Penn State could get injured LBs back

Associated Press

STATE COLLEGE, Pa.

For one week at least, Penn State players thought all jobs were wide open.

It was partly a motivational tactic by coach Joe Paterno to fire up a largely lackluster team. Some starters did sit out entirely — but that was because they were on the team’s extensive injury list.

Paterno expects to get three key linebackers back from injury for Saturday’s game at Minnesota. In the end, though, the spirited bye week competition didn’t yield changes except to patch up positions where players were hurt.

And there’s so much more to be done at Penn State (3-3, 0-2 Big Ten) with the 33-13 loss to Illinois two weeks ago still lingering over Happy Valley like a bad stench. Even the 45th-year head coach has admitted he needs to improve after a lousy job against the Illini.

“Little things here and there again. The make-up of the team has been changing every week,” Paterno said. “It’s been a tough job, probably as tough as any time I’ve been in coaching.”

Playing with more emotion has been emphasized in practice, part of the reason for the open competition for playing time during the bye week. Cornerback D’Anton Lynn kept his job, but said he got the message in practice.

“They were long. They were tough. It was similar to camp,” Lynn said Tuesday. “I think some people were getting comfortable. It woke people up.”

At least JoePa feels he will have a few more bodies back when Penn State travels to Minneapolis this weekend. At least 13 players who would be first- or second-stringers on the depth chart have missed time due to injuries, with the defense taking the most hits.

Paterno said linebackers Gerald Hodges (left leg), Michael Mauti (right ankle) and Bani Gbadyu (left calf) have returned to practice and should be ready Saturday as the Nittany Lions try to rebound from two straight losses by 20 or more. Of the three, Hodges is the rustiest after having sat out since getting hurt a month ago at Alabama.

The prognosis isn’t as promising on the defensive line, where end Eric Latimore (left wrist) will be out at least another two weeks, and might be done for the rest of the year.

Fellow end Jack Crawford also hasn’t returned to practice because of his injured right foot, and Paterno said he doubts if he’ll be ready this weekend.

That leaves part-time starter Pete Massaro and reserve Kevion Latham as the top ends, backed up two true freshmen in Kyle Baublitz and converted tackle DaQuan Jones.

Promising sophomore defensive end Sean Stanley returned to practice last week after sitting out two games because of an unspecified off-field issue.