A Season With Penn State...

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PSU FS Clint Brown sprinting to the end zone en route to a 52 yard touchdown after recovering a fumble against Nebraska. The second quarter touchdown would put PSU up 17-3. The Nittany Lions would go on to win 31-3 against the Cornhuskers.

Nittany Lions Knock Off Nebraska 31-3
Press Clippings from Coach Duane's post-game presser...

On the conditions…
“Just horrible. The rain just made it a sloppy game and really forced us to go to our ground game.”

On the play of QB James Madsen, who had his worst game this season, going 9 for 17 for 122 yards with 1 TD and 2 INT
“The pick in the end zone on the first drive seemed to rattle him. And I think the rain might have had something to do with his grip on the football because it isn’t what we are used to seeing with James. Luckily, we went to our running game and we were able to move the ball along the ground. I’m sure James will bounce back against Maryland next week. I’m not worried.”

On FS Clint Brown’s 52 yard fumble recovery for a touchdown that gave PSU a 17-3 lead in the 2nd quarter…
“Absolutely a huge play. The turning point in the game really. Great hit by Ahmad Stanford to cause the fumble and nice to see guys rallying to the ball and it paying off. That gave us a big boost and seemed to deflate Nebraska. We seemed in control after that major.”

On the injuries….
“Man, it’s getting tough for us. We come into the game minus three starters in our secondary. Then we lose Ahmad Stanford to a concussion and then on offence, Threston Kennedy gets injured. Our depth is getting severely tested you have to admire how we have had guys step up and make plays.”

On CB Ben Taylor’s 7 tackles, 2 deflections and 1 fumble recovery…
“An amazing story. Great athlete who we slotted at fullback last year because we didn’t have a backup. This year, we’re short on corners and move him there. A redshirt freshman, he comes in due to injuries and all he does is make plays. Amazing story.”

On HB Dan Reid, who ran for 89 yards in the second half…
“Reider is such an athlete. Great speed and one our more valuable players because he can do so much. Heck, will all the injuries we’ve had on defence, he’s in our prevent package.
And he’s great as a receiver as well. Like I said at the start of the year, Dan Reid will be a player for us this year.”

Penn State Nittany Lions at Nebraska Cornhuskers
Oct 10, 2034 1 2 3 4 F #2 PSU (5-0 (2-0)) 0 10 14 7 31 NEB (4-2 (1-2)) 3 0 0 0 3 Top Performers PASS: Madsen 9-17 ATT; 122 YDS, 1 TD 2 INT - RUSH: Reid 18 ATT 89 YDS 1 TD - REC: Whitlock 3 REC 26 YDS -	Team Stats Comparison PSU NEB First Downs 18 16 3rd Down Efficiency 6-12 7-16 4th Down Efficiency 0-0 1-3 Total Yards 387 382 Passing Yards 122 214 Rushing Yards 181 80 Penalties-Penalty Yards 1-5 3-15 Turnovers 2 3 Time of Possession 22:22 17:38

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PENN STATE BACK AS #1 IN COACHES POLL

NCAA Football Rankings - Coaches Poll - Updated: Oct 9, 2034
RK	LW	TEAM (VOTES)	W	L	POINTS
1	2	PENN STATE (W 31-3 @ NEB)	5	0	1498
2	1	NAVY	5	0	1440
3	5	IOWA STATE (W 31-28 @ KU)	5	0	1336
4	6	NOTRE DAME (W 35-1 V VT)	5	1	1053
5	7	FLORIDA (W 34-21 @ VANDY)	5	1	1029
6	8	AIR FORCE (W 56-16 @ USC)	4	1	989
7	9	MINNESOTA (W 34-14 V NU)	5	1	944
8	12	LOUISVILLE (W 31-28 @ CLEM)	5	0	942
9	15	KANSAS STATE (W 30-20 V COL)	5	0	912
10	10	OHIO STATE (W 26-21 V IOWA)	4	1	903

