Penn State quarterback Robert Bolden, right, celebrates with teammate Nate Stupar (34) and assistant coach Mike McQueary, center, after throwing the first touchdown pass of his Penn State career during the second quarter of an NCAA college football game against Youngstown State in State College, Pa., Saturday. Penn State won 44-14.
UNIVERSITY PARK— Let's see… "A Bolden Age"… "Dawn of a Bolden Era"… "EmBoldened"…
Judging from Pennsylvania's sports-section headline writers, it seems reasonable to wonder if everyone's a little too excited about Penn State's freshman quarterback.
Are we?
Robert Bolden's debut, in Penn State's 44-14 defeat of Youngstown State at Beaver Stadium Saturday, was undeniably impressive. He completed 21 of 29 passes for 239 yards and two touchdowns.
This from a kid who's only been in Happy Valley since graduating from high school in May.
On the other hand, it was Youngstown State, hopelessly overmatched.
(Why is it, by the way, that when teams of this ilk — the Youngstowns and Eastern Illinois and Akrons — come to the Beav, they invariably sell out to stop the run?
It makes some sense in theory, especially Saturday — let's make the freshman quarterback beat us — but it never works, and always seems to make Penn State's job easier than it ought to be.)
Of course, the game will be much faster and more complicated for Bolden this Saturday, when the Lions travel to monstrous Alabama.
And while Penn State's offensive coaches seemed to keep things fairly simple, Bolden had plenty of open targets, especially senior wideout Brett Bracket, seemingly buried on the depth chart a year ago, who had an eight-catch, two-touchdown debut as a starting slot receiver.
But a detailed look at Bolden's numbers suggest there's nothing remotely phony about them.
His yards per pass attempt, 8.2, were very good. His third-down numbers, 8-for-9 for seven first downs and a touchdown, were better.
The stats could have been gaudier. There were a couple of drops, and a second-quarter play where Bolden and Graham Zug misconnected just slightly on a corner route.
Zug slowed down and turned a little when Bolden apparently didn't expect him to, then nearly made a spectacular catch of a slightly overthrown ball. It would have been a 31-yard touchdown.
Bolden's only big mistake, a second-quarter interception, was a similar deal. Bolden apparently expected wideout Derek Moye to turn one way, and Moye turned the other, and then arguably got pulled down by a Youngstown defender.
Excusable. And what happened next seemed to illustrate what is by consensus one of Bolden's strongest traits, unflappability.
The next time Penn State got the ball Bolden marched the Lions 68 yards in eight plays, culminating in his best and highest-risk throw of the day, a 20-yard strike over the middle to Brackett for the team's first touchdown of the season.
Bolden's teammates are utterly on board if interview responses indicate anything. That probably didn't happen easily, since many of them must barely know him at this point.
"We were picking on him in the huddle, like, 'Dude, speak up. You got a hundred thousand people in the stands,' " offensive tackle Quinn Parham said. "I think he forgot. He's just too cool."
Defensive back Stephon Morris was more succinct: "He's just one of them 'Wow' type of players."
Nit news: Chaz Powell's 100-yard kickoff return was the first of that length since Rich Mauti, father of current linebacker Mike Mauti, did it in 1975. … The last time Penn State allowed an 80-yard pass play was in 2003, against Michigan State. Manheim Central's Jeff Smoker threw the pass. … Three defensive veterans set career highs in tackles: LBs Chris Colasanti (game-high 13), and Bani Gbadyu (8) and DT Ollie Ogbu (6). … Five true freshman played Saturday: Bolden, LB Khairi Fortt, RB Silas Redd, TE Kevin Haplea and FB Glenn Carson. Carson was until recently a linebacker, but both regular FBs, Mike Zordich and Joe Suhey, are nicked up. Redd looked as advertised, quick and powerful, in gaining 20 yards in three tries. … The Big Ten Conference went 9-2 on opening day, the losses by Illinois to rival Missouri 23-13 in St. Louis, and Purdue 23-12 at Notre Dame. The most impressive win was by Michigan, which handled well-regarded Connecticut 30-10 at the renovated Big House. Michigan QB Denard Robinson, the guy who plays with his shoes untied, was fabulous, running for 197 yards and completing 19 of 22 throws for 186. … Alabama smashed San Jose State as expected, 48-3. Heisman Trophy-winning Mark Ingram watched after injuring his knee in practice Monday. His replacement, Trent Richardson, ran for two TDs and another tailback, redshirt freshman Eddie Lacy, ran for 111 yards. 'Bama also played without DE Marcell Dareus, suspended by the NCAA for accepting gifts from an agent. Alabama is appealing the suspension. Whether Ingram or Dareus will be available Saturday against Penn State is unknown.