Akron September 8, 2014

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VOLUME 77 ISSUE 2 Penn State vs. Akron September 8, 2014

The Letter It was not quite the capacity crowd that Coach James Franklin Follow us on wanted for his home opener in Twitter and Beaver Stadium Saturday. Check out the new Football But the 97,354 in attendance on Letter Blog this hot, muggy day was still significantly larger and louder than any home opener he or any of his PSU 7 0 7 7 21 assistants had ever experienced. It Akron 0 0 3 0 3 was also 10 times as large as the crowd the Akron players saw in their opener last week against Howard—a CONTENTS 41–0 victim of the Zips.

T he Letter The weather gods gave the fans a break by holding off the threatened N otes from the C uff thunderstorms, until an hour and a half after the game’s end, and gave O ther Sports enough of a warning that most tailgaters were able to pack up their N ews of N ote goodies before the deluge fell. Game P hotos Meanwhile, those coaches got a taste of what to expect when the Statis tic s Nittany Lions get into their Big Ten conference games in the Beav— hopefully with a more consistent offense than the one that sputtered its way to an eventual 21–3 victory over the Zips in a contest televised PAST ISSUES regionally by ABC or ESPN2.

View past issues Running a spread offense, often with no huddle, the Akron gridders, however, were not intimidated. They moved crisply downfield on the opening possession with four straight pass completions by quarterback Kyle Pohl, totaling 56 yards and three straight runs totaling 10 more—until they reached the PS–7 in front of the student rooting section, where they couldn’t even hear the offensive signals from their QB. Then, the Lion defense rose up to smite them, as defensive FAN ZONE coordinator Bob Shoop unleashed his blitzkrieg. Football Sc hedule T eam Ros ter Blue and White defenders hurried GoP SU Sports .c om Pohl into his first incompletion then sacked him twice, forcing Coach Radio/T V Lis tings Terry Bowden to send in Big T en Football T V Sc hedule placekicker Tom O’Leary (no Big T en Standings relation to last week’s UCF head Big T en Sc hedule and coach) to try a 31-yard field goal. The nervous freshman knocked it wide Res ults left, and the visitors had nothing to show for their 11-play 60-yard effort. P enn Staters in the P ros The spunky Zips hung tough though, while the Penn State offense stuttered to just one touchdown in the first 42 minutes of the hour-long contest. That came on the Lions’ second possession of the game. For adv ertising info, contact: Quarterback Christian Hackenberg completed passes to wide receivers Angelo Scialfa 609-259-1910 Eugene Lewis for 20 yards and DaeSean Hamilton for 15, and to tailback [email protected] Bill Belton, who slipped out of the backfield uncovered on a wheel route and tip-toed 22 yards to paydirt untouched. The only other Lion penetration to the visitor’s Red Zone ended when Akron defensive back Martel Durant intercepted a Hackenberg pass on the Zips’ one-yard line, after Hack had completed throws to tight end Mike Gesicki and Belton for 11 each, to Hamilton for 18 and Lewis for 20. Penn State handed Akron the ball again at the PS–41 early in the third quarter, when an early snap hit a man-in-motion on the leg, and Alfonso Horner outzipped all Lions to the recovery. Two completed passes by Pohl put the visitors on the PS–15, where State’s defense again made its stand. This time, Coach Bowden sent in junior kicker Robert Stein, who was successful on a 28-yard attempt. Thus, by the middle of the third quarter, Akron had a 20:15 to 14:41 advantage in time of possession, but Penn State had a four-point lead on the scoreboard and 15 more yards of total offense. Finally Air Hackenberg took off. On a third-and-25 situation from the PS–31, Hackenberg fired a 28- yard strike to Geno Lewis. Three plays later on a third-and-six, he hit the lanky Lewis with a 19- yarder. And three plays after that, the Penn State QB connected with tight end Jesse James on the AK-3. The 6–7, 270-pounder turned and fought his way through three Zips into the end zone. But the Lions hit one more snag in the fourth quarter, before they could zippidy-do-dah their way to victory on this day, when it felt more like mid-July than early September. Finally showing the semblance of a rushing attack out of the wildcat formation, Penn State got 19 yards on two direct snaps to third-team tailback Akeel Lynch and 18 more on a direct snap to bull-like runner Zach Zwinak. Three plays and two Akron penalties later, the Lions stood once again on the AK–19, and Hackenberg launched another missile toward the end zone. This one was picked off at the two-yard line by Bre’ Ford, who returned it 51 yards along the East sideline, until Hack himself brought him down. The visitors got as far as the PS–38, where the Lion defense again blitzed on a fourth-and-one, and linebacker Brandon Bell nailed Zip runner Conor Hundley for a two-yard loss. Taking over on downs, Penn State ran the ball once, then Hackenberg faked a handoff and sailed the ball to that wild man Jesse James, who had burst behind the Akron defense. He hauled in his second reception and carried it 44 yards to his second touchdown. From then on it was just a matter of padding the statistics for both teams, until the clock ran out, and the spectators could head back to their tailgates. Perhaps the highlight of the day was the great Blue Band halftime show and the appearance of 50 or so members of the undefeated and uncrowned national champion 1994 team back on campus for their 20th anniversary reunion. The presence of All-Americans Kerry Collins, Ki-Jana Carter, Kyle Brady and Jeff Hartings and other members of Penn State’s first Big Ten championship team certainly goaded the Lions to a better second-half performance. The Rose Bowl Trophy that they won by shooting down the Oregon Ducks, 38–20, was standing on the table, where new head coach James Franklin, flanked by his two adorable young daughters, sat down for his first regular-season post-game press conference in the Beaver Stadium media room. The effervescent Franklin opened with the comment, “I love walking in here with a win. We’re going to enjoy them here.” He said he was “pleased with the defense because they’re keeping people out of the end zone.” He added, “We punted well,” as Chris Gulla kicked five times for a 48.8- yard average to break the freshman record set by Jeremy Kapinos against Boston College in 2003. The punt coverage team limited the Zips to only three returns for 17 yards. “Obviously, we need to get the running game going,” Franklin acknowledged, adding that the Lions have to also eliminate turnovers. And he felt the coaches have to play more guys to give them experience and spell the starters more often. Last week, Lion runners averaged just two yards per carry. This week, they averaged only 3.4 on 31 lugs of the pigskin for 106 net yards. Lynch led the pack with 45 yards on seven carries, followed by Belton with nine for 36 and Zwinak with 10 for 30. Zach covered more real estate on his 18-yard bull rush out of the wildcat than he did on his other nine carries combined. State’s offense has relied on the arm of Hackenberg and the hands of Lewis and Hamilton. “They know how to catch balls or get interference calls,” Franklin said. “We need more guys to do it.” Hackenberg, who set a school record with 454 passing yards against Central Florida in Ireland, threw for 319, completing 22 of 36 with three touchdowns and two interceptions. This gave him a total of 773 yards in consecutive games to break the record of 686 set by Zack Mills in 2002 against Iowa and Wisconsin. Hack now leads the Big Ten with 386.5 passing and 388 total offense yards per game. He is fourth nationally in both categories. Hamilton leads the Big Ten with nine receptions per game, and Lewis is second in the conference in yards with 135.5 per game. Actually the two teams Saturday combined to throw 82 passes for 527 yards, but gained just 175 total on the ground. Next Saturday, State will travel to play Rutgers in the Scarlet Knights’ first Big Ten game—a prime-time 8 p.m. kickoff in High Point Solutions Stadium that will be televised by the Big Ten Network. For the Glory,

