Take that, NCAA! I’m preserving the mascot you banned in 2005, because when you yanked the plug on the big chief, college football lost part of its soul. This Turkey is here to protect the aforementioned soul of college football from the politically correct wanker yankers of the NCAA.
The Fighting Illini (who are still allowed to be fighters, yet cannot have their warrior leader) could have used some more horses and some tomahawks on Saturday. Illinois (1-3, 0-2 Big Ten) had been highly regarded before their season started with a loss to Missouri, but things have gone downhill for them ever since. On Saturday, while playing in front of nearly 63,000 orange-clad fans on their newly remodeled home field, they lost once again, this time to our beloved #15 Nittany Lions (4-1, 1-1 Big Ten), 35-17.
PSU finally had a game that highlighted the rushing offense while making the heretofore incompetent offensive line look competent. Each of the three running backs, Evan Royster, Stephfon Green, and Brent Carter scored a touchdown; Royster and Green each had over 100 yards. The long run of the day was 52 yards, by Green. The two quarterbacks got into the mix, too, with Daryll Clark running 7 times for 83 yards and two touchdowns, with a long run of 51 yards, while Kevin Newsome ran only once, for 16 yards. Overall, the Nittany Lions ate up 338 yards and scored all five touchdowns on the ground, impressively averaging 8.5 yards per carry. Well done, runners and sleeping giants of the o-line! Moreover, kudos to the much-maligned coaches, who apparently spotted something in the Illinois-OSU tape that led them to believe that they could tear up the middle of Illinois zone scheme.
