Penn State starts camp with QB job open
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) -- The pressure is on at Penn State.
The Nittany Lions began preseason practice Monday, with thoughts of overturning the balance of power in the Big Ten fresh in their heads.
Center A.Q. Shipley planned to block out any talk about Hall of Fame coach Joe Paterno's future by concentrating on readying the squad for a run at conference favorite Ohio State.
"It's definitely fair. We expect to win every game every year, and when we don't, it's obviously a disappointment," Shipley, a captain, said recently about the expectations heaped on the Nittany Lions by the school's rabid fan base.
"If we didn't have 110,000 fans week in and week out not expecting us to do that, we wouldn't be the program where we're at," Shipley said.
Here are some key questions for JoePa as he begins his record 43rd season as head coach:
Quarterback: Daryll Clark and Pat Devlin are the main competitors to inherit the job held the last two seasons by Anthony Morelli. Paterno also insists that third-stringer Paul Cianciolo is a candidate to start, though that's probably a stretch. If history is any indication, Paterno may lean on the more experienced and athletic Clark, a senior, though Devlin has impressed teammates, too, with his arm and ability to run the offense -- in practice. How each quarterback might react in the fourth quarter of a tight Big Ten road contest is a different story. Paterno also hasn't ruled out two quarterbacks, either. The player who calls the signals will have a veteran offensive line and a reliable, experienced receiving corps on his side.
Sean Lee's replacement: Lee, a standout linebacker, won't return to the field until 2009 after blowing out his right knee in spring practice. That's a blow to the defense. The Nittany Lions have depth at the position with several talented youngsters who could step up to fill the void. However, among the returnees, only Tyrell Sales has starting experience after last year's third starter, Dan Connor, moved on to the NFL. The early depth chart has Josh Hull flanked by Sales and redshirt sophomore Bani Gbadyu.
Running Back: Evan Royster stepped up last season after Austin Scott left the team because of an off-field issue. Nicked up at times as the understudy to Rodney Kinlaw, the redshirt sophomore must prove he can handle a bigger workload now that Kinlaw is gone. Royster's best runs came between the tackles. Redshirt freshman Stephfon Green had a promising spring practice as a potential change-of-pace back with blazing speed.
Defensive line: The unit was considered a strength before tackles Chris Baker and Phil Taylor got booted off the team last week for undisclosed reasons. Talent is still there, led by end Maurice Evans, though depth took a hit. Paterno has said he expects players injured last year, like junior Jared Odrick (right ankle) and redshirt freshman Devon Still (left knee), to reinforce the line.
Find the right answers and the Nittany Lions could improve on two straight 9-4 seasons and erase the bad memories of a string of off-field issues over the past year.
The first game is Aug. 30 at home against Coastal Carolina.