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VOLUME 77 ISSUE 2 Penn State vs. Akron September 8, 2014

Notes from the Cuff Penn State is now 114–13–1 in home openers and 46–9 in 55 years of opening Follow us on games in Beaver Stadium. The Nittany Lions Twitter and are 22–3 against teams from the Mid- Check out the American Conference … new Football Letter Blog Saturday’s victory was the first Beaver Stadium win for Coach James Franklin and all his assistants except cornerbacks coach PSU 7 0 7 7 21 Terry Smith, who had many wins in this Akron 0 0 3 0 3 venue as a player from 1988 to 1991. Franklin, who admits to being very emotional CONTENTS said, “Getting off that bus to walk to the stadium entrance, I was fighting back tears. Sunglasses helped hide that.” T he Letter … N otes from the C uff O ther Sports Franklin said members of the 1994 team came to Friday’s practice. He N ews of N ote said, “They always knew a sense of family here, and we want that to continue.” … Game P hotos Statis tic s New Athletic Director Sandy Barbour shook hands with every 1994 team member as they came on the field at halftime …

PAST ISSUES The Blue Band had intricate precision moving drills and a still formation of a smiley face wearing a hat. The Silks used flags and flowers in their View past issues colorful routines … The Foreman Foundation presented another $30,000 check for melanoma research at Penn State’s Hershey Medical Center. Founded to honor former Penn Stater punter John Bruno after he died from melanoma in 1992, the foundation has presented a total of $1.1 million through the years … Three more Lions saw their first action of 2014. Wide receiver Matt Zanellato and defensive tackle Tarow Barney played after missing the UCF FAN ZONE game with minor injuries, and linebacker Gary Wooten spelled Mike Hull at

