STATE COLLEGE —
It’s tough enough being the first true freshman quarterback to start a season opener for coach Joe Paterno at Penn State, a distinction Robert Bolden will carry into today’s game against Youngstown State.
Now try being a freshman quarterback playing against Penn State – at Beaver Stadium, no less.
Welcome to your collegiate debut, Kurt Hess.
“It’s Joe Paterno,” said Hess, the Penguins’ redshirt freshman quarterback.
“He’s always been known for his tough, hard-nosed defense.”
All eyes, though, will be focused on the player – or players – calling the offense for the 19th-ranked Nittany Lions.
Bolden barely beat out returning sophomores Matt McGloin and Kevin Newsome for the starting nod in a decision so tough Paterno didn’t make it until Wednesday night.
A Hall of Famer entering his 45th year as head coach is handing at least the first series of what may be a toned-down “spread HD” attack to a freshman who just enrolled in school over the summer.
With a team possessing a decisive edge in talent, Paterno still should easily get career win No. 395 – the most among major college coaches.
Still, he’s been wary all week of putting too much pressure on any of his quarterback candidates, and will likely play all three today. Bolden has been tabbed “1A” on the depth chart, with McGloin as “1B” and Newsome “1C.”
“We are confident all three quarterbacks are ready to go and hope to give them an opportunity to play until we settle on the one that gives us the best chance to win,” Paterno said in a statement this week announcing Bolden as the starter.
He was a little worried, too, about Youngstown State.
There wasn’t much useful tape to scout the new-look Penguins. Eric Wolford is making his head-coaching debut after recent assistant jobs at South Carolina and Illinois.
New offensive coordinator Shane Montgomery was the coordinator at Akron. Penn State cornerback D’Anton Lynn said the defense is studying old films of Illinois and Akron to at least try to figure out tendencies.
“So we’re expecting them to spread it out. ... But in saying that we really don’t know,” Lynn said. “It will be kind of useless to watch their film from last year because it’s a completely different style.”
What probably won’t change is the Nittany Lions defense, which should have more than enough athleticism to overwhelm the lower-division Penguins. Penn State will unveil a new starting linebacking corps in Nate Stupar, Chris Colasanti and Bani Gbadyu eager to prove they can replace last year’s terrific trio of Sean Lee, Josh Hull and Navorro Bowman.
“The thing with Penn State is they’re basically a Top 25 team year in and year out,” Wolford said. “Always top 10 on defense. ... They’re called Linebacker U for a reason.”
The Nittany Lions also want to avoid injuries while tuning up their schemes and young quarterbacks with a much tougher game awaiting in Week 2: top-ranked Alabama in Tuscaloosa.
The Penguins hope they’re not too confused by what could be a loud, season-opening crowd to be able to put on a respectable performance. And for Hess and Wolford, they’ll get to say they made their respective debuts against Paterno.
“It an honor,” Wolford said. “I probably wouldn’t want to have it any other way, really, going against one of the legends in college football.”
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