Dennis Landolt

West Deptford High senior Anthony Scirrotto, a three-time Inquirer first-team all-South Jersey defensive back, has made an oral commitment to attend Penn State on a football scholarship. Scirrotto was a four-year starter in the secondary and also was the quarterback the last two seasons, when West Deptford went 24-0. The 6-foot-1, 180-pound Scirrotto was recruited to play free safety at Penn State. In addition to Penn State, he made official visits to Georgia Tech and Wisconsin.

Another quarterback familiar to Philadelphia fans will be in the Redskins' training camp this summer. Daryll Clark, Penn State's all-Big Ten signal-caller, signed with Washington as an undrafted free agent, Penn State's Daily Collegian reported Sunday. Also reportedly joining the Redskins is defensive tackle Marques Slocum, a product of West Catholic High and Eastern Arizona (after transferring from Michigan). Clark joins former Eagle Donovan McNabb, ex-Bear Rex Grossman, Colt Brennan, and Richard Bartel as the quarterbacks on the Redskins' roster.

Brent Carter was one of four Penn State players from the area in King of Prussia for yesterday's Nittany Lion Club fund-raiser, and yet the redshirt sophomore was the only one still without a definite position. For now, Carter is a tailback. He was recruited out of Pottsgrove as a running back, but was briefly moved to safety, only to return to the offensive backfield midseason last year because of numbers. He practiced at tailback all spring, but coach Joe Paterno isn't sure if Carter will stay there.

Penn State defensive line coach Larry Johnson Sr. is planning to interview for a defensive-line-coach opening at Illinois this weekend, according to a team source. Johnson, a Lions assistant since 1996 since 2000, could also act as co-defensive coordinator. Illinois coach Ron Zook also needs to replace his top recruiter, former offensive coordinator Mike Locksley, who took the head-coaching job at New Mexico. Johnson recruits in the Mid-Atlantic area and has been Penn State's best recruiter of late.

Phil Costa was in no mood to reflect on his remarkable rise to the NFL, and who could blame him? The former offensive lineman from Holy Cross was still digesting the bitter defeat that he and his Dallas Cowboys teammates had just suffered in what wasn't a happy homecoming for the Moorestown resident. It was less than an hour after the Cowboys squandered a 14-point, fourth-quarter lead in Sunday's 27-24 loss to the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium, and Costa was preparing for the long ride back to Dallas.

Area high school football coaches and players reacted to Joe Paterno's death Sunday with a mix of sadness at his passing and gratitude for his many contributions to their sport. "I had a lot of contact with him over the years," said Mike Pettine, the longtime and successful coach at Central Bucks West. "When he came to recruit one of our players, everything came to a standstill. He had that kind of charisma. People who didn't even care that much about football wanted to meet him and be around him. "In college football, he was always a beacon of light, the kind of guy who did everything the right way. He didn't compromise his standards.

When Penn State opens its season today against Youngstown State, it will break in more than just a new quarterback and three starting linebackers. Four of the Nittany Lions' starting offensive linemen were in different positions a year ago. The uncertainty surrounding the unit has lessened since camp began. In a span of 3 weeks, the "not very good" offensive line - coach Joe Paterno's words on Aug. 12 - has made big strides, according to Paterno. "If that comes from him, that means we're doing something right," said Quinn Barham, the line's new left tackle and a former center and guard.

Big Ten champion Penn State hauled in a school-record 10 first-team selections in all-conference voting by coaches and media announced last night. Four more Nittany Lions were named to at least one second team and an additional seven made honorable mention. Also, Joe Paterno was named coach of the year for the third time and senior center A.Q. Shipley was selected as offensive lineman of the year. Joining Shipley on the first-team offense were junior quarterback Daryll Clark, senior wide receiver Derrick Williams (coaches only)

No one could have figured at the start of the season that, even with a rebuilt offensive line, Penn State would be mired in the bottom one-quarter in the nation in rushing after playing two opponents certainly not near the level of those they will face in the Big Ten. But at least playing Akron and Syracuse enabled the Nittany Lions to work out problems before the games fell off into garbage time, meaning that maybe Joe Paterno knew what he...

Dennis Landolt knows Penn State's offensive line will be subject to intense scrutiny when the Nittany Lions raise the curtain on their 2009 season next week, and he's there to help. With three linemen who started last year now in NFL training camps, Landolt, a senior from Holy Cross High School in Delran, is the most experienced man up front, the one to whom younger players will be looking for guidance, whether verbal or by example. Although Landolt spent the first part of preseason learning a new position, since coach Joe Paterno moved him from right tackle to left tackle, the blind side of quarterback Daryll Clark, he makes time to assist the younger guys in the trenches.

