Blue White Illustrated

PENN STATE RADIO NETWORK P HIL'S C ORNER WAEB............. 790-AM....... Allentown/Bethlehem/Easton WVAM............ 1430-AM.......................................Altoona WRKY............. 104.9-FM............... Altoona/Hollidaysburg WILK.............. 103.1-FM.........................................Avoca PSU's defense has been affected by NCAA sanctions, but offense is a different story If there is a unit on Penn State's team that has been dramatically affected by the NCAA sanctions, it's the defense. That was evident in the loss at Indiana. With Penn State's offense unable to develop any consistency or rhythm during the first half, the defense withered under the pressure in the second half. Depth and inexperience at all three linebacker positions were Bill O'Brien's top concerns entering this season – not just on defense, but on the entire team. It was something he thought about 24/7. It has turned out to be the area on Penn State's team that has been most problematic, especially due to a series of injuries sustained by Mike Hull, Nyeem Wartman and Ben Kline. To put it bluntly, the linebacker position has been devastated by injuries. In reality, Glenn Carson is the only linebacker who has any real game experience and 100 percent healthy. It isn't surprising that the Nittany Lions' defense wasn't able to defend Indiana's screen passes, which were completed seven times for over 130 yards. There is good reason why O'Brien made the following comments to the media during his postgame press conference: "I don't think in any stretch of anybody's imagination that this is a normal Penn State team. Sixty-one kids on scholarship and 40 walk-ons." O'Brien is 100 percent correct, particularly on defense. But he and his staff must be careful not to allow his team to use the sanctions as an excuse. The most disappointing aspect of Penn State's performance, to me, was the play of the offense, save for Allen Robinson and Christian Hackenberg. In my opinion, you cannot use the excuse that Penn State's offense struggled because of the NCAA sanctions. There isn't one player who started against Indiana who would not have started if the sanctions were not in place. Except for Robinson and Hackenberg, almost every aspect of the offense has under-performed, especially against Syracuse, UCF and Indiana. With its veteran offensive line, there is no way Penn State's running game should have been limited to 70 yards on 38 attempts by the worst rushing defense in the Big Ten. That doesn't relate to the NCAA sanctions. It relates to execution and scheme. Blame for the lack of performance by the offense has to be shared by both the players and coaches. O'Brien and his staff should take a hard look at the scheme they are using with the running game, particularly with the way Zwinak, Belton and Lynch are being used. With Michigan and Ohio State looming on the schedule, Penn State's performance vs. Indiana, which has to be considered the low point of O'Brien's tenure at Penn State, could turn out to be the beginning of a very disappointing conference season. Or maybe it won't. Maybe I'm too much of an optimist, but I truly believe this situation still can be fixed. It hasn't reached the place of no return. This is not a team devoid of talent. O C T O B E R 9 , 2 0 1 3 11 WAYC..............1600-AM.......................................Bedford WAYC..............100.9-FM......................................Bedford WCPA............. 900-AM...................................... Clearfield WQYX.............93.1-FM..................................... Clearfield WZDB.............95.9-FM........................ DuBois/Sykesville WHGL.............102.9-FM................................ Elmira, N.Y. WPSE............. 1450-AM.............................................Erie WFRA............. 1450-AM...................................... Franklin WGET............. 1320-AM.................................. Gettysburg WJEJ.............. 1240-AM...Hagerstown, Md./Chambersburg, Pa. WHVR.............1280-AM......................................Hanover ESPN Radio....1400-AM...................................Harrisburg ESPN Radio....95.3-FM....................................Harrisburg WKZN............ 1300-AM..................................... Hazleton WLAK............. 103.5-FM................................Huntingdon WNTJ............. 1490-AM...................................Johnstown WLAP..............1490-AM....................................Lancaster WNPV.............1440-AM.....................................Lansdale WLBR.............1270-AM..................................... Lebanon WMRF............ 95.7-FM.................................... Lewistown WMGW...........1490-AM....................................Meadville WJST.............. 1280-AM.....................New Castle/Sharon WVNJ............. 1160-AM...........................New York Metro WBYB.............99.1-FM................................... Olean, N.Y. WNTP............. 990-AM..................................Philadelphia KQV............... 1410-AM................................... Pittsburgh WAVT..............101.9-FM....................................Pottsville WPPA............. 1360-AM.....................................Pottsville WRAW............ 1340-AM...................................... Reading WBZU.............910-AM.......................................Scranton WBYB.............103.9-FM........................Smethport/Kane WQWK............1450-AM.............................. State College WBUS............ 93.7-FM................................State College WKOK............ 1070-AM...................................... Sunbury WLLI.............. 990-AM...................................... Somerset WTIV.............. 1230-AM..................................... Titusville WHGL.............100.3-FM...............................Troy/Canton WTRN.............1340-AM.........................................Tyrone WTRN.............100.7-FM........................................ Tyrone WNBT.............104.5-FM...................................Wellsboro WNBQ............92.3-FM....................Wellsboro/Mansfield WILK.............. 980-AM..................................Wilkes-Barre WKSB.............102.7-FM.............................. Williamsport WSBA.............910-AM.............................................. York WJST.............. 1280-AM........................Youngstown, Ohio BL UE W HI T EON L I N E . COM

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