I see that Mario Manningham is possibly hurt, Lloyd won't say anything but it's being reported all over that he hurt his knee and will not play Sat night at Penn State. That will be a big blow to the weasel passing game, Manningham was Henne's go to guy. He will be missed. I think this game is going to be very competitive. The night crowd at PSU will be nuts, and the young Nit QB and Recievers have had some time to get in synch with one another. I might have to take PSU and the points in the Yahoo contest. Terry Manningham Out
Nothing noted on mlive.com, just espn...so maybe there is some truth but maybe...more caution to make sure Manningham is good for Saturday night. Even if Mario isn't good to go, the Wolverines will have capable backups. Just means a closer game. Probably a good 'bet' to take PSU and the points. :wink: Matt in INdy Go Blue!
Terry, Ever since Penn State hired Guido Elia in 2004, the crowd at Beaver Stadium has not been the same. Guido is a marketing pro who was famous for his " We are Family" rally cry back when the Pirates won the World Series in 1979 or so. Guido is responsible for the White out, The Bounce, Zombie nation and is a big part of the revival of Penn State football. This guy was endorsed and backed by Joe Paterno. Beaver stadium used to be a quiet polite crowd... not anymore. The crowd really gets into it and imho was instrumental in landing several big time recruits. I went to 2 games in 2004, Iowa and Purdue. Penn State was 2-4 and 2-5 when they played those games and each was a sellout and in each game the stadium was rocking. As far as our chances against Michigan, PSU has the ability to spring an upset. They are slowly getting better week by week. The O line has been solid, good pass protection and opening up holes for Tony Hunt. Morelli had a good game against Minnesota, but Michigans D line will be a tougher test. They fared well against OSU's D line, who has a very good front 4 so I think they can hold off Michigan which may have the best in the Big 10. Penn State's biggest problem is continuity of drives. They are gaining yards but have been inconsistant. often getting an untimely penalty or mistake. Red zone offense is weak and still needs big improvement. Morelli looked much better against Minnesota. He wasn't staring down receivers and tipping off where he was throwing. The D is getting better , the DE's are starting to pick it up with the freshman getting better each week. The DT's are very good and get excellent penetration and good pass rush. PSU has been rotating the DLine more this year, so I don't expect them to get gassed like they did against UM last year. I don't know if Manningham is such a big blow to UM. Henne yes, Hart yes. The TE still hurts us so we'll see what happens and see what UM will do to exploit our young safeties. Our red zone D hasn't been as steller this year, but overall the D is playing well. Had good numbers against Minn except for that game tieing drive where we had 2 busted coverages covering 80++ yards. I expect a hard fought game and I expect the crowd and the elevated noise to be a factor. I'm gathering up all the good luck charms and probably will not watch much of the game as I will be in AC at a convention.
Buckeye fans do not have fond memories of Beaver Stadium and the fanatical crowds. Last year was a good example a night game and a whiteout crowd, On the other hand Troy Smith was just coming off his suspension and was not the QB, he is this year. I am still picking Michigan to win. Don
This game reeks of upset. Manningham is a big factor. Penn State, already losing to Notre Dame and Ohio State, does not miss this chance for season redemption. The PSU LBs come up big and Morelli grows up. Penn State wins.
IMO, if Michigan meets this challenge and emerges with a win, they are a legit contendah. This is not one of JoPa's best teams, but they will battle nose-to-nose until the last whistle. It definitely will be an interesting game on PSU's home turf.
Manningham to have Surgery I hope he's ok, even though he is a weasel, I always hate so see guys get hurt and their futures put in jeopardy. He showed me what a great reciever he is in our game.
Manningham is out for this week, and probably won't be back until OSU! And I won't hold my breath for that!! Carr will play this one close to the vest, expect a tight battle with special teams probably making the difference on this one. I'll make sure to have extra tums on the table! Matt in INdy Go Blue!