Blue White Illustrated

PHIL���S CORNER Nittany Lions have plenty of potential but plenty of questions, too fter posting an 8-4 record and playing through unprecedented ��� and, in my opinion, undeserved ��� NCAA sanctions, Bill O���Brien and his coaching staff have given hope to Penn State football fans across the country. Maybe the NCAA didn���t devastate the Nittany Lions��� program, after all. On the heels of O���Brien���s selection as ESPN National Coach of the Year, the Maxwell Football Club Collegiate Coach of the Year and the Bear Bryant Coach of the Year, expectations among fans and media seem to be rising for the Nittany Lions��� 2013 season. To judge by the Internet chatter, some fans seem to have decided O���Brien and his coaching staff have a legitimate chance of producing an 8-4 record again this fall, and maybe even better. Some have argued that a 10-2 record is a realistic goal. To those optimistic Penn State fans, I have a simple message: Sit back and relax. I���m not saying 10-2 is an impossible dream, but it is by no means a certainty. The Nittany Lions are getting set to return 10 of their top 11 receivers from last season, two of their top three running backs and four offensive linemen with starting experience. But they must replace quarterback Matt McGloin and All-Big Ten center Matt Stankiewitch, two of the most important factors in the team���s offensive success last season. On defense, the losses are even more significant. Replacements must be found for All-Big Ten tackle Jor- A dan Hill, starting ends Pete Massaro and Sean Stanley, linebackers Michael Mauti and Gerald Hodges, and cornerback Stephon Morris. Couple those key personnel losses with the fact that the NCAA���s 65scholarship cap won���t actually take effect until the start of the 2014 season, and it���s easy to imagine O���Brien���s job only getting tougher going forward. If Penn State does have a chance of duplicating, or improving upon, its 84 finish in 2012, a number of new contributors will have to emerge during spring practice. It���s no secret that the Nittany Lions will go into spring drills with a dearth of experience at quarterback. Finding McGloin���s replacement has to be the top priority for O���Brien and quarterbacks coach Charlie Fisher. The two leading candidates to replace McGloin are sophomore Steven Bench and juco transfer Tyler Ferguson. Bench is the only quarterback on Penn State���s roster with any Division I game experience, but that isn���t saying much. Last season Bench played in only two games ��� the Virginia and Indiana games ��� and completed 2 of 8 pass attempts for 12 yards. Ferguson had an impressive first season at College of the Sequoias in Visalia, Calif. He completed close to 60 percent of his passes for 2,614 yards and 22 touchdowns, while throwing only 12 interceptions. While the coaching staff has reportedly been impressed with both Bench and Ferguson athletically, their men- tal preparation will most likely be the decisive factor in the team���s quarterback battle. ���They���ve got to understand what we���re trying to do and be able to function at a high level mentally,��� Fisher said. ���Then, as they understand what we���re doing mentally, obviously they have to have some physical tools to be a guy who we would bring in here. When you put the mind and the body together, that���s when you start to function at a high level.��� Both quarterbacks have shown to Fisher and O���Brien that they have a solid football IQ, but now they need to prove that they have the necessary dedication in the film room. Running back is another position on offense at which Penn State needs to develop quality depth during spring practice. If redshirt freshman Akeel Lynch proves capable, I���m extremely confident Penn State will improve at running back this fall, despite losing Michael Zordich, Derek Day and Curtis Dukes. Last season the Nittany Lions weren���t able to consistently run the ball until the fourth game of the season. It was in that fourth game, a nonconference matchup against Temple, that Zach Zwinak emerged as a factor in the offense. Zwinak rushed for 94 yards on 18 carries against the Owls, and he went on to start seven of the team���s final nine games, finishing the season with 1,000 yards on 203 carries. Junior Bill Belton will enter spring practice as the No. 2 running back, with Lynch competing for playing time. Due partly to injury problems, Belton totaled only 263 yards on 60 carries with three touchdowns in 2012. He had only one 100-yard game, totaling 103 yards on 16 carries with three touchdowns against Iowa. Lynch has the potential to bring a different dimension to the running game. Just before spring break, strength coach Craig Fitzgerald led the team through a spring testing session. Lynch���s performance was solid, to

• Cover