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PSU point-counterpoint: What were you most impressed with in the season opener for Penn State?

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: ...

McIlroy backs up his game

Congrats to PGA Tour star Rory McIlroy for winning the FedEx Cup and Tour Championship last weekend at East Lake Golf Club in Georgia. The win earned McIlroy an impressive $18 million payday, but what really impressed me was McIlroy’s ability to stay focused and compete at the highest level in the midst of being the most outspoken critic of the new LIV Golf Tour. For the past year, McIlroy has been extremely vocal in pledging his allegiance to the PGA Tour and has worked closely with fellow golfing great Tiger Woods to enact changes to make the tour more competitive against LIV ...

Purdue coach airs out strategy, apologizes

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 ...

MiLB union could come at a cost

By Cory Giger sports@altoonamirror.com We need to talk about the future of minor league baseball and future of the Altoona Curve, because we soon could enter an era of unprecedented uncertainty regarding both. I don’t want to sound like an alarmist here, but Curve fans need to be aware of what is happening right now in the minor leagues and the possible ways it could impact Altoona’s fantastic Double-A franchise. If you’ve been paying attention in recent days, you may be aware that the Major League Baseball Players Association is trying to unionize minor league players. ...

PSU QB, defense clutch in the end

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 ...

For openers, a chance to restore confidence

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 ...