Indiana State Team on a 95-Yard Touchdown Run
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URL:http://www.alumni.psu.edu/fbl Username: psualum Password: weare Sept. 6, 2011 * Vol. 74, No. 1 enn State’s 125th football season began with Pa bang Saturday. Senior Chaz Powell gathered in the opening kickoff on the left hashmark at the five-yard line and headed at three-quarter speed toward the middle to pick up his blockers. Seeing an open crease to the right, he cut off a block, accelerated through the crease, turned down the sideline and outraced the entire Indiana State team on a 95-yard touchdown run. And the rout was on. Against a team that last fall posted its first winning season in several years, the Nittany Lion offense rushed to five more touchdowns, while the defense squashed the visitors’ attack, and Penn State felled the Sycamores, 41-7, for its 10th straight season-opening win and its 104th in 125 years. It was the 39th opening-game victory for Coach Joe Paterno, who began his 46th year as headmaster in the coaches’ booth high-atop the west stands in Beaver Stadium, while still CHAZ POWELL hauls in opening kickoff to 2011 season, cuts off blocks by Nate Stupar (34) and Jamie Van Fleet (54) recovering from a severely bruised hip and and outruns Indiana State coverage on 95-yard touchdown return. shoulder suffered when a player ran into him in a practice drill three weeks earlier. McGregor scored the finale on a three-yard 77. Bolden’s stats were adversely affected, The 84-year-old head coach got up, dusted quarterback sneak in the fourth quarter. when two of his long passes were dropped by himself off and watched the rest of practice, McGregor, a journalism and English ma- State’s veteran receivers Derek Moye and Justin until doctors finally convinced him to go to jor who carries a 3.89 GPA, recently earned a Brown. Bolden was sacked twice and McGloin the hospital for some tests. He conducted the $5,000 scholarship from the Jim Murray Memo- once, although a pass that Matt tried to throw rest of pre-season drills from a golf cart but rial Foundation for his profile on Joe Paterno away sailed into the arms of a Sycamore, who wanted to be on the sidelines for Saturday’s entered into a national essay competition. fortunately dropped it. opener. Doctors convinced him to coach from With their offensive line opening gaping Moye, the Lions’ leading returning receiver, upstairs, as he had done a few seasons ago after holes, 10 Lion runners gained 279 yards with had four catches for 57 yards, with his longest a similar incident, but he told reporters after a composite 6.2-yard average per carry. Three being a 29-yard toss from McGloin. Brown and the game, he hoped to be on the sidelines next Sycamore sacks, however, lowered those figures Devon Smith each had a 13-yard punt return Saturday, when No.2 Alabama invades Beaver to a net of 245 yards and a 5.1 average. that drew some gasps from the fans. Stadium for the first time since 1989. Junior Brandon Beachum carried seven Bolden drove the home team 77 yards to a Sophomore Silas Redd had an impressive times for 41 yards, and redshirt sophomore touchdown on its first possession. McGloin en- debut as State’s starting tailback, ripping Curtis Dukes had a career-best 47 yards on six gineered two long scoring drives in the second through the Indiana State defense for 104 carries. Sixteen of the Lions’ 21 first downs quarter. The Lions had two short TD drives in yards and two touchdowns in just 12 carries. came on the ground. the second half – a 21-yarder set up by Jordan He made fans forget about the graduated Evan Starters on the line were five seniors -- Hill’s fumble recovery and a 12-yarder set up by Royster, who through the last four seasons set Quinn Barham and Chima Okoli at the tack- Adrian Amos’ interception and 46-yard return. Penn State’s career rushing yardage record les, DeOn’tae Pannell and Johnnie Troutman A pressing, swarming Nittany Lion defense at 3,932 yards. The 28-year-old record that at the guards and Andrew Szczerba at tight stuffed the Sycamore runners and harassed Royster broke was held by Curt Warner, the end – plus redshirt junior Matt Stankiewitch their passer and receivers, holding them to 108 man whose #25 is now worn by Redd, who at center. Redshirt junior Mike Farrell was yards and no points, until the visitors finally reminds veteran fans so much of Warner’s the first replacement at tackle and