Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/378928
James Franklin opened his Tuesday aCer- noon press conference at Beaver Stadium the way he typically does. Recapping the Nittany Lions' performance against Akron, a 21-3 win, he turned his attention to the areas that must be improved upon before the conference opener. Turnovers, the run- ning game, not giving up big plays de- fensively, consistency in kickoffs and kickoff coverage – they all made the cut. Rutgers, the next opponent on the schedule who will play host to the Nittany Lions' Sat- urday evening in Piscataway, N.J., also earned significant mention. With the Scarlet Knights also 2-0 and playing their first Big Ten game against his Nittany Lions, Franklin wanted nothing more than to focus his words, body and mind on Rut- gers. But he was fully aware that he was in front of a room of reporters who were waiting anxiously. Monday the NCAA announced that it was liCing the re- P R E G A M E R E P O R T P E N N S T A T E V S . R U T G E R S 8 P . M . , S E P T . 1 3 B T N RUTGERS FACTS COACH Kyle Flood (Iona, '93) COACH'S RECORD 17-11 in his third season as head coach. 2014 RECORD 2-0, 0-0 Big Ten (East) RECORD VS. PSU The Nittany Lions lead the series 22-2. This is their first meeting as Big Ten rivals. MOST RECENT MEETING Play- ing at Giants Stadium on Sept. 25, 1995, Bobby Engram scored four touchdowns to lift PSU to a domi- nant 59-24 win over Rutgers. GOOD NEWS RB Paul James leads the nation with six touchdowns through two games, two of which were a 69- yard catch-and-run and a 56-yard rush. BAD NEWS It's been since 1988 when the Scarlet Knights last beat the Nit- tany Lions. They've met seven times since, with PSU winning by an average score of 38-16. DID YOU KNOW? Since 2009, Rutgers has blocked 37 punts or kicks. That is more than any other program in the Football Bowl Subdivision and nine more than second-place Fresno State. It doesn't stop there. The Scarlet Knights have blocked at least four kicks every season since '07. EYES ON THE PRIZE In light of NCAA announcement, PSU maintains focus on Rutgers N A T E B A U E R | N BAUER @BLUEWHIT EON LIN E.COM Bill Anderson S E P T E M B E R 1 0 , 2 0 1 4 B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M 1 KEEPING IN STRIDE Matt Zanellato and his PSU teammates run onto the field vs. Akron. They travel to Rutgers Saturday. SPECIAL REPORT PSU eligible for postseason play; scholarships to be restored in 2015.