The O'Brien on-the-road Fan Vote campaign continues in Week Twelve

FORT WORTH, Texas (November 10, 2008) - On Saturday, November 15, the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award® (The O'Brien) will continue the third week of its on-the-road campaign visiting its 13 Semifinalists' campuses. The O'Brien will pack its bags once again to visit three more Semifinalists this weekend. College football enthusiasts and fans alike are encouraged to stop by The O'Brien displays and cast their vote for their favorite Semifinalist. Fans who vote will also have the opportunity to be entered into the "Defend Your Pride. Vote The O'Brien Sweepstakes," for a chance to win a trip to the 2009 O'Brien Awards Dinner. The display will open prior to kickoff and continue through the first quarter of each game.

The O'Brien on-the-road tour will collect votes throughout the Semifinalist period until Finalists are announced November 24. Finalists will be selected by The O'Brien Selection Committee, comprised of journalists, broadcasters, commentators and former winners, with 5% of the overall voting tally coming directly from the Fan Vote. Fans who are not able to cast a vote in person are encouraged to register and vote at www.VoteOBrien.org.

Saturday, November 15 (Week 12 Visits)
Alphabetical by last name

* Daryll Clark
Indiana at Penn State

* Todd Reesing
Texas at Kansas

* John Parker Wilson
Mississippi State at Alabama

About The O'Brien Fan Vote
Fans can now register and vote for The O'Brien Fan Vote online at www.VoteOBrien.org to show their support for their favorite Semifinalist. The Fan Vote will count as 5% in determining the Finalists and Winner. The 2008 Winner will be announced during The Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards Show airing December 11 on ESPN. The recipient will be honored February 16, 2009, at the 32nd Annual Davey O'Brien Awards Dinner at The Fort Worth Club in Fort Worth, Texas.

Fans can download an interactive "widget" featuring a voting link and the ability to post and share on Web sites, social networks and blogs by clicking here.

Fans can also show their support by adding The O'Brien Facebook application to their Facebook Profile. The new application can be found by searching O'Brien Fan Vote and clicking the applications tab or by clicking here.

About The Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award®
The O'Brien honors the nation's best college quarterback of the year and inspires student-athletes to triumph both on and off the field. By recognizing and honoring athletes who excel in both sports and academics while exhibiting strong character and leadership, The O'Brien aims to help instill a lifelong moral fiber in each candidate. The O'Brien is overseen by the Davey O'Brien Foundation, which was founded in 1977 and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. The Foundation has given away more than $750,000 in scholarships and university grants to help high school and college athletes transform leadership on the field into leadership in life. For more information, visit www.DaveyOBrien.org.

On Location: Penn St. @ Wisconsin

Penn State quarterback Daryl Clark is still feeling like his team is the underdog or the worst-of-the-best of the country’s elite, despite his team continuing to pounce on the opposition. He said Quarterback Coach Jay Paterno uses internet fodder downplaying Penn State’s strong start to keep his team focused. Saturday’s convincing 48-7 victory against Wisconsin solidifies that not only are the Nittany Lions the class of the Big Ten but may be the best all-around team in America.

The offensive statistics were far from gaudy (377 total yards) compared to previous weeks, but big yardage was unnecessary after jumping on Wisconsin early 17-0 and converting scores in short-field situations. Clark (16-25, 244 yards, one touchdown, one interception, two rushing touchdowns) passed his toughest litmus test of the year by making smart decisions consistently against a conference foe on the road (his only misfire was a 4th quarter interception after, which came after Penn State had cushioned their lead at 41-7). He distributed the ball well by connecting with seven Nittany Lion receivers.

What was probably most surprising was the aerial assault Penn State deployed starting the third quarter, already up 24-7. The opening drive started with five of the first six plays as passes, punctuated by a Clark sneak up the middle for his second rushing score of the night. During the post-game interviews the Penn State signal caller stated that the gameplan in the second half was to come out passing and to keep pushing offensively. Coach Joe Paterno echoed these sentiments in his interview by reminding us of many games he has coached that looked in control and was suddenly lost when letting up.

Defensively, the Badgers were contained to 313 yards total offense and turned the ball over four times. Wisconsin’s first pass completion did not come until almost halfway through the second quarter. The defensive front for Penn State was causing fits for Wisconsin’s scheme, meeting Badger runners or quarterback Allan Evridge in the backfield on several occasions. Defensive tackle Ollie Ogbu ended a Wisconsin drive with a third down sack and defensive end Aaron Maybin and linebacker Navorro Bownman notched tackles-for-loss in the second quarter alone. The defensive play in the second quarter really stalled Wisconsin’s momentum, driving a wedge between the teams’ scoring opportunities.

On special teams, Kevin Kelly started the scoring for Penn State with a 50-yard field goal (finished 2-2 on attempts) and Derrick Williams rattled off a 63-yard punt return for a touchdown. Punter Jeremy Boone rounded out the clean special teams play with solid punting, averaging just under 45 yards per boot. Kick and punt coverage was strong as well, surrendering on average less than 20 yards per kickoff.

What is left for Penn State now is control of their post-season destiny, facing the only other undefeated teams left in the conference [Ohio State (6-1, 3-0) in two weeks and Michigan State (6-1, 3-0) to close the season]. Outside of those two weeks, Michigan (2-4), Iowa (4-3) and Indiana (2-4) are all that are left standing in the way of potential national championship contention. Is the team looking ahead of Michigan with their eminent clash against Ohio State proceeding? No indication from the players or coaches. Paterno, Clark and wide receiver Deon Butler stressed the importance of beating Michigan in their own right – Penn State has not won in their last seven chances against the Wolverines, and by extension, Butler recognized that no one on their current team has beaten Michigan period.

We oftentimes hear that teams who play-up the “no one believed in us” mantra tend to overcome their perceived odds and end up winning the big game (see: New York Giants, 2007). Penn State continues to bill itself as the school that no one believes in and they are responding accordingly. It looks like Jay Paterno’s tactic is working well.