Penn State category, Page 21
No. 7 Penn State overcomes slow start, beats UCLA comfortably to stay undefeated
STATE COLLEGE — Earlier this week, Penn State coach James Franklin said he wanted to see his seventh-ranked Nittany Lions take a “significant step” against the visiting UCLA Bruins. Franklin specified penalties, which have plagued Penn State all year heading into Saturday afternoon’s matchup at Beaver Stadium, in addition to...
Drew Allar, No. 7 Penn State look to keep momentum going against UCLAVideo
STATE COLLEGE — Drew Allar is having the most fun he has ever had playing football. As the triggerman of one of the country’s most effective offenses, Penn State’s quarterback has been all smiles all season. The junior has clicked with new offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki to help the No....
Penn State preparing as if injured UCLA starting QB will play this week
UCLA, 1-3 on the season, is already up against it traveling to Beaver Stadium this weekend to face No. 7 Penn State, but things might be getting worse. The Bruins will be the first West Coast Big Ten team to play at noon on the East Coast, they have been...
Cleaning up penalties a priority for Penn State ahead of visit from UCLA
Through five weeks of the season, No. 7 Penn State is undefeated, climbing steadily in the weekly AP Top 25 poll and achieving results befitting a College Football Playoff contender. The Nittany Lions faced their toughest test of the year last Saturday and came out on top, dispatching Illinois, 21-7,...
No. 7 Nittany Lions getting overpowering efforts from RBs Kaytron Allen, Nick SingletonVideo
STATE COLLEGE — Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen are both men of few words, but when the two Nittany Lion running backs do speak up, they’re direct, forceful and to the point. Kind of like their similar running styles that have left opposing defenses sore, winded and without a way...
Following 2 more missed field goals vs. Illinois, Penn State weighs change at kickerVideo
STATE COLLEGE — It was easy enough for Penn State to brush off Sander Sahaydak missing a field goal in the season opener vs. West Virginia. But following two more misses Saturday against No. 19 Illinois, coach James Franklin must weigh making a change at placekicker. After the No. 9...
No. 9 Penn State survives myriad of mishaps to grind out win over No. 19 Illinois
STATE COLLEGE — At multiple points throughout Saturday’s 21-7 win over Illinois, Penn State seemed greatly at risk of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. The No. 9 Nittany Lions were stout defensively, almost completely shutting down No. 19 Illinois on the ground, but a host of mishaps and...
No. 9 Nittany Lions looking to keep momentum going against No. 19 IllinoisVideo
STATE COLLEGE — Reminders of Penn State’s last unbeaten season have been all over Happy Valley this week, serving as inspiration for Drew Allar and his teammates. The 1994 team will be honored when the No. 9 Nittany Lions host No. 19 Illinois on Saturday, “It’s super cool that the...
Penn State QB Drew Allar ‘super excited’ for ranked matchup vs. Illinois at Beaver Stadium
It’s not Ohio State. It’s not Michigan. But this game week feels different than the previous three. With the nonconference slate in the books, Penn State is poised to open Big Ten play on the big stage: a nationally televised night game at Beaver Stadium against a ranked opponent. When...
Underrated Penn State pass rush will play key role in stopping Illinois offense
Many Penn State fans will remember that Illinois, in its last trip to Penn State in 2021, set a Beaver Stadium record by rushing for 357 yards en route to a 20-18 overtime upset. This time around, while the Fighting Illini will still try to run the ball and establish...
Penn State’s improved wide receivers prepare for Illinois
Penn State’s wide receiver group, after struggling at times last season to make its mark, was the team’s biggest question mark in the preseason. Through three games this year, the wideouts might be “the most improved position on the team,” according to coach James Franklin. But are they ready to...
Drastically improved Illinois QB Luke Altmyer leads team into ranked showdown at Penn State
The nonconference portion of Penn State’s schedule is complete, and the No. 9 Nittany Lions came out of it without a blemish at 3-0. However, because of the quality of their opponents — two Mid-American Conference foes plus West Virginia in the season-opener — having done so might be considered...
Penn State’s James Franklin has high praise for tight end Tyler Warren
STATE COLLEGE — James Franklin made himself abundantly clear in his postgame news conference after Penn State’s blowout win over Kent State on Saturday. “Tyler Warren is the best tight end in college football.” Take note, Mackey Award voters. Two weeks ago, Warren set a program record for receiving yards...
