Statement games abound in Week 6 of the 2021 college football season, with No. 4 Penn State traveling to No. 3 Iowa being the most significant of them all...
SEC Releases Statement After Penn State Loses Down over Referee Error vs. Auburn
Sep 19, 2021
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA - SEPTEMBER 18: Penn State Nittany Lions Tight End Tyler Warren (44) leaps over a line of players for a touchdown during the second half of the College Football game between the Auburn Tigers and the Penn State Nittany Lions on September 18, 2021, at Beaver Stadium in University Park, PA. (Photo by Gregory Fisher/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The SEC released a statement saying the officiating crew made an error that cost Penn State a down in the second quarter in Saturday's game against Auburn.
An official set the down marker to third down after Nittany Lions quarterback Sean Clifford was called for intentional grounding on a first-down pass. The mistake resulted in Penn State punting on what should have been third down.
"I talked to all of [the officials] and they said, look, they all agreed on the call, and so did the replay [official]," Penn State head coach James Franklin told reporters after the game. "They all agreed. I kept bringing them over and saying, 'It's not accurate.' I don't know what else I can tell them, but they all concurred, all the officials, they got on the headset, they talked to each other and they all agreed. They ran it by replay and they all agreed as well. I don't know what else I can do or say."
Here’s James Franklin on the series where referees seemed to take a down away from Penn State: pic.twitter.com/TUfn5wrYEC
While the error came with Penn State trailing 10-7, the mistake did not ultimately factor in the result. The Lions scored a touchdown on their next offensive possession to go into the locker room ahead 14-10 and never trailed again in their 28-20 victory.
That said, it was a rough night for the officiating crew overall, with several missed or mistaken calls that left both sides frustrated. Penn State running back Noah Cain appeared to have been stopped for a safety late in the fourth quarter that would have made the score 28-22, but officials said he made it out of the Lions goal line. Penn State punted later in the possession and held on defensively for its second win over a Top 25 team this season.
Sean Clifford, No. 10 Penn State Beat No. 22 Auburn in Front of White Out Home Crowd
Sep 19, 2021
STATE COLLEGE, PA - SEPTEMBER 18: Jahan Dotson #5 of the Penn State Nittany Lions catches a pass for a touchdown against the Auburn Tigers during the first half at Beaver Stadium on September 18, 2021 in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
No. 10 Penn State defeated No. 22 Auburn 28-20 in a thrilling and dramatic game that went down to the final play from Beaver Stadium in State College, Pennsylvania on Saturday.
The two teams put on a show in front of the sellout White Out crowd, which had Beaver Stadium rocking all evening.
Penn State scored a touchdown in each quarter thanks to wideout Jahan Dotson, tight end Brenton Strange, tight end Tyler Warren and running back Noah Cain. Following the extra point after the Cain score, PSU led 28-20 with 10:48 left.
Auburn still had a shot and later drove 73 yards in 11 plays over 3:54 late in the fourth quarter, but a 4th-and-goal pass from the PSU 2-yard line fell incomplete with 3:08 remaining.
PSU was forced to punt, though, giving Auburn one last chance.
The Tigers drove down to the Penn State 26-yard line with just second remaining but simply ran out of time. Quarterback Bo Nix's last-ditch pass to Demetris Robertson was broken up, and the game was over.
Twenty-two players were on the field at all times on Saturday, but this game felt like a heavyweight boxing match between two offensive superstars on occasion.
On the Penn State side, Dotson caught 10 passes for 78 receiving yards and one touchdown. He also threw a 22-yard completion during a 91-yard touchdown drive in the second quarter.
On the Auburn side, running back Tank Bigsby rolled over the Nittany Lions with 23 carries for 102 rushing yards and two scores. Auburn knocked home field goals in the first and fourth quarters to buffer Bigsby's touchdowns in the second and third.
Penn State moved to 3-0 with the win. Auburn fell to 2-1.
