Greg Robinson didn’t sugarcoat things when asked to assess No. 17 Penn State’s electric offense.

‘I’m trying to go back, and I think this is the best offense we’ve faced total – I’m talking 11 players on the field – that we’ve played since I’ve been here,’ Robinson said. ‘We’ve played some good people, but I think if you take all 11 players, this is probably the best offense that we’ve faced.’

The film from the Nittany Lions first two games would certainly support Robinson’s assessment.

Penn State’s hybrid spread attack – dubbed the ‘Spread HD’ by assistant coach Jay Paterno, son of legendary head coach Joe Paterno – has tore through its first two opponents of the season. The Nittany Lions have scored 111 points in its first two games, buoyed by a big-play running attack and pro-style pass game.

No, this isn’t one of the grind-it-out Penn State offenses of the past. The ones that Orange fans grew used to seeing during many of the 68 games these former rivals have played.

This offense appears to have it all. A big-play tailback (sophomore Evan Royster, who has six touchdowns in 25 rushes this year), an efficient quarterback (junior Daryll Clark is 25-for-37 this year for 361 yards and three touchdowns) and a pair of dynamic receivers (Jordan Norwood and Derrick Williams).

‘They’re going to be a very solid team,’ said safety Paul Chiara. ‘Definitely from what I’ve watched so far, they’re very well-rounded offensively.’

That’s a scary thought, considering Syracuse’s defensive futility the first two games of the season. The Orange’s leaky defense has allowed an average of 36 points and 481 yards in those two losses to Northwestern and Akron.

Both of those teams ran a spread-oriented attack and both gashed the Orange on the ground. With its defense spread out, Syracuse became vulnerable to traps and draw plays, allowing 487 rushing yards so far this year.

This week, that leaky defense will have to contend with Royster, the Nittany Lions dangerous sophomore tailback. In Penn State’s 45-14 win over Oregon State last week, Royster scampered for 144 yards on 17 carries and three touchdowns. That included a 15-yard touchdown run and another 28-yard dash during a 35-point first half barrage by PSU.

‘He’s a very good player,’ Robinson said. ‘Now, he’s not the only one that plays, but he is a very good football player. He will be going on and making a nice career for himself.’

Even with its spread set, the Nittany Lions have rushed for 286.5 yards per game, albeit against lesser competition (the team opened up with a 66-10 win over Coastal Carolina). Fellow tailbacks Stephfon Green and Brent Carter have spelled Royster when necessary.

Penn State has racked up at 35 points in the first half of each of its first two games, building insurmountable leads before either of its opponents had a chance to respond.

‘It always feels good if you are able to run the ball,’ said Penn State junior tackle Dennis Landolt in a teleconference. ‘I think we owe a lot of that to the running backs because they have been great so far. Even when we are not perfect blocking-wise, they always find a way to get some yards.’

Add in efficient play of the junior Clark, who beat out sophomore Pat Devlin for the starting quarterback spot in the preseason, and a pair of consistent pass-catching threats in Norwood and Williams, and Penn State has all the makings of a Big Ten contender on offense.

Paterno, the Nittany Lions 43rd-year head coach, wasn’t quite ready to go that far.

‘You know, we’re not home free,’ Paterno said in a teleconference. ‘Don’t get too excited yet, okay? We’ve got a long, long way to be a good football team. A long way to go. We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us.’

Robinson said the Orange would have to take a gang-tackling mentality against Penn State in order to ‘minimize’ the big plays SU allows. But Robinson knew better than to say his team would be able to completely contain the Nittany Lions high-voltage attack.

‘When you have those types of athletes,’ Robinson said, ‘it makes life hard on people.’

Status of suspended players unclear

It still remains to be seen whether three Penn State players suspended earlier this week will play Saturday.

The trio of players – defensive linemen Abe Koroma and Maurice Evans and tight end Andrew Quarless – were suspended ahead of last weekend’s game against Oregon State after police seized marijuana from their apartment last week.

Koroma and Evans are both starters along the Nittany Lions defensive line. Evans was a preseason All-America candidate.

jsclayto@syr.edu

Published on September 11, 2008 at 12:00 pm