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OFFICE COACH Turning the table on talkative co-worker

<b>First Posted:</b> 8/29/2014<br><br><p>Penn State coaches and administrators had another lump in their throat rise up yesterday.</p>
<p>Late Thursday night there were reports that this Bardarbunga sucker was ready to erupt after all, some five days after what proved to be a false alarm.</p>
<p>Turns out this was another one. It was a different area altogether that showed a fissure, and there was no ash involved.</p>
<p>Of course, no matter what happens, it won&#8217;t affect Saturday&#8217;s Penn State game. But it was another thing to be nervous about for the program. The coaches, one imagines, have had some nightmares about somehow getting stranded in Ireland after the game because of travel restrictions caused by ash from (relatively) nearby Iceland.</p>
<p>UCF, at least, has an open date next weekend. Penn State&#8217;s hoping to hightail it out of there and try to get into some semblance of a normal routine before the Sept. 6 home opener vs. Akron.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s important to restate that the odds of anyone getting stuck because of a <em>volcano</em> have always been pretty low. It&#8217;s more that Penn State hasn&#8217;t caught many breaks in recent history.</p>
<p>The Knights have had many of the same issues to deal with these past few weeks. And as far as the game goes, they have their own question marks around their offensive line while also breaking in an all-new quarterback.</p>
<p>This is a winnable game for the Lions. But it&#8217;s going to depend almost entirely on how quickly the team has adapted to new coaches, new terminology and a new system. Let&#8217;s take a look.<table style="width: 750px; height: 227px;" class="mceItemTable"><tbody><tr><td><img style="float: left;" alt="" src="http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm187/dlevarse/ucf-07-_zps57c271bb.gif" height="113" width="150"/></td><td style="font-size: large; text-align: center;"></p>
<p><strong>PENN STATE (0-0)</strong></p>
<p><strong>vs. UCF (0-0)</strong></p>
<p><strong><strong>&#8226;</strong></strong></p>
<p><strong>8:30 a.m., Saturday</strong></p>
<p><strong>Croke Park, </strong><strong>Dublin, Ireland</strong></p>
<p><strong>TV: ESPN2</strong></p>
<p><strong>&#8226;</strong></td><td><img style="float: right;" alt="" src="http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm187/dlevarse/Penn_State-1.gif" height="113" width="150"/></td></tr></tbody></table><table style="width: 750px; height: 190px; border: 2px solid black;" class="mceItemTable"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center; font-size: x-large; background-color: #c00c00; color: white; border: 2px solid black;" colspan="3"></p>
<p><strong>QUARTERBACK</strong></td></tr><tr><td style="text-align: justify; font-size: small; border: 2px solid black; padding: 5px;" colspan="3"></p>
<p><img style="float: right;" alt="" src="http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm187/dlevarse/Penn_State-1.gif" height="113" width="150"/>It&#8217;s easy to wonder if there&#8217;s too much hype surrounding Christian Hackenberg. And then you rewatch last year&#8217;s finale against Wisconsin, and those doubts vanish pretty quickly. In case anyone forgot &#8212; 21-30, 339 yards, 4 TDs, no turnovers. As an 18-year-old in one of the country&#8217;s toughest venues. Of course, everyone will be interested to see how he adjusts to a new coaching staff without Bill O&#8217;Brien. This is one of UCF&#8217;s biggest question marks as redshirt freshman Pete DiNovo makes his first college start. He&#8217;s no Blake Bortles, but the Knights might not need it. <strong>EDGE: PSU</strong></td></tr></tbody></table><table style="width: 750px; height: 190px; border: 2px solid black;" class="mceItemTable"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center; font-size: x-large; background-color: #c00c00; color: white; border: 2px solid black;" colspan="3"></p>
<p><strong>RUNNING BACK</strong></td></tr><tr><td style="text-align: justify; font-size: small; border: 2px solid black; padding: 5px;" colspan="3"></p>
