BURN! JoePa Takes Morelli Out Of The Game (May Not Soon Enough…)
October 28, 2007 by Allison Boyer
Filed under Football
AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster
Happy Valley isn’t so happy tonight, I’d imagine, after a 37 – 17 loss to one of their biggest rivals, Ohio State. A win would have meant that yet again this season, a number one team was upset by a not-that-great team. The media hyped it up calling this the “game of the week” and the fans filled the stadium, making it so loud that I’m sure the players couldn’t hear what was going on most of the time. And yet 110,134 people watched Anthony Morelli, Penn State’s awesome quarterback, throw the worst pass probably in the history of college football.
I mean really, it looked like he was throwing it right to the OSU guy. What the hell WAS that?
Well, after that pass, Morelli was out. JoePa had had enough and he took out the bumbling quarterback and put in Daryll Clark, who I’m guessing will start next year (?).Coach Paterno said, after the game,
I felt that the game was out of our reach at that point and that Clark should get some work.”
You know what I think? I think that when Morelli’s having a good day moment, he can be spot on. But he’s just so damn inconsistent. Multiple times, my boyfriend commented how even when Morelli did make the pass, it was behind the runner, meaning they couldn’t get that extra few yards for the first down. That’s not really what a good quarterback does. That’s what a freshman quarterback does. In my opinion, they should let Clark play more often. It’s not like Morelli is going to get drafted or is up for a Heisman or something? Sure, let him start, but bring in Clark for some plays now and again to get him some experience!
Dan Conner had an OK night, though, leading the team in tackles and even picking off a throw by OSU’s quaterback, Todd Boeckman, who I’d like to note is a junior (maybe a Heisman hopeful next year?). Other than than, Boeckman had a pretty good game, completing 19 of his 26 passes for a total of 253 yards and 3 touchdown. In a stadium that has rattled the Buckeyes in the past, Boeckman didn’t take no for an answer. He was there to play.
So that knocks Penn State out of the top 25 I’m sure, and solidifies Ohio State’s first-place ranking. They’re still undefeated, which few teams can say this season, but I have a feeling that they may soon fall from that god-like stature – Michigan is on the schedule all to soon.
And today, Michigan won easily without their best two players. So we’ll see, OSU. We’ll see.
I think PSU’s problems are mostly with their coaching staff. What kind of defense were they playing last night? They lead the NCAA in sacks and rarely blitzed. The LBs were dropping back into coverage which left lots of room for C. Wells to run wild. And what about the DBs playing 10 yards off the WRs? I couldn’t even see them in some of the shots on TV! This was a defense playing scared instead of attacking the Buckeyes. Give OSU credit, they were the better team last night, but not 37-17 better. Penn State did not bring their A-game defensively. And hey, as long as I’m analyzing here. I agree with you about Anthony Morelli. He’s an average (inconsistent) college QB who won’t make an NFL roster. And what’s up with Derrick Williams? He hits the ground prior to contact. He’s not fighting for yards like (the smaller) Jordan Norwood. Watch Derrick’s special teams returns and the few times he touched the ball last night. Ever since his broken arm as a freshman, he hasn’t been the same. So much potential, so few results. I think PSU has plenty of talent but they’re not being put in the right positions to succeed.