Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1530530
J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 5 2 9 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// S C O U T I N G R E P O R T ////////// COACH Dabo Swinney (180-46 in 16 full seasons and one partial season; overall collegiate record: same) 2024 RECORD 10-3, 7-1 ACC PLAYOFF RECORD 6-4 in six previous appear- ances with two national titles OFFENSE The Tigers need to get their backfield healthy. Leading rusher Phil Mafah (1,106 yards, 8 touchdowns) has been slowed by an injury, and backup Jay Haynes left the ACC title game after ap- pearing to hurt his knee. Quarterback Cade Klubnik has completed 63.7 percent of his attempts for 3,303 yards and 33 TDs, with only 5 interceptions. DEFENSE Defensive end T.J. Parker has been a force for the Tigers, leading the team in both sacks (11) and tackles for loss (19). In the secondary, safety Khalil Barnes has 4 interceptions for a defense that leads the ACC with 15 picks. SPECIAL TEAMS Freshman kicker Nolan Hauser has hit 17 of 23 field goal attempts, including a walk- off 56-yarder against SMU in the ACC title game. PLAYOFF OUTLOOK Clemson hasn't been to the playoff since 2021, but it made the field this year by the narrowest of margins and will look to recre- ate the magic of 2017 and '19 when it won the title. As the last team in, the Tigers have a tough opener at Texas, but they've got to be liking that potential quarterfinal matchup with Arizona State in Atlanta. NO. 12 SEED CLEMSON TIGERS T.J. PARKER Has 11 sacks and 19 TFLs to lead the Tigers. COACH Curt Cignetti (11-1 in one season; overall collegiate record: 130-36) 2024 RECORD 11-1, 8-1 Big Ten PLAYOFF RECORD First appearance OFFENSE Kurtis Rourke transferred from Ohio and has been outstanding since moving from the Mid- American Conference to the Big Ten. He's tied for the league lead with 27 touchdown passes and has thrown only 4 interceptions, anchoring an offense that leads the Big Ten in scoring at 43.3 points per game. Re- ceiver Elijah Sarratt has 890 yards and 8 touchdowns. DEFENSE Mikail Kamara followed Cignetti to Bloomington from James Madison and is another transfer who has excelled at the Big Ten level. The redshirt junior edge rusher is second in the confer- ence in both sacks (10) and tackles for loss (15). In- diana's defense is allowing only 244.8 yards and 14.7 points per game. SPECIAL TEAMS Kicker Nicolas Radicic has hit 9 of 10 field goal attempts, but his longest has been only 41 yards. PLAYOFF OUTLOOK The knock on Indiana has been its schedule. The Hoosiers averaged 17.5 points and 198.5 yards against Michigan and Ohio State, a far cry from the 48.5 points and 486.8 yards they averaged against their other 10 opponents, none of which fin- ished the regular season with winning records. Those numbers have created some skepticism, but the Hoo- siers will have an opportunity to silence their critics in the days ahead. NO. 10 SEED INDIANA HOOSIERS KURTIS ROURKE Pacing the Big Ten with 27 touchdown passes. COACH Josh Heupel (37-14 in four seasons; overall collegiate record: 65-22) 2024 RECORD 10-2, 6-2 SEC PLAYOFF RECORD First appearance OFFENSE Running back Dylan Sampson has been a workhorse for the Volunteers. The 5-foot- 11, 201-pound junior has already set a Tennessee single-season record with his 1,485 rushing yards, and he's scored 22 touchdowns on the ground. His 256 carries are 69 more than the next-closest SEC ball carrier. Meanwhile, quarterback Nico Iamaleava has completed 66.7 percent of his passes for 2,512 yards, with 19 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. DEFENSE Under the guidance of fourth-year co- ordinator Tim Banks, a former Penn State assistant coach, the Vols surrendered only 13.9 points per game during the regular season, ranking fourth in the FBS. Defensive end James Pearce Jr. has 7.5 sacks and 11 tackles for loss, while cornerback Jermod Mc- Coy is a ball hawk with 4 interceptions and 9 pass breakups. SPECIAL TEAMS Kicker Max Gilbert has hit 19 of 25 field goal attempts with a long kick of 52 yards. PLAYOFF OUTLOOK Tennessee is second in the SEC in both total offense and total defense, yet it missed out on the conference championship game when it fell to Georgia, 31-17, in November. The Vols will likely go as far as their running game takes them in the playoff. With Sampson leading the way, that could be pretty far. NO. 9 SEED TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS DYLAN SAMPSON Set a school re- cord with 1,485 rushing yards.