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Neil Rudel

Fake FG exposes Franklin

By Neil Rudel nrudel@altoonamirror.com UNIVERSITY PARK — James Franklin has many excellent qualities. He’s a strong communicator, leader and an accomplished recruiter in addition to being a terrific representative of Penn State and college football. But when you get to the day of the game and need spontaneous in-game strategy, well, let’s just say it’s not his strong suit. Whether it’s not calling timeout when he should, or bizarre calls with the game on the line, there have been too many head-scratching situations that have contributed to Penn State sinking into the state ...

In Michigan, Lions face ‘benchmark’

Since Penn State joined the Big Ten, the Nittany Lions were always going to be judged on how they did against their two perceived peers — Ohio State and Michigan. And while their 29-year experience has seen other programs rise and have success, Wisconsin and Michigan State, Iowa and occasionally Northwestern or Minnesota, there’s only three places that seat 100,000-plus and can boast national championships over the past 40 years. That’s one reason why James Franklin pulled back the curtain a bit in response to a thoughtful question from StateCollege.com’s Ben Jones the other ...

Clifford: Lions have proven they can’t win without him

Who is Penn State’s MVP (Most Valuable Person) so far this season? By Neil Rudel nrudel@altoonamirror.com You’ve noticed the phrasing to allow for a member of the coaching or support staff. And Cory’s nomination of Brent Pry makes sense. Pry has been a pillar of stability, an invaluable right-hand man to James Franklin since arriving in 2014, and his defense has played at a high level almost all year. Plus he’s an Altoona guy so I’m partial there, too. But Penn State’s 2021 MVP (most valuable player/person) is Sean Clifford. When Cory was taking a poll a ...

WR Dotson separates PSU from Terps

Penn State stopped the bleeding Saturday that was dripping from its three-game losing streak with a 31-14 win at Maryland and, in doing so, the Nittany Lions can approach the remaining three games of the regular season with a positive vibe. Sean Clifford acknowledged this particular 1-0 — the program’s mantra — could be listed in bold-face type. “We were on a losing streak,” he said. “Every win feels good (but) we put in so much effort and so much time. A lot of teams might have folded with what we’ve gone through, but we just went back to work.” Heading into a ...

Bensons provide view of Maryland

Maryland has been a member of the Big Ten Conference since 2014, and, similar to when Penn State joined the league 29 seasons ago (already), it’s not been the easiest transition. For one, the Terps do not have a dominant football program so a division including Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan and now a Michigan State program on solid ground adds to the challenge. As Maryland and Penn State, both 5-3 overall and 2-3 in the Big Ten, are set to test each other at Maryland Stadium (3:30 p.m., FoxSports1), two proud Altoona alums who made their marks with the Terps weighed in. Two of ...

PSU point-counterpoint: What is your best bowl game scenario?

It’s a slam dunk: Pitt. Even if Penn State goes unbeaten in November — though it’s more likely the Nittany Lions will be 2-2 — this season imploded with losses to Iowa and Illinois. It could have been rescued by beating Ohio State, but that didn’t happen. The Lions hung in admirably and played hard, but the bottom line was a 33-24 loss and a three-game losing streak. Penn State will be double-digit favorites over Maryland and Rutgers, and if the Lions split with the Michigans — Harbaugh and Sparty — they’d land at 8-4. So instead of sliding into a been-there-done-that ...