Time for defensive coordinator Bradley to look back on Penn State season

He will smile, shake hands and watch more basketball games than Dick Vitale.

But in the back of his mind, while visiting the schools and living rooms of several prospective football recruits in the next few weeks, Penn State defensive coordinator Tom Bradley can't - won't - forget the 2010 regular season.

It was not pretty on offense or defense, at least not in the way Bradley has become accustomed in 36 seasons as a player and assistant for coach Joe Paterno.

"It used to be we would have one series here or there where we didn't look like ourselves," Bradley said Saturday after the 28-22 loss to Michigan State, the Nittany Lions' sixth loss in the past seven games to a nationally ranked team. "But it's been like a quarter or half. Even [Saturday] coming out of the gate [when Penn State fell behind within the game's first 5 minutes]."

The offense played well at times this season, even though quarterback Matt McGloin could do no better than 2-2 as a starter.

But the defense finished the regular season 47th in the nation, giving up 35 touchdowns and an average of 352.5 yards per game.

OK, that's within the top 50 percent of the 120 NCAA Division I schools. But Bradley has been the firm, guiding hand behind some of college football's strongest defenses from 2005-09, with national rankings of 12th, 15th, 11th, eighth and ninth.

That's a free fall that has left Bradley, who is usually laughing, joking and quick with a quip, looking glum at least half the time.

"I look at myself first," he said. "I am not going to blame any kids. Every time you point the finger, the thumb is coming back at you.

"I'm a mirror guy. I'm a look-in-the-mirror person. That's my job, to help them and to do better, and I know there are some things I can do better."

What Bradley couldn't control were injuries to several players, including safety Nick Sukay's season-ending torn pectoral muscle, linebacker Michael Mauti's bad shoulder and the lingering wrist and foot injuries of ends Eric Latimore and Jack Crawford. All four were expected to make key contributions; all four missed significant playing time.

Bradley has been around long enough to know that injuries happen to every team and the great ones overcome them. What bothers him more than injuries are plays that are preventable, such as the 35-yard gain on a double reverse by Michigan State that set up a touchdown.

"We ran the same play last Thursday in practice," he said.

Plus, the team's well-documented tackling issues never totally disappeared.

"Tackling, it's always tackling," he said, "and play smart."

With such basic problems hovering over the team all season, the question of underachievement is continually raised.

"I don't think Michigan State was a better team than us," senior running back Evan Royster said. "We just beat ourselves. There is no reason we should have lost that game."

Still, the fact remains that Penn State lost nine All-Big Ten performers (six first-teamers and four defensive players). Recovering from such a dilemma is never easy.

Sounding more resigned to reality than disappointed by it, Paterno said he expected, maybe, one more victory than the regular-season total of seven.

"I think we turned out to be the way I wanted," he said, "even though I thought we could've had another win or two. I think we played decent football most of the time."

Decent. Good enough for a Jan. 1 bowl bid. Just not special.

For sure, not enough for Bradley.

"When we do lose the game before the bowl game, it lingers with you," he said. "The only way to get the taste out of your mouth is to go beat somebody.

"We have a good nucleus. We have to work harder and get better, and we have some time to do it now."