At a Nittany Lion Club fundraiser in King Of Prussia, Joe Paterno tipped his hand a bit regarding the quarterback job:
Daryll Clark and Pat Devlin are the candidates, and the two seemed comparable at the Blue-White game. The coach doesn’t expect to make a decision until the preseason, and Paterno hasn’t ruled out an occasional platoon, but it’s looking more likely as if Clark will get the initial nod.
“Obviously, people got him ahead of the pack, and I think it probably ought to be that way,” Paterno said. “But Devlin and [probable third-stringer Paul] Cianciola are both good football players.
Not an outright endorsement, but it’s close…with the possibility of Paterno’s comments being semi-intended as a motivational tactic for Devlin.
37 responses so far ↓
FireJayPa // May 11, 2008 at 5:25 pm
Of course Clark gets the nod.
1. Clark has been there longer.
2. Devlin is Irish
That’s all it takes
SweepTheLeg // May 11, 2008 at 5:46 pm
Being Irish really held back Big Red
FireJayPa // May 11, 2008 at 5:53 pm
@SweepTheLeg
Yea, had to wait till his senior year to start. And now he has to coach the WRs while Jay Paterno coaches the QBs and gets groomed for a Offensive Coordinator gig….
Poor Red…
Eric // May 11, 2008 at 6:24 pm
Yet more sensibility from FireJayPa. Maybe you didn’t watch the same Blue-White game I did, but I thought both QB’s looked pretty sharp.
Guess that would make too much sense though.
speedomike02 // May 11, 2008 at 8:53 pm
I could see this being spun a number of ways. I mean, you could read the “it probably ought to be that way” as Paterno saying Clark’s been around a year longer, so he should be ahead of Devlin. I think there’s way too much hand wringing over this competion thing. This idea that there is some sort of Joe/Jay anti-Devlin conspiracy is pretty ridiculous. Let’s just wait and see.
Tailgate Shogun // May 12, 2008 at 6:04 am
FireJayPa probably wanted Morelli to start over Robinson in ‘05. I think that one turned out okay.
I’m sure Devlin will be great, but I’m not sure why people are automatically assuming Clark will be awful.
FireJayPa // May 12, 2008 at 7:08 am
Actually, I wanted Robinson to get in there instead of a broken down and beaten Zack Mills….
And from what I saw in the Blue/White game was better pocket presence from Devlin…better scrambing potential from Clark.
With the WRs we got…give me a QB with good pocket skills…and an arm
PSUFlyers // May 12, 2008 at 8:49 am
@ TS
I’m not assuming that Clark will be awful; I am assuming that Jay Paterno will find the way to make the wrong decision, though.
FireJayPa // May 12, 2008 at 8:50 am
Oh, I’m not assuming Clark will be awful. I’m just saying that if history is an indicator of the future, then Clark will start because of seniority
Tailgate Shogun // May 12, 2008 at 8:56 am
Hey, I don’t know who is better. I don’t get to see every practice. However, I understand why Clark might be ahead - he’s seen meaningful game snaps, unlike Devlin. He’s been around longer to learn the offense. He appears to be a team player, and is physically mature. I get why he’s going to see the first snap, and have no complaints*.
And, I agree that our coaching staff should have shown some courage and allowed Clark to get meaningful snaps last year, particularly in games like Michigan or Illinois, which clearly weren’t Morelli’s finest hour. They’ve benched QB’s before… not sure why they stuck with AM.
*(yet)
FireJayPa // May 12, 2008 at 9:00 am
“And, I agree that our coaching staff should have shown some courage and allowed Clark to get meaningful snaps last year”
How about the Temple game? Would have been a perfect time to give the 3rd quarter to Clark and some mop up duty to Devlin
SweepTheLeg // May 12, 2008 at 9:12 am
Our offensive coaching staff are morons…that is why no “real” snaps last year for DC or PD
FireJayPa // May 12, 2008 at 9:45 am
Clark took a few knees during the games..and then did some one-read plays in the bowl game…
Hardly being utilized to the fullest…I think Derrick Williams has thrown more passes than Devlin at this point…
speedomike02 // May 12, 2008 at 12:01 pm
Interesting quote from Paterno about Morelli/playing Clark….
