Pigskin Preview The Daily Collegian SPORTS Sept. Friday, 8,2006 11 Showdown In South Bend Morelli Season is under not over the gun with loss to Irish for real By Scott Cooper By Josh Moyer COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER | [email protected] this is Last week is in the books. And despite Well, Anthony Morelli’s three-touchdown per- The highlytout- formance, there’s still a few questions ed, much-bally- surrounding Penn State’s first-year hooed Notre starter. Dame game is What happens if the offensive line here, and, regard- can’t pick up the pass-rush? What if less of how badly Morelli struggles early? What ifhe can’t coaches may want handle the pressure? to live it down, But for every“what if,” there seems to MY OPINION be a reason why he can succeed. Even event that attracts Notre Dame co-captain Travis Thomas student athletes thought of afew. to play for schools like Penn State. “I see a very strong arm,” he said. “I This is the type of game that see someone who seems like he has a lot inspires thousands ofPenn Staters of experience even though he was only many of whom without tickets to playing his first collegiate game.” make the college football pilgrimage According to Thomas, the Fighting to South Bend, Ind., justto be a part Irish are likely goingto put more players of the occasion. on the defensive line to pressure Morelli This is the kind of game that since he isn’t a scrambler. And that inspires overly dramatic Under couldbe problematic for Morelli since he Armour commercials. didn’t have to deal with the blitz against So, just how much of the hype is Akron he droppedback 32 times and Joe Patemo allowing his Nittany wasn’t sacked once. Lions to buy into? Notre Dame safely Tom Zbikowski “I haven’t got the slightest idea,” also mentioned the fact Morelli hasn’t Patemo explained. “Hype? Hype is had to deal with a rowdy away crowd hype. Someone would have to vet this season and believed that would describe it to me. I’m not even sure I play a big role in the signal caller’s suc- could spell it.” cess. Tty this for a description: As of “He was very poised for Ins first start Wednesday, nosebleed seats in the against Akron at home, [but] we’ll see endzone were selling for $B3O a pah- wh&t happens when He has to go to a lit- on eßay. Tt-aditionally, by the way, tick- tle more hostile environment,” Zbikows- et prices come down in the days lead- ki said. ing up to a game. The Fighting Irish return every As big a game as this is, though, it is hardly the most important on starter in their secondary from last sea- Andrew Gehman/Collegian Penn State’s schedule. It’s probablynot son, but that still may not be worth much Anthony Morelli tosses a sideline pass against Akron last weekend. Tomorrow he will try to win his second game as a starter. in the end Notre Dame was ranked No. even the second most important. A loss to the Fighting Irish may 103 in passing defense last season. Still, Notre Dame’s apparentimprove- he slowed up afterward. He completed Regardless Like with of what happens later in drop No. 19 Penn State a few spots in Morelli, though, some critics ment in the secondary didn’t comfort only 41 percent of his passes from there the there’s already are wondering if last weekend’s per- season, plenty of the polls, but the Lions will leave coach Charlie Weis much. on. hype and loads of questions just sur- Notre Dame with an unblemished formance was just aflash in the pan ora “When a first guy’s throw of the sea- “Anthony Morelli did a real good job rounding tomorrow’s game. But, for fans record in the Big Ten. This year’s glimpse of better games to come. The son is a bomb for a touchdown, that until he started to get a little bit careless and quarterback one Irish limited alike, thing is for games against Ohio State and Michi- the Yellow Jackets to 140 doesn’t fire me up too much as an oppos- on some reads,” Joe Patemo said at his certain. passing yards, and if Notre Dame keeps gan will likely have more ofan impact ing coach,” Weis said. weekly press conference. “South Bend with Touchdown Jesus on Penn State’s that up, it could be difficult for the Penn Morelli was on postseason plans fire in the beginning, “Morelli will get better as the season and all that, it’s going to be an experi- than will tomorrow’s battle. State junior quarterbackto succeed. going 7-for-10 with two on.” touchdowns, but goes ence,” Morelli said. Since the 2000 season, for instance, 11 teams have won at least a share