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Archive: December, 2010

Paterno's final words before bowl game
POSTED: Friday, December 31, 2010, 12:06 PM
Joe Juliano
             TAMPA, Fla. – Penn State coach Joe Paterno walked to the podium today for his final pre-Outback Bowl press conference looking to eliminate one area of questioning before the session formally began.
“I have no plans to retire, all right?” Paterno said with a smile. “Can we get that one out of the way?”
Much of the rest of the press conference centered on the Nittany Lions’ matchup with Florida Saturday at Raymond James Stadium. He indicated his chief concerns were the speed of the Gators and the weather forecast for the game in which temperatures are expected to be in the mid to upper 70s.
Of Florida’s speed, Paterno said, “I don’t think there’s any question that that’s going to be the biggest problem we have.
“We have to make sure we keep them where we have a shot at them, because they can run,” he said. “There’s no question their speed worries me. We’ve tried to emphasize the fact that you’ve got to have good position and don’t underestimate their ability to run away from you. And we’ve got to tackle.”
Paterno said he worried about the effect of the anticipated heat on the 300-pound linemen that will be pounding in the trenches for both teams and panting after 10 or 12 plays.
“They sound like newspaper people,” he quipped.
“It’s going to be hot,” he said. “That worries me a little bit, the heat. If it’s in the 70s, we’re going to have to play some people (on defense), particularly with the pace that Florida may give us on offense. They’re not going to be hanging around waiting for us to line up.”
Paterno also said he couldn’t tell if it would be a high-scoring game, as some have predicted.
“It depends of somebody drops the ball, turnovers,” he said. “The kicking game is a hidden element that nobody really watches. And turnovers … we were playing a pretty good game against Ohio State and we turn the ball over twice, two touchdowns. Two interceptions turn the whole football game around.
“I’m very reluctant to make predictions that way. I think you’re going to see two teams playing really hard. Hopefully it will be the kind of game people can enjoy, whether it’s close or whether it’s high-scoring.”
He said he expects Florida to be “on a mission,” playing its last game for coach Urban Meyer, who will step down after the game.
As for Penn State, he said, “I think we’re ready. Whether we’re good enough, we’ll find out.”

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Happy Valley Odds and Ends
POSTED: Tuesday, December 7, 2010, 6:36 PM
Joe Juliano

    Penn State named its award winners for the 2010 football season tonight at the annual State College Quarterback Club's banquet at the Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel.

    Wide receiver and co-captain Brett Brackett won the Outstanding Senior Player Award. Brackett caught more passes -- 37 -- than he did in his previous three combined seasons. He was second on the team in receptions, yards (497) and touchdowns (5). Brackett also has served for two seasons as president of Penn State's Uplifting Athletes Chapter and has been one of the primary organizers of Penn State Lift for Life benefitting the Kidney Cancer Association.

     Senior guard Stefen Wisniewski, who had to miss the dinner to attend the National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame event in New York, wherer he was named a national scholar athlete, won two awards. He received the Richard Maginnis Memorial Award as outstanding offensive lineman, and the Nittany Lion Club Academic Achievement Award as the senior with the highest grade-point average, a 3.91.

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About this blog
Joe Juliano has been a staff writer for The Inquirer for 20 years, covering college sports, golf and the Penn Relays.

This season is Joe's fourth season on the paper's Penn State beat. He previously covered the Nittany Lions for United Press International from 1976 to 1984.

Emily Kaplan is the Inquirer’s fall intern covering the Nittany Lions. She is a senior at Penn State and has covered a variety of sports for the university’s student-run paper, The Daily Collegian. Over the last two years, she has reported for The Associated Press from State College. A Montclair, N.J. native, she has also interned at MLB Network, NHL.com and covered the 2012 Olympics in London. Follow her on Twitter here @EKaplan24.

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