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THE LIONS DEN
PSU Football News and Notes

INJURY UPDATES
Reggie Gray (SO; Seven Oaks, SC), is slated to return this week after being out for two weeks with an abdominal strain.
All American SS Jon Jackson (SO; Fort Mill, SC) remains sidelined with broken ribs and is listed as questionable.
WR Terrance Hairston (JR RS; Moncks Corner, SC) is listed as doubtful with a groin injury.
HB Threston Kennedy (JR RS; Chambersburg, PA) suffered a torn tricep against Nebraska and is expected to miss 5 weeks.
DE Will Mullins (JR; Bedford, OH) sustained a separated shoulder against Nebraska and is expected to miss a month.
DT Richard Breedlove tore his Achilles tendon and is done for the season.

PLAYERS SUSPENDED
PSU Athletics has announced that All American SS Jon Jackson (SO; Fort Mill, SC) has been suspended one game by the NCAA for his involvement in an NFL Survivor pool and will serve it for the Maryland game.

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PSU Head Coach KC Duane accepts the Rose Bowl trophy after his Penn State team defeated USC 38-20 on January 1, 2033.


KC DUANE ON THE MOVE TO USC?
STATE COLLEGE, PA –

The KC Duane-to-USC rumors have surfaced again with the Trojans off to an 0-6 start in the 2034 campaign.

Word out of Los Angeles is that Trojans head coach Bob Mixon is on the hot seat with the Trojans struggling. Mixon is in his fourth season at USC and owns a 38-22 overall record. He is coming off a 10-3 season but has gone winless in 2034.

Duane, who grew up in SoCal, was rumored to be USC bound after Lane Kiffin was let go in 2029 but apparently decided to stay at Penn State in an effort to capture a BCS Championship – which the Nittany Lions did in 2031.

With that in mind, and the possibility that PSU could be back in the BCS game this season, several sources indicate that Duane could be the Trojans next head coach despite the fact he just signed a five year contract extension this past off-season.

Duane is in his 10th season at PSU and has compiled a 116-26 record with four consecutive B1G Championships to his credit.

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WEEK 8 PREVIEW

Matchup Preview *|* October 14,
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Maryland Terrapins (2-3 (1-2), Away)		Penn State Nittany Lions (5-0 (2-0), Home)
Game Notes Enter important notes about this game...

Penn State is coming off a 31-3 win at Nebraska while Maryland upset Michigan last week 38-35 at home.

KC Duane owns a 9-1 record against the Terrapins but the one loss arguably cost the Nittany Lions a chance at a National title in 2032.

Maryland was 0-6 heading into the game at State College on Oct.23, 2032 while the 5-0 Nittany Lions were ranked #1.

The 38-31 Maryland win at PSU knocked the Nittany Lions all the way down to #11 and they could never climb back into the BCS race despite running the table.

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PENN STATE PROFILE:
CB BEN TAYLOR
FR(RS); 6-1, 231 BOONE, NC

Ben Taylor was an exceptional athlete coming out of Boone, North Carolina. All-State in football, basketball and field lacrosse, Taylor was a specimen.

But what really impressed PSU Head Coach KC Duane was Taylor’s maturity.

During the recruiting process, Duane and his coaches would all marvel at how the young man always spoke of his team’s exploits – not his individual achievements. As Duane said, “there were a lot of ‘We’s and not too many I’s” when you spoke to him.”

With that in mind, the PSU staff didn’t have too much hesitation in asking Taylor to fill a pressing need as a backup fullback prior to the 2033 season. Taylor, of course, obliged and spent his first season as a redshirt freshman backing up at fullback.

When then the 2034 season started, it was the secondary that needed some depth and the PSU staff thought it would be a better use of Taylor’s athleticism.

Fast forward to the start of October and the Nittany Lions secondary down three starters. All Taylor has done is come in and shine, recording an interception, a sack, two TFL’s, two pass deflections and seven tackles over the course of three games.

