Postgame update
Paterno did little to shed light on the situation involving Abe Koroma and Maurice Evans saying he isn’t sure if at all they will even be back this season.
Paterno was asked point blank during his session and said;
Third Quarter
Chaz Powell showing some wheels on a kick return to set up Colin Wagner’s 43-yard boot.
It’s 48-13, updates are going to be light until after the postgame session is completed.
Penn State will have a tougher game next week against Temple.
Syracuse scored an actual touchdown.
Otto the Orange beat up the Nittany Lion in a WWE style pre-fab mascot showdown.
There is literally nothing else to report right now.
HALFTIME
A questionable move, but Paterno re-inserts Clark, who leads a field goal drive in 1:06, covering 76 yards. It was a great drive, but is he trying to get his players hurt? Just asking?
Some numbers.
Clark is 9/18/155/ 2 TDs. Devlin is 7/9/101 2 TDs.
Norwood and Butler each have 111 receiving and Royster finished with 91 yards rushing.
7:42
Would appear that Clark is done for the day. There is no need to play him any further, Devlin needs the reps…and me thinks that the coaching staff learned a bit of a lesson last week when Jerome Hayes was carted off the field with an ACL tear.
Stephf Green is getting the majority of the carries now as well.
8:16
Syracuse announced a few minutes ago that DeLone Carter will not return after suffering a leg injury.
Butler does it again. 15-yard touchdown….this one is getting out of hand as expect. PSU still looks a little sluggish at times, but Devlin directs a 3-play, 74 yard drive in 1:06. It was easily PSU’s best offensive drive of the day….three straight big plays.
Pat Devlin is in the game…..first pass, he tosses it right to Deon Butler, who isn’t looking, turns around and makes the catch. I ask…is there anything Butler can’t do?
Just met Dennis Quaid in the hallway. Dennis Quaid and Otto the Orange in one day….I’m going to faint. OK not really. I’d go Dennis over Randy, although Randy is one helluva funny guy in the National Lampoon flicks.
Dennis Quaid, very underrated actor. Dude was magic as Jerry Lee Lewis.
End of First Quarter
15 down, 45 more to go….Some first quarter numbers. Penn State outgained the Orange in the first 15 minutes 190-to-minus 5. Clark is 4-of-9 for 107 and two touchdowns, but 55 came on the one play to Norwood.
Cam Dantley is 1-of-4 for 1 yard for the ‘Cuse.
Some first quarter notes…
Mike Lucian made his debut at defensive tackle and played the final series of the quarter at left tackle opposite of Jared Odrick.
Hey Aaron Maybin, he’s fast and really playing well in Mo Evans’ absence.
Syracuse can’t get out of its own way right now. They committed a very dumb penalty on a Derrick Williiams fair catch. They can’t block anyone on PSU’s defensive line, they can’t slow PSU’s offense either…if PSU is struggling at times it’s on their own end…case in point Clark has found Williams open twice and it’s gone through Williams’ hands, both times.
7:45
Deon Butler, right corner, third down pass, PSU touchdown.
Play was reviewed, took about 10 seconds to conclude
The catch, Butler’s 16th TD reception, ties him with O.J. McDuffie for third place all-time at PSU.
8:00
Just a note, Andrew Quarless has played a lot here in the first half, but the news is that his left thumb is heavily wrapped. Doesn’t look like it’s affecting him much, but it’s something to keep an eye on.
13:40
Crisis avoided….Daryll Clark fumbles on the first series of the game, PSU gets the ball right back on a latteral recovered by Lydell Sargeant, Clark then rolls out to his left, lofts a perfect pass to Jordan Norwood, who makes the ‘Cuse defense look silly and scores.
Longest career reception for Norwood, longest career pass for Clark. 7-0 Nits.
Dennis Quaid and Rob Brown, who star in “The Express” which premiered up here last night, are both out for the coin toss. They are wearing No. 44 shirts. ‘Cuse great and Hall of Famer Floyd Little joined them. Hey, they gotta get fired up about something up here, right?
By the way, Otto the Orange has made an appearance…meaning I can go home happy.
PREGAME UPDATE 2
The dome is very empty, maybe 25,000 here, but the entire upper level is PSU people, the hallways are PSU people, below the press box it’s PSU people, it’s becoming Beaver Stadium North up here. Not surprising if you talked to anyone around town yesterday.
PSU fans could have easily (and some have) rolled up here today and purchased tickets.
By the way, over dinner with some family last night, it was brought to my attention that via StubHub.com, fans of the Orange can purchase tickets for next week’s game against Northeastern for a whopping three (3!) dollars.
In other words, you will pay more for shipping and handling than you will for the ducets.
It’s a balmy 72-degrees inside, much more humid outside, but the oddity of the dome….it’s named after an air conditioning company (Carrier), yet there is no AC inside. Go figure.
By the way we are told via colleague Pat Boland from WMAJ that on the network pregame show head coach Joe Paterno said that Quarless needs to “stop acting like god’s gift to everyone.”
Interesting…Quarless seemed pretty chummy with teammates during warmups and was into the obnoxious rap music blasting over the incredible loud and deafening sound system here.
PREGAME UPDATE
Penn State is running out on the field for light pregame warmups.
Abe Koroma and Maurice Evans did not make the trip, Andrew Quarless and A.J. Wallace are expected to play.
The ‘Cuse has a student section, albeit small one, off to our left.
Best sign so far, in the student section, up front, “Why So Syracuse?” playing of course off The Dark Knight and the Joker’s “Why So Serious.”
Outside of that there isn’t or wasn’t very much buzz around the area last night. PSU fans are expected to possibly out number ‘Cuse fans. No joke.
