Published: August 30, 2008 12:31 am            

Lions expect to play 3 QBs

STATE COLLEGE — When the Penn State offense takes the field at Beaver Stadium for the first time today at noon against Coastal Carolina, Daryll Clark will be under center.

But just because Clark has won the starting quarterback competition doesn’t mean that coach Joe Paterno is done looking at his other options.

Although Paterno said “I don’t want him (Clark) looking over his shoulder,” Paterno also emphasized that he not only wants to give backup Pat Devlin snaps today, but hopes to give Paul Cianciolo a chance to play as well.

Despite his insistence on giving all three quarterbacks playing time, Paterno does not want a multiple quarterback system, but he does not know how the quarterback situation will play out after today’s game.

“I wish I were clairvoyant where I could tell you exactly what is going to happen,” Paterno said. “Clark’s going to start (today). And I told him, and I’ll tell him again before he goes on the field and when we meet on Friday – ‘Hey, just go in there and enjoy it. It’s your club right now, go get them.’ But also at the same time I’ll encourage the other two kids, ‘Hey, as soon as I get a chance to get you in there and the opportunity comes up, you’ve got to be ready.’ It might be the rest of the year, I don’t know.”

Despite only having 147 career passing yards, Clark has the most experience of the three. Paterno said Clark’s role as the primary backup for Anthony Morelli last year helped him win the starting spot this year.

One reason Clark and Devlin have so little experience coming into this season is the commitment the coaching staff gave to Morelli, who started every game for the Nittany Lions the past two seasons despite struggling at times.

“I always felt that Morelli got more criticism than he deserved,” Paterno said. “And I wasn’t going to pile it on by sticking Clark in there and (have people) saying, ‘Even the coach doesn’t like him,’ something like that.”

However, Clark’s situation differs from Morelli’s in the sense that he has more competition from his backups than Morelli. Paterno said Morelli was the “clear choice” while he said that all three quarterbacks this year “can get the job done.”

For the rest of the offense, the end of the quarterback competition has little bearing on their personal goals.

“My blocking assignments don’t change no matter who they put there as quarterback,” senior tackle Gerald Cadogan said. “That was never an issue for me. I trusted the coaches that they would put the best quarterback there when the time comes and they have.”

For Coastal Carolina, the quarterback position will feature a familiar name to Penn State fans.

Chanticleers quarterback William Richardson, who started all 11 games last year, is the younger brother of former Penn State quarterback Wally Richardson.

Despite playing a team that went only 5-6 in the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly I-AA) last year, the Lions are having no trouble motivating themselves to play the Chanticleers.

“This is our home opener,” Cadogan said. “This is where we set the tone for the season. This is my last season, and a bunch of the seniors, we’re taking it as a personal responsibility. This is the opening game of our last season and we have to come out and set the tone early. If that’s not motivation enough, you’re at the wrong program.”

        

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