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Neil Rudel

Nittany Lions see Rose Bowl as springboard to bigger things

By Neil Rudel nrudel@altoonamirror.com LOS ANGELES — Center Juice Scruggs is leaving the Nittany Lions after today’s Rose Bowl. But he has a prediction about his teammates on his way out. “I’m calling it now,” he said during Rose Bowl preparations against Utah (5 p.m., ESPN). “I think they’re going to reach the playoffs next year.” For that to happen, a reasonable starting point would be beating a respected Utah team that is the Pac-12 champion for two straight years. Though the Lions must replace Scruggs, their top tight end in Brenton Strange, leading ...

Outgoing seniors for Lions to bloom in Rose

By Neil Rudel nrudel@altoonamirror.com Some pre-game Rose Bowl notes before heading west: Penn State tight end Brenton Strange became the latest Nittany Lion to announce that he’ll be entering April’s NFL Draft. Strange made 32 catches this season and 70 for his career and will be a significant loss. For the first half of the season, he was the Lions’ best offensive player, and he should be an intriguing NFL prospect since he’s also a capable blocker who can also run after the catch. Strange marks the second PSU player in the past week to express similar intentions, ...

Rudel: Franco had immaculate legacy, on field and off

Franco Harris’ sudden passing — terribly shocking because he was set to have his number 32 retired Saturday as part of Pittsburgh’s 50th anniversary of the Immaculate Reception — was a body blow to so many of us. Though the Steelers have had other Hall of Fame players of Harris’ stature in terms of what they meant to the team’s success, it was Franco, more than anyone, who galvanized a region and helped turn Pittsburgh into the City of Champions. His remarkable effort, situational awareness and hustle to snag the last-gasp deflected pass at his shoetops against the ...

Clifford leaving legacy of perseverance at Penn State

By Neil Rudel nrudel@altoonamirror.com UNIVERSITY PARK — Sean Clifford will exit Penn State with many of its passing records, and yet because the Nittany Lions lost their last six games against Ohio State and Michigan, he won’t be remembered among their all-time great quarterbacks. Clifford has a career record of 30-14 as a four-year starter and team captain, and his accuracy off the field is even higher than on it. As his final days as a Nittany Lion wound down, Clifford admitted he understands the fans’ impatience with him. “I love everything about Penn State, and ...

Lions’ depth carrying them to strong finish

The most distinctive characteristic about the 2022 Penn State football team is it’s extremely deep. Just look at the number of players — standout players — the Nittany Lions have been without, and yet here they are, sitting at 9-2 after outclassing Rutgers, 55-10, on Saturday at SHI Stadium. Parker Washington is the latest casualty. The team’s top receiver and punt returner was apparently injured during the week, and his status for this Saturday vs. Michigan State and beyond is in question. Joey Porter Jr., the Lions’ star cornerback, missed his second-straight game ...

Roster-building season never ends for PSU football

By Neil Rudel nrudel@altoonamirror.com Injury updates aren’t part of James Franklin’s weekly disclosure with the media. Unless a player is out for the year, Franklin doesn’t discuss it. He feels it’s a privacy matter to protect the player, and he also doesn’t want to help the opposition’s strategy. In the last few weeks, Penn State has been missing numerous regulars, whose absence is generally tied to injuries but then again, we don’t know for sure. Those players include Olu Fashanu, Caeden Wallace, Keyvone Lee, Curtis Jacobs and Joey Porter. Porter wasn’t ...