First the good things. Daryll Clark threw for a career-high 353 yards and three touchdowns. Derek Moye caught six passes for 138 yards and a touchdown. Chaz Powell had seven catches for 65 yards and a TD and Graham Zug added five catches for 62 yards and a touchdown. After losing Deon Butler, Jordan Norwood and Derrick Williams I wasn't sure if the Lions had the receivers. I knew Powell was going to be good but Moye surprised me a bit, he had a great game.
Now the not so good things. The running game wasn't there today. Evan Royster ran for just 61 yards on 14 carries. The stats in tomorrows paper may look like they had a decent day running the ball but 37 yards was from a fake punt run from Andrew Dailey. They will have to get better running the ball to have the same success as last year. Akron is no powerhouse (funny how I used a picture of Royster after I ripped on the running game). Also outside linebacker Navorro Bowman appears to be hurt. This will be a wait and see because we all know how Penn State is at disclosing injuries. Bowman left the game in the first period and did not return.
Overall the Nittany Lions looked impressive in the first half and that was enough to crush Akron 31-7. Its hard to tell how a season is going to go after one game anyway.
Around the Big 10
#6 Ohio State survived a scare from Navy 31-27
#22 Iowa beat Northern Iowa 17-16 in a bizarre ending. The Hawkeyes blocked the potential game winning Field Goal not once, but twice in the final seconds. Strange.
Northwestern pounded Towson 47-14
Michigan State smoked Montana State 44-3
Minnesota beat Syracuse 23-20 in overtime. Syracuse is next weeks opponent.
Purdue wins over Toledo 52-31
Michigan is up big and Illinois is getting hammered by Missouri. I'll give Illinois credit for playing an actual team in week one. Wisconsin plays tonight.
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