Both seniors have played a big role in the success of the program, on and off the field, throughout their careers.  And both players deserved their day in the spotlight on the field of play for what they have contributed to Penn State football over the past four years.

That day in the spotlight came on Saturday afternoon in the season-opening 44-14 victory over Youngstown State.  Brackett and Colasanti turned in career performances to help lead the Nittany Lions to a 1-0 record.  Brackett tallied eight receptions for 98 yards and a pair of touchdowns, while Colasanti registered a game-high 13 tackles in his first career start.  All of those stats were career highs.

Let's begin with Brackett.  The senior wide out was voted captain by his teammates leading up to Saturday's season-opener.  The New Jersey native is a stand up guy with a great work ethic and a superb attitude.  His stats in 2009 were not indicative of the impact he had on last season's success, making Saturday's performance that much more satisfying for No. 83.

"I just want to do whatever I can to help the team win," Brackett said after the game.  "Today, that was catching eight passes.  Next week, it might be catching zero passes but making blocks and doing whatever I can.  I will just do whatever it takes."

Nonetheless, Saturday's career performance was well deserved, on many levels.  Brackett and freshman quarterback Rob Bolden were locked in throughout the afternoon in the victory over the Penguins.  Bolden and Brackett connected five times in the first half, including a 20-yard touchdown pass with 1:20 to play in the second quarter.  Bolden also found Brackett on a 22-yard strike with 8:56 to play in the third quarter.

"Rob (Bolden) is a quiet kid, but he goes about his business very effectively," Brackett said.  "Today was certainly something that we can build on.  Rob did a great job showing his poise and taking what the defense gave him.  I just happened to be the lucky receiver who was open today."

Switching to the defensive side of the ball, Colasanti has waited three seasons to find his way into the starting lineup.  The Michigan native could not have been happier in the locker room following a terrific performance in his first start on the Nittany Lion defense.  His ear-to-ear smile after the game spoke volumes about his day.

"I felt great out there," Colasanti said.  "I have waited three years for this moment and it felt great to be a part of it today.  It just felt awesome to be out there and play that well."

Colasanti spent the afternoon clogging running lanes for the Youngstown State Penguins.  He helped limit YSU to just 75 yards on the ground.  Colasanti said after the victory that he and the defense will work on a few adjustments leading up to Saturday's clash at Alabama, but the senior middle linebacker was happy with how the defense played in week one.

"I feel like we played pretty well today," Colasanti said.  "I have to give defensive line a lot of credit in my performance today.  They did a great job taking on blockers to give the linebackers an opportunity to step up and make tackles."

Brackett and Colasanti will head into the rest of the season with a great deal of confidence after a superb opener.  Brackett and Bolden are poised to become a potent combination for the Nittany Lion offense this fall.  Look for confidence and timing to continue growing.

Like Brackett, Colasanti will play a big role for the 2010 version of the Nittany Lions this fall.  For now, though, Brackett and Colasanti deserve a tip of the cap after a tremendous start to the 2010 season.

Stay tuned each week for the "Faces of the Game" series following every game this fall.