Notable Performances
Penn State QB Sean Clifford: 28-of-32, 280 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 interception
Penn State WR Jahan Dotson: 10 catches, 78 receiving yards, 1 touchdown
Penn State TE Brenton Strange: 4 catches, 71 receiving yards, 1 touchdown
Dotson's emergence was one of the bright spots in Penn State's lost 2020 season, which saw the Nittany Lions lose their first five games.
Dotson dominated to the tune of 52 catches for 884 yards and eight touchdowns in just nine games.
He had proven his prowess as a big-play threat in 2019 (27 catches, 488 yards, five scores), but Dotson showed he could be relied upon as the team's top wide receiver on a weekly basis.
Now it appears Dotson has taken a leap into superstardom based on how the first three weeks have gone, capped by his nationally-televised opponent against a ranked SEC opponent.
Dotson opened the season with 10 catches for 167 yards and two scores, including 5-102-1 in a defensive slugfest at Wisconsin.
On Saturday, Dotson continued his torrid pace when his team needed him most.
The wideout scored Penn State's first touchdown after Clifford danced around rushing defenders to find Dotson all alone in the back of the end zone:
That wasn't even Dotson's best play, as he even fooled ESPN play-by-play commentator Chris Fowler (and likely many others) by turning what appeared to be an incompletion due to a high pass into a spectacular leaping reception:
That playmaking ability makes it important for Dotson to get the ball frequently. As Nicole Auerbach of The Athletic noted, that appeared to be a big part of Saturday's gameplan:
Dotson could be making those plays on Sundays next year, especially after he undoubtedly improved his draft stock against Auburn. Luke Easterling of The Draft Wire provided a very complimentary comparison:
Buffalo Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs is coming off a 127-catch, 1,535-yard season. We'll soon find out if Dotson find himself becoming a pass-catching machine in the pros, but for now, he and the Nittany Lions appear primed for a special season.
Tremendous Effort from Tank Bigsby, Tigers Falls Just Short
Saturday evening ended in a disappointing loss for Auburn, but the Tigers can head back home knowing they put forth a tremendous effort.
In front of a raucous sellout crowd of well over 100,000, the Tigers nearly took down a potential College Football Playoff participant in Penn State.
Bigsby was the catalyst for that effort, carving out chunks of yards to guide the Tiger offense.
On Saturday, he showed why he has an appropriate name, bowling over players to give the Tigers a 9-7 lead in the second quarter:
Penn State responded with 14 more points, but the Tigers went back to Bigsby to lead their next drive. The running back produced 38 more yards and muscled it into the end zone from six yards out to pull the Tigers within one score:
Hudson had success with four catches for 66 yards, but the fade is a low-percentage play as is. It was a tough ending for Auburn, but the Tigers can still hold their heads high knowing they went toe-to-toe with the Nittany Lions in one of the toughest environments in college football.
Ultimately, the Tigers might be in position to have their best finish since ending the 2013 season in the national championship.
Penn State's James Franklin Addresses USC Head Coaching Rumors
Sep 15, 2021
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA - SEPTEMBER 11: Penn State head coach James Franklin runs before the Ball State Cardinals versus Penn State Nittany Lions game on September 11, 2021 at Beaver Stadium in University Park, PA. (Photo by Randy Litzinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Penn State head coach James Franklin isn't going to come out and discuss rumors about the vacancy at the University of Southern California. He's not going to say anything about it at all, really.
Speaking to reporters Wednesday, Franklin said these type of rumors pop up every year and addressing each of them has become redundant. Instead, he plans to address it with the leaders of his Nittany Lions program and move forward from there.
James Franklin on USC and why he doesn’t just say “no” right now to any of the speculation. pic.twitter.com/yBRiMJwXRX
"No matter what you say, people aren't happy with," Franklin said. "So I've decided that I'mma handle this internally."
USC fired head coach Clay Helton two games into the 2021 season, ending his seven-year tenure atop the program during which he compiled a 46-24 record (36-13 Pac 12) with four bowl appearances and a Rose Bowl victory over Penn State in 2017.
