Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1512721
1 6 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 4 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M "Penn State went 0-6 against Ohio State and Michigan under Yurcich, which begs a familiar question: Does Penn State have an offensive play- calling problem or a Michigan and Ohio State prob- lem? It certainly feels like Penn State consistently placing a distant third behind its primary rivals in the Big Ten is the bigger problem. I don't know who Penn State can hire that will be enough to solve the problem on his own." — Tom Fornelli, CBSSports.com columnist, on the dismissal of Mike Yurcich as Penn State's offensive coordinator "I don't think there's any decision [to make]. I've been committed here. Coach [James] Franklin is a huge influence in my life, not only on the field, but personally. I've definitely grown a lot since I've stepped on campus, so I have no thoughts of any- thing like that." — Sophomore quarterback Drew Allar, shutting down speculation that he might consider transferring following the dismissal of offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich "I think we're playing our best football right now and trending up at the right time. But that's for next year. This year, we played good enough to win 10 games and hopefully get a New Year's Six bowl and play well in that." — James Franklin following Penn State's 42-0 victory over Michigan State in its regular-season finale "It seems like a feel-good cliche to walk out of the final game of Penn State's regular season, a 42-0 win over Michigan State on Friday night, trying to sell everyone on the idea that winning a bunch of games against not very good teams — losing the only two that anyone really cared about — is a roaring success. Not counting the COVID season, Penn State has won 10 or more games five out of the last eight years, but it has come with only a handful of moments you can really sink your teeth into. All of them have come second fiddle to the bigger prizes. It has become the great irony of Penn State's time under James Franklin that the Nittany Lions are having a fairly historic level of success while also having a fairly historic level of 'almost' to go alongside it. Then again, as the Big Ten adds programs that won't make winning any easier, winning at all shouldn't be scoffed at." — Ben Jones, StateCollege.com columnist, following Penn State's victory over Michigan State "Fashanu has franchise left tackle written all over him. His balance and awareness as a pass protector are easily the best in this class. He has also shown more physicality in the run game, and I thought his performance against Michigan was exceptional. With Trent Brown and Mike Onwenu scheduled to become free agents, there's a hole. Fashanu is a no-brainer." — Draft analyst Jordan Reid, in a Nov. 21 ESPN mock draft that had Penn State senior offensive tackle Olumuyiwa Fashanu going fourth overall to New England "Before the season began, I listed Penn State as a high-upside team that not enough people were talking about. So far, the Nittany Lions are off to a 4-0 start after an impressive 91-85 win over Kansas and a 16-point win over St. John's. "Carolyn Kieger's mishmash of key returners and transfers has added up to a successful start, particu- larly on offense where the team is averaging just over 90 points per game, has the fourth-best field goal percentage in all of college basketball and ranks top- 10 in assists per game." — Eric Rynston-Lobel, TheNextHoops.com writer, on the Lady Lions' fast start in head coach Carolyn Kieger's fifth season with the program "Penn State is going to surprise some people in the Big Ten." — Lindsay Schnell, USA Today women's basketball writer, following the Lady Lions' 71-70 loss to eighth-ranked USC on Nov. 22 at the Baha Mar Hoops Pink Flamingo Tournament in the Bahamas They Said It Coach James Franklin said he felt as though the Nittany Lions were "trending up at the right time" following their 42-0 romp over Michigan State in the regular-season finale. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL "It's a good news-bad news commentary on James Franklin. The good news is he's clearly established the Nittany Lions' program as the third-best in the Big Ten behind Ohio State and Michigan. The bad news is he's clearly established the Nittany Lions as the third-best program in the Big Ten behind Ohio State and Michigan." — Neil Rudel, Altoona Mirror