Paterno hurting recruiting

Penn State’s 2011 recruiting class is little to write home about, and there are a couple of reasons why that is the case.

One big reason is the lack of talent in the state with this particular class, which is a rarity.

The state of Pennyslvania is one of the hotbeds for college football recruiting, but that simply isn’t the case this time around.

Another problem is that legendary head coach Joe Paterno doesn’t want to leave campus to recruit. ( Read More…)

Wednesday, July 21, 2010 at 4:24 pm by steve

Tags: Penn State news, Penn State schedule, Penn State tickets

Battle returning to Penn State

Penn State Nittany Lions star guard Talor Battle has withdrawn his name from the NBA Draft.

That means Talor will return to school next season, giving the Nittany Lions four returning starters.

Expectations must be tempered considering Penn State went just 11-20 with that core group.

The team is hopeful that they can avoid the cellar of the Big Ten this season, but the remains to be seen.

Battle averaged 18.5 points per game last season and was one of the best players in the Big 10.

Friday, May 14, 2010 at 4:39 pm by steve

Penn State falls to Ohio State

The Penn State Nittany Lions fell short in their upset bid of the No. 13 Ohio State Buckeyes, 75-62.

Penn State actually battled back to trail by just three with under two minutes to play, but they would not score another basket the rest of the way.

Talor Battle led the Nittany Lions with 24 points while David Jackson added another 12.

Penn State did a fantastic job on sharp-shooter Jon Diebler, holding him scoreless until a three-pointer late in the game.

Still, all of the effort was still not enough to pull off a big road win for a team that has been hit with hard luck this year.

Saturday, February 6, 2010 at 7:39 am by steve

Penn State trips up LSU, 19-17

The Penn State Nittany Lions had just enough offense to gain a 19-17 victory over the LSU Tigers in the Capital One Bowl.

Coming into the game, everyone expected a defensive battle, and they got what they asked for.

The Nittany Lions jumped out to an early lead, heading into the half up 13-3. They then had to hold on for the victory in the second half as the Tigers charged back, something they have done all season long.

Quarterback Daryl Clark had 216 yards and a touchdown and also ran for 20 yards on 11 carries. He also had one fumble, but it was recovered by Penn State.

It’s a solid ending to a somewhat disappointing season for the Nittany Lions, who at one time held both national championship and Rose Bowl hopes.

Monday, January 4, 2010 at 7:54 pm by steve

Nittany Lions vs. LSU Tigers in Capital One Bowl

On New Years Day, Penn State will take the field in what could end up being the best non-BCS matchup of all bowls this holiday season. The No. 13 Nittany Lions will take on the No. 12 LSU Tigers in the Capital One Bowl at 1pm on Jan. 1 in Orlando, Fl.

This Penn State squad had faint hopes of leaping Iowa and squeaking into a BCS bowl (despite a head-to-head loss to the Hawkeyes earlier this season), but had to settle for the bowl with the top non-BCS member from the Big-10 and the SEC.

Penn State hasn’t been tested much by good teams all year, having only played one ranked team in their 12 game schedule.  They lost to Iowa (then unranked, now No. 10) 21-10 in Week 4 of the season, then toiled in relative obscurity for a few weeks in the middle of the season as they kept beating up lesser Big-10 teams.

A matchup between Penn State and Ohio State at the beginning of November looked like it would go a long way in determining the Big-10 champion this year… and it did.  Just not in the way Penn State fans were hoping, as the Nittany Lions sleepwalked through a 24-7 thrashing that more-or-less knocked them out of Big-10 contention.

They’ll face a LSU squad bursting with quickness, which could prove troublesome for the Nittany Lions.  The SEC has dominated matchups similar to this in the past – with an offensively quick team working against a slow-paced, defensively minded team. 

With Joe Pa’s 23-11-1 bowl record at risk, the Nittany Lions will be looking to add career win number 391 to Paterno’s incredible coaching resume – especially with Paterno’s nearest competition, Bobby Bowden of Florida State, stepping down at the end of this season.

Wednesday, December 9, 2009 at 10:45 am by bryan

Penn State rolls past Michigan State, 42-14

The No. 14 Penn State Nittany Lions got back on track with a 42-14 thumping of the Michigan State Spartans.

A lot of the so-called experts put Penn State on upset alert against the Spartans, thinking they were due for another loss.

However, Penn State was able to get over the disappointment of missing out on the Rose Bowl and take some of the anger out on their opponent.

After a slow start had the two teams knotted at seven at halftime, Penn State scored 28 unanswered points in the third quarter to blow things wide open.

Despite a disappointing finish in the Big 10, the Nittany Lions should still end up in a nice bowl game.

Friday, November 27, 2009 at 11:29 am by steve

Penn State gets past Indiana, 31-20

The Penn State Nittany Lions turned in an uninspired performance in a 31-20 win over the Indiana Hoosiers.

It seems that the Nittany Lions had a major letdown after last week’s disappointing loss to Ohio State.

Penn State fell behind 10-0 in the first quarter before tying the game by halftime.

The second half saw Penn State regain the lead in the third quarter and then hold on for the victory.

Penn State’s schedule is pretty easy to finish the season, but they can’t overlook anyone if that’s the best they have to offer.

Thursday, November 19, 2009 at 6:44 pm by steve

Penn State falls to Ohio State, 24-7

The Penn State Nittany Lions turned in a disappointing effort in a 24-7 loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Many felt Penn State would take care of business at home, but Ohio State’s defense really shut them down.

Quarterback Daryll Clark played perhaps his worst game of the year, and he didn’t get much support around him.

It also didn’t help that Penn State’s defense allowed 24 points to a team led by embattled quarterback Terrelle Pryor.

The loss drops the Nittany Lions out of contention for the Big 10 title.

Saturday, November 14, 2009 at 12:08 pm by steve

Penn State runs away from Northwestern, 34-13

The Penn State Nittany Lions turned a close game into a rout in the second half of a 34-13 win over the Northwestern Wildcats.

For whatever reason, Penn State came out sluggish in the opening half and actually went into halftime trailing by a field goal.

Legendary coach Joe Paterno must have given quite a peptalk with the way the team turned it up in the second half.

Penn State’s defense was much more stingy, allowing just a field goal and causing multiple turnovers.

The offense had a big fourth quarter, putting three touchdowns on the scoreboard to turn a tie into an easy win.

Saturday, November 7, 2009 at 8:38 am by steve

Penn State makes quick work of Michigan, 35-10

In one of the Big 10’s best rivalries, the Penn State Nittany Lions rolled past the Michigan Wolverines, 35-10.

Penn State’s opportune defense was too much for Michigan’s young quarterback, a California native who was clearly having trouble playing the cold, rainy conditions.

The Nittany Lions were more than happy to take advantage, forcing a bevy of turnovers and quickly turning them into points.

They held a 19-10 lead at halftime and scored 13 unanswered in the second half while shutting out Michigan’s offense.

The Nittany Lions now need an Iowa loss to stay in contention for the Big 10’s Rose Bowl bid.

Saturday, October 31, 2009 at 7:05 am by steve