Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/83057
Michael Zordich steps up and carries PSU to victory FRIENDLY REMINDER LORI SHONTZ | B L U E W H I T E c O N T R I B U T O R Back in the day – back in high school – Michael Zordich carried the ball. A lot. He gained nearly 1,000 yards his junior year, almost 800 as a senior. Then he went to Penn State, and he became a fullback. A blocker. Which didn't stop him from making his case for expanded duties, particu- larly after Bill O'Brien took over as head coach. Particularly after Silas Redd transferred to USC, leaving the Nittany Lions in the unusual position of being a little thin at tailback. So Zordich just happened to men- tion – frequently – that he'd actually run the ball in high school. "Just bit- ing at it," Zordich explained, "letting him know I could do it in case we ever needed it." O'Brien got the message. Repeat- edly. Repetitively. "Like Ferris Bueller's teacher," O'Brien said, mak- ing what may possibly be the first pop-culture film reference by a head coach in the Penn State media room. Ever. And with first-string tailback Bill Belton (high ankle sprain) and back- up Derek Day (separated shoulder) out Saturday against Navy, O'Brien turned to Zordich to carry the ball. The fifth-year senior, who described himself as a "downhill" runner, re- sponded with 50 yards on 11 carries. "That's nothing crazy," Zordich said, "but it was fun." It doesn't sound like much, no, until you consider that in 2011, Zordich carried a total of 15 times for 30 yards. And that in 2010, he carried 18 times for 40 yards. He has, however, always been one of the team's leaders, and over the past two seasons as a blocker, he opened a lot of holes for Redd. "You learn to accept your role on the team," Zordich said. "I accepted my role but kept pushing, letting Coach O'Brien know I could do certain WORKHORSE With two running backs injured, Zordich carried an extra load Saturday. Logan Cramer III GAME GRADES QUARTERBACKSMatt McGloin hit his first seven passes and finished the game with 13 completions in 21 attempts for 231 yards. GRADEB+ RUNNING BACKSWith their top two tail- backs hurt, the Lions fared pretty well against Navy. Curtis Dukes aver- aged 4.3 yards and fullback Michael Zordich averaged 4.5 on an unusually busy afternoon. GRADEB RECEIVERS Allen Robinson was open all afternoon and had a ridiculously pro- ductive first half. It would be good, however, if the Lions were to spread it around a bit more evenly. GRADEB OFFENSIVE LINE The Lions were without starting tackle Donovan Smith but still pounded away at an overmatched Navy defensive front. GRADEB DEFENSIVE LINE The Lions did a good job of staying disciplined, disrupting Navy's triple-option and getting pressure on quarterback Trey Miller. Deion Barnes and Sean Stanley are coming on strong. GRADEB LINEBACKERS Another game, another big- time effort from Michael Mauti, who finished with 12 stops including two tackles for loss and a sack. Extra credit for Hull's 74-yard TD and Ger- ald Hodges' interception. GRADE A things. That's what this offense is about – a lot of role playing." Zordich said he watches film with the tailbacks all the time, so he knew what was going on in the offense. He carried the ball Monday in practice a bit, and on Tuesday the coaches told him he'd be a primary option. He said he needed to "knock the rust off," and get used to the new reads, and he said by the second half, he had accom- plished that. He said he hopes Belton and Day re- turn soon, but that even then, he'd like O'Brien to continue giving him more carries. "As a player, you want to get on the field as much as possible," Zordich said. "I just reminded him I could do some things, and thankfully he gave me the opportunity to do it." S E P T E M B E R 1 5 , 2 0 1 2 7 DEFENSIVE BACKSNavy didn't hit many big passes, and the defensive backs looked as though they did a pretty ef- fective job in run support. Safety Stephen Obeng-Agyapong finished with nine tackles. GRADEB SPECIAL TEAMS The Lions didn't have any big plays in the kicking game, but ex- cept for another missed PAT, they didn't have any major problems, ei- ther. If you're a Penn State fan, you'll take it. GRADEB- COACHES Going for the touchdown on fourth-and-goal from the 8 seemed unnecessarily bold. With a 20-point lead, why not give your struggling kicker a chance to build some confi- dence? Otherwise, it's hard to find fault. GRADEB CROWD Penn State didn't have a full house. Far from it, really; official atten- dance was 98,792. But the energy level seemed a lot higher than it was for the opener against Ohio. GRADEB B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . c O M