Ohio at PSU Saturday: Noon Records: Both teams are 1-0 TV: ABC Radio: TOONA 1430-AM; 99.7-FM The latest line: PSU by 24.5 By Neil Rudel nrudel@altoonamirror.com UNIVERSITY PARK — The 2022 Penn State football season is a homecoming for the Rocco family. Danny Rocco is in his first ...
The Nittany Lions can feel good about many aspects of their performance at Purdue. Quarterback play (save Sean Clifford’s bad interception), the debuts of Mitchell Tinsley and Barney Amor, Joey Porter Jr. having one of the better statistical games of a Penn State cornerback ever (six breakups, eight solo tackles, fumble recovery) and Penn State’s fourth-quarter defense were all quite impressive. But I’m going to take the Lions’ short-yardage offense. How many times have we seen Penn State stuffed on third- and fourth-and-short over the last few seasons? You’re right: ...
By Neil Rudel nrudel@altoonamirror.com WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. --- Shaking out the cobwebs from a late night at Purdue: n There was highly questionable coaching strategy in the fourth quarter of Penn State’s 35-31 victory over the Boilermakers, and it didn’t involve James Franklin. In ...
By Neil Rudel nrudel@altoonamirror.com WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — James Franklin called it a “character win,” and it’s tough to argue. On a season-opening night against a dangerous opponent with a great passing game, Penn State lost its momentum, then found a way when it mattered most and emerged with a 35-31 win over Purdue before 57,307 at Ross-Ade Stadium. With two minutes to go trailing, 31-28, Sean Clifford engineered an eight-play, 80-yard drive capped by his fourth touchdown pass, a 10-yarder to Keyvone Lee. It was the seventh and final lead change, and Penn ...
By Neil Rudel nrudel@altoonamirror.com There are no must-wins in Week 1, especially for a coach just a few months removed from a contract extension through 2031. But tonight, at Purdue (8 p.m., Fox), is a big game for James Franklin. Public confidence in him is not high. His body of work since taking over at Penn State in 2014 — overall — still gets a good grade. He led Penn State to the Big Ten championship in 2016 and followed that up with strong seasons in 2017 and 2018, featuring outstanding offensive players, riding the great Trace McSorley and winning the Fiesta ...
Sure -- it provides immediate urgency By Neil Rudel nrudel@altoonamirror.com I have no problem with opening the season against a Big Ten team. In fact, I kind of like it –- even if it’s on the road, where Penn State has started the conference schedule seven straight times and 12 of the last 13 seasons. (This is one of James Franklin’s new themes, dating back to the Big Ten media days last month. New athletic director Pat Kraft also doesn’t like it and plans to address the matter with the conference.) The advantage of playing a league game right from the outset is it ...
