Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1539550
8 O C T O B E R 2 0 2 5 OPENING SHOT A WELCOME RETURN James Franklin had been saying for months that he wanted to see Penn State's special teams units make more game-changing plays this fall than they did a year ago. Given that imperative, he had reason to feel good about the Nittany Lions' season-opening performance against Nevada. Granted, the special teams didn't decide this one; the Lions were in firm control of the con- test from start to finish, winning 46-11 on Aug. 30 at Beaver Stadium. But in addition to rolling up 438 yards of total offense to the Wolf Pack's 203, Penn State shined in the kicking game on opening day. Junior safety King Mack (right) made the biggest splash, returning a second-quarter kickoff 73 yards to set up a field goal and a 20-3 PSU lead. Mack's role had been something of a mystery heading into the Nevada game. He had transferred back to Penn State, the place where he started his career, after spending the 2024 season at Alabama. A former four-star prospect from Miami, he had returned to State College in hope of earning a starting job in the secondary. That didn't happen right away, but Franklin noted a few days before the opener that Mack was chal- lenging senior running back Nicholas Singleton for the starting kickoff-return job. Sure enough, when Nevada kicked off after scoring its first points of the afternoon on a field goal, it was Mack standing at the opposite goal line. Fielding the ball at the 8, he turned left and found a vast expanse of empty field in front of him. Believed to be the fastest player on Penn State's team, he wasn't touched until kicker Joe McFadden made a diving tackle attempt at the Nevada 34-yard line. McFadden wasn't able to knock him off-balance, and Mack kept going until a pair of defenders caught up to him at the 18. "That's really cool for King Mack," Franklin said after the game. "You know, I'll say he made a mistake [by transferring to Alabama]. He left, figured it out quick, came back, and in the first game back, he's got a huge play for us. That was cool." Following Mack's sprint, the Lions turned to redshirt sophomore kicker Ryan Barker for a 28- yard field goal. That was a disappointment considering they had started the drive inside Nevada's red zone, but Barker's day — 4 attempts, 4 makes — was another positive sign for the specialists. Said Franklin, "There are some things we've got to get cleaned up, but it's nice to see us make some big plays with the kicks and the returns." — Matt Herb PHOTO BY MARK SELDERS/PENN STATE ATHLETICS