<p><img style="float: right;" alt="" src="http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm187/dlevarse/Penn_State-1.gif" height="113" width="150"/>There wasn&#8217;t much indication in training camp whether Bill Belton or Zach Zwinak would receiver the bulk of the carries this season. Barring another rash of fumbles from one or the other, the staff figures to ride the hot hand much like Bill O&#8217;Brien did. Both seniors plus sophomore Akeel Lynch should get carries &#8212; this staff had three different backs top 80 carries at Vanderbilt last year. UCF certainly wishes that Storm Johnson (7th-round pick) hadn&#8217;t made the poor decision to leave early for the NFL, but William Stanback still rand for 443 yards and six scores a year ago. <strong>EDGE: PSU</strong></td></tr></tbody></table><table style="width: 750px; height: 190px; border: 2px solid black;" class="mceItemTable"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center; font-size: x-large; background-color: #c00c00; color: white; border: 2px solid black;" colspan="3"></p>
<p><strong>RECEIVER</strong></td></tr><tr><td style="text-align: justify; font-size: small; border: 2px solid black; padding: 5px;" colspan="3"></p>
<p><img style="float: left;" alt="" src="http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm187/dlevarse/ucf-07-_zps57c271bb.gif" height="113" width="150"/>While Penn State mixes and matches new faces at wideout, UCF has a comfortable group that includes all three top receivers from last year plus the starting tight end to boot. J.J. Worton gave the Lions serious problems last season, catching seven balls for 101 yards and a score. Breshad Perriman and Rannell Hall are also talented and productive enough to make an impact. For the Lions, it&#8217;s Eugene Lewis&#8217; time to shine. What will be interesting to see is if Hackenberg has enough time to hit him deep. DaeSean Hamilton and the tight ends may post bigger numbers early on. <strong>EDGE: UCF</strong></td></tr></tbody></table><table style="width: 750px; height: 190px; border: 2px solid black;" class="mceItemTable"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center; font-size: x-large; background-color: #c00c00; color: white; border: 2px solid black;" colspan="3"></p>
<p><strong>OFFENSIVE LINE</strong></td></tr><tr><td style="text-align: justify; font-size: small; border: 2px solid black; padding: 5px;" colspan="3"></p>
<p><img style="float: left;" alt="" src="http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm187/dlevarse/ucf-07-_zps57c271bb.gif" height="113" width="150"/>Obviously there has been a ton of speculation on how the Lions will hold up in the trenches. Penn State&#8217;s starting line may not even be fully set with the coaches considering using Brendan Mahon at guard as a second redshirt freshman starter along with Andrew Nelson. The Knights, though, aren&#8217;t in terrific shape here either. Three starters are gone from last year&#8217;s unit that didn&#8217;t allow Bortles to be sacked once in the win at Penn State. George O&#8217;Leary said he&#8217;d like to see a little more progress from his big men, especially given that he has an inexperienced quarterback. <strong>EDGE: UCF</strong></td></tr></tbody></table><table style="width: 750px; height: 190px; border: 2px solid black;" class="mceItemTable"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center; font-size: x-large; background-color: #c00c00; color: white; border: 2px solid black;" colspan="3"></p>
<p><strong>DEFENSIVE LINE</strong></td></tr><tr><td style="text-align: justify; font-size: small; border: 2px solid black; padding: 5px;" colspan="3"></p>
<p><img style="float: right;" alt="" src="http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm187/dlevarse/Penn_State-1.gif" height="113" width="150"/>This may be one of the bigger toss-ups in the breakdown. Both teams have veteran units that will be let loose on some overmatched O-lines. One concern for the Lions is that leading sack man C.J. Olaniyan has been limited in practice this week and may not have the same burst he showed in the second half of last season. Penn State has depth here, though, as senior Brad Bars is healthy again and Garrett Sickels was one of the team&#8217;s top-rated recruits in 2013. Thomas Niles was the Knights&#8217; best pass rusher off the edge a year ago and he&#8217;ll be a handful again this season. <strong>EDGE: PSU</strong></td></tr></tbody></table><table style="width: 750px; height: 190px; border: 2px solid black;" class="mceItemTable"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center; font-size: x-large; background-color: #c00c00; color: white; border: 2px solid black;" colspan="3"></p>
<p><strong>LINEBACKER</strong></td></tr><tr><td style="text-align: justify; font-size: small; border: 2px solid black; padding: 5px;" colspan="3"></p>
