Tag: Jahan Dotson

What Jahan Dotson learned from KJ Hamler about Sean Clifford at Penn State

Jahan Dotson learned a lot by watching KJ Hamler’s relationship with Sean Clifford, and Penn State is benefitting from it

Penn State wide receiver Jahan Dotson is continuing to leave his mark on the program this fall, continuing to fulfill his season’s ambition of leaving Penn State as a true program legend like Saquon Barkley before him. Dotson became recognized as one of the Big Ten’s top receivers a season ago and he is off to a solid start to the 2021 season as well with a Big Ten-leading six touchdown receptions already. One of the keys to success for Dotson has been establishing a solid relationship with his quarterback, Sean Clifford. And he may have former Nittany Lion KJ Hamler to thank for that.

It is clear that every successful wide receiver in the history of the sport has been able to be in rhythm with the guy throwing him the football. So when Dotson arrived at Penn State and saw the kind of connection Trace McSorley had with Hamler in 2018, it didn’t take long for Dotson to realize he needed to be on the same wavelength as Clifford.

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During Dotson’s freshman season in 2018, Hamler led Penn State with 754 receiving yards. The following season, in 2019, Clifford took over as Penn State’s starting quarterback after McSorley graduated and left for the NFL. Hamler again led the Nittany Lions in receiving with 904 receiving yards and a team-high eight touchdowns.

With Dotson making an effort to pick up where Hamler left off with Clifford, the results have been record-breaking. With two touchdown connections in a win against Indiana on Oct. 2, Clifford and Dotson broke the school record for most touchdown connections with 18, passing Todd Blackledge and Kenny Jackson’s long-standing record. And there are still seven more games to go in the regular season, plus any additional postseason games after that.

Scott Taetsch/Getty Images

“Yeah, I think that obviously KJ and I had a really good relationship, and KJ reaped the benefits of that” Clifford said in his postgame remarks following the victory over Indiana. “I think Jahan noticed because KJ was always the guy who was hitting me up late at night in the summer and we go into Holuba [Hall] at ungodly hours just to throw slants and whatnot. And as Jahan got older, he saw that and we do the same thing.”

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Despite some rough moments in 2020 with COVID disrupting the effectiveness of the entire program, Clifford and Dotson still managed to become a dynamic duo. Dotson led the Big Ten with eight touchdowns (it should be noted he did so in nine games while Purdue’s David Bell did it in six games). One thing Dotson has learned is to trust his quarterback will find him if he gets open. Aside from taking designed deep chances down the field with Dotson, Clifford has relied on Dotson getting open as he extends plays with his legs when a play breaks down. On more than one occasion this season, Dotson has helped his quarterback out.

“[We] know that we just have to stay alive and scramble drills. We literally preach it every single Sunday,” Dotson said of the trust he has in Clifford on the playing field. “So just staying alive with him, making sure you keep your eyes on him while he’s scrambling we know he’s gonna make a play make the right decision.”

Clifford has been full of good decisions early on this season. Of his three interceptions thrown in the first five games of the season, only one could be considered a mistake, with an Indiana defender reading Clifford’s eyes and jumping in front of a pass. This week against Iowa, Clifford will really be put to the test, as will Dotson. Iowa’s defense leads the nation with 12 interceptions in five games, with two touchdowns off of interceptions. The Hawkeyes just picked apart Maryland’s Taulia Tagovailoa, who had been the Big Ten’s highest-rated passer ahead of Clifford heading into Week 5. The Hawkeyes picked off six passes against Maryland, including five off of Tagovailoa.

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5 takeaways from Penn State’s Week 5 win over Indiana

5 takeaways from Penn State’s 24-0 victory over Indiana in Week 5

On Saturday night, just about everything seemed to go Penn State’s way. A 24-0 victory over Indiana lifted Penn State to 5-0 on the season with plenty of big games coming their way. The revenge game situation for the Nittany Lions against the Hoosiers certainly set the tone for Penn State on defense and the offense got a pretty well-balanced approach for the first time this season.

And to think, this game was another reminder that Penn State can still improve what they are doing. Penn State was flagged for five penalties, mostly at times James Franklin would prefer to keep things nice and orderly to run out some clock. But all in all, Saturday night was a good night for the Nittany Lions.

Here are some takeaways from Penn State’s latest victory on the season.

Penn State finally got the running game moving

AP Photo/Barry Reeger

We’ve all been waiting to see Penn State find a way to get the running game more involved, and on Saturday night they did just that. Penn State rushed for 209 yards as a team. Penn State did have 240 rushing yards against Ball State in Week 2, but after two games of 80 and 84 rushing yards against Auburn and Villanova, going over 200 yards was needed for the Nittany Lion faithful in Week 5.

Keyvone Lee led the team with 74 rushing yards (more on him in a moment) and John Lovett continued to contribute more with 41 yards on 10 carries. The running game also saw Sean Clifford add 58 yards on 10 carries, whether designed or on the fly (mostly on the fly).

Keyvone Lee may be the best running option

With Noah Cain not getting the kind of production that was expected of him so far this season, Penn State has needed a back to step his game up. In Week 5, that was Keyvoine Lee. As mentioned already, Lee was Penn State’s leading rusher with 74 yards on eight carries, including a 44-yard run.

Lee has shown to be a back who can run with power and show some burst, which is needed in the Big Ten. The Nittany Lions are still expected to split the carries around with Lee and Lovett leading the way in Week 5, but Lee has emerged as the back you can have the most confidence in making a big run happen.

NEXT: Penn State’s defense is the real deal

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Report Card: Grading Penn State’s win over Indiana

The grades are in for Penn State following their Week 5 win over Indiana

Penn State defeated Indiana 24-0 at Beaver Stadium on Saturday night. Indiana struggled in every aspect of the game. On the other hand, the Nittany Lions were in full control of this game all night. There were plenty of key moments on both sides of the ball from Penn State.

Let’s take a more in-depth look at the performance by Penn State in Week 5 and grade how each area did.

Quarterbacks: A-

Despite throwing an interception in the first half, which really was just good coverage, Sean Clifford had a heck of a game Saturday night. Even though Indiana has been up and down all season thus far, Clifford still looked more confident than ever. He continues to put himself on the map as one of the best quarterbacks in the Big Ten.

Matthew OHaren-USA TODAY Sports

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Next: Running Backs

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Inside the Box Score: Key stats from Penn State’s win over Indiana

Inside the box score of Penn State’s 24-0 win over Indiana in Week 5

Penn State defeated Indiana with a 24-0 shutout on Saturday night in Happy Valley. The Hoosiers struggled to gain any momentum throughout the game because the Nittany Lion defense was ready for the task, and Penn state’s offense had a bit more balance with some more production out of the running game.

Let’s take a look at the official box score at some of the key players from tonight’s game.

Penn State Offense

Sean Clifford – 17/33, 178 yards, 3 touchdowns and 1 interception

Sean Clifford had another impressive game tonight. He is continuing to show out under a Mike Yurcich offense. This is a Sean Clifford we have not witnessed before. He looks much more comfortable and poised when he is on the field.

Keyvone Lee – 8 carries for 74 yards

Lee had a solid game tonight. The stats might not show it, but Penn State showed a good amount of flashes in their run game tonight and Lee was a big factor in that. Both Lee and Noah Cain had impressive runs during the game, which put a nice boost to their confidence throughout the game.

Jahan Dotson – 8 receptions for 84 yards and two touchdowns

Dotson had another impressive night, as usual. Every week, there is always some sort of play where Dotson either shows off his speed but creating great separation or using his elite hands to make highlight-reel plays like he did tonight.

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Penn State Defense

The defense was on fire tonight. They were multiple flashes from several players throughout the game, including a big fourth down stop in the first half. They held Indiana to their first shutout of the season. Next week will be a tough test for them as they face the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Next: A look at Indiana’s box score stats

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Instant Reaction: Penn State cruises past Indiana 24-0

Penn State pitched a shutout of the Indiana Hoosiers Saturday night in Beaver Stadium.