“Obviously, you’d want one dominant guy. Last year, I probably made a mistake. Jay Paterno [Joe's son and Penn State's quarterbacks coach] came to me a couple of times and said he wanted to play Clark a little bit. I was a little leery about doing that because I thought [Anthony] Morelli wasn’t so secure that he could handle it. Then we went to the [Alamo] bowl and we were able to work Clark in.”
Link to article:
http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/colleges/20080512_Penn_State_s_Paterno_won_t_reveal_starting_quarterback.html
Run Up The Score! // May 12, 2008 at 12:38 pm
“Then we went to the [Alamo] bowl and we were able to work Clark in.”
…because they wouldn’t have to deal with Morelli’s crybaby antics afterward. That’s a move they should’ve made six games earlier.
FireJayPa // May 12, 2008 at 1:58 pm
“I was a little leery about doing that because I thought [Anthony] Morelli wasn’t so secure that he could handle it. Then we went to the [Alamo] bowl and we were able to work Clark in.””
Way to put the team first, what kind of deal did Joe make with that kid after Henne bailed out…
It was like a deal was struck with Satan….UGH!
Thank god that era is over
speedomike02 // May 12, 2008 at 6:03 pm
Has there ever been a bigger example of addition by subtraction?
Tailgate Shogun // May 12, 2008 at 6:05 pm
Without a doubt, the decision not to bench Morelli - even for a few series - at all during this past season will go down as one of the strangest decisions ever made by this coaching staff.
Tailgate Shogun // May 12, 2008 at 6:06 pm
I hate my quilt.
ash90 // May 12, 2008 at 7:08 pm
It’s not about trying to motivate Devlin. I don’t think he needs to be jump started. It’s just business as usual…
FireJayPa // May 12, 2008 at 7:32 pm
Just the same ole same…sit the underclass kid for the senior that paid his dues…and hope he’s the next Robinson
Eric // May 12, 2008 at 9:00 pm
Because we already know that Devlin is going to be amazing and should be starting…
…or maybe the coaches know what they’re doing, who knows?
FireJayPa // May 12, 2008 at 9:10 pm
Eric,
I hope Clark is the better QB…I really do. But I’m a cynic and am just going off of previous life lessons.
I look at a battered and beaten Zack Mills starting over a Michael Robinson….I look at an Anthony Morelli getting playing time over Clark & Devlin because Joe felt Morelli’s fragile physique couldn’t handle it.
And now I read articles where Joe hints at Clark getting the nod on the grounds that he’s the upperclassmen and fought hard to get his grades up…..
PSUFlyers // May 13, 2008 at 8:27 am
I’m a bit disappointed. I was a senior and had good grades at Penn State; why didn’t I get to be the starting quarterback?
M1EK // May 13, 2008 at 8:27 am
Eric, the first test of a theory is whether it even matches the observed facts. Your theories generally fail this first and simple test - when applied against the past, as FireJayPa points out.
PSUgirl // May 13, 2008 at 9:00 am
2 quarterback systems do not work - they can be fun to watch and are occasionally productive - but they don’t win tough games and they don’t win championships. Especially with the specialized defenses that we see today - unless both players are fully equipped to run any type of play - they will, if utilized too often, be shut down. Also, both players need to be leaders, motivators and able to work with the system. And the coaches need to be adept enough to know when and how to utilize their talents.
If you happen to have 2 kids like that, then one should transfer - because he’d be able to start at another school.
I am on the record - you can check my posts from Summer 2005 - I didn’t want MRob to be quarterback - I was wrong.
FireJayPa // May 13, 2008 at 9:52 am
I wanted Morelli to start, and will admit it, on the grounds that I wanted a QB in the system to start for more than 1 or 2 seasons…
I ate my crow and admitted I was wrong…really glad I was wrong…
god I miss m.rob
Eric // May 13, 2008 at 11:33 am
The observed facts that I saw were that both QB’s have looked good when given playing time, whether in actual games or in the BW game.
So Joe might be going with the guy who has been around longer, and who understands the system better. For some reason this is causing an uproar, before we’ve even seen the kid play some meaningful snaps.
Poor Clark, likely nothing he does will be good enough, because somehow you all KNOW that Devlin is better.
So what “facts” are you dealing with, M1EK?
M1EK // May 13, 2008 at 1:05 pm
The observed facts are that in the past, Paterno has stuck with a poorly qualified and/or poorly prepared (or in some cases injured) quarterback who has more seniority - in almost every single occasion, especially recently.
You’re pretty much the only one here who doesn’t see that.
HTH.
