Daryll vs. Derrell
Saturday’s meeting between Penn State and Iowa isn’t just another Big Ten rematch. It’s expected to be a career showdown between Youngstown-area rivals Daryll Clark and Derrell Johnson-Koulianos.
By JOHN KOVACH
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
The Big Ten Conference rematch between the Penn State and Iowa football teams Saturday also was expected to be a career showdown between Youngstown-area rivals Daryll Clark and Derrell Johnson-Koulianos.
Clark, the Nittany Lions’ senior quarterback from Ursuline, and Johnson-Koulianos, the Hawkeyes’ junior wide receiver from Campbell and Cardinal Mooney, were expected to be matched against each other for the second straight year when the two undefeated powerhouses (both 3-0) collide at Penn State.
The Big Ten opener for both teams will begin at 8:12 p.m. Saturday in Beaver Stadium (107,282) in University Park, Pa., before a sellout crowd and a national television audience (ABC).
But although Clark (6-3, 238) is in prime condition and at the peak of his game, Johnson-Koulianos (6-1, 200) is struggling with an injured hamstring. He missed last week’s 27-17 win over Arizona and is not even listed on the Iowa depth chart for Saturday’s game.
However, his mother, Lauren Koulianos, still thinks there is a chance he will play.
“It’s something that happened at the end of camp, and it started to bother him in the Iowa State game,” said Lauren of her son’s injury. “It is a minor injury, nothing serious. They rested him and we’ll see what happens.”
In last year’s game at Iowa City on a cold Nov. 8, Clark’s interception and Johnson-Koulianos’ touchdown catch helped the Hawkeyes to win, 24-23, to hand Penn State its only regular-season loss.
The Hawkeyes won on backup kicker Daniel Murray’s 31-yard field goal with one second left, capping a 57-yard drive set up by Clark when he threw only his third interception of the season.
Johnson-Koulianos was a big factor in that win over Penn State. He caught seven passes in all for 89 yards and the one TD, a 27-yard pass catch in the third quarter to cut Iowa’s deficit to 16-14.
And in the game-winning drive, he had two catches for 20 yards, both good for first downs.
Lauren and her family saw that game and she remembers it vividly.
“He had that nice TD catch but also the final drive to get into field goal position [was great],” said Lauren, who is looking forward to Saturday’s rematch.
“The whole family is going again to the game,” she said.
So that’s the scenario entering Saturday’s big rematch — Clark thriving and Johnson-Koulianos struggling.
Clark is riding high and has been on a tear this season after leading Penn State to the 2008 Big Ten Title (9-1), before the Nittany Lions lost to USC in the Rose Bowl, 38-24, to finish 11-2.
He also was named to the All-Big Ten first team last year.
So far this year, Clark has completed 97 of 165 passes for 760 yards, eight TDs and 252.3 yards per game.
Last week against Temple, he was 16-for-26 passing for 167 yards, two TDs and one interception to lead a 31-6 win.
He now has 14 TD passes in his last five games, including eight this season.
And he has climbed into a tie for No. 7 in school career TD passes with 23, tied with Wally Richardson.
Clark also is No. 8 in career completions with 276 and No. 11 in career passing yards with 3,499.
But Johnson-Koulianos has managed only four catches in two games this year for 61 yards, one TD and 30.5 yards per game, after entering this season from a position of strength and momentum before getting hurt in the preseason.
Last year as a sophomore, he led Iowa in receptions (44) and receiving yards (639), and had a 14.5-yard average with three TDs.
In 2007 as a freshman, he had 38 catches for 482 yards and a 12.8 yard average with two TDs.
He was redshirted in 2006.
For his career entering the Penn State game, Johnson-Koulianos has 86 catches for 1,001 yards and six TDs.
He also averaged 19.8 yards on nine kickoff returns last year after averaging 23.7 yards in 22 returns as a freshman; but has not returned any kicks this year.
Although down, he is not out, and is expected back into the lineup soon if not Saturday, his mother hopes.
kovach@vindy.com