Tag: Abdul Carter

Best photos from Penn State’s road win at Maryland in Week 10

Check out some of the best photos available from Penn State’s dominant road win at Maryland.

Penn State head coach James Franklin had plenty of reasons to be smiling after Penn State’s dominant performance at Maryland in Week 10. In a season where Penn State has had most of its offensive struggles on the road, there was nothing to worry about in a 51-15 victory against the Terrapins. Penn State put 27 points on the scoreboard in the fourth quarter alone to run away with a win that helps keep Penn State firmly in the Big Ten East Division race with just three games remaining in the regular season.

[autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] had four touchdowns, including a pair to transfer wide receiver [autotag]Dante Cephas[/autotag], and the defense brought Taulia Tagovailoa down for 6 sacks and caused multiple turnovers by one of the Big Ten’s top passing leaders. It was a terrific boost of confidence for Penn State as it now prepares for a massive game next week at home against Michigan.

But before that page can be turned, here is a look at some of the best photos from Penn State’s lopsided road win against Maryland.

Penn State defense forces 5 turnovers in 30-13 win at Illinois

Penn State 30, Illinois 13: Penn State defense carries Nittany Lions to Big Ten-opening win at Illinois

Taking the road for the first time this season proved to be a bit of a challenge for the Penn State offense. Fortunately, the offense didn’t make the trip to Illinois alone this weekend. The Penn State defense was dominant in a 30-13 victory over the Illini with five forced turnovers in the game. Although Penn State struggled to gain control on offense, the Nittany Lions scored 20 points off the five Illini turnovers.

[autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] had a rough outing in his first road start for Penn State, but he had some big moments to help lead the team to a win. The biggest moment of the game came late in the first half for Allar as he ran for a first down, hurried to the line, and delivered a dime down the field to [autotag]Liam Clifford[/autotag] for a big gain to set up a late field goal just before halftime. That gave Penn State a 16-7 lead but the offense could not carry over any momentum at the start of the second half.

Penn State’s quarterback ended his afternoon completing 16 of 33 pass attempts for 208 yards without a touchdown, but he also did not turn the football over despite being under consistent pressure by an aggressive and well-schemed Illinois defense.

Allar also did not get some help from his wide receivers. Allar made some good throws that simply were dropped by his intended targets, including a pair to receiver Malik McClain. But Allar did miss a few open looks and couldn’t quite connect with a couple of his passes. Overall though, Allar seemed to handle the pressure of his first start out of Beaver Stadium well enough to pick up the win, and there is clearly room to improve.

But this game was all about the defense. Penn State allowed just seven points for the second straight game and has yet to allow an opponent to score more than 15 points. On a day when Penn State’s offense needed an assist, it was the defense that set the tone and shut down nearly every threat by the Illini. It started right from the start with three interceptions of Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer. Penn State managed just 13 points off of those early turnovers, but the defense made plays when it was needed the most.

[autotag]Johnny Dixon[/autotag] came up with a massive interception in the second half immediately after a big passing play by the Illini with the game still very much in question. Or so it seemed. [autotag]Abdul Carter[/autotag], [autotag]Daequan Hardy[/autotag], and [autotag]Cam Miller[/autotag] also got their hands on an Illinois pass attempt. Linebacker [autotag]Kobe King[/autotag] also recovered a fumble forced by [autotag]Dominic DeLuca[/autotag].

Head coach [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] will be able to look at many self-inflicted wounds by his team in the coming week as well. Poor penalties on took Penn State’s offense out of favorable positions, including a poor unsportsmanlike penalty on receiver [autotag]KeAndre Lambert-Smith[/autotag] in the first half that turned a 3rd-and-2 into a 3rd-and-17. Allar smacked his hand on a defender’s helmet on the following play and [autotag]Alex Felkins[/autotag] had a 52-yard field goal blocked. Illinois followed up with its first touchdown of the game on the ensuing possession to cut the Penn State lead to 13-7. Penn State was flagged for six penalties in the game, costing Penn State 65 yards.

Penn State will be home next weekend for a primetime matchup with Iowa. It will be the official whiteout game for the Nittany Lions.

