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the o<-season, and the presence of two
redshirt freshmen in the starting lineup
in Nelson and Brendan Mahon - knew an
easy key to success.
The trick, quite simply, was to trick
them.
Fi?h-year senior linebacker Mike Hull
understood the oing, coupled with the overall
lack of experience, made Penn State's line
very easy to exploit.
The Nittany Lions did their best to cam-
ou;age their weaknesses. They studied
hard in the :lm room and put that knowl-
edge to use during practice throughout
the week. But every Saturday brought un-
familiar, advanced-level tests. Instead of
the entry-level calculus for which they
had prepared, the :nal required intimate
knowledge of multivariable advanced calc.
Instead of Shakespeare's sonnets, the :nal
asked for intense explication of the
tragedies.
No matter how diligently the Lions pre-
pared or Hand taught,
without a storehouse of
game experience to tap
into, those :nal exams
amounted to guessing
games. It was a nightmare
scenario for a group that
was trying desperately to
avoid letting down team-
mates and coaches. Week
a?er week, Penn State's
o