Football Sc hedule times … T eam Ros ter Sam Ficken and DaeSean Hamilton won Big Ten honors for their GoP SU Sports .c om performances against Central Florida last week. Ficken was named Special Radio/T V Lis tings Teams Player of the Week for his four field goals, including the game- Big T en Football T V winner on the final play. Hamilton was honored as co-Freshman of the Sc hedule Week by setting school freshman records with 11 receptions for 165 Big T en Standings Big T en Sc hedule and yards. Hamilton had seven catches Saturday for 69 yards, while Geno Res ults Lewis gained 98 yards on six receptions … P enn Staters in the P ros A WANTED poster for Jesse James was posted in the student section. He responded by galloping twice to touchdown territory …

For adv ertising info, Sophomore quarterback Christian Hackenberg tied Matt McGloin (2010 to contact: 2012) for the top spot on Penn State’s career chart for 300-yard passing Angelo Scialfa 609-259-1910 games with six. Saturday marked the second time he threw for more than [email protected] 300 yards in consecutive games (Indiana and Michigan in 2013). Hack has thrown 83 times in two games for 773 yards with four touchdowns and four interceptions. His 3,728 career passing yards has moved him into 10th in Penn State history … Von Walker had the longest kickoff return of the day—35 yards to open the second half. Last week, Grant Haley had one for 44 yards … Middle linebacker Hull is second in the Big Ten in tackles with an 11.0 average. Saturday’s contest was his sixth and second consecutive with 10 or more stops. Defensive tackle Anthony Zettel had a sack for the second straight game, and freshman DT Parker Cothran posted his first career sack … State’s defense had four sacks, three more hits and 10 hurries against Akron QB Kyle Pohl. Jordan Lucas and Hull had sacks on blitzes … Penn State currently ranks fourth in the nation in run defense at 46.5 yards per game and 15th nationally in total defense at 261.5 ypg … Akron, in its first game against Howard, had six touchdown drives that averaged only 1:19 each …

Penn State is celebrating 50 years of women’s varsity athletics …

Rutgers and Penn State are at the top of the Big Ten East Division, along with Maryland, with 2–0 records. The Scarlet Knights are second in the conference in scoring, the Lions are 13th. Rutgers is the worst in total defense, while State is second best. Mimicking an old custom of the late Ohio State Coach Woody Hayes, Rutgers headmaster Kyle Flood refers to Penn State only as “that team from Pennsylvania.” … State’s offensive coordinator John Donovan, who turns 40 on Thursday, will have an opportunity to match wits with Rutgers’ offensive coordinator Ralph Friedgen, who was Donovan’s boss for 13 years at Georgia Tech and Maryland.

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VOLUME 77 ISSUE 2 Penn State vs. Akron September 8, 2014

News of Note HUDDLE WITH THE FACULTY Alumni and friends can catch light refreshments and some food for thought Follow us on at “Huddle with the Faculty,” the popular free lecture series hosted by the Twitter and Penn State Alumni Association each home football Saturday at The Nittany Check out the Lion Inn. new Football Letter Blog The first two presentations in the 22nd annual Huddle series are: Sept. 20 (Massachusetts): “Madam President: When Will America be Ready?,” featuring Nichola PSU 7 0 7 7 21 D. Gutgold ’99g, associate dean for academics at Akron 0 0 3 0 3 Schreyer Honors College; professor of communications arts and sciences CONTENTS When the first woman wins an election and T he Letter becomes president of the United States, she will N otes from the C uff not only be indebted to the tireless campaign of O ther Sports workers, staff, press, family, friends, and voters, N ews of N ote she will also owe a debt of gratitude to the often Game P hotos forgotten women who have previously run for Statis tic s president for paving the way. From the 1964 race of Margaret Chase Smith to the 2008 race of Hillary Clinton, Gutgold discusses the obstacles and opportunities facing women who run for the PAST ISSUES presidency.

