Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1430714
D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 1 15 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M "Ever wonder why the likes of USC and LSU never seem to pursue Ryan Day at Ohio State? Or Dabo Swinney at Clemson? Yet, James Franklin's name is almost always connected to major coaching openings. "Brandon Short doesn't. He insists it has nothing to do with what is perceived by many as an annual salary shakedown of Penn State's athletic depart- ment by Franklin. But, to the former Penn State All-American linebacker and Board of Trustees member, it sure does have a lot to do with money. "In short: These programs that consistently pur- sue Franklin think they'll be able to lure him away with a promise they'll exceed the financial backing to football that Penn State is willing to provide." – Donnie Collins, The Scranton Times-Tribune "Jahan Dotson wasn't a five-star recruit; he was only the ninth-ranked prospect in Penn State's recruiting class of 2018. That says more about the class than it does about Dotson. "The group ranked sixth in the country and sec- ond in the Big Ten and included three players — Micah Parsons, Odafe (nee Jayson) Oweh and Pat Freiermuth — who are already making a mark in the NFL. Maybe Dotson's star-rating tells you less than the fact that he had offers from Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, Georgia, Notre Dame and Michigan." — Mike Gross, LancasterOnline.com "Dotson is so good that his performances have turned extraordinary into normal. He is silky smooth, fast, effective and lethal. Dotson has been written about so many times before that, much like Saquon Barkley, you start to run out of ways to say the same things over and over again. "Dotson is a perfect storm of skill. He has Dae- Sean Hamilton's feet, Allen Robinson's hands, Chris Godwin's craftiness and a touch of Bobby Engram's "it" factor. He is a little bit of everything, and the result is an unassuming 6-foot-1 game changing threat. Penn State has won games simply on the merits of having an outstanding defense and Jahan Dotson." — Ben Jones, StateCollege.com "The red zone is the area between the 20-yard and the goal line. There's not much room, except if it's room for error. An elite defense keeps op- ponents from even getting into the red zone. A great defense keeps opponents from scoring once they are there. "In 2021, Penn State's defense is among the country's best in a few areas, including giving up the fewest points (10th in the nation), being ef- ficient against the pass (8th) and gaining turnovers (22nd). Where the Nittany Lion defense is at its best, though, is when it is in the red zone. That's what Penn State coach James Franklin means most when he says his defense is "championship-caliber. "Under veteran defensive coordinator Brent Pry, the Nittany Lions rank No. 6 in college football in preventing their opponents from scoring once they are inside the 20, with a scoring rate of 64.7% — counting field goals and touchdowns. That's the second-lowest rate for Penn State in the past 14 years the NCAA has kept track of the stat (the 2012 squad is No. 1, with a 64.3% rate)." — Mike Poorman, StateCollege.com "We always go into every game looking for that moment. We're always trying to score on defense. A three-and-out, a punt — that's the least of what we expect. We want to get a turnover. We want to score on defense. That's how we approach every game." — Senior safety Ji'Ayir Brown on his game- clinching pick-six against Maryland "We've kind of taken on that mantra: win any- way. Doesn't matter who's out there, doesn't mat- ter what our circumstances are. You can still win the game. That's what our focus is on." — First-year men's basketball coach Micah Shrewsberry, on the challenges PSU will face in the upcoming season They Said It "I think for me, what I've tried to do since I've been here is that I've tried to show through my actions over eight years of how loyal I've been and what this place means to me. For me, I want to make sure that we are competing every other day of the week, so we have the best chance to compete on Saturdays. "College football has changed dramatically, and we have to be willing to change with it in every experience there is. I understand your question, I get it, but I think I've proven my loyalty over time. I would love to get to a point where I can come out and make a strong statement sooner rather than later. Some of those things are out of my hands." — James Franklin, during a Nov. 4 appearance with Steve Jones on his weekly radio show PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL