Breaking News

Neil Rudel

Franklin’s non-con posture is curious

PSU kickoff Saturday: Bowling Green at Penn State, Noon Records: Both clubs are 1-0 TV: Big Ten Network The line: PSU is 34.5-point favorite By Neil Rudel nrudel@altoonamirror.com James Franklin’s feelings on non-conference scheduling are well known. When he’s had to go on the road early in the season for matchups at Auburn (2022) and this past Saturday in Morgantown, in each case Franklin has made it clear afterward he’s not in favor of such opponents. Even though his team has won decisively in both places. “We’ve seen it every year around the country,” he ...

Nittany Lions present well-coordinated effort

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — One of the main storylines entering the Penn State football season concerned the transition of new coordinators Andy Kotelnicki (offense) and Tom Allen (defense). Both passed their opening tests with flying colors. The Nittany Lions defeated West Virginia, 34-12, on a ...

Nittany Nation will be watching PSU’s opening statement

Penn State’s venture into college football’s new era begins today at a familiar old opponent, West Virginia. There’s no sport that can equal the hype of football – during the week and definitely throughout the offseason as the teams gear up to build on or the erase the memories of a ...

Scenery change should benefit Fleming

UNIVERSITY PARK — Just in the last couple of years, the list of Ohio State receivers who launched from Columbus to the NFL — mainly in the first round — is staggering. It includes Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave, both in 2022, Jaxon Smith-Njigba in 2023 and Marvin Harrison Jr. this past April. Unfortunately for Julian Fleming, however, it did not include him. The former Southern Columbia High School standout and national high school player all the way back in 2018 kept getting bypassed as the Buckeyes’ top target. He did finish with 79 receptions for 963 yards and seven ...

Dry trying not to ‘skip’ a beat

On Sunday, May 26, with his 46th season as director of the Lakemont (formerly Mansion) Park Summer Basketball League soon to begin, Skip Dry was being taken by ambulance to UPMC Altoona. “I didn’t want to go,” Dry said. “My wife (Diane) forced me.” He would remain there 19 days, ...

Rudel: Franklin needs to stay in his own lane

By Neil Rudel nrudel@altoonamirror.com Is this a make-or-break year for James Franklin? With a contract through 2031, and a team capable of winning double-digit games this fall, you wouldn’t think so. But last week’s verdict in a lawsuit that awarded a fired Penn State team doctor $5.25 million in damages may have dealt Franklin a blow that hangs over him. (Unless, of course, he beats Ohio State, and good luck with that.) Franklin and Penn State were dismissed as defendants in the suit in 2020 due to the statute of limitations, and Franklin was not called to testify. But his ...