Area high school football coaches and players reacted to Joe Paterno's death Sunday with a mix of sadness at his passing and gratitude for his many contributions to their sport. "I had a lot of contact with him over the years," said Mike Pettine, the longtime and successful coach at Central Bucks West. "When he came to recruit one of our players, everything came to a standstill. He had that kind of charisma. People who didn't even care that much about football wanted to meet him and be around him. "In college football, he was always a beacon of light, the kind of guy who did everything the right way. He didn't compromise his standards.

Phil Costa was in no mood to reflect on his remarkable rise to the NFL, and who could blame him? The former offensive lineman from Holy Cross was still digesting the bitter defeat that he and his Dallas Cowboys teammates had just suffered in what wasn't a happy homecoming for the Moorestown resident. It was less than an hour after the Cowboys squandered a 14-point, fourth-quarter lead in Sunday's 27-24 loss to the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium, and Costa was preparing for the long ride back to Dallas.

Phil Costa was in no mood to reflect on his remarkable rise to the NFL, and who could blame him? The former offensive lineman from Holy Cross was still digesting the bitter defeat that he and his Dallas Cowboys teammates had just suffered in what wasn't a happy homecoming for the Moorestown resident. It was less than an hour after the Cowboys squandered a 14-point, fourth-quarter lead in Sunday's 27-24 loss to the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium, and Costa was preparing for the long ride back to Dallas.

When Penn State opens its season today against Youngstown State, it will break in more than just a new quarterback and three starting linebackers. Four of the Nittany Lions' starting offensive linemen were in different positions a year ago. The uncertainty surrounding the unit has lessened since camp began. In a span of 3 weeks, the "not very good" offensive line - coach Joe Paterno's words on Aug. 12 - has made big strides, according to Paterno. "If that comes from him, that means we're doing something right," said Quinn Barham, the line's new left tackle and a former center and guard.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - Because Penn State usually plays a less-than-riveting opening game at Beaver Stadium, fans spend more time tailgating while students sleep in, show up late, and leave early for the nearest party. But there could be more people in their seats for a longer period of time Saturday to watch true freshman Robert Bolden and, for now, his two backups in the curtain-raiser for the 19th-ranked Nittany Lions against Youngstown State. It doesn't figure to be much of a game.

Another quarterback familiar to Philadelphia fans will be in the Redskins' training camp this summer. Daryll Clark, Penn State's all-Big Ten signal-caller, signed with Washington as an undrafted free agent, Penn State's Daily Collegian reported Sunday. Also reportedly joining the Redskins is defensive tackle Marques Slocum, a product of West Catholic High and Eastern Arizona (after transferring from Michigan). Clark joins former Eagle Donovan McNabb, ex-Bear Rex Grossman, Colt Brennan, and Richard Bartel as the quarterbacks on the Redskins' roster.

Matt Szczur, Villanova's multiple threat receiver, was named both the Colonial Athletic Association's offensive player of the year and the special teams player of the year yesterday in voting by league coaches. The Wildcats' Andy Talley was named the CAA coach of the year. Szczur, a 5-foot-11, 195-pounder from Lower Cape May High is averaging 7.9 yards per touch on offense. The junior is the only Division I player - Football Bowl Subdivision or Football Championship Subdivision - to have produced touchdowns as a rusher, receiver, kick returner, and passer.

The emotions flowed as swiftly as a mountain stream yesterday at Beaver Stadium, starting with tears during the introduction of the Penn State seniors playing in their final home game. Not much later, the emotions switched to irritation and disgust - on the sideline and in the stands - as the Nittany Lions committed three turnovers in the first quarter and another in the second against Indiana. But whether it was the feelings of the day or a lengthy hangover from last week's loss to Ohio State, the 19th-ranked Lions finally got their heads on straight and recovered from 10 points down to knock off the Hoosiers, 31-20, and keep their faint BCS bowl hopes from dying altogether.

THEY ARE ALL big and powerful. You don't cut it as a lineman in a major college program unless you meet certain requirements in terms of size and strength. But XXXL physical dimensions are about the only tie that binds offensive linemen to their rowdier defensive counterparts. A mental divide separates those who play on one side of the ball or the other, a divide created by a player's natural proclivities or a coach's assessment of his nature. Almost everyone agrees that Saturday afternoon's nationally televised Big Ten showdown between No. 11 Penn State (8-1, 4-1)

The Nittany Lions finally admitted it. Saturday's game against No. 12 Ohio State is a really big one, and despite Penn State's one-game-at-a-time approach, the No. 10 Lions have been eyeing it up for some time now. "It's a very big game," Penn State quarterback Daryll Clark said. "We've been waiting on this one for a while. Obviously it's a really big game with O State and Penn State. Everyone is very excited about it. " There is sure to be an electric atmosphere at 3:30 p.m. Saturday at Beaver Stadium when the Big Ten powers kick off. Every Penn State-Ohio State matchup of late has been highly anticipated and equally as entertaining.