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After losing a ton of NFL talent off a 2002 team that, considering all the great players it had, turned out to be a slight disappointment, there seemed to be a bit of a hangover. Last year turned out to be a nightmare unable to get any sort of clutch offensive play and only beating lowly teams like Temple, Kent State and Indiana. If you were watching closely, all that seemed to be missing was a little bit of confidence.
A more experienced team would've found a way to win the Wisconsin game. A more experienced team would've come up with the one play needed to pull off the upset over Ohio State. A more experienced team wouldn't have played so flat against a team like Northwestern. Well, now the team is more experienced and needs to make the positive plays happen in tight moments. If not, it'll be another very cold year with even more debate about the coaching staff and Paterno's coaching abilities. No one, not even Penn State haters, wants to see that happen again.
The Schedule: If the Nittany Lions are looking for a turnaround season, it'll have a hard time out of the gate with two road games at Wisconsin and Minnesota to start out the Big Ten slate. If they can still breathe after a brutal first two months, the finishing kick is nice and easy. Not playing Michigan will help the bowl cause, but missing Illinois hurts.
Best Offensive Player: Sophomore RB Austin Scott. Paterno likes playing freshman about as much as he likes answering questions about whether it's time to retire. It should say something about the talent that Penn State had in the backfield that Scott turned out to be the main man as a true freshman. While he didn't set the world on fire, he has the talent to grow into one of the Big Ten's best running backs.
Best Defensive Player: Junior CB Alan Zemaitis. His great season went almost totally unnoticed even though he led the Big Ten in broken up passes with 18. He's a big corner with excellent cover skills and can tackle.
Key player to a successful season: Most teams would be scrambling after losing all of the receiving production from the previous season. Most teams didn't have problems with the receivers like Penn State had last year. The new corps is very young and very raw, but very talented. The most seasoned veteran of the group is senior Gerald Smith who caught 15 passes for 198 yards and a touchdown last year and needs to turn into the main man.
The season will be a success if ... Penn State finishes with a winning season and gets to a bowl. About a year away from being strong again and coming off the brutal 3-9 season, the Nittany Lions just need to get back on the winning track. Getting to a bowl would do just that.
Key game: Oct. 23 vs. Iowa. After a tough three game stretch to open the season going to Wisconsin and Minnesota before getting Purdue in Happy Valley, the Nittany Lions get two weeks off before a must-win home date with the Hawkeyes. With a trip to Columbus the following week, the pressure will be on.
2003 Fun Stats:
- Penalties: Opponents 77 for 612 yards - Penn State 40 for 278
- Rushing yards per game: Opponents 209.1 - Penn State 122
- First quarter scoring: Opponents 83 - Penn State 41
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