Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1528325
N O V E M B E R 2 0 2 4 17 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M They Said It "Obviously, a big story for the game was Tyler War- ren. … I've been talking about him being the best tight end in college football, But the reality is, he's now part of the conversation as one of the best play- ers in college football." — James Franklin after the USC game, in which the senior tight end caught 17 passes for 224 yards and a touchdown "Penn State has faced only one top-80 scoring defense in Illinois and showed some passing limita- tions in that game, while countering with heavy run. Kotelnicki's biggest tests are still to come, but he has delivered on the primary reason for his hiring." — Adam Rittenberg, ESPN.com college football writer, in awarding first-year Penn State offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki an A- grade for his work with the Nittany Lions through five games "Drew Allar threw three picks, but that's not what anyone in Happy Valley will remember. Instead, it'll be the two magical completions he made on fourth down on that game-tying drive — 17 yards to Julian Fleming on fourth-and-7 at his own 44, then a nifty escape from a collapsing pocket to hit Fleming again on fourth-and-10 at the USC 39. "Tyler Warren caught 17 balls for 224 yards, a thing receivers in Michigan didn't think was possible in a full season. He was somehow always open through- out the first three quarters, forcing USC to adjust just enough to leave Fleming free for those big grabs down the stretch. "It was a game in which Penn State showed more offensive creativity than it had during the entirety of Allar's first season at the helm in 2023." — David Hale, ESPN staff writer, on Penn State's comeback against the Trojans "I thought I'd been in some loud stadiums, but this was insane. I could barely hear the person right next to me, and this wasn't even the White Out game. The fans were amazing and friendly. We went into the locker room after the game, and the environment was amazing in there. The players were hyped, and the coaches were even more hyped. Overall, [it was] an electric environment." — Malvern (Pa.) Prep defensive end Jackson Ford on his impressions of PSU during a visit for the UCLA game on Oct. 5 "Coach K and Coach Franklin never lost faith in me and allowed me to keep playing. We always talk about it in the quarterback room: Just keep shooting. Keep shooting, no matter what. Some things aren't going to go your way, but it's just how you bounce back from them. I think as an overall offense, we did a great job of bouncing back in the second half." — Junior quarterback Drew Allar, after leading Penn State to a 33-30 comeback win at USC on Oct. 12 "For us to move forward in this league and to chase these [established Big Ten powers], we've got to think outside the box. Playing a game at Rec Hall, it's a great environment. ... Hot gym, hot arena. We're going to continue to try to replicate that, and the Palestra game as well." — Men's basketball coach Mike Rhoades on Penn State's attempts to promote the program, including a visit to Philadelphia to play Indiana on Jan. 5 and another "Return to Rec" game against Ohio State on Jan. 30 "Last night was my visit with Coach Cael! I will tell you the visit was amazing and it may have been one of the best home visits yet. I have loved wrestling for a very long time, I think since I was born, and having Coach Cael in my house didn't seem real. I don't know if many people think on the same level as the PSU Staff." — Bo Bassett, ranked by MatScouts as the No. 1 wrestling recruit in the 2026 class, writing in his "Inner Circle" newsletter about Cael Sanderson's recent home visit "I like running over people, anybody in front of me. I'm not going to fall backward. I'm going to fall forward, always. That's just who I am." — Junior running back Kaytron Allen after rushing for 103 yards and a touchdown in Penn State's 21-7 victory over Illinois on Sept. 28 PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL