Concern about Houston's fast-paced offense causes change in Penn State's practice

DALLAS - Penn State was so concerned with how it would handle Houston's fast-paced offense that it utilized two scout teams in practice to try to emulate the tempo.

"We have more or less the same offensive line every single play and then two sets of wide receiver groups with the quarterback and another group with another quarterback," strong safety Drew Astorino said Sunday. "As soon as one offense is done, the other offense runs right on and runs a play instead of having to go back and look" at the card listing plays.

Even though the quarterbacks, third-stringer Garrett Venuto and wide receiver Evan Lewis, did their best to play fast, they likely didn't match the speed engineered by sixth-year senior quarterback Case Keenum and his band of speedy fifth-year seniors at wide receiver.

And that's the concern for interim head coach Tom Bradley and the rest of the Nittany Lions (9-3) Monday as they take on the Cougars (12-1) in the TicketCity Bowl at the Cotton Bowl Stadium.

"The first quarter is so difficult, you've got to get caught up to speed very quickly," Bradley said at the pre-bowl news conference. "It's how fast they play.

"Actually, if you look at their team, they're all seniors. Their skill guys have been playing together forever. If you watch them, when they break off their routes, they all seem to be on the same page. I think that's the part that's very difficult for us to duplicate."

Keenum finished seventh in the Heisman Trophy balloting after a season in which he led the nation in passing yards (392 per game) and total offense. He holds NCAA career records for those two categories, plus for touchdown passes with 152.

Keenum is helped by three receivers who have caught at least 75 balls apiece.

"When you're playing with somebody like Case, it's easy," said Houston wide receiver Justin Johnson, who has 75 receptions. "He does a great job getting us into the offense, getting us into the plays, delivering it. We've been there with him a long time. So we pretty much sometimes know what he's going to do before he does it."

Bradley said the Penn State pass rush will be vital. The Lions' front four will be at full strength with all-American tackle Devon Still ready to start after missing the last few days of practice nursing a case of turf toe.

In addition to saying Still is "able to go, full go," Bradley said quarterback Matt McGloin, who never was cleared to practice following the concussion he suffered Dec. 17 in a locker-room altercation with wide receiver Curtis Drake, would not play. He also said backup tailback Brandon Beachum (knee) will miss the game. . . . Bradley said he didn't think his team would be awestruck playing in the historic Cotton Bowl. "They've been in some other places that have been great venues to play in. I think this game is going to be exciting. They know they challenge they have ahead of them."