Connect with us

FOOTBALL

Gut reactions to Penn State’s Rose Bowl win over Utah

Yet again, Penn State football sits at 11-2 and will finish in the top-10.

Published

9 months ago

on

Jan 2, 2023; Pasadena, California, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions running back Nicholas Singleton (10) celebrates with teammates after scoring a touchdown in the first quarter against the Utah Utes in the 109th Rose Bowl game at the Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Monday evening, Penn State football brought home yet another 11-win season and a New Year’s Six win. This time, the Nittany Lions escaped Pasadena with a 35-21 win over No. 8 Utah and will bring a Rose Bowl trophy to State College for the first time since 1995.

Penn State is breaking trends

All season long, the Nittany Lions have been breaking previous trends. In years past, Penn State football consistently would blow games in big moments, lose to lesser opponents, and blow games against top-10 competition.

So far this year, many of these trends are no more. That is not to say Penn State broke every trend by much — the Lions still lost to No. 2 Michigan and No. 4 Ohio State — but I will give credit where it is due. After Penn State’s 4-5 season in 2020 and 7-6 season in 2021, many thought that Penn State’s previous success under James Franklin was simply lucky.

Despite the two losses to College Football Playoff (CFP) teams, Penn State still managed to finish the year 10-2 and receive a Rose Bowl bid. To many people’s surprise, the Nittany Lions managed to beat everyone they were favored against; in fact, many of these games were blowout wins, which is also new for Franklin and Co.

Since 2016, Penn State football has one top-10 win: tonight’s victory over No. 8 Utah. Before tonight, Franklin had only notched two top-10 wins: No. 2 Ohio State (2016) and No. 6 Wisconsin (2016). Penn State also responded to both of its losses with a blowout win, which is simply unheard of in the James Franklin era.

The Rose Bowl win was just another example of the Nittany Lions’ ability to break these devastating trends. More than anything, this is a great sign for Penn State’s future in 2023 and beyond.

Nick Singleton is going to be a problem

I am not telling you anything that you don’t already know, but Nick Singleton is going to be an issue for the Big Ten going forward. The Nittany Lions’ true freshman running back has been giving everyone fits all season long, and against the PAC-12 Champions, the story was no different.

In his freshman season (13 games) Singleton carried the football 149 times for 941 yards and 10 touchdowns. In Penn State’s bowl win, Singleton carried the ball seven times for 120 yards and two touchdowns. Just as we have seen all year long, much of Penn State’s success can be attributed to Nick Singleton’s tough running.

This team is going to be scary good in 2023

The 2022 season was supposed to be a rebuilding year for Penn State football. If 11-2 with a Rose Bowl victory is rebuilding, watch out for the Nittany Lions in 2023.

While the Clifford era had its moments, I suspect that the Drew Allar era will be even better in State College. The Nittany Lions are stacked with young talent on both sides of the ball, and should be eying a Big Ten Championship within the next three years.

There is no excuse for Penn State to not be in the mix for the Big Ten and a CFP spot for the next few years, and after tonight, I am confident that the Nittany Lions can get there.

What a way to send Sean Clifford off

Since 2019, Penn State fans have watched with joy and in horror as Sean Clifford continued to take the field as the Nittany Lions’ starter. Now, after six years of college football, Clifford has finished off his college career.

While he has seen his ups and downs, Clifford has always put his best foot forward and given Penn State his all. I cannot think of a better way to send off the Nittany Lions’ all-time leading passer than with a dominant win in the Rose Bowl.

Clifford will finish his college career as Penn State’s all-time leader in passing yards, passing touchdowns, completions, completion percentage, and wins. Whether you love him or hate him, Sean Clifford is a Penn State football legend.

PSU football is back

As I said earlier, many speculated that Penn State’s reign of dominance had come to a close after the 2021 season. From 2016-2019 it seemed as if the Nittany Lions were trending towards being one of the nation’s elite, and Penn State was undoubtedly a top-10 program.

From 2016-19 Penn State won a Big Ten Championship, two New Year’s Six games, had three 11-win seasons, and one nine-win season. In 2020, all of that changed as Penn State saw its first losing season in nearly two decades.