of the Big Ten title. Eight of those cham- pionship squads dropped at least one Thomas might give Penn State some double-vision game to a non-conference foe. A win tomorrow would certainly be By Josh Moyer well. I’m staying there right now.” more. But, he decided to give it a shot. he talked pretty heavily to fellow Penn- greatfor the Lions, but it would not COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER | [email protected] Last season, Thomas was strictly a It was on atrial-basis and after last sylvania prospect Austin Scott when he mean nearly as much as a win against special teams guy who might get a carry week, teams like Penn State will proba- came out of high school. Both were the Ohio State and Michigan. Tomorrow, some 95 student-athletes at tailback every now and then. Still, he bly end up seeing Thomas a lot more state’s most-recruited running backs at With that said, this is still Notre will don goldenhelmets while others put shined whenever he had the chance. than they want to. He finished last week- the time, but that wasn’t Thomas’s lone Dame, and there’s nowhere I and on white, nameless jerseys but onfy a Now, the Nittany Lions will see him end’s game against Georgia Tech with a tie to Penn State either Thomas the masses trekking westvia Lnter- few will be mentioned on both sides of the majority of plays on offense, game-high two tackles for loss and a recalled one more while he talking yes- state-80 would rather be tomorrow the ball. defense and special teams. sack terday, too. afternoonthan Notre Dame Stadium. Notre Dame’s Travis Thomas will be “He will continue to be the guy to put “My condition definitely surprised me. “Paul Posluszny we were co-cap- Though trying to live down the one ofthem. in [the fourth quarter] for the foresee- I didn’tknow if I was goingto be able to tains in the Big 33 game,” Thomas said hype, Patemo couldn’t help but reveal The Fighting Irish’s version of Ethan able future,” Notre Dame coach Charlie hold up for all four quarters,” Thomas about the annual Pennsylvania/Ohio that as a Catholic schoolboy growing Kilmer will line up tomorrow as a start- Weis said about his play at tailback said. high school all-star game. up in Brooklyn, he and his friends ing linebacker and the backup tailback. With the departure of two of the Irish’s Fans probably wouldn’t be happy to Ties or not, that obviously won’t mat- viewed Notre Dame as “something He was a staple on special teams last starting three linebackers during the off- learn that Thomas “was never really a ter come game day. Thomas said there’s special.” Even as Penn State’s head season, and this is his first season even season, the coaches approached fan of PSU,” but they definitely wouldn’t been a tremendous buzz around campus coach, Patemo wanted his eldest son playing defense. Thomas in the spring to see if he’d be cheer after he shared three of his this week in preparation for the Penn to attend Notre Dame. “Initially, it was set up to be a interested in taking over one of the two favorite teams, at least when he was a State game, and even said it reminded Patemo is certainly not alone. week trial to see how I progressed,” openings. teenager. him of a game the Irish had last season. Many football fans have a Notre Thomas said yesterday. “So it was just a He hadn’t played defense since high Florida State, Texas and Pittsburgh. “The atmosphere is pretty similar to Dame story or two. day-by-day thing, and it worked out school and admittedly liked offense Despite those choices, Thomas said the USC game,” he said. See COLUMN: COOPER, Page 17. WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL Critics silenced with victoiy vs. Tigers By Mark Viera ter, and senior opposite Cassy Salyer, Last weekend, Penn State struggled COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER | [email protected] the Lions (7-0) hit .339 against the with its passing at times, which forced Tigers. Missouri hit only .120 last night. Penn State head coach Russ Rose to Well, maybe this will silence some Fawcett, who racked up nine kills in tweak the lineup in practice. critics. Majfoe now some will stop ques- the first game, finished with a team- Replacing junior Kate Price and tioning if this young team can win. high 17 ldlls at a .394 clip, while the sophomore Laura Holloway with Kris Staub Moyer ooper Maybe they will finally acknowledge Lions’ three other hitters also per- Brown and Holehouse, Penn State these freshmen as legitimate forces.