redshirt drove 62 yards and scored against State’s third- running style – his cuts, his stutter steps, his sophomore John Urschel first to come off the string reserves late in the final frame. spins, his sudden burst of speed, his refusal to bench at guard. Only three of Indiana State’s other 12 come down on the first tackle. Soph Rob Bolden and junior Matt McGloin possessions lasted more than three downs. In addition to clearing the way for Redd, shared time at quarterback with the former Two of those ended in turnovers and one in a veteran legacy fullbacks Joe Suhey and Mike completing six of 12 pass attempts for 37 yards missed field goal attempt. The Sycamores could Zordich made their fathers proud, as each and the latter connecting on six of eight for convert only three of 15 third downs and aver- bulled his way to touchdowns, while third- aged only 2.2 yards per rushing attempt and string walk-on and academic star Shane PENN STATE 14 14 6 7 41 4.6 yards per passing attempt. INDIANA STATE 0 0 0 7 7 Photos by Steve Manuel ’84, ‘92g R E C A P 1st Quarter PS: Powell 95-yd kickoff return. (Lewis kick) 14:47 PS: Redd 9-yd run caps 11-pl 77-yd drive in 4:59 keyed by Redd 16-yd run, Suhey 14-yd run & 4-yd run on 4th & 1 & Moye 15-yd end-around. (Lewis kick) 8:20 2nd Quarter PS: Zordich 1-yd dive caps 11-pl 75-yd drive in 5:27 keyed by Zordich 7-yd run on 3rd & 1, McGloin 12-yd pass to Brown & Beachum 22-yd run. (Lewis kick) 8:55 PS: Redd 4-yd run caps 6-pl 77-yd drive in 2:55 sparked by Redd 12- & 19-yd runs, McGloin passes 29 yds to Moye & 11 yds to Suhey. (Lewis kick) 4:41 3rd Quarter 1 2 PS: Suhey 1-yd dive caps 5-pl 21-yd drive in 2:20 set up by Hill fum. rec. (Kick fails) 8:29 4th Quarter PS: McGregor 3-yd run caps 4-pl 12-yd drive in 2:13 set up by Amos intcpt. & 46-yd ret. (Ficken kick) 8:17 IS: Hilton 20-yd pass from Fouch caps 11-pl 62-yd drive in 6:03 keyed by Bell 5-yd run on 3rd & 2 & Fouch 8-yd pass to Hilton on 3rd & 4. (Little kick) 2:16 Attendance: 96,461 Reserve linebackers Mike Hull and Michael Yancich led the Lions with seven and six tackles, respectively. Hull, Yancich, Hill, Jack Crawford, 9 10 Gerald Hodges, Devon Still, Khairi Fortt and Eric Lattimore combined on seven tackles for 1: JUNIOR TAILBACK Brandon Beachum follows block of 19 yards in losses to the visitors. Quinn Barham (67) to gain valuable yardage against Sycamore State’s defenders reacted to their coaches’ defense. 2: RESERVE LINEBACKERS Michael Yancich (33) and call for more takeaways this year. Senior safety Brad Bars (31) stop Sycamore tailback Shakir Bell. 3: DREW Drew Astorino and freshman cornerback Amos ASTORINO made first interception of 2011 season and returned each stopped Indiana State drives with intercep- it 33 yards. 4: SENIOR FULLBACK Joe Suhey dives for touch- tions, while a slimmer and faster Hill stripped down. 5: MICHAEL ZORDICH levels Sycamore runner on kickoff the ball from a Sycamore runner and recovered return in first quarter. 6: JORDAN HILL was a demon in the de- it on the IS-21 – both career firsts. fensive line in Saturday’s season opener. 7: SOPHOMORE TAIL- The defensive line, which was hampered by BACK Silas Redd scores first of his two touchdowns against injuries last year, looked stronger, despite the Indiana9 State. 8: SOPHOMORE RECEIVER Shawney Kersey loss of junior end Pete Massaro for the season makes leaping grab of pass from Rob Bolden in third quarter. with a torn anterior cruciate ligament. Redshirt 9: SOPHOMORE TAILBACK Curtis Dukes rips off game’s longest junior James Terry, sophomore DaQuan Jones run of 30 yards in third quarter. 10: BLUE BAND whips up crowd and redshirt freshman Evan Hailes joined Still at Friday’s Football Eve pep rally in Beaver Stadium. & Hill in the interior rotation. Junior Sean Stanley joined senior injury returnees Craw- ford and Latimore at the ends, plus redshirt freshmen Kyle Baublitz and C.J. Olaniyan saw significant action. Continuing the legacy of Linebacker U were juniors Mike Mauti and Gerald Hodges on the outside and sophomore Glenn Carson in the middle on the first unit, backed up by senior Nate Stupar, soph Khairi Fortt, and redshirt 8 freshman Hull. Redshirt juniors Yancich and Jamie Fleet saw linebacker action, in addition to their play on the kick coverage teams. At least 73 Lions got into the game Saturday, including at least a half dozen walk-ons. Evan Lewis saw his first action at placekicker and Ryan Keiser at holder.