In 2021, injuries derailed PSU’s season and saw the Nittany Lions finish 7-6 with a 24-10 loss in the Outback Bowl to Arkansas. The 11-11 record from 2020-21 gave fans and national media little hope; however, James Franklin and his Nittany Lions are officially back. Once again, Penn State football will finish with 11 wins and a New Year’s Six trophy — this time, a trail of roses will follow the Lions back to State College.

What a way to cap off a fantastic season of Penn State football. We’re glad it came, sad it’s over, and are already looking forward to the next one.

Related Topics:

FOOTBALL

James Franklin highlights historic win over Iowa

Last night, James Franklin explained why the White Out win over Iowa was one of the most dominant in Penn State football history.

Published

24 mins ago

on

September 24, 2023

By

Penn State Football, James Franklin, Iowa, White Out
Sep 23, 2023; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin reacts from the sideline during the second quarter against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Beaver Stadium. Penn State defeated Iowa 31-0. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-USA TODAY Sports

The weather left a little to be desired for a late September evening, but that was about the only thing that didn’t work in the favor of Penn State football last night. The Nittany Lions looked absolutely dominant, controlling the contest from start to finish in a 31-0 rout of No. 24 Iowa in front of a White Out crowd. If you walked away last night feeling like the game was one of the most dominant wins of the James Franklin era in Happy Valley, you may be right. After the victory, Franklin highlighted some key stats that made it a historic night for the Penn State football program.

James Franklin highlights historic win for Penn State football

Iowa was able to move the ball on the opening series of the game, but that’s about all the Hawkeyes could muster on what was a dominant evening for Penn State football. Last night could have easily turned into a sloppy slugfest. But the Nittany Lions rose to the occasion to have their most complete game of the season in front of a primetime White Out crowd.

Penn State’s first win over a ranked opponent this season was not just massive for the Big Ten title hunt and College Football Playoff picture. The victory was one of the most dominant games in school history. Following the game, James Franklin explained why Saturday was a historic night for Penn State football.

“…We only allowed 76 yards in the entire game. That’s the 10th fewest in school history,” Franklin said during postgame media availability. “Iowa only had four first downs in the entire game, [that was the] fourth fewest allowed in Penn State history as well. [The] offense had four scoring drives of 10-plus plays, which also went hand-in-hand with a possession time of 45 minutes and 27 seconds, which I’ve never seen before. We’ve scored 30 or more points 11 times in a row now — that leads the nation. Nittany Lions have also scored in 28 straight quarters; that’s the longest streak in the country. So, just a ton of stuff to be proud of.”

White Out crowd also makes history against Iowa

While James Franklin has to feel good about the dominant win and where his team stands heading into the thick of Big Ten play, Penn State football fans also have something to be proud of.

Last night’s White Out game attendance was announced as 110,830, the second largest in Beaver Stadium history. The attendance just barely missed the record of 110, 889, which was set against Ohio State in 2018.

“I want to thank the fans,” Franklin said after the game. “We had a great crowd; 110,800 — second-largest crowd in Beaver Stadium history. That was awesome.”

“We’ve got the best fans in the country,” Penn State star WR KeAndre Lambert-Smith later added. “We appreciate them coming out each and every week. You know, being dedicated; it was raining out there, and it was still stands packed. It was a great environment, which was a big reason why I came to Penn State — to play in games like this in front of crowds like that.”

Penn State football hits the road again Saturday to take on Northwestern in Evanston.

Thank you for reading Basic Blues Nation. Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and insights on your favorite Penn State athletics. For feedback, questions, concerns, or to apply for a writing position, please email us at [email protected] or direct message us on our social media. Also, be sure to check out our new site shop. It’s due to your support that we can become one of the market’s fastest-growing Penn State sports outlets!

Continue Reading

FOOTBALL

Penn State football defenders respond to statement performance

The Penn State football defense sent a statement to everyone in the country last night with their performance.

Published

2 hours ago

on

September 24, 2023

By

Penn State football, Adisa Isaac, defensive unit, Manny Diaz
Penn State's Adisa Isaac celebrates after recovering a fumble during a White Out football game against Iowa Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023, in State College, Pa. The Nittany Lions shut out the Hawkeyes, 31-0.