View past issues Sept. 27 (Northwestern–Homecoming): “Essence of Joy: We Are the Dream, Part Two,” featuring Anthony Leach ’82, ’96g, professor of music and music education Encounter moments of reflection and celebration that framed the choir’s journey during the 2013–14 academic year, including a spring break tour to the southern United States. This program refers to the vision Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. shared with FAN ZONE America during the Civil Rights Era and features Football Sc hedule sacred and secular music from the African and T eam Ros ter African-American choral idioms. GoP SU Sports .c om All “Huddle with the Faculty” programs start promptly at 9:00 a.m. and Radio/T V Lis tings include free parking at the Nittany Parking Deck. The Huddle series, Big T en Football T V presented by the Alumni Association, is sponsored by The Village at Penn Sc hedule State and supported by the The Nittany Lion Inn and Penn State Press. Big T en Standings Big T en Sc hedule and RALLY AWAY AT THE RUTGERS GAME, SEPT. 13 Res ults Penn State football is traveling to Piscataway, N.J., Sept. 13, when the P enn Staters in the Nittany Lions take on the Scarlet Knights. Get together with other Penn P ros Staters the weekend of the game to show your Penn State pride and spirit at events sponsored by the Penn State Alumni Association and its local For adv ertising info, chapter. contact: Angelo Scialfa Friday Night Mixer: Meet Friday, Sept. 12, at 7:00 p.m. at the Mike's 609-259-1910 [email protected] Courtside Sports Bar and Grill. Co-hosted by the Penn State Alumni Association and the Central New Jersey Chapter, enjoy the Penn State Pep Band, Nittany Lion, cheerleaders and more! Light refreshments will be available. Parking garages are located in the general area, and on-street parking is also available. The closest metro stop is the New Brunswick NJ TRANSIT station. For more information on this free event, visit the Central New Jersey Chapter website and Facebook page. Game-day Pep Rally: Meet Penn Staters in the large tent on the lawn across the street from The Plaza at Livingston Campus; 55 Rockafeller Rd., Piscataway, N.J. Kickoff is 8:00 p.m. Featuring the Penn State Pep Band, Nittany Lion, cheerleaders, some rallying words, and free refreshments. The pep rally tent opens at 4:30 p.m. and the program begins at 5:30 p.m. (NOTE THE NEW TIMES TO ADJUST FOR THE 8:00 P.M. START) Click here for more pep rally information, including parking availability, bus transportation and a Rutgers University campus map. ALUMNI ZONE HOMECOMING TAILGATE

The Alumni Zone is THE post-game tailgate to be at on Sept. 27, after the Penn State vs. Northwestern clash at Beaver Stadium. This year’s A-Zone features Penn State celebrities—including wrestlng phenom David Taylor ’13 and HGTV star John Colaneri ’03 from the show “Cousins Undercover”—as well as several Nittany Lion head coaches. Plus, feast on a buffet of tailgate foods and beverages along with old favorites like grilled stickies, Berkey Creamery ice cream, and hard pretzels with Herlocher’s Dipping Mustard. Enjoy music, games, and prizes, and test your tailgate athletic ability in the Game Zone, featuring a variety of tailgate- style games. Also enjoy performances from the Alumni Blue Band and alumni majorettes. Conveniently located at the Indoor Multi-Sport Facility between the Bryce Jordan Center and the outdoor track. Kick time is at noon, and doors will open immediately after the fourth quarter. Cost: $37 for Alumni Association members and their guests; $50 for non-members; $15 for children ages 6–17; and free for children 5 and under. Register here. UNRIVALED BAND JAM PLANNED FOR SEPT. 20 Penn State Athletics and the Penn State Marching Blue Band are proud to announce the Unrivaled Band Jam, which will highlight “Band Day” activities at the Penn State vs. Massachusetts game on Sept. 20. High school bands are invited to perform with the storied Blue Band and the UMass band pregame in the Bryce Jordan Center for a one-of-a-kind performance experience. The Unrivaled Band Jam will be held approximately two hours prior to kick-off, which is TBA. Read the entire story at goPSUsports.com. THE PENN STATE FOOTBALL SHOW PRESENTED BY PEPSI A total of 41 radio stations in five states will carry the Penn State Sports Network’s “The Penn State Football Show Presented by Pepsi” this season; the program will also be carried live on GoPSUsports.com via Penn State All-Access. The one-hour program will take place at Damon’s Grill on East College Ave. in State College every Thursday at 6:05 p.m. from now until the end of the football season. Read the entire story at GoPSUsports.com. REVISED UNIVERSITY BAG POLICY FOR ATHLETIC EVENTS Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics is advising fans to review the University's bag policy prior to attending athletic events during the 2014– 15 competitive season. The University policy has undergone several revisions, many of which have changed what items are allowed in each of Penn State’s Athletics facilities. Read the whole story at goPSUsports.com. “UNRIVALED: THE PENN STATE FOOTBALL STORY” DEBUTS Penn State Athletics and Penn State Public Media are continuing their partnership this fall to produce “Unrivaled: The Penn State Football Story,” presented by Pepsi, a weekly preview show that will chronicle Coach James Franklin’s Nittany Lions throughout the 2014 season.

The program—which debuted Aug. 28 in some markets and airs on WPSU- TV across the Commonwealth and in numerous markets in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast—provides a fast-paced, intimate look inside the Nittany Lion football program. It includes a look at game week preparation, an all- access look at the coaching staff and visits with selected players on and off the field throughout the season. Read more at goPSUsports.com.

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