Penn State has defeated Indiana 24-0 in a game that the Hoosiers really struggled to gain any sort of leverage.

Despite throwing just one interception, Sean Clifford still put on a show and we saw quite a few flashes of his mobility throughout the game. There have been games where we have seen Clifford struggle to get rid of the ball. Tonight’s game was not the case. Clifford did a nice job of escaping deep pressure early in the game, with his first touchdown pass of the game to tight end Brenton Strange.

Jahan Dotson played out of his mind tonight, finishing with two touchdown catches and joining Clifford to break the school’s touchdown record with a total of 18.

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The run game definitely had its moments. They were still up and down at times, but there were also times where guys like Noah Cain and Keyvone Lee had stellar runs for huge gains. Tonight was certainly one of their better games for the running back room with lots to build off of.

As usual, Penn State’s defense dominated the entire game. Indiana could not run the ball the entire game. As much of a passing offense as the Hoosiers are, Penn State held them to just 176 passing yards the whole game.

This will be a nice win on Penn State’s resume. They haven’t had the strongest schedule. If you really think about it, as it stands right now, Auburn I their only impressive win.

Next week will be a real test, as they head to Iowa to take on the Hawkeyes. If they can get a win next week, that will be a huge statement and an even more impressive win to add to their resume, as they make a push to hold their spot in the College Football Playoff.

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WATCH: Penn State turns 4th down play into 30-yard touchdown

WATCH: Sean Clifford and Jahan Dotson make Penn State history with their second TD of the night

Penn State has rolled the dice a couple of times against Indiana with some decisions to go for it on fourth down. And their gamble in the third quarter paid off in a big way.

On 4th-and-4 from the Indiana 30-yard line, Penn State quarterback moved around until he could find an open Jahan Dotson, and Dotson took care of the rest with the help from some blocking. Dotson scored a touchdown on the play to build Penn State’s lead to 21-0 on the Hoosiers.

 

The play saw Dotson continue to make a name for himself in the Penn State history books. The catch moved Dotson above 2,000 career receiving yards.

This was also the 18th time Clifford and Dotson combined for a touchdown connection, setting a new quarterback-receiver combo record for Penn State. And there is still plenty of Penn State football to come this season.

This was the second time in the game Clifford and Dotson connected for a touchdown. Indiana moved the ball well down the field with Jack Tuttle replacing an injured Michael Penix, but the Hoosiers were left to try a field goal. Penn State blocked the field goal to preserve the 21-0 lead in the third quarter.

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WATCH: Sean Clifford and Jahan Dotson give Penn State two-TD lead on Indiana

WATCH: Jahan Dotson remains very good at catching touchdowns from Sean Clifford

Penn State’s combo of quarterback Sean Clifford and receiver Jahan Dotson continue to climb the Penn State record books. The two connected on a touchdown pass early in the second quarter of Saturday night’s Big Ten contest with Indiana to give the Nittany Lions a 14-0 lead.

The play saw a great effort by Dotson to make a quick adjustment and drag a foot just inside the back of the end zone to secure the touchdown to put Penn State up two scores.

Penn State’s second touchdown of the night came on the end of a 96-yard touchdown drive that started following the defense stuffing Indiana on a fourth down at the other end of the field. The Hoosiers failed to capitalize on great field position following an interception thrown by Clifford. Indiana’s Raheem Layne II picked off a Clifford pass and returned it 23 yards to the Penn State 13-yard line, but the Hoosiers offense was unable to capitalize on the opportunity.

It was Clifford’s second touchdown pass thrown on the night. His first-quarter touchdown pass to Brenton Strange was the first score of the game.

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The Draft Network mock draft has Jahan Dotson catching passes from a Super Bowl MVP

What Super Bowl-winning QB could be throwing passes to Jahan Dotson in 2022?

It’s a mock draft Monday, which means we highlight any Nittany Lions players that have been mocked in the first round of the draft. The one player many were projecting to be an early-round draft pick was offensive tackle Rasheed Walker.  But one fresh mock draft has another Penn State player emerging as a possible first-round pick.

