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Penn State Nittany Lions 2009 Preview

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Oct 3, 2009 5:00 pm US/Eastern

Penn State Nittany Lions 2009 Preview

Penn State Nittany Lions News

By: Casey Shea
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) ― The hype surrounding the Penn State Nittany Lions suggests a third national championship could be coming to Happy Valley.

Some critics believe that their out of conference schedule could actually hurt their chances at a national title, even if they run the table and finish 12-0.

The Nittany Lions start the season as the No. 9 ranked team in the preseason Associated Press Top 25 Poll and their season begins Saturday at home against Akron.

2008 Season In Review

Penn State finished 2008 with an 11-2 record and went 7-1 in the Big Ten Conference.

They started the season 9-0 before a heartbreaking last-second 24-23 loss at Iowa that all but vanquished their national championship hopes.

Iowa scored ten unanswered points in the fourth quarter, capped off by a Daniel Murray 31-yard field goal as time expired, to win the game.

The Nittany Lions rebounded and closed out the season with decisive wins over Indiana and Michigan State to earn them a berth in the Rose Bowl against the University of Southern California.

Penn State hung around early on, but a dismal second quarter saw USC put up 24 unanswered points and take a 31-7 lead into the half.

After a scoreless third quarter, Penn State scored 17 points in the fourth quarter to close the gap, but ultimately lost 38-24.

Daryll Clark was 21-for-36 for 273 yards and two touchdowns and two interceptions in the Rose Bowl loss.

Key Players For 2009

QB – Daryll Clark, Senior – Clark went 192-for-321 for 2592 yards in 2008, while throwing 19 touchdowns and six interceptions. He was sacked 11 times and had a quarterback rating of 143.44.

RB – Evan Royster, Junior – Royster finished 2008 with 1236 rushing yards on 191 attempts for an average of 6.5 yards per carry and scored 12 touchdowns. Royster and Clark give Penn State a formidable 1-2 punch at the QB and RB positions.

LB – Sean Lee, Senior – Lee is coming off surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee that kept him out for all of the 2008 season. The senior has worked hard to get back into game shape and should provide the solid defense he is known for. In 2007, Lee had 138 tackles, three sacks, three forced fumbles and one interception. His return to the lineup is a welcome one for head coach Joe Paterno.

Key Games For 2009

Sept. 26 vs. Iowa – The Nittany Lions will be looking to avenge that tough loss last season when the No. 22 ranked Hawkeyes make the trip to Happy Valley on Sept. 26.

Nov. 7 vs. Ohio State – Ohio State has a game early in the season against USC and a win there could make this game the one that Penn State needs to improve the resume for a BCS title shot.

Nov. 21 @ Michigan State – Should the stars align and Penn State be 11-0 heading into the last weekend of the regular season, this game would be the capstone on a perfect regular season. Depending on how the rest of the country pans out, the debate about who should be in the national championship game will be heated if Penn State's perfect season is left out of the equation.

KDKA-TV's Expert Predictions:

Mike Zappone: Penn State will finish 11-1 and finish tied with Ohio State atop the conference. They will beat Ohio State, but drop a road game. Potential upset alert is their game at Illinois. Tough place to play and they have historically struggled in Champaign even with their best teams.

Schedule For 2009

Sept, 5 vs. Akron: Win 31-7  Game Recap |  Game Scoreboard

Sept. 12 vs.Syracuse: Win 28-7  Game Recap |  Game Scoreboard

Sept. 19 vs.Temple: Win 31-6  Game Recap |  Game Scoreboard 

Sept. 26 vs. No. 22 Iowa: Loss 21-10  Game Recap |  Game Scoreboard

Oct. 3 at Illinois: Win 35-17  Game Recap |  Scoreboard 

Oct. 10 vs. Eastern Illinois: Win 52-3  Game Recap |  Scoreboard 

Oct. 17 vs. Minnesota: Win 20-0  Game Recap |  Scoreboard 
 
Oct. 24 at Michigan: Win 35-10  Game Recap |  Scoreboard 

Oct. 31 at Northwestern: Win 34-13  Game Recap |  Scoreboard

Nov. 7 vs. Ohio State: Loss 24-7  Game Recap |  Scoreboard 

Nov. 14 vs. Indiana: Win 31-20  Game Recap |  Scoreboard

Nov. 21 at Michigan State: Win 42-14 Game Recap | Scoreboard

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