William F. Yurasko

Beano Watch, PSU Football 2005

WWN POST-GAME #8

October 23, 2005

#12 Penn State 63 ILLINOIS 10

The first question the comes to mind is whether Penn State can score as many points against Illinois in men’s basketball as they did in football. I do not believe that they can.

Ladies and gentleman, what we witnessed last night on ESPN2’s national telecast was a good old-fashioned rout, like the kind Penn State used to have a couple of times a season back in the ’90s. After an initial opening drive where the only that stopped the Illini offense was a holding penalty ended in a field goal, Penn State came to life. Mike Robinson began his assault on the Illini, leading seven consecutive touchdown drives. The defense buckled down and scored on a LB Dan Connor fumble return and a CB Nolan McCready interception. It was just complete domination by superior athletes with chips on their shoulders. I think everyone got caught off guard by that, but especially Illinois.

Popping Champaign – CDT
Flawless half makes history – Patriot-News
Boxscore – ESPN.com

DAVID JONES – No moping on Michigan was allowed – Patriot-News

NEW RANKING

With #10 Texas Tech losing to #2 Texas and falling to #17, the teams right behind them all picked a spot in the AP Top 25 College Football Poll, including the Nittany Lions who move up to #11. BCS Standings come out tomorrow. The ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll has PSU at #12 now.

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME

Who else could it be but Mike Robinson? The last player to have that good a half in Illinois was Red Grange Four touchdown passes and two touchdown runs in 30 minutes. I doubt MRob has ever had a practice that good. He has really grown into the role and looks like a much different quarterback than he did in game one.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME

For the first time in a long time, LB Paul Posluzny is not the DPOTG. For the first time, that honor goes to Posluzny’s fellow backer, Dan Connor. The true sophomore led the team with nine tackles and scored on a fumble return.

MORE NOTES

WR Ethan Kilmer was listed as a starter and scored on a slant pattern. He is a senior and a walk-on who started college at Shippensburg University. It was great to see him to score, but I could not help but wonder how much better we could have been if he had been here all four years. He is so fast.

Also, I have been remiss in commenting on his excellent special teams coverage this season. Is it too late to wonder if he can return punts?

DE Tamba Hali simply lit up QB Tim Brasic with a devastating, but clean, sack. Hali came in without being touched. It was a like a movie I once saw.

I would have liked to have seen the starters pulled earlier than they were, but Paterno let them finish the first half.

Anthony Morelli finally got some time in at QB, though he only attempted two passes.

RB Austin Scott saw the most action of the season, getting 14 carries in mop-up duty.

Tony Hunt showed us in six carries why he is the starter, as he was hard to get down. One
of these days, he is going to get to have a big day and carry the team.

By the beginning of the second quarter it was quite clear that Illinois had lost the will to play, if not to live. It may have happened earlier, but on TV that was the point when it was plainly obvious.

I did not mind the last minute touchdown by Illinois, they needed for something to go right.

We saw a rare ejection, after Illini player swung at three times at a Penn State player’s helmet (Anwar Phillips?) on a punt.

Penn State set a personal record for first half points with 56.

Two quotes come to mind from last night’s game:

“Stop, stop he’s already dead.”

Oh the humanity!

While I hate to bring up the 6-4 debacle aganist Iowa last year, take comfort in fact that coach Al (D’oh) Groh lead #23 THE UVa. to a 7-5 loss to UNC yesterday.

Beano Cook successfully picked Penn State to win again for the third time in four weeks. He is 3-0 picking the Nittany Lions this season.