Blue-White Game Preview '11: Offensive Backfield

This post is part 1 of 5 this week previewing all the offensive and defensive units heading into the Blue-White scrimmage this Saturday in Beaver Stadium.

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Part 1: The Offensive Backfield

Penn State has more talent at the skill positions this spring than I can remember. That doesn't necessarily mean that talent is experienced, developed or realized at this point. A dominating theme last season was that of underachievement by a football team that had arguably more raw talent than at least two of the teams that defeated it (Illinois & Michigan State) and probably another (Iowa).

In the first parts of our preview series heading into the Blue-White Game, we'll start with the offensive backfield--quarterbacks and running backs. Then tomorrow it's on to the receivers and tight ends.

While the quarterback position remains a hot mess this spring, the running backs are surprisingly strong with the loss of Penn State's all-time leading rusher. Even the fullbacks are something to get excited about for 2011 and possibly on the field this weekend.

More on each in the following sections below the break.

Brandon Beachum will Redshirt 2010

Brandon Beachum (#3) will redshirt the 2010 season.

Per Sean Fitz, a good move by the coaches...

"It has been decided that running back Brandon Beachum will take a redshirt this season, according to sources close to the situation."

I was really hoping to hear this news. Beachum is a great talent in the backfield, but has had some tough luck with the ACL tear last season. He showed that he's a power back all the way, able to break tackles, yet fast enough to make defenders miss.

With Royster gone next season, Penn State needs two backs that can pound the rock. Beachum and Curtis Dukes will be a fantastic duo to chose from. Combine one (or both) of them with a speedster like Stephfon Green or Silas Redd (who won't redshirt 2010, btw), and it's a regular thunder-and-lightening combo not seen since Curtis Enis and Aaron Harris--unless, of course, we get on this season in Royster and Green.

Anyway, good news. Let Beachum heal up to 100 percent. Then unleash hell on the Big Ten in 2011.

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Blue-White Countdown 2010: Running Backs

Stephfon Green (21) missed last spring with a broken ankle, but this year he is ready to go full speed.
Previous entries...
1: Special Teams
2: Defensive Backs
3: Linebackers
4: Defensive Line
5: Offensive Line
6: Tight Ends
7: Wide Receivers

We're nearing the conclusion of our countdown to the 2010 Blue-White Game. The Nittany Lions have been practicing for just over three weeks, but Joe Paterno still thinks they stink. Closing in on the Blue-White weekend, I'll wrap up our journey through all the major positions, as I try to give the most reasoned explanation of who we could see come out big, and why. In today's edition, we'll go right up the middle, with the running backs.

Background

Since 2005, Penn State has surprisingly churned out five consecutive 1,000-yard rushers--Tony Hunt (05-06), Rodney Kinlaw (07), and Evan Royster (08-09). You could also throw in possibly the greatest single season of all Nittany Lion rushers, Larry Johnson topping 2,000 yards in 2002. It wasn't the most impressive first half of a decade for the Penn State ground game, but the second half was a dynamite run like none other for the boys in Blue and White.

Returning senior starter Evan Royster is on track to easily break the all-time Penn State career rushing record, needing only 480 yards to pass Curt Warner's career mark of 3,398 set in 1982. Royster should also become the first Nittany Lion to reach 1,000 yards in three seasons. Considering the running back pedigree in Happy Valley, that's saying a lot about No. 22.

I mention Royster in this section because he's not really doing much this spring; he shouldn't have to. There is no reason to risk losing him for the season, when there are about four more excellent backs in need of the reps this spring. This post will focus more on the guys behind Royster, since they will see the most action in the upcoming Blue-White Game.

Running Backs

As you'll notice in the list below, there are many more running backs on the roster than will ever see action in the regular season. But this is the Blue-White Game season, and there's a chance we will see a couple of them run the ball next Saturday.

Still, we'll center in on the following: Stephfon Green, Shaine Thompson, Derek Day, Silas Redd, Curtis Dukes, Hykeem Brodie, and Joe Suhey.

Brandon Beachum is sitting out this spring, finishing up his ACL recovery. Royster won't do much outside of the first series. And with the news of Mike Zordich's DUI, he went from being a potential star of the Blue-White Game, to probably not playing at all.

