Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/84628
COAChSPEAK |EXCERPTS FROM BILL O'BRIEN'S WEEKLY PRESSER Is your tailback Bill Belton ready to go this week? How does a healthy Belton change what you can do on offense? He practiced yesterday and looked decent, so we would anticipate him being ready to go for the game. It's a good question, because all of the kids bring a different skill set to the table, whether it's [Michael] Zordich, [Zach] Zwinak, [Curtis] Dukes, Belton, and then obviously Derek Day. Some guys are first‑ and second‑down guys. Some are three‑down guys. Some are a little bit quicker. Some guys are bigger. Some guys are faster. Some guys catch the ball better. So Billy is a guy who has good feet, good vision, and can catch the foot- ball. So it's good to have him back, because he's another type of change‑of‑pace running back. How has Matt McGloin's decision‑making at the line of scrimmage before the play ... im- proved as the season's gone on? He's improved every week with that. That's another really good question. You guys are loaded with good questions today. One of the things [about] playing quarterback in a system like ours is we put a lot on your plate, so to speak, and you have to have a good deal of brainpower. You have to be able to understand what you're watching on film and be able to take that to the practice field. Then take it to the game field. Every week he's improved what he sees and gets us into the right play and uses little tricks of the trade to help get us into the right play. As vocal as some of your leaders were about the Illinois [coaches re- cruiting Penn State players], is it realistic to expect that not to be a motivating factor as they prepare for this game? I certainly understand the question. I do, but at the same time, the biggest thing is that this is our first Big Ten game. Our players are very focused on the Big Ten schedule. I believe that GETTING HEALTHY Running backs Derek Day and Bill Belton are likely to play Sat- urday against the Fighting Illini, O'Brien said at his Tuesday news conference. Tim Owen our players are really focused on building on what they did well in the Temple game and improving in areas where we really need to improve as it relates to the Temple game. They're not concerned with any- thing other than playing a tough road game in Champaign against a good Illinois team. The motivation is: It's our first Big Ten game on the road. I just found out we've been in the Big Ten for 20 years, and I think 12 times we've [opened conference play] on the road. I would like for someday that to even out and maybe get a home game here at Beaver Stadium to open the Big Ten season. It's going to be a great environment in Illinois, and that's what the play- ers are focused on. Do you expect to have [Sean] Stanley and [Pete] Massaro back, and is Adrian Amos OK after get- ting his bell rung the other day? Adrian didn't really get his bell rung on that one. His helmet just came down. He's fine. Stanley is probable. I would say he's probable, and Pete Massaro probably will not play in the game. With Matt McGloin playing this well through four games, can you elaborate on how important Char- lie [Fisher] has been in practice and games? S E P T E M B E R 2 6 , 2 0 1 2 13 Charlie's role is important. It's pretty neat how it works out, because I have a little bit of a temper, and Charlie is probably a lot nicer than me. So it's pretty neat the way we kind of play off each other. Charlie has done an excellent job of learning our sys- tem. [He's] been coaching for 30‑plus years and come into this new offen- sive system, and he's learned it him- self and so now he's able to teach it. What stands out to me about Char- lie is how he talks to the quarter- backs about mechanics and reads and how to think about plays. I think he's played a big role with all the quarterbacks. He's been around a lot of good quarterbacks and a lot of good receivers, and he's brought that to Penn State. You have outscored opponents 35‑0 in the first quarter. What's been the key? It's tough to put a finger on that. I know that we stress trying to get off to a fast start. We've done a decent job of that. On the flip side of that now, when we go in at halftime we've got to come out and do a better job in the second half, especially getting off to another fast start. We are thinking about different ways to get ourselves kick-started in the second half, because it's a four‑quarter game. It's great to start the game well, but it's really how you finish the game. B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M