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Joel Klatt breaks down Abdul Carter’s interception vs. Illinois

Joel Klatt breaks down Abdul Carter’s first career interception for Penn State, and social media reacts

Penn State linebacker [autotag]Abdul Carter[/autotag] is considered one of the best at what he does in the nation. And he’s just in his second season of college football. But in the first quarter against Illinois, Carter showed just what makes him so special by coming up with a big turnover against Illinois in a bit of a defensive battle.

Abdul Carter picked off a pass over the middle by Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer late in the first quarter, with Penn State protecting a 3-0 lead. Penn State took a 3-0 lead after forcing a turnover earlier in the quarter.

It would end up being the second of three turnovers forced by the Penn State defense in the first quarter against the Illini. Cornerback [autotag]Daequan Hardy[/autotag] intercepted a pass on the following offensive series from the Illini.

But let’s take a look at that Carter interception and some of the social media reaction to it.

Best photos from Penn State’s Week 2 win over Delaware

Check out the best photos from Penn State’s lopsided Week 2 victory over Delaware from Beaver Stadium.

Penn State went about business as usual in Week 2 against visiting Delaware. The first all-time meeting with the Blue Hens was all Penn State on both sides of the football from start to finish as Penn State improved to 2-0 with a 63-7 victory over the FCS program.

The game went about as you would expect for Penn State. The offense had far too much for Delaware to handle, the line of scrimmage battles favored Penn State on both sides of the football, and the Penn State defense really made just one bad play all afternoon, leading to Delaware’s only score in the game.

Here are some of the best photos from Penn State’s blowout victory over Delaware in Week 2.

West Virginia head coach lauds NFL draft talent on Penn State defense

West Virginia head coach Neal Brown knows his offense is going up a Penn State defense with lots of star power.

Penn State is preparing to open the 2023 season with a home opener this Saturday night against former regional rival West Virginia. In the first meeting between the two schools since 1992, West Virginia head coach Neal Brown is fully aware of just how much talent Penn State has to offer that his team will have to prepare for.

In a weekly press conference, Brown praised the star power on Penn State’s defense ahead of the Week 1 matchup. Brown said Penn State has nine draft picks on the defensive side of the football, according to WV Sports Now and reporter Mike Asti via X, formerly known as Twitter.

Nine players with NFL draft potential on one defense? Yeah, that’s pretty good. So who are those nine players Brown is referring to?

The three obvious ones are cornerback [autotag]Kalen King[/autotag], defensive end [autotag]Chop Robinson[/autotag], and linebacker [autotag]Abdul Carter[/autotag]. King is being viewed as one of the top cornerbacks in the 2024 NFL draft pool, so long as he declares for the draft after this season. Robinson has been called a possible first-round draft pick as well. Carter is still just a sophomore, but you have to imagine he is on the radar of the draft scouts already.

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Linebacker [autotag]Curtis Jacobs[/autotag] and defensive end [autotag]Adisa Isaac[/autotag] are probably the next two to come to mind, bringing our total to five players. Other starters developing their NFL draft stock may be defensive tackles [autotag]Hakeem Beamon[/autotag] and [autotag]Dvon Ellies[/autotag]. And safety [autotag]Keaton Ellis[/autotag] and cornerback [autotag]Johnny Dixon[/autotag] are likely players to be on the big board for some teams, even if later in the draft process.

Penn State’s defense should be locked in from the start this week and season. After a strong showing in the spring Blue-White Game, Penn State defensive coordinator Manny Diaz has a unit that will be able to create opportunities for the offense to do its thing.

Penn State hosts West Virginia on Saturday, Sept. 2 at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC.

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What Penn State players made ESPN’s top 100 college football players list for 2023?

Here is every Penn State player on ESPN’s Top 100 college football players list for 2023.

The start of a new college football season is quickly approaching, and the hype for the Penn State Nittany Lions continues to build. On top of being a consensus no. 7 team in the preseason polls, Penn State’s roster is being lauded for some of the top talent it possesses.

