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No change in status of Penn State players
Lucian also expected to miss Saturday’s game
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Article RatingSounding exhausted, Penn State head coach Joe Paterno confirmed Thursday night on his Nittany Lion Hotline radio show that converted defensive tackle Mike Lucian will not play Saturday against Temple.
Lucian, who moved over to the defensive side to add depth after the suspension of Maurice Evans and Abe Koroma, sprained his ankle against Syracuse last weekend.
He was able to put weight on the ankle after the game, but Paterno told reporters Tuesday that Lucian missed practice earlier this week.
Paterno also admitted both Tuesday and during the show that his right leg has been bothering him. He injured the leg two years ago in Wisconsin when a Badgers’ player ran into him on the sidelines by accident.
The Altoona Mirror confirmed that Paterno missed practice on Monday and road a golf cart Tuesday. He conducted his weekly radio interview from his State College home.
SPEAKING OF ...
The status of Evans and Koroma has not changed.
The two were charged with misdemeanor possession of marijuana Thursday after a two-week University Police investigation into the players’ apartment yielded a small amount of the drug and other related items.
Paterno was asked by a caller from Scranton about the status of the defensive linemen and issued the following response: “I’ve stayed away from making any comments on that,” Paterno told the caller. “I don’t think I know enough about everything yet to say anything but I think everybody’s just got to wait and see.”
Evans and Koroma have missed the two previous games.
‘SURREAL FEELING’
Temple defensive coordinator Mark D’Onofrio, a former Penn State linebacker said Thursday that once the whistle blows, he isn’t worried about going against his former head coach Saturday.
D’Onofrio starred for the Nittany Lions defense in the early 1990’s.
“I’m not thinking about it,” D’Onofrio said. “When I went back to Beaver Stadium as a coach for the first time it was a different feeling. Being in the other locker room, I was never in there. And being that first time (2006) it was a surreal feeling.”
D’Onofrio went on to say that since he’s gotten one trip to the visitor’s locker room out of his system he has a “good feeling” about making a return trip on Saturday.
YOU OWE ME
Temple starting quarterback Adam DiMichele has some ties to the Penn State program.
Aside from being a former Nittany Lion recruit, DiMichele knows fellow Pittsburgh-area players Tyrell Sales and Sean Lee, whom DiMichele said he talked about his ACL injury and DiMichele’s own injury.
“Western PA guys, we stick together,” DiMichele said.
But it’s his relationship with Penn State center A.Q. Shipley that stands out.
“We talk a lot and he still owes me a dinner, at a little all-you-can-eat chicken wing place back home that he ditched me one weekend, so you guys let him know I don’t appreciate it that much.” DiMichele joked.
“He thinks that I ditched him on one of these dinners, but we keep in touch and he gave me a call one time and he said he left a voice mail but he didn’t leave a voice mail and we were supposed to go out and he was supposed to buy me wings, and I couldn’t eat as many wings as he could obviously, I could have probably eaten eight, 10 or 12 and I’ve heard stories he ate 60 or 70 wings one time.
“Hopefully this off season if we both get a break. I know some things will come up with work outs and that, but maybe we can get this little night out, get some wings and catch up and talk about this upcoming game we’re going to have and what the outcome was.”
Shipley and DiMichele competed against each other in football, baseball and basketball through junior high and high school. They were also slated to room together if DiMichele stayed with the Nittany Lions.
LET’S MEET
Penn State quarterback Daryll Clark said he has a new found interest.
Last week before Syracuse hosted the Nittany Lions Clark took part in a meeting with the offensive linemen.
Finding the meeting insightful, the first-year starter plans to repeat the process.
“I sat in on one of their meetings last week and they discussed what they’re going to do and how they’re going to approach each play and it was very exciting to see how confident each and every offensive lineman is and I’m going to join their meetings each and every week from now on.
“I just love sitting in and listening to those guys and everything they say. Those guys reek of confidence and I love every minute of it.”
