KnightWhoSaysNit]

Completely agree. I summed it up to a friend as concisely as I could think as follows: for the first time in a while I felt like I was watching a PSU team that "belonged" to be included among the top teams in the country and they did it on a national stage. Modern offense, creative playcalling, getting playmakers in space, QB play, overall execution, etc. There were many, many positives that came out of this game. Yes there's still room to improve but PSU put on a show for a national audience on Saturday night.

Totally agree. It did look like we "belonged." Whereas many times in the past I felt we were a true underdog regardless of the ranking.

The first thing that jumped out to me was the overall speed and quickness of our defense, seemingly at every position. That has historically been a problem where we typically had at least a couple of weak links in the chain which could be exploited by the top teams.

 

[PSUHarry33]

In general getting up for golf yesterday and work today felt so much better after that victory Saturday night. I too watched the game on delay and stayed away from my phone and peripheral tv's so I would get no updates. Blew off a call from @Lion Son/Husband/Father figuring he was drunk and would give me an unwanted update or rag on me for not watching the game live.

Finished it about 11:45 and could finally unwind. I had so much trouble going to sleep, just wanted to soak up the post victory moments.

 

[PSU2UNC]

On the topic of penalties, what is the rule for WRs lining up offside? I noticed a couple of plays where it looked like an obvious penalty but neither was called. These two pics were from consecutive plays in the 4th quarter.

This is essentially "close enough" and won't get called. Furthermore, receivers almost always "check with" the ref prior to the snap. They will basically ask "Am I on the LOS?" for two reasons:

1) To make sure if they are supposed to be on the line vs in the backfield that the ref agrees with where they have actually lined up.

2) If they are lined up offsides, the ref will usually give them a little "back up" and you see them reset.

 

[BobPSU92]

I feel bad because I didn't do a Midnighter Bar post in the 'in game' thread but happy to see you were able to keep your tradition of posting these (and they're great!). Honestly, had a ton going on right up to the game and no time to do any research. Iowa game looms large now noting Indiana is classic trap game.

I’m glad I don’t rely on you for lattes at my tailgate. 🙄