Penn State landed a number of players on ESPN’s annual list of the top 100 players in college football, which is always an encouraging sign when gearing up for what could be a fun season. The Nittany Lions landed six players on the list of the top 100 players this season, with three on offense and three on defense. How about that for some balance?

Here is a look at each of the six players appearing on ESPN’s top 100 college football players list for the 2023 season, and some quick reactions on their inclusion. You can view the full list from ESPN to see what other players made the list this season.

6 Penn State players make Bruce Feldman’s “Freak List”

Bruce Feldman included a number of Penn State players on his annual college football freaks list

The athl;eticism on the Penn State roster is well recognized by those who pay close attention. And few pay closer attention to the freakish athletic nature of college football’s finest like Bruce Feldman of The Athletic. Feldman’s “Freak List” has developed a cult following of those who are big college football fans. For those unaware, Feldman has been creating this list for around 20 years that highlights the best athletes around college football.

Hence, the term “freak.”

Feldman started with 10 players he talked about every year, but the popularity has driven him to cover more players. Coaches, teammates, parents, scouts and agents will contact him to let him know about someone who he should look at for the list.

This year, Feldman’s “Freak List” has 101 names on it with six players from Penn State getting highlighted for their athleticism. Here is where they are ranked on his list. You can view the full list of Feldman’s college football freaks for 2023 via The Athletic.

Lombardi Award watch list includes trio of Nittany Lions

Will one of these three players become Penn State’s third all-time Lombardi Award winner?

Just when you thought we were done looking over college football award watch lists, the Rotary Club of Houston released this year’s watch list for the Lombardi Award. And on it were the names of three of Penn State’s top players for the upcoming college football season.

Linebacker [autotag]Abdul Carter[/autotag], offensive tackle [autotag]Olumuyiwa Fashanu[/autotag], and defensive end [autotag]Chop Robinson[/autotag] were among the players listed on the preseason watch list for the Lombardi Award. The Lombardi Award is presented annually to college football’s top lineman who exemplifies the values and character of former Green Bay Packers head coach Vince Lombardi. Linebackers are eligible for the award as well as long as they line up no more than five yards deep from the line of scrimmage.

Fashanu made a somewhat surprising decision to return to Penn State for one more year of college football. Projected by many to be a likely first-round draft pick in the 2023 NFL draft, Fashanu’s decision to return was a huge boost for the Penn State offensive line in 2023. Fashanu still projects to be a first-round draft pick in 2024, and some draft analysts believe he could be a high first-round pick.

Fashanu also appears on the watch lists for the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award and the Outland Trophy.

Carter started six games and played in all 13 games for Penn State in 2022. He earned All-Big Ten second-team honors and was a freshman All-American for the FWAA. He led Penn State with 10.5 tackles for loss last season and he finished fourth in the Big Ten with 6.5 sacks last season.

Carter has also appeared on the watch lists for the Bednarik Award,  Butkus Award, Bronko Nagurski Trophy, and the Lott IMPACT Trophy.

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Robinson transferred to Penn State from Maryland and he quickly asserted himself as a playmaker on the Penn State defensive line. Robinson appeared in 12 games and recorded 10 tackles for a loss with 5.5 sacks. He earned team defensive player of the week honors three times last season, including in the Rose Bowl against Utah.

Robinson also appears on the watch list for the Bednarik Award and the Bronko Nagurski Award.

Penn State has two all-time winners of the Lombardi Award. Defensive tackle Bruce Clark was the first to do so in 1978. Decades later, Carl Nassib became the second Lombardi Award winner in school history.

Last year’s winner of the Lombardi Award was Alabama linebacker Will Anderson Jr. Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson was the most recent Big Ten player to win the Lombardi Award, doing so in 2021.

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Penn State defensive trio named on Bednarik Award watch list

No school has more Chuck Bednarik Awards than Penn State. These three players hope to add another to the collection in 2023.

No school has more Chuck Bednarik Award winners than Penn State, and the Nittany Lions have three players looking to keep it that way this season.

The watch list for the Bednarik Award (most outstanding defensive player in college football) was released on Monday, and it included three of Penn State’s top defensive stars. Linebacker [autotag]Abdul Carter[/autotag], cornerback [autotag]Kalen King[/autotag], and defensive end [autotag]Chop Robinson[/autotag] were each included on the award’s watch list from the Maxwell Football Club.

