Ah, finally.
For the first time since 1996, the Penn State football team came back from Ann Arbor with a victory. It was a 35-10 pasting of the Wolverines and was a long time coming for the Nittany Lions.
In today's edition of Morelli OnLion, we'll look back at Saturday's big win and look ahead to this week's contest with Northwestern.
Daryll Clark tossed four TD passes to lead the Nittany Lions past Michigan.
(Photo courtesy of Blue White Illustrated).
Looking Back: Michigan
There are plenty of ghosts that haunt Penn State at Michigan Stadium. Heading into Saturday’s game at Ann Arbor, the Nittany Lions hadn’t won there since 1996.
Since that 29-17 win, it didn’t matter who was playing for the Wolverines. Going to Ann Arbor meant one thing — a loss for the Nittany Lions and a miserable plane ride home.
The Nittany Lions found different ways to lose at the Big House. There were blowouts and close games, but one thing was certain — a trip to Ann Arbor would end in misery for the Nits.
“I just got tired of those plane rides back home,” defensive coordinator Tom Bradley said.
Bradley and the rest of the Nittany Lions had their first pleasant plane ride back to Happy Valley since 1996 because on a gray day at a newly-renovated Big House, the Nittany Lions exorcised their demons.
Just as they did last season at Ohio State, the Nittany Lions finally picked up a victory at one of the toughest places to play in the Big Ten.
And they did it in convincing fashion.
Penn State played its best game of the season in a 35-10 pasting of the Wolverines. In a season that has had its share of ups and downs, Saturday’s win at the Big House will certainly be among the highlights, no matter how this season ends.
It was an effort so complete that it should erase any doubts about the heart of this team.
And while Bradley’s defense played extremely well, Penn State was able to exorcise the Big House demons because of one guy — quarterback Daryll Clark. He took a beating on Internet message boards following his three-interception night against Iowa back on Sept. 26. There were some who even cried for true freshman QB Kevin Newsome.
Needless to say, all those “fans” look foolish today.
Clark turned in one of his best performances as the starting QB for the Lions on Saturday, completing 16-of-27 for 230 yards and four touchdowns.
While no one is perfect, Clark was pretty darn close this time around against the Wolverines.
As he sat in the makeshift media room at Michigan Stadium, Penn State coach Joe Paterno heaped plenty of praise on his senior quarterback.
“I thought Daryll Clark played a great game. In all fairness, I don’t think Daryll’s received the credit he should have because he played great football,” Paterno said. “People have been critical of him, but (players) didn’t catch the ball.”
Certainly, the way things began on Saturday had every Penn State fan thinking, “here we go again.”
In Rich Rodriguez’s brand of the spread offense, true freshman quarterback Tate Forcier come out running a hurry-up offense that caught Penn State off guard. The Wolverines sliced through the Penn State defense, going 70 yards in 11 plays in just 3:49 to stake the Wolverines to a 7-0 lead.
But that would be the Wolverines’ only lead on this afternoon.
Clark answered the bell and came out swinging. He needed just four plays to get the Lions into the end zone, moving them 63 yards in 1:54. He finished the round with a big-time body blow, a perfectly placed 10-yard touchdown pass to Graham Zug.
And so, the heavyweight bout was on.
But it wouldn’t last long. What could have been Rocky Balboa versus Apollo Creed quickly turned into Rocky Balboa versus Spider Rico. Clark delivered punch after punch and his passes were like little daggers through the heart of the maize and blue.
After relying heavily on Derek Moye and Chaz Powell through the first six weeks of the season, Clark found his favorite targets covered pretty well on Saturday. Therefore, it was time to find a new one.
Enter Zug.
Zug caught three TD passes — two during a 13-point third quarter that pretty much salted the game away.
Those who were calling for Paterno to give the backup QB a shot are looking pretty silly today, aren’t they?
This is Clark’s team, plain and simple.
The 2009 version of the Nittany Lions will go as far as their senior leader takes them.
The remainder of the schedule isn’t that daunting. A road trip to Northwestern, followed by home dates with Indiana and a very average Ohio State squad. The season finale at Michigan State could mean more than the battle for the Land Grant Trophy if Iowa stubs its toe in the coming weeks.
Although the national championship is probably out of the question, there’s still a Big Ten title and a BCS bowl at stake.
There’s still a long way to go, for sure. But exorcising the demons at the Big House a week before Halloween was certainly a good way to start the stretch run.
Pat Fitzgerald is a good young coach, but his Wildcats will be no match for the
Nits.
(Photo courtesy of Blue White Illustrated).
Looking Ahead: Northwestern
Penn State will be a road favorite again this week, heading to Evanston, Ill., to take on the Wildcats. While coach Pat Fitzgerald is one of the best young coaches in the nation, his team is no match for the Nittany Lions.
Expect another big day for Daryll Clark. The last time Penn State went to Northwestern, it had to pull out a dramatic win. There won't be any dramatics this time around.
Penn State in a laugher.
Gantdaily.com: Penn State 45, Northwestern 24.
Chris Morelli is the award-winning editor of Blue White Illustrated, a weekly publication devoted to Penn State athletics. He is also a regular on “Sports Central,” which airs on ESPN Radio in Altoona and State College. E-mail him at morellionlion@gmail.com. This column does not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of BWI’s writers or publisher.
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