Jordan Reid of The Draft Network has the Kansas City Chiefs selecting Penn State wide receiver Jahan Dotson with the 31st pick. How about that?

Jahan Dotson is continuing to shine in Penn State’s offense this season. He has shown off his ability to catch passes in tight windows and has done an impressive job creating separation with his defenders.

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He would be a huge help for the Chiefs’ offense. Chiefs head coach Andy Reid loves speed, and that is exactly what Dotson brings to the table along with his elite athleticism.

There are several mock drafts right now that have the Chiefs selecting a wide receiver in the first round, with the popular one being Arkansas receiver Treylon Burks. However, with him already being off the board, Reid decides to go a different route in this mock draft by selecting a player that will also be ready to come in and make an immediate impact on day one.

The Chiefs let Sammy Watkins walk in free agency to the Baltimore Ravens and their current number two wide receiver is Mecole Hardman. Hardman has had an exceptional career thus far for the Chiefs, but has it been enough to solidify himself as Mahomes’ second option?

So let your imagination flow for a moment at the thought of Dotson catching passes from Patrick Mahomes. Oh yes, that could be pretty fun to watch.

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Report Card: Grading Penn State’s win over Villanova

REPORT CARD: Penn State’s passing game earned high marks in a win against Villanova while the running game can improve

Penn State defeated Villanova in fashion today 38-17, despite a scare in the end of what was almost a fumble recovery touchdown by the Wildcats. But all in all, there were plenty of positive for the Nittany Lions to reflect on. At the same time, there is clearly some room for improvement as Penn State returns to Big Ten play for the rest of the regular season beginning next week.

Let’s dive deeper and grade Penn State‘s performance

Quarterbacks: A+

Sean Clifford was on fire today. Several people and analysts were very hesitant as to how he would do the season. Through the first four games, he has not only looked more confident by the week, but he is also showing off his athleticism and the ability to get several of his weapons involved in the game.

Matthew OHaren-USA TODAY Sports

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Next: Running Backs

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5 takeaways from Penn State’s Week 4 win vs Villanova

Penn State’s passing offense and defense were on point against Villanova, but the running game has to improve.

After starting off the 2020 season in abysmal fashion with a program-worst 0-5 start, Penn State has done nothing but win games since. Penn State’s 38-17 victory over Villanova on Saturday afternoon in Beaver Stadium was the eighth consecutive win for the Nittany Lions dating back to the midway point of the 2020 season.

Penn State head coach James Franklin can feel really good about his team jumping into Big Ten play for the remainder of the season knowing his offense has big-play potential but also has some things to improve on the rest of the way.

Here are five takeaways from Penn State’s latest victory.

Sean Clifford continues to impress

Matthew OHaren-USA TODAY Sports

Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford became just the second passer in program history to throw for 400 yards in a single game (401 yards, officially). Clifford’s third career four-touchdown performance also saw him make a move up on the school’s all-time career touchdown passing list. Clifford’s Week 4 performance saw him moving up a few all-time passing lists in Penn State history, and he’s clearly not done yet.

Clifford continues to impress with his poise and decision-making. He was intercepted for the second time this season, but neither has come on a poor decision. His first against Auburn was a deep pass that was disrupted by contact from an Auburn defender as he released the ball in Week 3. His second, this time against Villanova was on a pass that was right to his receiver but bobbled. It certainly wasn’t Clifford’s fault. If Penn State continues to get play like this from Clifford, this offense will have more big plays on the way.

Parker Washington has cemented his status

Matthew OHaren-USA TODAY Sports

We sort of already knew Parker Washignton was likely to be the team’s second-best receiver this season. Washington was the team’s second-leading receiver last season behind Jahan Dotson, and it is looking like we are well on our way to seeing the same result this season. But on Saturday, it was the Parker Washignton show with a game-high 148 receiving yards on five receptions. Washignton also scored two touchdowns.

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Next: Where the heck is the running game?

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