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S The Battalion
couting
the Nation
Friday • September 5, 1997
It’s Penn State and Peyton in ’97
Orlando Pace and Danny Wuerffel are gone, but plenty
of other players are ready to take a place in the spotlight
T here was once a time when
Joe Paterno didn’t roam the
sidelines for the Penn State
Nittany Lions. Although the only
person who can remember that
days is Dirt,
who was
just a young
boy at the
time.
Paterno
has been at
Penn State
so long that
when he
joined the
coaching
staff,
rumors
were begin
ning to circle about a new inven
tion called the wheel which was
going to revolutionize transporta
tion and fire was the latest rage.
In actuality Paterno, who
enters his 48th season at Penn
State (32nd as head coach) has
not been in Happy Valley forever,
it only seems like it.
Paterno opens the 1997 season
with a lot to be happy about, pri
marily, he has a team that will
bring home the schools third
national championship. The
Nittany Lions are loaded on both
sides of the ball and have a
schedule that will make national
championship dreams a reality.
The offense is lead by junior
tailback Curtis Enis. If he can stay
healthy he may have a shot at a
2,000 yard season. Enis will be
helped by an offensive line with a
lot of game experience, just not at
their current positions. The quar
terback is new, but that is proba
bly a good thing. Fifth-year senior
Mike McQueary takes over the
reins from Wally Richardson, who
never developed into the quarter
back he was expected to be.
McQueary saw some action last
season and will be helped by a
solid group of receivers led by
senior Joe Jurevicius.
The defense will make Penn
State fans reminisce about the
days when Penn State was still
Linebacker U. Many people
believe sophomore Brandon
Short is the school’s best line
backer in a decade. He will be
joined by seniors Aaron Collins
and Jim Nelson. Throw in LaVar
Arrington, the nation’s consensus
No. 1 recruit and it will make for
an impressive group.
To go along with all the talent
in Happy Valley, Penn State has a
favorable schedule. PSU’s two
toughest conference foes, Ohio
State and perennial pretender
Michigan, both come to Beaver
Stadium. The Oct. 11 showdown
with the Buckeyes will be the
tell-tale moment in Penn State’s
season. If they can survive the
Big 10 unscathed (Pittsburgh,
Temple, and Louisville won’t
cause many sleepless nights early
Heisman hopefuls
These plants are pretty flashy end can
produce numbers worthy of the Heisman Trophy
wh ich usually goes to the best placer with the
best stats on one of the nations best teams:
PEYTOH MAHNNG, QB, Tennessee, Sr.
243 of 38U for3,287 yards, 20IDs, 12ints;
ranked 7th in passing efficiency last year
and 8th in Heisman voting in 'Q'O. Without
question, the Heisman is Manning^ to lose, and he's got the atm, name
and poise to justify his decision to stay in school.
RON DAYNE, RB, Wisconsin, Soph.
205 carries for 1,863 yands and 18 TDs. Punishing 261-pounderwho
bowls o^r defenders; could e>ceed 2,000 yards after an 1 j863-yard
freshman season.
CURT B EH B R B, Penn State, Jr.
224 carries, 1/10 yards and 13TDs. If coach Paterno lets him, Ennis,
too, could top 2j000 'yards by running o\er and around the opposition.
KEYH FAULK, RB-KR, LSU, Jk.
248 carries, 1/82 yards, 13IDs; 4to in the nation with 2^04 yards
(191.27 all-purpose yards per gam e in "OOI. As long as LSU stays in or
around the Top 10, the elusive Faulk should stay in the Heisman tunning.
RON POHLUS QB. Notre Dame, Sr.
133 of 232 for 1,942 yards, 12 TDs, 4 ints. Surprise, surprise. With a new
coach and an ofense' ready to throw, this maybe Powlus-’ best shot at the
Heisman. It certainly will be his last.
KEEP AH EYE OH: Ahm an Green, R B Nebraska, Jr.; Donovan McN abb,
QB, Syracuse, Ricky William s, R B, Texas, Jr.
in the season) the regular season
finale at Michigan State could be
Paterno’s 300th victory.
Besides, is there a better way to
bid farewell to the existing Bowl
Alliance than with a possible Penn
State-Washington title game in the
non-alliance Rose Bowl?
Let the Hype Begin.
The Heisman Trophy may
have been won at a press confer
ence in Knoxville, Tenn. last
spring when Tennessee quarter
back Peyton Manning decided to
return for his senior season and
claim his millions in the NFLin
1998. He once again leads the
crop of Heisman hopefuls, and
barring another Florida-like dis
aster will win it.
