No Heisman trophy winner? No problem.
It seemed like a good sign for Penn State fans after seeing Mark Ingram stuck on the sidelines, but his back up, Trent Richardson, exceeded expectations as he bulldozed the Penn State defense for 219 total yards, a touchdown and a 24-3 stomping. Perhaps he was even making a case for a Heisman trophy himself in the process.
The hype surrounding this weekend's out-of-conference game at Alabama has dominated national headlines, and most Penn State student's can't remember a game of this capacity.
"This is one of the biggest games that I obviously have been a part of, and I feel that Penn State has been a part of,” said starting safety Drew Astorino.
At just 18 years old, Penn State's most recent starting quarterback, Rob Bolden, is getting a lot of love from the Happy Valley folks, but the Big Ten conference has also recognized the freshman's novel accomplishments.
The unprecedented move to start freshman quarterback Rob Bolden has been a swirling topic all week, but with a 2-touchdown and a 239-yard performance, Bolden made the decision look like a no-brainer leading the Nittany Lions to a 44-14 victory.
Penn State's defense is hungry, and Penguin is the main entree. The 2010 defense is deep at every position and will boast a rotation of six linebackers who all have game experience. Similar to Penn State's situation, Youngstown will be putting freshman Kurt Hess under center against a Penn State defense that led the Big Ten in sacks last year.
Just days until the Nittany Lions take the field against Youngstown State, coach Paterno has yet to announce a starting quarterback; however, seniors Ollie Ogbu and Brett Bracket have shown enough leadership to be voted captains for 2010.