Now the man who lost to Helton in that game is on the short list to replace him.
According to The Dan Patrick Show, there is "mutual interest" between the Trojans and Franklin.
"James Franklin was at Vanderbilt, escaped Vanderbilt, then got to Penn State and, by all accounts, I think he's done a pretty good job there," Patrick said. "You know, it's the next challenge. A lot of these coaches look at it as 'well, done with this, next challenge.' Maybe that's the case. I don't know."
Patrick noted that he expects to hear plenty more names thrown out there as the coaching search goes on.
Franklin, a Pennsylvania native, has been at Penn State since 2014 and has led the Nittany Lions to a 62-28 record with four consecutive nine-win seasons from 2016 to 2019. Along the way, he's earned victories at the Pinstripe Bowl, Fiesta Bowl and Cotton Bowl while finishing inside the AP Top 10 rankings three times.
That's the type of consistency USC desperately needs. Whether it'll be able to pry Franklin away from Happy Valley, however, remains to be seen.
Dan Patrick: James Franklin, USC Have Mutual Interest in Trojans' Head Coaching Job
Sep 15, 2021
MADISON, WISCONSIN - SEPTEMBER 04: Head coach James Franklin of the Penn State Nittany Lions watches action during a game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium on September 04, 2021 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
USC football and Penn State head coach James
Franklin reportedly have "mutual interest" regarding the Trojans'
head coaching vacancy after Clay Helton was fired Monday.
Dan Patrick reported the news Wednesday on his show:
The Trojans entered the 2021 season ranked 14th in the Associated Press poll and with hopes of competing for the Pac-12 conference title, but their chances of
meeting that goal took an early hit with a 42-28 home loss to
Stanford on Saturday.
By Monday, USC athletic director Mike
Bohn announced he'd decided the lack of progress despite the additional resources given to help the program compete for championships meant
"those expectations would not be met without a change in
leadership."
Bohn added the athletic department
would immediately begin a nationwide search for Helton's replacement
while elevating assistant Donte Williams to handle the role on an
interim basis.
"We will actively and patiently
pursue a coach who will deliver on the championship aspirations and
expectations we all share for our football program," Bohn said. "With our storied
history, our talented roster, and the major investments we've made in
the infrastructure of our football organization, I'm optimistic that
we are better positioned right now than we have been at any other
time in the past decade to recruit the best and right leader for
USC."
Helton, who joined the Trojans staff
in 2010 as a quarterbacks coach and held several different roles
before being named head coach in 2015, finished his tenure with a
46-24 record and a 2-3 mark in bowl games.
Meanwhile, Franklin has led the Penn
State program since 2014. Rumors have swirled about potential exits
in the past, both for other college jobs and a possible NFL jump,
but none have come to fruition as he's guided PSU to a 62-28 mark
across seven-plus seasons.
His $6.7 million base salary from the
Nittany Lions in 2020 ranked eighth among college football coaches, but his
full contract details aren't known, per USA Today.
Franklin, a 49-year-old Pennsylvania native,
shrugged off speculation about USC on Tuesday.
"As you know, I can't stand any form
of distraction," he told reporters. "I'll discuss this today with
our leadership council so that we can make sure all of our energy is
on our preparation for Auburn."
The 10th-ranked Nittany Lions are set
to host the 22nd-ranked Tigers at Beaver Stadium on Saturday in one
of the marquee matchups of Week 3.
Penn State's status as a potential
College Football Playoff contender could complicate USC's pursuit of
Franklin if it's looking for a new head coach to take over midseason.
J. Brady McCollough of the Los
Angeles Times listed seven other active head coaches—Boston College's Jeff Hafley, Iowa
State's Matt Campbell, Minnesota's P.J. Fleck, Cincinnati's Luke Fickell, Rutgers' Greg Schiano, Kentucky's Mark Stoops and Utah's Kyle
Whittingham—as among the "first calls" for
USC following Helton's departure.