Carter started six games and played in all 13 games for Penn State in 2022. He earned All-Big Ten second-team honors and was a freshman All-American for the FWAA. He led Penn State with 10.5 tackles for loss last season and he finished fourth in the Big Ten with 6.5 sacks last season.

Carter has also appeared on the watch lists for the Butkus Award, Bronko Nagurski Trophy, and the Lott IMPACT Trophy.

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King is coming off a stellar season in the Penn State defense in 2022. He was named a third-team All-Big Ten player by the Big Ten coaches and media and received third-team All-America from Pro Football Focus and an honorable mention for All-American by Phil Steele. The Walter Camp Football Foundation named King a second-team All-American.

King has also been named to the watch lists for the Lott IMPACT Trophy, Bronko Nagurski Award, and the Jim Thorpe Award.

Robinson transferred to Penn State from Maryland and he quickly asserted himself as a playmaker on the Penn State defensive line. Robinson appeared in 12 games and recorded 10 tackles for a loss with 5.5 sacks. He earned team defensive player of the week honors three times last season, including in the Rose Bowl against Utah.

Robinson also appears on the watch list for the Bronko Nagurski Award.

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The Chuck Bednarik Award was first presented by the Maxwell Football Club in 1995 to former Northwestern linebacker (and head coach) Pat Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald won the award each of the first two years it was presented. He is one of two two-time winners of the Bednarik Award.

Penn State’s Paul Posluszny is the other. Pusluszny won back-to-back Bednarik Awards in 2005 and 2006, and he was followed a year later by Dan Conner to make it three consecutive seasons for Penn State to be home to the Bednarik Award. Penn State’s first Bednarik Award winner was linebacker LaVar Arrington in 1999.

Penn State may have four all-time Bednarik Awards, but they are tied with Alabama for the most individual players to have won the Bednarik Award with three each. Alabama linebacker Will Anderson Jr. was last season’s Bednarik Award winner.

Other notable Bednarik Award winners through the years include Charles Woodson (Michigan, 1997), Julius Peppers (North Carolina, 2001), Ndamukong Suh (Nebraska, 2009), Tyrann Mathieu (LSU, 2011), Aaron Donald (Pitt, 2013), Chase Young (Ohio State, 2019), and Jordan Davis (Georgia, 2021).

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Linebacker U lands two players on Butkus Award watch list for 2023

Penn State’s top two linebackers are on the watch list for the Butkus Award in 2023.

Penn State’s long line of linebackers is well-documented at this point, and this year the Nittany Lions hope to add a Butkus Award winner to the program’s lineage. The watch list for the Butkus Award, which honors the nation’s top linebacker in college football, was released this week and a pair of Penn State’s top linebackers were named to the watch list.

Sophomore [autotag]Abdul Carter[/autotag] and junior [autotag]Curtis Jacobs[/autotag] were each name don the watch list for the Butkus Award in 2023. Their inclusion should be no shocker given that Carter has already asserted himself as one of the top linebackers in the Big Ten and Jacobs is a sturdy veteran capable of coming up with some big moments in the Penn State defense.

Carter started six games and played in all 13 games for Penn State in 2022. He earned All-Big Ten second-team honors and was a freshman All-American for the FWAA. He led Penn State with 10.5 tackles for loss last season and he finished fourth in the Big Ten with 6.5 sacks last season.

Carter has also appeared on the watch lists for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and the Lott IMPACT Trophy.

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Jacobs has started in 23 of the 32 games he has played at Penn State so far and he is coming off a 2022 season where he received honorable All-Big Ten mentions from the coaches and media. Last season, Jacobs had 52 tackles and 7.5 tackles for loss with four sacks. He also had two fumble recoveries and an interception returned for a touchdown.

Penn State has two all-time Butkus Award winners in school history. LaVar Arrington won the award in 1999 and Paul Posluszny won the award in 2005.

Last year’s winner of the Butkus Award was Jack Campbell of Iowa.

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