Penn State Football: Week 1 studs and duds against Appalachian State

Penn State Kickoff Coverage Unit

Talk about deflating.  Penn State had just marched the length of the field on their opening possession and scored a touchdown.  The ensuing kickoff should have continued the momentum and excitement that was at a fever pitch inside Beaver Stadium, however Darrynton Evans and Appalachian State had other ideas.  Evans took the kick, made Penn State reserve defensive back John Petrishen miss, and he was off to the races.  A 100-yard scamper later, not only had App St tie the game, but also snatched all momentum from the Beaver Stadium faithful.  It was a sign of things to come from the Boone, NC squad.

Besides allowing a kickoff return for a touchdown, the kickoff coverage also allowed the Mountaineers to recover an onside kick, which ultimately led to the game-tying score. Coach Franklin even noted that he told his up men to be on alert for the on-sides kick, but he felt they were too deep and starting to go back too early.

Needless to say, this area of the special teams will need to be cleaned up in a hurry.  Two years ago, Pittsburgh took advantage of poor Penn State’s kick coverage and had many short fields to navigate.

As former head coach Joe Paterno used to say, a team will always make the most progress from game one to game two.  For Penn State and their kick coverage, let’s hope that growth is significant before they travel to Pittsburgh and a nationally televised contest next week.