The Trojans haven't provided a
timetable for their coaching search to conclude.
Penn State's James Franklin on USC HC Opening: 'Energy and Focus' Is on Auburn Game
Sep 14, 2021
Penn State head coach James Franklin during their NCAA football practice, Saturday, April 17, 2021, in State College, Pa. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)
Penn State head football coach James Franklin did not confirm any potential interest in the head coaching vacancy at USC on Tuesday.
According to Audrey Snyder of The Athletic, Franklin said he plans to speak with the Penn State leadership council about rumors and speculation linking him to the USC job. Snyder also said Franklin's "energy and focus" are on Saturday's game against No. 22 Auburn.
The USC head coaching job became available Monday when Clay Helton was fired after parts of seven seasons on the job.
Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports released a list of early candidates for the USC head coaching position Monday, and Franklin was among them.
There was speculation about Franklin going to USC late in the 2018 season, but the Trojans retained Helton, and Franklin remained at PSU.
While USC has long been viewed as a dream coaching job in the college football ranks, Franklin seemingly has much deeper ties to Penn State and the state of Pennsylvania as a whole.
The 49-year-old is a Langhorne, Pennsylvania, native and played his college football at East Stroudsburg University in the state.
After three seasons as the head coach at Vanderbilt, including back-to-back 9-4 campaigns in 2012 and 2013, Franklin took the head coaching job at Penn State before the 2014 season.
He has not led the Nittany Lions to a College Football Playoff berth, but he has largely been successful with a 62-28 record, one Big Ten title and six bowl bids.
Penn State went just 4-5 last year and did not qualify for a bowl, but it is off to a much better start this season at 2-0.
The Nittany Lions upset the then-No. 12 Wisconsin Badgers 16-10 on the road in Week 1 and followed that with a 44-13 demolition of Ball State last week.
PSU is ranked No. 10 and has a legitimate path to the Big Ten title.
Meanwhile, USC is off to a 1-1 start after falling to Stanford 42-28 last week. Also, the Trojans have struggled to return to the elites of college football in recent years, posting just two double-digit-win seasons since 2014.
With Penn State possibly on the verge of a breakthrough and USC continuing to struggle, staying put may be the best option for Franklin.
No. 19 Penn State Upsets No. 12 Wisconsin Behind Late Red-Zone Interceptions
Sep 4, 2021
Wisconsin's Isaac Guerendo runs for a first down during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Penn State Saturday, Sept. 4, 2021, in Madison, Wis. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
The No. 19 Penn State Nittany Lions put an end to the No. 12 Wisconsin Badgers' 25-game winning streak in home openers Saturday with a 16-10 win at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin.
A two-yard touchdown run by Penn State running back Noah Cain broke a 10-10 tie with less than 10 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, and Wisconsin quarterback Graham Mertz was intercepted on each of the Badgers' final two drives to seal the deal.
In a game between two perennial Big Ten powers, it was defense that ruled the day, as both offenses struggled to find a rhythm throughout the contest.
Penn State's defense forced three turnovers in the victory. Meanwhile the Badgers had a strong defensive performance as well, holding the Nittany Lions to 297 total yards and 11 first downs, although Penn State did not turn the ball over.
With the win, Penn State is off to a vitally important 1-0 start both overall and in conference play, while Wisconsin is 0-1 overall and in the Big Ten.
Notable Stats
Sean Clifford, QB, PSU: 18-of-33 for 247 YDS, 1 TD, 0 INT
Graham Mertz QB, WIS: 22-of-37 for 185 YDS, 0 INT, 2 INT
Noah Cain, RB, PSU: 8 CAR for 48 YDS, 1 TD; 5 REC for 27 YDS
Chez Mellusi, RB, WIS: 31 CAR for 121 YDS, 1 TD; 2 REC for 8 YDS
Jahan Dotson, WR, PSU: 5 REC for 102 YDS, 1 TD
Danny Davis III, WR, WIS: 8 REC for 99 YDS
Jahan Dotson Flashes Big-Play Ability in Defensive Struggle
Penn State couldn't get much going offensively throughout the day and relied heavily on its defense forcing turnovers and making stops to remain in contention.
