'Chase Freddie' drill used by Penn State to prep for CMU's QB

Coach Joe Paterno wants his Nittany Lions to be ready for Kent Smith.
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) -- Penn State coach Joe Paterno dusted off an old drill on Tuesday that is named after, of all things, an elusive quarterback who tormented the Nittany Lions in the 1960s while playing for in-state rival Pitt.
"Chase Freddie," named after Fred Mazurek, requires a speedy player in the offensive backfield to be chased around by the defensive line for eight minutes, three days a week in practice, to help linemen better anticipate an opposing quarterback's movements.
On Tuesday, Paterno said he was concerned about the talented quarterback for Penn State's next game, Central Michigan's Kent Smith, and about his team's tackling after last week's win over Cincinnati.
"So we are putting 'Chase Freddie' in today," Paterno said. In fact, he quoted his son, quarterbacks coach Jay Paterno, as saying officials wanted "a Get Freddie."
"It is a little different, but basically the same," Joe Paterno said.
Missed chances for sacks
Last week, Penn State got good pressure on Cincinnati quarterback Dustin Grutza, though he scrambled his way out of many jams. Penn State had four sacks against Cincinnati, but Paterno said the defense also missed some chances for momentum-turning sacks and key tackles.
"[Kent Smith] is the same kind of football player," Paterno said. "He is a big, strong kid. He moves around real well. If we don't tackle him, we will have troubles."
Paterno hopes that Smith doesn't have the same success that Mazurek did in 1963, when Pitt defeated Penn State 22-21 on a 17-yard touchdown run by Mazurek with 2:33 remaining in the game. Paterno was a Penn State assistant then.
Current linebacker Tim Shaw, the team's leading tackler with 20, says the defense must be relentless when rushing the passer. Then, "once we get there, we got to make the tackles," he said. Shaw said the team must practice " basic fundamentals" to improve tackling -- like not getting feet crossed up, keeping their heads up and staying low while hitting.
Fatigue could possibly play a role, too, at least late in games, Paterno said. Last week, the Penn State defense was on the field for 83 plays, while the offense had just 59. There was a similar disparity in the Nittany Lions' first game against South Florida.
Long pass plays helped
But while Penn State's offense struggled against South Florida, it clicked, especially after halftime, against Cincinnati. That's when long pass plays helped put Penn State on the scoreboard quickly. The aftereffect is that the defense had to return to the field with less rest.
"I have some tired players and I know that. I am proud of them. I am proud of them because they busted their butt on every play," Paterno said.
With warm weather expected this week, Paterno said he will limit the time some of his key defenders, like linebacker Paul Posluszny, spend on the practice field. And the coach said he expects to see a lot of passing plays from Central Michigan.
Last week, Smith accounted for four touchdowns and 478 yards of offense for the Chippewas.
"We do need to concentrate on tackling," said defensive end Matthew Rice, who had a team-leading 1.5 sacks last week. "We are not where we want to be but we are at a good point right now."