No.	Name	Pos.	Elig	Ht/Wt	High School	Coach
3	Brandon Beachum	RB	JR	6-0/218	Youngstown, Oh/Cardinal Mooney	P.J. Fecko
21	Stephfon Green	RB	rJR	5-10/197	Bronx, N.Y./John F. Kennedy	Alex Vega
22	Evan Royster	RB	rSR	6-1/213	Fairfax, Va./Westfield	Tom Verbanic
23	Shaine Thompson	RB	rJR	6-0/215	Bronx, N.Y./John F. Kennedy	Alex Vega
24	Derek Day	RB	rSO	5-9/184	Bellefonte, Pa./Central Dauphin	Glen McNamee
25	Silas Redd	RB	FR	/190	Stamford, Conn./King&Low Heywood Thomas	Dan Gouin
26	Curtis Dukes	RB	rFr	6-1/238	Evans Mills, N.Y./Indian River	Cory Marsell
29	Kevin Kowalishen	RB	rSO	5-10/187	Northampton, Pa./Northampton Area	Robert Steckel
30	Josh Matzkin	FB	rSR	6-0/222	Tampa, Fla./Berkeley Prep	Frank Sullivan
30	Hykeem Brodie	RB	So	5-11/223	Portsmouth, Va./Old Dominion Univ.	Scott Johnson
33	Andre Dupree	FB	Fr	5-10/224	Waldorf, Md./North Point	Ken Lane
35	Pat Zerbe	FB	rFR	6-1/240	West Lawn, Pa./Wilson	Doug Dahms
37	Joe Suhey	FB	rJR	6-1/236	Deerfield, Ill./Loyola Academy	John Holecek

I'm really looking forward to seeing Green in action this year. Unfortunately, there's a very good chance the coaches will give him the Royster treatment during the Blue-White Game--four or five carries, then ride the bench. I will still hold out to see the kind of show Green has put on before:

"On the second play of the game, redshirt freshman Stephfon Green (Bronx, N.Y.) found an opening and zipped to a 57-yard touchdown run to give the White a 7-0 lead. Green finished as the game's leading rusher with 87 yards on 12 carries for a superlative 7.2 average."

But if that's not what happens, it's not like there won't be plenty more to watch for from the guys lower on the depth chart.

Two names shine bright: Silas Redd and Curtis Dukes. We've heard a ton of great things about both players, but haven't been able to see anything from them on the field. The two are a veritable thunder-and-lightening combo just waiting to take the field together.

Redd has fantastic speed, and as one pundit described, is even more shifty than Green. But according to the coaching staff and observers in practice, he's still a raw talent that has to develop a bit further. I'll take that, as long as that development continues. Redd impressed at Penn State's annual Coaches Clinic scrimmage last weekend, with a few big gains and a touchdown.

Dukes is a bulldozer with speed, even seeing some time at fullback since arriving on campus two seasons ago. Most, including myself, consider him the kind of running back Aaron Harris was back in the 1990s. And most, not necessarily including myself, think his future is at fullback. We'll just have to wait and see where the coaches line him up during the Blue-White Game. Dukes could end up moving around a bit.

Probably the next two in line are Shaine Thompson and Derek Day. Thompson is a converted linebacker who graduated high school with Stephfon Green. He played tailback in last year's Blue-White Game, but was switched back to linebacker during the summer. Then, with the ACL injury to Beachum, Thompson went back to running back. Until Beachum is back, expect Thompson to stay on offense. Day has gotten some praise from Joe Paterno, who said he's a tough kid and hard worker. Though Day is only a walk-on, getting in good with Paterno will always win you some carries. He played in last year's spring game, so I don't expect any different this time around. A player like Day could end up leading the rushers in carries.

The only clear-cut starter for fullback is incumbent Joe Suhey. There's not much to say about "Mr. Penn State Football," other than I hope to see him carry the ball more up the gut. He's not a bruiser, but Penn State needs a guy who can guarantee a touchdown from anywhere inside the two yard line.

Hykeem Brodie is a rare transfer to Penn State, as in the Nittany Lions rarely take kids from other colleges. But something about Brodie impressed the coaches enough to invite him as a preferred walk-on this spring. He has apparently put on a surprisingly good performance during the Coaches Clinic scrimmage, so I'm eager to see what he does in a less controlled situation like the Blue-White Game.

That's all for today. Stay tuned early next week, as I'll post the quarterbacks breakdown on Monday. It's about to be Game Week, folks!

Next: Quarterbacks

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