When the Nittany Lions did move the ball, however, it was primarily thanks to dynamic senior wide receiver Jahan Dotson.
With the score still tied at 0-0 in the third quarter, Dotson got behind a Wisconsin defense that had shut down the Nittany Lions to that point and torched the Badgers for a 49-yard touchdown:
It was Cain who scored what turned out to be the game-winning touchdown for PSU in the fourth quarter, but Dotson had a big hand in making that drive a success as well.
His 42-yard catch set up the touchdown, as Cain found pay dirt on the very next play.
Penn State undoubtedly has a lot of kinks to work out offensively for next week and beyond, but with a player like Dotson in the fold, some of the Nittany Lions' deficiencies can be hidden and overcome.
Mistakes in Red Zone Cost Wisconsin
Wisconsin had no shortage of opportunities to take control of the game and beat Penn State on Saturday, but two turnovers and a blocked field goal in the red zone sealed the Badgers' fate.
The first major miscue came early in the second quarter with the score tied at 0-0. Wisconsin came up short on third down but seemed certain to seize a 3-0 lead.
Instead, Arnold Ebiketie blocked a 25-yard field-goal attempt by Wisconsin kicker Connor Larsh:
On the ensuing drive, Wisconsin seemed to be driving for the go-ahead score once again only for Mertz to lose a fumble on 3rd-and-6 at the Penn State 8-yard line:
The Badgers did finally manage to break through with a touchdown run by Chez Mellusi in the third quarter in order to tie the score at 7-7, but he was the only true bright spot for the Wisconsin offense throughout the game:
The heartbreaking loss gave the Badgers their first defeat in a home opener in a quarter century, and also put them well behind the eight-ball in terms of vying for a Big Ten title.
What's Next?
Both Wisconsin and Penn State should have easier matchups next week, as they will both take on MAC foes.
The Badgers will host Eastern Michigan on Saturday, while the Nittany Lions will host Ball State the same day.
PSU's James Franklin Shows Support for Carl Nassib, Will Donate to Trevor Project
Jun 22, 2021
STATE COLLEGE, PA - NOVEMBER 29: Head coach James Franklin congratulates Carl Nassib #95 of the Penn State Nittany Lions after a third down stop against the Michigan State Spartans at Beaver Stadium on November 29, 2014 in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images)
Carl Nassib's former college coach is standing with the defensive end following the Las Vegas Raider publicly coming out as gay Monday.
In a statement of support for Nassib, Penn State head coach James Franklin praised the one-time Nittany Lion for his strength, courage and generosity as the 28-year-old became the first active player in the NFL to announce he's gay.
Nassib's video announcement included the revelation that the NFL veteran donated $100,000 to The Trevor Project, which provides suicide prevention and crisis intervention for LGBTQ youth across the world.
Thank you, Carl Nassib, for living your truth and supporting our mission to end LGBTQ youth suicide 🧡
Franklin announced he and his wife, Fumi, will donate $10,000 to The Trevor Project as well after being inspired by Nassib's actions.
"[Nassib's] generosity and advocacy for The Trevor Project is yet another shining example of his huge heart," Franklin wrote. "He has inspired Fumi and I to donate $10,000 to The Trevor Project as well. Carl's brave announcement will forge a path for others to be true to their authentic self."
Nassib went from a walk-on at PSU in 2011 to a consensus All-American in 2015. The Cleveland Browns drafted him with the No. 65 overall pick in 2016, and he's since gone on to play for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before joining Las Vegas in 2020.
His announcement has been met with an outpouring of support both across the league and within the NFL offices itself.
In a post on Instagram following up on his video, Nassib explained he was drawn to The Trevor Project after learning about their mission as well as the fact that LGBTQ youth are five times more likely than straight youth to consider suicide. He also cited studies that say it takes one accepting adult to decrease the risk of an LGBTQ youth attempting suicide by 40 percent.
