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Neil Rudel

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 ...

Penn State’s depth on O-line will be tested

By Neil Rudel nrudel@altoonamirror.com Some nitpicking as the Nittany Lions welcome Maryland: n Penn State’s offensive line has shown improvement this season. Other than the game at Michigan, when they were dominated up front on both sides, the Lions have run the ball effectively and protected their quarterback(s) reasonably well. Consequently, O-line coach Phil Trautwein has gotten some kudos. The unit’s depth will be tested today against the visiting Terps (3:30 p.m., FOX). Based on reports from the portion of Wednesday’s practice open to the media, possible ...

What constitutes a successful season for the Nittany Lions?

Lions need to run table and finish with 11-2 mark By Neil Rudel I think it’s pretty simple. Win out to finish 11-2 and serve notice this could be a team to be reckoned with for the Big Ten championship and a berth in the College Football Playoff next year. On one hand, you can say it’s been a bounce-back year from the 11-11 mess of the last two seasons, but those were in no way the Penn State standard. Sweeping November would get the Lions to 10-2, but they don’t have a win to really brag about, and none remain on the remaining schedule. The Nits can’t afford to stub ...

Lions do it their way vs Indiana

There have been plenty of Penn State teams – some good, some not — that have gone to Indiana and struggled. In 24 games against the Hoosiers, Penn State has a victory margin of 21.3 points at Beaver Stadium and is 12-0, but in Bloomington, the Nittany Lions are 9-2 but with a victory margin of 7.3. That includes a 3-2 record in the last five trips and a victory margin of 0.8 points. Turns out the venue didn’t matter this time as the Lions left no doubt, running off 38 unanswered points and breezing to a 45-14 win at atmosphere-less Memorial Stadium. “I’m happy with ...

Lions will need to make their own energy

By Neil Rudel nrudel@altoonamirror.com Some nitpicking as the Nittany Lions hit November at 6-2 or probably about one game better than most thought they’d be until they opened 5-0: n Today’s game at Indiana will be Penn State’s first game this season played in a sedate atmosphere. Road games at Purdue, Auburn and Michigan were packed. Memorial Stadium won’t be. Indiana has trouble drawing in good years, and the Hoosiers have lost five straight so the Lions will need to find their energy internally. n This is when team leadership — and coaching — is magnified. ...

PSU point-counterpoint: How should the quarterback situation be handled?

Clifford has lost right to be permanent starter By Neil Rudel nrudel@altoonamirror.com After last Saturday’s 44-31 loss to Ohio State, Sean Clifford lowered his career record vs. OSU and Michigan to 2-6, without a win over the Buckeyes. James Franklin has maintained loyalty to Clifford. After a shaky start at Michigan, which Clifford didn’t finish due to injury (leaving a QB question for the next game against Minnesota), Franklin said, “Sean has earned the right” to be the starter. That isn’t the case anymore. Not after Clifford was intercepted on the Lions’ ...