Big Zack Attack Helps Lions Win 3rd In Row
By JERRY KELLAR [email protected]
Sunday, November 04, 2001 Page: 1C
UNIVERSITY PARK – It’s taken nearly half a season, but Joe Paterno finally has
got through to his young football team.
“I’ve been on them all the time, `You’re going to be good, you’re going to
be good, you’re going to be good,’ ” Penn State’s longtime coach said. “And
now all of a sudden I think they believe that they’re pretty good.
“Nothing like success, you know what I mean. Nothing succeeds like
success.”
Looking nothing like the squad that stumbled and fumbled its way to four
straight losses to open the season, the Nittany Lions now are in the midst of
a modest three-game winning streak after Saturday’s 38-20 victory over
Southern Mississippi at Beaver Stadium.
It was a festive afternoon for the homecoming crowd of 106,158, which saw
their beloved Nittany Lions (3-4, 2-3 Big Ten) fall behind at the start, then
strike back for 38 consecutive points against what was supposed to be an
ungenerous Golden Eagle defense.
“There’s just a whole different attitude,” Paterno said.
Energized by the play of redshirt freshman quarterback Zack Mills, the
Lions’ new diversified offense has rolled up 105 points in its last three
games.
The easygoing left-hander has been in one of those Michael Jordanesque
zones during the streak, his confidence level rising by the week.
He torched Southern Miss for 280 yards on 23-of-33 passing, with two
scores. Mills also picked up 36 yards on the ground, eight of them coming on a
fake field goal-turned touchdown that was executed to near perfection.
“I’m feeling pretty confident right now,” he said. “I don’t know if I
can’t do anything wrong, I’m just trying to make plays.”
Mills made a pile of them on Saturday, setting more records along the way.
His passing total gives him 1,260 yards for the season – a new single-season
mark for a freshman. (The old record was 1,037, set by redshirt freshman Todd
Blackledge in 1980.)
“Zack,” offensive tackle Gus Felder said, “has been great.”
“We seem to be improving steadily each week,” Mills said. “I’m most
proud of the fact that we had no turnovers this week.”
Mills looks completely at ease operating Penn State’s shotgun offense. And
his ability to tuck it and go, either out of the option or when his receivers
are covered, makes him doubly dangerous.
“We’re trying to do what our personnel dictates,” offensive coordinator
Fran Ganter said. “We’re not in the position now to just line up and give it
to Ki-Jana (Carter) and run behind (Jeff) Hartings.”
Indeed, the Lions of 2001 are nothing like their 1994 predecessors or, for
that matter, any other team from the past.
“We always had (the multiple look),” Ganter said. “We’re just more
willing to use it now.”
The thought process behind the new approach is actually quite simple.
“It’s execution,” Paterno said with a wave of his arms. “We’ve been able
to keep kids healthy and Zack’s been able to make some big, clutch plays for
us. He finds people, gets the ball to them. We didn’t have any 25-yard plays
for a while there (this season). And we had horrible field position in a
couple of those early football games. But we couldn’t make a play to get
ourselves decent field position.
“We dropped passes, did dumb things, and we killed ourselves in early
games. We weren’t that bad. I know we weren’t getting a lot of yards, but it
just becomes a mindset. They’re just doing some of the things they’re capable
of doing. We have some kids making (big) plays now.”
Put Bryant Johnson at the top of the list. The silky smooth flanker, who’s
been red-hot throughout the streak, hauled in 10 passes for 132 yards against
the Eagles, including a 3-yard TD grab that ricocheted off Tony Johnson’s
hands right to Bryant Johnson at the back of the end line.
Tony Johnson got in the act with four receptions, one of those a 42-yard TD
connection from Mills to open the third quarter.
Considering that both Johnsons had trouble hanging on to anything earlier
this year, their turnaround has been remarkable.
“(Bryant) had a little slump and he dropped some passes and starts to
wonder about it, and now all of sudden he’s catching it and he wants the ball
now,” Paterno said. “Same thing with Tony. (He’s) a guy that’s really
improved.”
And it’s not just the offense. Penn State’s defense, while far from great,
has shown marked improvement recently. A good portion of the 403 yards the
Eagles mounted on Saturday was accumulated late in the game.
The special teams, meantime, have been superb. Larry Johnson notched his
second TD off a blocked punt this season, younger brother Tony made an
exceptional play in downing a punt at the 1, and punter David Royer, who
averaged more than 42 yards per boot Saturday, has been outstanding.
“I can feel us jelling together,” defensive tackle Anthony Adams said.
“Everything is starting to click for us,” added D-end Bob Jones, who had
perhaps his best game in his Lion career. “We’re nowhere near where we need
to be, but it’s a lot better than what it was.”
Things looked bleak from the start. The Golden Eagles appeared to move the
ball freely and easily in the early going, but could muster just seven points,
that coming on Dawayne Woods’ 19-yard jaunt midway through the first quarter.
The Lions had no such problems.
Led by Mills, Penn State ripped off 24 consecutive points to end the half
and 14 more to start the third period.
Among his finer moments:
A 31-yard pass to Bryant Johnson to set up Omar Easy’s soaring 11-yard
score in the first quarter.
A 13-yard soft toss to tight end R.J. Luke that landed squarely in the
receiver’s mitts.
A 7-yard scramble after nearly getting his head taken off by blitzing
middle linebacker Rod Davis.
A 3-yard TD strike that bounced off Tony Johnson’s hands into Bryant
Johnson’s at the back of the end zone with four seconds left.
And the 42-yard home run ball over the middle to a streaking Tony Johnson
to open the third.
“Zack has great vision on the field ... a great feel for the game,”
Ganter said. “He sees a lot of things that we don’t even see.”
Mix in the terrific play of the special teams, and the bend-but-don’t-break
defensive philosophy, and you have the makings of a perfect homecoming
afternoon.
“Like we’ve been saying, it’s a seven-game season,” Larry Johnson said.
“And now we’re 3-0.”