Tailgate Shogun // May 13, 2008 at 1:21 pm
M1EK, the only gap in your argument is that you can’t say without a doubt that a senior isn’t the best option at QB. Yes, Paterno has stuck with the upperclassman - but to what end?
Unfortunately, only looking back after the season can you speculate whether or not it’s a good call. MRob in ‘05? Senior the better choice. Morelli in ‘07? Not it, but we’ll sadly never know the truth. Clark in ‘08? TBD.
Eric // May 13, 2008 at 2:04 pm
“Unfortunately, only looking back after the season can you speculate whether or not it’s a good call. MRob in ‘05? Senior the better choice. Morelli in ‘07? Not it, but we’ll sadly never know the truth. Clark in ‘08? TBD.”
Exactly!
Newsflash, no one trolling on a blog has any clue who the starting QB should be right now. Maybe this is just the easiest thing to get indignant about, who knows? “JoePa being JoePa,” or something like that.
Just realize that you’re bitching about a good-character guy, who has not done ANYTHING on the field of play that would show he “doesn’t belong.” This same guy could be starting for us for the next two years. Sure, Devlin could be for three, but if that’s the only reason to say “start him, dammit!” then you’re grasping at straws.
Honestly, I hope they both play, be it 50-50, 70-30 or whatever. Maybe it’ll happen that way, maybe it won’t. Doesn’t mean that as of right now, the coaches are fucking up.
If we base EVERYTHING on history, then we wouldn’t have gone 11-1 in 2005, but whatever. It’s just easier to do when you don’t have a rational thought on the matter, I guess.
Tailgate Shogun // May 13, 2008 at 3:05 pm
I’m more interested in trying to figure out how the same people who wanted Morelli benched for Clark in ‘07….
…magically want Clark benched for Devlin in ‘08?
A bit of circular logic there, or something. People just always love the back-up, I guess.
SweepTheLeg // May 13, 2008 at 3:14 pm
Come on TS…the real reason for Devlin is easy.
Somewhere deep inside many people’s brains/souls they want the white irish guy at QB and not the black guy. QB is a white guy position to many people.
Not saying it’s right but I am sure it’s true on some level…just saying.
M1EK // May 13, 2008 at 3:55 pm
TS, we have more than enough data to show that he stuck with upperclassmen in many cases where it wasn’t wise (when the upperclassman was finally yanked, albeit too late, or sat due to injury, for instance). As for right now: Clark doesn’t have ANY experience (no, those stupid runs in the Alamo Bowl don’t count for shit), and Morelli just sucked - wasn’t worth keeping Clark on the bench for. So we’ve already wasted Clark, in a sense. Now you want us to ‘trust’ that we’re not wasting Devlin the same way?
And, no, those aren’t contradictory positions. An honest assessment should be made based on what’s best for the team and the program - NOT what’s best for JayPa or who’s ‘turn’ it is. This may result in some guys who were recruited as possible starters never getting to. That’s the breaks; they’re getting a free college education out of it.
M1EK // May 13, 2008 at 3:57 pm
STL, you might be seeing that racism with some really old fans, but nobody on this blog, not even Eric, is that much of an ass.
I wish we could go back and give Clark some actual useful passing experience rather than some stupid runs in a meaningless game which didn’t teach him anything which will help hi this season. We can’t do that now; which is actually a pretty darn good argument for breaking the chain and giving both guys a true shot instead of the approach we all know is really happening behind the scenes. Otherwise, the same exact thing will likely happen with Devlin - one year as a starter with no real experience beforehand.
Eric // May 13, 2008 at 4:06 pm
M1EK calling someone an ass, sure.
And you STILL have no reason to believe Clark shouldn’t be the starter…
Tailgate Shogun // May 13, 2008 at 4:20 pm
I agree Clark should have MORE experience, but to say he has NONE is fairly ludicrous. See also: ND ‘06, Michigan ‘06, etc. It’s far more than Devlin saw last year.
So we “wasted him”, therefore he shouldn’t play for the next two years? Not sure what that’s about.
If Clark ends up being good and leading this team for two years, that’s “wasting” Devlin? 22 starting spots, one football. Not everyone gets to play, simple fact of math.
Now, here’s where I think we both agree. If Clark starts and sucks rocks a la Morelli - then by all means, put in Devlin. Either to share time or to start. Please don’t re-enact the Morelli Hurt Feelings Experience. That’s all I ask.
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