Drew Allar’s 4 total TDs lead No. 10 Penn State to record-setting win over Kent StateVideo
STATE COLLEGE — Penn State’s offense got off to a slow start. Once Drew Allar got rolling, the No. 10 Nittany Lions couldn’t be stopped. The junior quarterback threw three touchdown passes and ran for a score, and No. 10 Penn State beat Kent State, 56-0. Tyler Warren, Nick Singleton,...
No. 10 Penn State hopes to work out kinks against reeling Kent State
STATE COLLEGE — James Franklin knows his team is much better than how it played two weeks ago, and he’s sure that with this much time to ponder that too-close-for-comfort win, the No. 10 Nittany Lions will show it. “We’re used to playing dominating football,” Franklin said. “Around here, we’ve...
Penn State to alter safety plans with injury to Kevin Winston Jr.
Penn State’s secondary took a massive hit Wednesday night, with coach James Franklin confirming star safety Kevin Winston Jr. will be out with a “long-term” injury. As Winston is one of the nation’s top safeties, a Penn State captain and one of the most valuable Nittany Lions on the roster,...
Penn State star safety Kevin Winston Jr. out with ‘long-term’ injuryVideo
Penn State is going to be without one of its best players for the foreseeable future. Coach James Franklin confirmed Wednesday after practice that safety Kevin Winston Jr., also a team captain, is out with a “long-term” injury. Franklin typically does not comment on injuries unless they are season-ending or...
No. 1 Pitt routs No. 3 Penn State in women’s volleyball showdown
Pitt senior libero Emmy Klika has played in three straight national semifinals. She has been on some of volleyball’s biggest stages. But as she walked through the tunnel for warmups before the top-ranked Panthers’ matchup with in-state rival Penn State, she admitted she had chills. And why not? A volleyball-record...
The marquee cross-country road trips have begun in the expanded Big Ten
LOS ANGELES — Indiana fans converged on the restaurants and hotels of Pasadena’s famed Colorado Boulevard last weekend. On Saturday night, they cheered their Hoosiers to a blowout victory at the Rose Bowl. A big contingent of Southern California fans will invade Ann Arbor, Mich., this weekend, while a slightly...
Penn State notebook: Freshman tight end Luke Reynolds gets expanded role
Before Penn State’s season-opening win at West Virginia, the Lions’ coaching staff designated two true freshmen as “green lights’ to play extensively in 2024. James Franklin said Monday that a third freshman is now a green light: tight end Luke Reynolds. One of the top players in PSU’s 2024 recruiting...
Penn State intent to not overlook struggling Kent State
It probably would be unfair to say that Penn State coach James Franklin or any of his players underestimated Bowling Green two weekends ago when the Falcons visited State College on Sept. 7, even if fans and members of the media likely did. While falling to the then-No. 8 Nittany...
With both teams ranked among top 3, Pitt-Penn State volleyball matchup likely to move needle as never before
For a long time, a meeting between the women’s volleyball teams from Pitt and Penn State was a fairly ho-hum affair. Sure, there was the whole Pitt-Penn State geographic rivalry thing, but, beyond that, there wasn’t much buzz. Between 1987 and 2017, in fact, Penn State won all 16 matchups...
After miss vs. WVU, Penn State kicker Sander Sahaydak rebounded vs. Bowling Green
Sander Sahaydak, after winning the starting place-kicking job at Penn State for the second year in a row, lined up for his first field goal of the 2024 season at West Virginia in Week 1, a 47-yard try. The game was already in hand, late in the fourth quarter of...
Penn State DE Abdul Carter remains confident at new position: ‘The best is yet to come’Video
Abdul Carter and his move from linebacker to defensive end was one of the biggest storylines of the offseason for Penn State and for the NFL Draft community. Carter, one of the most disruptive players in college football, was projected this summer as a 2025 first-round pick. Draft expert Dane...
Penn State QB Drew Allar displays improvement as a runner
James Franklin has been joking since Drew Allar’s freshman year, calling him “Lamar Allar” after Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson — one of the best dual-threat signal callers in the NFL. The nickname hasn’t quite held its weight — until now. The junior quarterback long has been heralded for his...