The Penn State football defense has been elite early on this season. Against Illinois, they forced five turnovers including four interceptions. Then, last night on the national stage the defensive unit shut out Iowa 31-0. They also caused another four turnovers last night, all came from forced fumbles. So, that’s 9 turnovers caused in the past two games, Manny Diaz has this group dialed in. After the game, we caught up with Adisa Isaac and others who shared their thoughts on this statement performance.

Penn State football defenders respond to statement performance

Defensively, Penn State allowed 76 total yards of offense, total domination from start to finish. Iowa finished the night averaging 1.2 yards per rushing attempt. This unit understood the assignment on Saturday night and they took care of business. We asked Adisa Isaac about his thoughts on this statement performance.

Isaac said, “We have a dominant defense. That shouldn’t be no secret but I feel like we just showed in a shutout against a ranked opponent that we have some stuff that’s flowing and it’s only going to get better.”

He wasn’t the only one. After the game star linebacker, Abdul Carter tweeted “BEST DEFENSE IN THE COUNTRY!!!! #WEARE.”

It shows the energy and the confidence that this unit is starting to play with. It’s at the perfect point in the season for Manny Diaz to have this defensive unit firing on all cylinders. As for Iowa offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz, he will have to pick up the pace on his lofty goal of scoring 25 points per game. After the Penn State loss, Iowa is only averaging 21.25 points per game.

The pass rush got home

One of the questions James Franklin was asked earlier this week surrounded the topic of lack of stats from star defenders. One of those players was potential 2024 first-round pick Chop Robinson who picked up his first sack of the season. This was also a strip sack where Robinson caused a turnover. Amin Vanover and Adisa Isaac also collected sacks against Iowa last night.

Thank you for reading Basic Blues Nation. Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and insights on your favorite Penn State athletics. For feedback, questions, concerns, or to apply for a writing position, please email us at [email protected] or direct message us on our social media. Also, be sure to check out our new site shop. It’s due to your support that we can become one of the market’s fastest-growing Penn State sports outlets!

Continue Reading

FB RECRUITING

BREAKING: Penn State football lands 4-star LB, top 100 player nationally

Penn State lands top 100 nationally ranked linebacker DJ McClary after the whiteout weekend.

Published

5 hours ago

on

September 24, 2023

By

Penn State football, DJ McClary, 2025 recruiting
Sep 23, 2023; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin shakes the hands of invited recruits upon the team’s arrival prior to the game against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-USA TODAY Sports

The whiteout is one of the biggest weekends for the Penn State football team. Not only because of the game that was played. But arguably more importantly, it allows Penn State to showcase its greatness to recruits. The atmosphere, the fans, the community, all of these elements factor into a player’s decision to commit to Penn State. James Franklin made sure that he thanked each player and parent after the game as well for making it to State College. Now, DJ McClary has made his decision to join the 2025 recruiting class for the Nittany Lions.

Penn State football lands 4-star LB, top 100 player nationally

Earlier this week, a crystal ball was placed by 247sports Brian Dohn for DJ McClary to land at Penn State. Now, McClary has made his decision to play his college football at Linebacker U. McClary is a four-star recruit and he is a top-100 recruit in the 2025 recruiting class according to 247sports composite rankings. He is from Jersey City, New Jersey, and chose Penn State over Ohio State, USC, Tennesee, Michigan, and several other schools.

DJ McClary is currently the 3rd highest-rated player in New Jersey and is a massive addition to the 2025 recruiting class at Penn State. James Franklin is hopeful that this is one of many commitments that will result from the 31-0 victory over Iowa. After watching the defense last night, how would you not want to play linebacker at Penn State?

Re-racking the 2025 recruiting class

After recently losing Jaelyne Matthews to a de-commitment this is how the 2025 recruiting class is shaping up for Penn State. Four-star RB KiAndrea Barker, three-star S Omari Gaines, and now DJ McClary.

The Nittany Lions are optimistic that they can land four-star running back Tiqwai Hayes who will make his decision tomorrow.

Thank you for reading Basic Blues Nation. Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and insights on your favorite Penn State athletics. For feedback, questions, concerns, or to apply for a writing position, please email us at [email protected] or direct message us on our social media. Also, be sure to check out our new site shop. It’s due to your support that we can become one of the market’s fastest-growing Penn State sports outlets!

Continue Reading

Trending