Here are the guys who will be
in attendance at New York’s
Downtown Athletic Club in
December.
1. Peyton Manning, QB-Tennessee.
How popular is Peyton
Manning? The Volunteer signal
caller is mobbed by students
while changing classes, has had
teachers ask for his autograph
and if that’s not enough, expect
ing parents throughout the
Ozarks are now as likely to name
their son ‘Peyton’ as they are tra
ditional regional favorites like
Jebodiah and Finneus.
2. Curtis Enis, RB-Penn State.
It’s been 24 years since John
Cappelletti won Penn State’s last
Heisman and Enis could be the
man to break the streak. He has
good size and speed and always
finds room to run. His name
might not flow smoothly, but his
hips do.
3. Kevin Faulk, RB-Louisiana State.
Faulk could be the most excit
ing player in college football this
year. The junior running back will
electrify crowds, and Heisman
voters with dazzling runs, catches
and kick returns. If Faulk can
come up big against Alabama
and Notre Dame on back-to-back
Saturdays late in the season, he
could vault to the top of the list.
4. Ricky Williams, RB-Texas.
For the past 20 years, Longhorn
faithful have anointed every back
who dares to enter the starting
lineup as the next Earl Campbell.
Let us not forget the ghosts of
Butch Hadnot and Phil Brown.
This time, they may be on to
something. Just ask the opposing
defenses who “dread” facing the
talented back.
5. Andy Katzenmoyer, LB-Ohio State.
The Cat Man was the countries
most talked about freshman last
season and lived up to the hype,
becoming the first Buckeye to
start his first game as a true fresh
man. At 6-feet, .5-inches and 250
pounds, Katzenmoyer is a physi
cally imposing force in the mid
dle. He will be this years poster
boy for the “Why does it have to
be a quarterback, running back,
receiver” debate.
The future is now
With many of last season’s top
underclassmen making the annu
al pilgrimage to the promise land
of the National Football League,
coaches around the country will
be looking for young players to
step up and lead their teams to
the top. These are the guys (along
with their peers listed above) who
will be household names (and the
top candidates for next year’s
draft) by the end of the season.
Ron Dayne, RB-Wisconsin.
Big’en looks more like a line
man than a tailback (5-feet, 10-
inches and 261 pounds), but was
able to put up over 1,800 yards as
a freshman last season, Dayne is
Wisconsin’s only threat and will
get the ball 40 times a game. If
the line can open holes, a 2,000
yard season is not out of the
question. Dayne and
Katzenmoyer, neither of which
will ever be confused with a rock
et scientist, may challenge the
NFL’s policy on not drafting play
ers until they are at least three
years out of high school.
Charles Woodson, CB-Michigan.
Woodson could have left school
after his sophomore season and
been a first-round pick. The high-
impact junior returns to claim his
spot as the top defensive back in
the nation. Coach Lloyd Carr who
also uses Woodson at wide
receiver will need him to have a
prime time impact for Michigan
this season.
Randy Moss, WR-Marshall.
The only thing bigger than Moss’s
talent is the extra baggage he
brings with him. A year ago as a
freshman, Moss shattered Division
II records for career touchdown
receptions with 28. Don’t let the
fact that Moss plays for Marshall
(who make the jump to Division I
in ‘97) fool you. He ended up with
the Thundering Heard only after
being asked to leave perennial
powers Notre Dame and Florida
State, defensive backs at those
schools could not cover him on
the practice field, so don’t expect
anyone else to.
Peyton’s the man
When quarterback Peyton Manning
announced that a fourth â– jear al Tennessee
sounded like a good idea, it catapulted the
Volunteers into the forefront of the national
championship picture and made Manning a
fa\orite for the Heisman Trophy.
Comparison between Peyton Mamang
in 1996 and the last five QBs to wm the
Heisman Trophy:
Year
Player
Alt.
Comp.
Yds.
ID.
bit.
1996
Danny Wuerffel, Florida
360
207
3,625
39
13
1993
Charlie Ward, FSU
380
264
3,032
27
4
1992
Gino Torretta, Miami
402
228
3,060
19
7
1990
TyDetmer, BVU
562
361
5,188
28
28
1989
Andre Ware, Houston
578
365
4,499
46
15
1996
Peyton Manning, Tenn.
380
243
3,287
20
12