Lions taking it lightly
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Joe Paterno thinks easier is better.
So the veteran head coach who knows a thing or two about a thing or two puts together a weekly practice schedule that is a tad light.
Paterno told reporters this week that he tones down the practice sessions in order to keep his Nittany Lions fresh for Saturdays.
“We don’t practice much,” Paterno said. “We practice less than probably anybody in the country. We went out for an hour and 15 minutes (Monday) with just shoulder pads. We’ll go out (Tuesday) an hour and 40 minutes with pads. Then (Wednesday) we’ll go out with just tops and then (Thursday) we’ll go out an hour and 30 minutes with just helmets.
“So we don’t do a lot, but what we do is intense. And there is some banging around, particularly on Tuesday. (Tuesday) is our tough day.”
The reason is pretty simple.
“Got to have good legs on Saturday. The kids get hurt when they get tired most of the time. They get sloppy, get careless. Don’t have good technique. They start to lose their technique,” Paterno said.
“You’ve got to put them in some tough situations, but you don’t want to leave the game on the practice field, simple as that.”
DOESN’T BOTHER US
Syracuse has had to detract from talk that head coach Greg Robinson could be hitting the unemployment line very soon.
Robinson, just 7-30 in his tenure with the Orange, is facing heat from alumni, fans and media in the town.
That doesn’t seem to bother Robinson’s players.
“Actually it’s not talked about on the team,” running back Curtis Brinkley said. “Me personally? I don’t read the papers. He will deal with it well and he knows how to get through this.
“Time will tell. I can’t make predictions but time will tell. I believe in him, I believe in all my teammates because I know we will work hard.”
Chancellor Nancy Cantor told the CBS affiliate in Syracuse that the school is devoting all of its attention to the premiere of “The Express,” the movie made about former Orange running back Ernie Davis, but added that the 0-2 start has not met anyone’s expectations.
NO CHANGE
Syracuse offensive players said they haven’t changed anything in the game plan with Penn State defensive end Maurice Evans and defensive tackle Abe Koroma both out for this weekend’s game.
The duo was not listed on the Nittany Lions depth chart earlier this week. On the Nittany Lion Hotline radio show, Paterno did not confirm the status of Evans or Koroma but did mention offensive lineman Mike Lucian would move to defensive tackle.
“We’re not going to change anything we do,” said center Jim McKenzie. “Same game plan since Week 1. Our offense is working to improve, hone down, sharpen technical fundamentals and we keep getting sharper in that sense. The plays will make themselves.”
“Nothing different,” Brinkley added.
Brinkley and backfield mate Delone Carter will be ones to watch this weekend. Both are healthy and coming off injuries in 2007. They are the key to the Orange’s success .
“I think it’s going to be a good challenge,” Brinkley said. “I’m looking forward to the challenge, I’m excited about it, me personally, I always want to play against the best.”
WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN
Paterno has hashed and rehashed his stance on the college football conference he once tried forming with eastern schools. At Tuesday’s teleconference he was asked if one of the things that still bother him is that the plans fell through right before Penn State joined the Big Ten.
“We tried to make the CFA a kind of a division of the NCAA and we were close to that. We were close until the SEC decided they had a contract and we couldn’t get the Big Ten to commit,” Paterno said. “The Big Ten and the PAC-10 wouldn’t commit to the CFA. That was my first disappointment and I worked hard on that. In fact, Lord have mercy on him... the athletic director at Maryland, they were getting icky about having to play in the south. They were recruiting in Jersey, Pennsylvania, northern Maryland, and he said, ‘Well, if you can get the other guys in there, I’ll talk to you.’ He never made any kind of a commitment or anything like that and I think if Pitt had come in, we would have had seven schools plus Maryland. We would have had a nice little eight team... good basketball, would have been a lot of fine women’s sports, the whole bit. So, yeah. That was a big disappointment.
“The problem at that time was Connecticut wasn’t quite sure how they could compete in that league and they were doing well in basketball...... It was an uphill battle but if Pitt had said yes.... but again, I think if I could have gotten West Virginia or Syracuse and Pitt to come in, we would have had a good deal. But, didn’t work, it didn’t work. Can’t look back and cry. I just get sick and tired of people saying, ‘Well, why didn’t you do this with this team?’ Some things are impossible at certain times.
WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN TOO
Penn State receiver Jordan Norwood had a pretty good fall-back plan had he not received a scholarship offer from the Nittany Lions coming out of State College Area High School.
But as some things go, it all worked out for the better in the end.
“I probably would have went somewhere,” Norwood said. “I probably would have ended up going to Bucknell and playing football and basketball there. I’m very thankful they gave me the opportunity, (coach Paterno) and (former wide receivers coach) Kenny Carter at the time told me not to settle for anything less than Division I at the time.
“It was even tough for me to make the decision to come here. I think as most players are coming out of high school they’re not really sure if they belong playing at this level. With coach Paterno’s encouragement and along with coach Kenny Carter’s, it kind of put me in a position to go with it.”
Paterno has often said he liked what he saw from Norwood on the basketball court. As a junior he helped lead the Little Lions to the PIAA Class AAAA title. And remember, Bucknell had a nice two year window in which they made it to the NCAA Tournament where they became the first Patriot League school to ever make it out of the first round. How things might have been different.
