Penn State Lions embrace Wildcat

McClatchy Newspapers

STATE COLLEGE, Pa.

With all the multitasking he has done since being thrust into the interim head coaching position at Penn State, Tom Bradley managed to remember his final few days as defensive coordinator, having his unit work against a scout team that was simulating Nebraska’s offense.

Playing the part of Cornhuskers quarterback Taylor Martinez in the spread option was Bill Belton, a true freshman wide receiver and former high school quarterback who attracted college coaches from everywhere for the versatility he showed while at Winslow Township High in South Jersey.

“When I watched him run the offense, you could see the smoothness,” Bradley said this week. “You could see he had done it in high school. He had a real command for it.”

Bradley watched Belton perform for 10 days — the Nittany Lions had two weeks to prepare for Nebraska — and came away thinking that a Wildcat package of plays could work with Belton and fellow wide receiver Curtis Drake (another former high school quarterback) taking the snaps.

The Wildcat was unveiled last week at Ohio State and played a key role in the Lions’ 20-14 victory. And it will get another chance Saturday at Wisconsin with Penn State seeking a berth in the first championship game in Big Ten history.

Bradley said the offensive coaches had talked about the Wildcat last summer and “toyed with the idea of putting it in” at the midway point of the season. After the Nebraska game, Bradley decided the Wildcat would be a go.

“I thought we needed to change up, something to change the tempo of the game,” he said. “Now [opposing defenses] have to take a look and say, ’Geez, that looks good, but what if they come up with the option?’ It changes everybody’s defense.”

The Lions introduced the Wildcat on the sixth play last weekend when Drake handed off to Stephfon Green, who ran 39 yards for a touchdown. Drake later ripped off a 38-yard dash to set up Anthony Fera’s field goal before halftime.

In all, Penn State, which rushed for 239 yards in the game, ran the Wildcat about a dozen times. Drake gained 50 yards in three carries. Belton accounted for 15 in four carries, and his 12-yard bolt was followed by Green’s second touchdown.

The Wildcat formation goes by a different name for Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema, who calls it “the impostor” because “someone is in there impersonating a quarterback.” He does know, however, that Penn State’s two Wildcat quarterbacks have high school backgrounds.

“No. 5 [Belton] is a little bit thicker and a little bit more powerful,” he said. “They run a couple of nice plays off of it, and obviously they caught Ohio State a little bit off guard on that first play. ... We’ve got a nice little package to use against that. Our guys will be wired into it.”