<p><img style="float: left;" alt="" src="http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm187/dlevarse/ucf-07-_zps57c271bb.gif" height="113" width="150"/>Terrance Plummer was one of the more productive linebackers around last year. Not only did he lead the Knights with 110 tackles, but he had a knack for big plays, coming up with two interceptions and forcing a pair of fumbles. He returns to again lead the defense, flanked by another returning starter in Troy Gray. Penn State&#8217;s defense likewise flows from a middle linebacker as Mike Hull makes his first start there. What will be interesting to watch is how often the Lions keep three linebackers on the field if UCF keeps at least three receivers on the field for most of the game. <strong>EDGE: UCF</strong></td></tr></tbody></table><table style="width: 750px; height: 190px; border: 2px solid black;" class="mceItemTable"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center; font-size: x-large; background-color: #c00c00; color: white; border: 2px solid black;" colspan="3"></p>
<p><strong>SECONDARY</strong></td></tr><tr><td style="text-align: justify; font-size: small; border: 2px solid black; padding: 5px;" colspan="3"></p>
<p><img style="float: left;" alt="" src="http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm187/dlevarse/ucf-07-_zps57c271bb.gif" height="113" width="150"/>This was one of Penn State&#8217;s biggest concerns last August, but the emergence of Jordan Lucas at corner went a long way to helping the backfield improve. There remain concerns about the other side of the field. Trevor Williams struggled against the Knights last year and the Lions are hoping some experience will pay off this time around. It may determine whether PSU wins or loses. No worries here for the Knights, who return all four starters from last year&#8217;s secondary, including three seniors led by safety Clayton Geathers. Jacoby Glenn broke up 15 passes as a freshman. <strong>EDGE: UCF</strong></td></tr></tbody></table><table style="width: 750px; height: 190px; border: 2px solid black;" class="mceItemTable"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center; font-size: x-large; background-color: #c00c00; color: white; border: 2px solid black;" colspan="3"></p>
<p><strong>SPECIAL TEAMS</strong></td></tr><tr><td style="text-align: justify; font-size: small; border: 2px solid black; padding: 5px;" colspan="3"></p>
<p><img style="float: left;" alt="" src="http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm187/dlevarse/ucf-07-_zps57c271bb.gif" height="113" width="150"/>It&#8217;s time to see how quickly Charles Huff can have an impact on the Lions&#8217; beleaguered specialists. There&#8217;s certainly plenty of room for improvement and the new staff is preaching aggressiveness in the return game and the coverage units. That could lead to big plays going both ways. Punter remains a question mark, though it looks like Chris Gulla will get the first crack at the job. Things are more stable for UCF, which returns a reliable senior kicker in Shawn Moffitt, a young but productive punter and all of its top return men from a year ago. A decided advantage for UCF. <strong>EDGE: UCF</strong></td></tr></tbody></table><table style="width: 750px; height: 190px; border: 2px solid black;" class="mceItemTable"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center; font-size: x-large; background-color: #c00c00; color: white; border: 2px solid black;" colspan="3"></p>
<p><strong>PREDICTION</strong></td></tr><tr><td style="text-align: justify; font-size: small; border: 2px solid black; padding: 5px;" colspan="3"></p>
<p><img style="float: left;" alt="" src="http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm187/dlevarse/ucf-07-_zps57c271bb.gif" height="113" width="150"/>This will probably be one of the hardest games all season to prognosticate just because there are so many variables involved. The one that sticks out though is that there&#8217;s only so much time Penn State&#8217;s new staff had to get this group ready even without the crazy travel plans. The Lions coaches would never say so publicly, but one imagines they wouldn&#8217;t have been crushed if this one had somehow been postponed via volcano, or at least moved stateside. It should still be a close one, but the Lions may not have the firepower to bring home a win. <strong>UCF 20, PENN STATE 17</strong></td></tr></tbody></table></p>

NITTANY NOTES: PSU-UCF game guide