Franklin quickly followed his former player's lead.
Former PSU President Graham Spanier Has Jail Sentence from Sandusky Scandal Upheld
May 26, 2021
Former Penn State President Graham Spanier walks from the Dauphin County Courthouse in Harrisburg, Pa., after a hearing at Wednesday, May 26, 2021. A judge has upheld the jail sentence of Spanier who was forced out as the school's top administrator after Jerry Sandusky was arrested nearly a decade ago. The judge said Spanier must report to jail on July 9 to begin serving at least two months for endangering the welfare of children, followed by two months of house arrest. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
A Pennsylvania judge ruled Wednesday
former Penn State president Graham Spanier must serve a minimum of
two months in jail related to his March 2017 conviction on a misdemeanor charge of endangering the welfare of children related to
the Jerry Sandusky scandal.
Mark Scolforo of the Associated Press
reported Judge John Boccabella ordered Spanier to serve the jail
sentence followed by two months of house arrest with electronic
monitoring. Other punishments include two years of probation, a
$7,500 fine and 200 hours of community service. The sentence had been under appeal for the past four years.
Spanier said at Wednesday's hearing he
remains a tenured faculty member at Penn State despite his
resignation as president in November 2011. A school spokesperson told
the AP that Spanier is on administrative leave and not currently teaching
classes.
His attorney raised concerns about
Spanier's health, saying he underwent open-heart surgery in September
2019 and has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, but Boccabella
upheld the sentence.
Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh
Shapiro issued a statement after the ruling.
"Today marks the end of a long road
towards justice for the children endangered by Mr. Spanier's
inaction—choosing to cover up the abuse at the hands of Jerry
Sandusky rather than reporting it to law enforcement," Shapiro
said.
Spanier said the interactions between
Sandusky and young boys was described to him as "horseplay," but
he raised concerns in an email entered as evidence in the case,
saying "the only downside for us is if the message isn't 'heard'
and acted upon, and we then become vulnerable for not having reported
it," according to Scolforo.
Penn State administrators never
reported Sandusky's abuse to police.
Boccabella ordered Spanier to begin
serving his sentence July 9 at the Centre County Correctional
Facility in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania.
"He made a mistake and he's going to
pay for his mistake, but I don't consider him to be a danger to
society as I would a criminal," Boccabella said.
Sandusky, a former Penn State assistant football coach, was sentenced to a minimum of
30 years in prison in October 2012 for the sexual abuse of 10 boys
over a 15-year period. He was resentenced to 30 to 60 years in
November 2019.
Two other Penn State officials, Tim
Curley and Gary Schultz, were also sentenced to prison in June 2017.
The scandal led to the firing of
longtime Penn State head football coach Joe Paterno in November 2011.
He died two months later at the age of 85.
Penn State was fined $60 million by the
NCAA and the football program received a four-year postseason ban as
part of the penalties from college sports' governing body.
Video: Penn State LB Micah Parsons Runs 4.39 40 at Pro Day Before 2021 NFL Draft
Mar 25, 2021
Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons (11) in action against Purdue during an NCAA college football game in State College, Pa., on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2019. (AP Photo/Barry Reeger)
Micah Parsons solidified his standing as one of the top prospects in the 2021 NFL draft with a huge performance at Penn State's pro day Thursday.
There will be no single 2021 NFL combine event because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but Parsons would clearly be among the best in the class with his numbers. His fellow linebacker and 2020 top-10 draft pick Isaiah Simmons also ran the 40-yard dash in 4.39 seconds and was the only front-seven player to break 4.45 seconds.
Parsons is also likely to hear his name called early even after opting out of the 2020 season.
The 2019 All-American is rated the No. 19 overall player in the class by Bleacher Report. B/R's Justis Mosqueda listed the Penn State product as the most versatile, best blitzer and best run-stopper among all linebackers.
