Blue White Illustrated

October 2013

Penn State Sports Magazine

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Robinson on their respective first-team All-Big Ten teams. It only took three games in September for Robinson to show just how foolish those oversights were. Against Syracuse, Eastern Michigan and Central Florida, Robinson hauled in 23 receptions for 405 yards with three touchdowns. He averaged 135 yards per game and 17.6 yards per catch, despite sitting out the first two quarters of the Syracuse game. His yardage total put him more than 100 yards ahead of the Big Ten's second-leading receiver, Jeremy Gallon of Michigan. "In all my years of coaching receivers, he is by far one of the most competitive guys I've been around, Penn State wide " receivers coach Stan Hixon said. "I've been around a lot of good receivers. Some don't go as hard [in practice] as they do in games. "Allen wants to win every single drill, practice or game. That's just how he's made up." Hixon went on to say that Robinson could eventually become a first-round draftee. "I think he's definitely going to play at that level, he said. "He's one of " the best receivers – if not the best receiver – I've had, and I've had some first- and second-rounders. When the time comes, he's going to be ready. He has the work ethic, the athletic ability. He has the ball skills, and he has the physical toughness. " I believe a strong case can be made for Robinson as the best wide receiver ever to play for the Lions. And yes, I am bearing in mind that Penn State has had a number of great wideouts, like Bobby Engram and O.J. McDuffie, who shined at the college level before going on to enjoy long NFL careers. If Robinson decides to use his final season of eligibility, I'm convinced he will own just about every Penn State receiving record of note. That said, I think it's more likely that he will be playing in the NFL next season. He's gotten off to a fantastic start this year, and there's no reason to believe he won't continue to be Hackenberg's favorite target once the Big Ten season begins. If that's the case, it will be a perfect springboard into pro football. If there were two areas on offense that some people might say underperformed during the nonconference season, it would be the tight ends and offensive line. Going into the Lions' game against Kent State, their tight ends had totaled only 16 receptions for 164 yards and did not have a touchdown between them. Considering that Penn State's tight ends totaled 83 catches for 1,097 yards and 10 touchdowns last season, the numbers from the 2013 nonconference season definitely could be seen as underwhelming. But there is a good reason why Penn State's tight ends haven't put up the kind of numbers that some people – myself included – foresaw. Senior Matt Lehman was lost for the season with a knee injury in the opening game, and Kyle Carter suffered an arm injury in the same game and wasn't completely healthy for much of the nonconference season. In addition, redshirt freshman Brent Wilkerson underwent minor back surgery in August. Penn State entered its nonconference schedule with five tight ends and exited with only two – Jesse James and freshman Adam Breneman – who were fully healthy. When Carter is 100 percent healthy again, he will give the offense a major boost, and Wilkerson will also be a welcome addition when he's finally able to play. If there's one area on offense that didn't quite play up to my preseason expectations during Penn State's nonconference season, it had to be the offensive line. It took the line a while to start clicking. That's because some adjustments had to be made to cope with defensive schemes that were designed to stop the run. But I'm confident following the line's performance in the UCF game that most of those adjustments have been made and that Penn State will end up producing one of the most balanced offensive attacks in the Big Ten this year. I'm not guaranteeing that it will win the Leaders Division, but I can tell you that this year's team will be more than just entertaining. It possesses several of the best skill position players to I ever play at Penn State. the two best barbecue restaurants have combined forces to meet all of your game day tailgating needs! DAMON S DAMON'S Offers Caterings for Any Size Party. e Party. Watch Watch All Games in High Definition! Sunday NFL Ticket! Ti icket! Live From DAMON"S Clubhouse, The BILL O'BRIEN CALL IN SHOW, Every Thursday from 6 pm until 8 pm. 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