“He’s been an amazing story for us and we couldn’t be happier because he’s the ultimate team guy,” stated Duane.

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PSU WR J'Wuan Murphy outjumps Maryland CB Cedric Landrum to score the game's opening touchdown. PSU would go on to win 37-3.


NITTANY LIONS IMPROVE TO 5-0 WITH 37-3 DRUBBING OF MARYLAND
Press Clippings from Coach Duane's post-game presser...

On the bounce back performance of quarterback James Madsen, who went 26 of 34 for 276 yards in three quarters…

“No surprise whatsoever. After what James went through last year in terms of adversity, this was nothing. I think the catch J’wuan made in the first quarter for the TD gave James a lot of confidence in his receivers. And it was nice to see him run the ball effectively as well.”

On Murphy’s amazing 23 yard touchdown catch to open the scoring…

“I honestly thought it was going to be a pick. The DB had position on J’Wuan but he just went up and got the ball at the highest point. It was an amazing catch. Somebody told me the DB was Cedric Landrum – the kid from Carlisle who we had offered a scholarship to but decided to go to Maryland. I’ve got to check the film on that though.”

On the defence holding Maryland to six first downs and -11 yards rushing…

“They are absolutely scary right now. And we are not doing it with smoke and mirrors. We’re playing a lot of our new 4-2-5 front and most of the time we are in Cover 3. It’s a great thing when you don’t have to go too far down your ready list during the course of a game. It means whatever you’re running is working.”

On another outstanding game from CB Ben Taylor…

“Seven tackles, 3 TFL’s, a sack. Ben is just a gamer. There are practice players and then there are gamers. Here is a kid who we’ve bounced around a bit and was buried on the depth chart to start the season but he’s got the chance and run with it. He’s such a great team guy too – the guys love him and we could be talking about a future captain.”

On CB Justin Scott’s 22 yard interception return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter…

“You are talking about last year’s Thorpe recipient. Teams have been avoiding Justin for obvious reasons thus far. They didn’t on that slant and he jumped it. Great play by a great player.”

Maryland Terrapins at Penn State Nittany Lions
Oct 14, 2034 1 2 3 4 F MD (2-4 (1-3)) 0 3 0 0 3 #1 PSU (6-0 (3-0)) 14 10 13 0 37 Top Performers PASS: Madsen 26-34 ATT, 276 YDS, 2 TD, 1 INT - RUSH: Reid 21 ATT, 68 YDS - REC: Moore 6 REC, 93 YDS -	Team Stats Comparison MD PSU First Downs 6 20 3rd Down Efficiency 1-14 6-16 4th Down Efficiency 0-1 2-2 Total Yards 322 520 Passing Yards 142 279 Rushing Yards -11 106 Penalties-Penalty Yards 1-5 2-10 Turnovers 2 3 Time of Possession 12:30 27:30

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PENN STATE REMAINS #1 IN LATEST COACHES POLL

NCAA Football Rankings - Coaches Poll - Updated: Oct 16, 2034
RK	LW	TEAM (VOTES)	W	L	POINTS
1	1	PENN STATE (W 37-3 V TERPS)	6	0	1505
2	3	IOWA STATE (W 48-17 V WISC)	6	0	1436
3	2	NAVY (W 34-31 @ UTAH)	6	0	1374
4	9	KANSAS STATE (W 40-35 @ TTU)	6	0	1186
5	4	NOTRE DAME (W 35-31 @ #19 STAN)	6	1	1183
6	8	LOUISVILLE (W 42-10 @ BC)	6	0	1149
7	5	FLORIDA (W 52-14 @ MISS ST)	6	1	1137
8	6	AIR FORCE (W 40-21 V #13 ORE)	5	1	1120
9	14	MICHIGAN STATE (W 33-14 V IOWA)	6	0	991
10	10	OHIO STATE (W 42-39 V ILLINI)	5	1	929