|
|
|
|
Thursday, September 27, 2001
QB controversy in Happy Valley?
By Marc Connolly
ABC Sports Online
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- The nation waited to see just what JoePa's new gunslinger Matt Senneca was all about. And all it saw was a mere completion for a measly yard, which finally came with 1:20 left in the first half, and nothing that made anyone think back to Todd Blackledge, Kerry Collins or even, gasp, Kevin Thompson.
To be fair to the junior quarterback, his offensive line was dominated all night by a ferocious Miami D-line, and he bruised his elbow early on in the game, which forced him to exit at halftime.
|  | | Joe Paterno has no idea who his quarterback will be against Virginia on Sept. 13. |
"He got hit and he tried to go again, but he had no feeling in his hand," said Joe Paterno after his team's 33-7 loss at Beaver Stadium on Saturday night. "Matt didn't do anything not to get the job. He was running for his life."
Said Senneca, who still had no feeling in his arm after the game, "I was able to get some things accomplished out there, but I still made a lot of mistakes."
He seemed to have happy feet in the pocket, and wasn't quick enough to allude onrushing defensive ends when he spotted them.
"They are physical," said Senneca, in the understatement of the night. "They are going to harass other offenses this season."
His right tackle Matt Schmitt backed him up.
"They are strong up front. One of the best defenses I've ever played against."
Zack Mills, a left-handed throwing redshirt freshman, had a lot more success in a little bit over a half of play, throwing for 240 yards (a freshman passing record) on 12-of-24 passing against a relaxed Miami defense that held a multiple touchdown lead.
"It was difficult to come out there down by that much," said Mills.
But JoePa seemed pleased.
"I thought Zack Mills did well in his first ball game against a club that good, with that kind of pressure," said Paterno.
Though the Penn State coaching staff is going to wait and see how Senneca's arm is in a few days, Mills certainly looked like he could be an effective leader if given time.
"The caliber of both quarterbacks is the same," admitted split end Eddie Drummond. "Senneca is a little more experienced. I wasn't worried when Zack came in."
Penn State is off next weekend. The Lions' next game is Sept. 13 at Virginia.
Heisman campaign or not?
Miami's athletic department had denied that they were going to launch any sort of Heisman Trophy campaign for quarterback Ken Dorsey, and didn't mention "Heisman candidate" next to his name in its media guide. Yet, he was mentioned as a "Heisman Trophy and O'Brien Award candidate," in its halftime and postgame notes for the first time.
Miami head coach Larry Coker doesn't seem to mind it after Dorsey's performance (20-27, 344 yards, 3 TDs) against Penn State.
"Ken Dorsey was very special tonight," said Coker, after his first win as a head coach. "The line protected him really well and the receivers made some plays for him, but they dropped some balls also and made some penalties that kept us from scoring.
"Ken was about what I expected. He is better now than he's ever been."
Paterno was equally as impressed with the junior signal-caller.
"He's got great poise and he's got a great feel for the game," he said. "He threw a couple of passes that were right on the money and we didn't know how to handle (it). He's impressive."
Stating their case circa 2000
Miami's All-American left tackle Bryant McKinnie mentioned last year's Orange Bowl "snub" that Hurricane fans everywhere haven't stopped talking about since Oklahoma downed Florida State 13-2 to win the national title.
"We came here to take care of business tonight," he said. "We were angry from last season when we were 11-1 and shut out of the BCS picture."
Kick started
Todd Sievers kicked four field goals, including three in the first half to aid the Miami rout. The junior placekicker out of Ankeny, Iowa, split the uprights from 35, 42, 37 and 23 yards. His 42-yarder improved his career record from 40-plus yards to 2-for-7. His other strike from such a distance was his 44-yarder against Florida in the 2001 Nokia Sugar Bowl.
The 6-foot-3, 215-pounder known more for his distance than his accuracy once booted a 63-yarder in a high school game at Ankeny.
Night-mares
If there is to be night football played in central Pennsylvania, Penn State should let the high schoolers have them. While the Nittany Lion program has built up a lofty 81 percent winning percentage at Beaver Stadium since it was erected in 1960, it has now gone only 3-3 in six night games after Saturday's 33-7 loss to Miami.
The other night games in Beaver Stadium:
1986 vs. Temple (PSU, 45-15)
1987 vs. Alabama (UA, 24-13)
1988 vs. Syracuse (SU, 24-10)
1991 vs. BYU (PSU, 33-7)
1993 vs. Rutgers (PSU, 31-7)
Over the Century Mark for Beaver Stadium
Though most left at halftime to return to their RVs and grills or to burn their season tickets, the game's attendance of 109,313 broke a Beaver Stadium record. With added expansion to the sacred grounds in Happy Valley that included a second deck added to the south end zone and an eastside pavilion, Saturday's lofty number crushed the previous mark of 97,498 set against Michigan in 1997.
It is the third largest in PSU history, and the largest crowd to ever see PSU for a game not hosted by Michigan and its 107,501-capacity Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor. It's the biggest crowd to ever see the Hurricanes.
Adam's Day started in the afternoon
Several hours before leading the Lions out onto the field with a slow jog out to midfield in an emotional display of courage and perseverance, Adam Taliaferro signed copies of his book, "Miracle in the Making: The Adam Taliaferro Story" at the Student Book Store for over an hour. People of all ages, in both blue and white and orange garb, overtook the store and caused those waiting in line to start from outside the building before paying $16.95 for the book and getting Taliaferro's signature.
The book is co-written by Scott Brown and Sam Carchidi with the foreward by Joe Paterno.
Quotes from Taliaferro:
"Before the game I was nervous, but once I got out there all the nerves went away. I just did what my body told me to do. It was a great moment."
"The adrenalin definitely was flowing. It took me back to last year. I can't put it into words."
"The moment just took over. I just went out there and did what my heart told me to do."
"It was just the culmination of everything that's happened. I'm just so thankful that I've had so many people support me."
Marc Connolly is a senior writer for ABC Sports Online. He can be reached at Marc.Connolly@abc.com
|
|
|
|
ESPN.com:
HELP |
ADVERTISER INFO |
CONTACT US |
TOOLS |
SITE MAP
Copyright ©2001 ESPN Internet Group. Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and Safety Information are applicable to this site. Employment opportunities at ESPN.com.
|
 |
 Ken Dorsey tosses three touchdowns in a romp of Penn State (Courtesy: ABC Sports).
avi: 1654 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Adam Taliaferro leads the Penn State Nittany Lions out of the tunnel (Courtesy: ABC Sports).
avi: 6882 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
|
|
