Tag: Mitchell Tinsley

Who are the experts picking for Penn State’s matchup against Michigan State?

Who are the experts picking in the Penn State – Michigan State game?

Penn State is back home on Saturday for their last game of the regular season and are hoping to keep their New Year’s Six bowl hopes alive.

It should be a bittersweet moment for [autotag]Sean Clifford[/autotag], who will be playing his last home game in a Penn State uniform. He has seen his ups and downs, but one of Clifford’s best traits is his character, and that is something fans will always appreciate about him. The sixth-year quarterback will take the field one last time at Beaver Stadium this Saturday.

It is also worth noting that wide receiver [autotag]Parker Washington[/autotag] is out for the season with a season-ending injury. The Nittany Lions will look to players like [autotag]Mitchell Tinsley[/autotag] and [autotag]KeAndre Lambert-Smith[/autotag] to fill the role of production.

On top of that, the Nittany Lions also have two talented freshman running backs to watch out for in [autotag]Nick Singleton[/autotag] and [autotag]Kaytron Allen[/autotag].

Michigan State has been a shaky team for much of this season. The Nittany Lions are currently ranked 11th in the nation, while the Spartans remain unranked.

So, who are the experts picking for this matchup? Let’s take a closer look.

Before we start, let’s highlight some key players from Michigan State to watch.

The Spartans are led by quarterback Payton Thorne, who has been a bit shaky throughout the season, but he does have key talent around him like running backs Jalen Berger and Jarek Broussard, along with wide receiver Jayden Reed.

Now, let’s get back to our expert picks.

First, ESPN is giving the Nittany Lions an 88.2% chance to win this game, while the Spartans have just an 11.8% chance to win on Saturday.

Next up, we have the writers over at Athlon Sports. Of the three writers, they are all picking the Nittany Lions to take down the Spartans on Saturday.

Next up, we have the writers over at College Football News. The consensus pick was Penn State over Michigan State. Not only that, but all of the writers picked the Nittany Lions to defeat the Spartans.

Lastly, we have our USA Today writers, who predicted every Top 25 game for the final week of the regular season. Of the six writers, they are all picking the Nittany Lions to take down the Spartans.

Anything can happen, but this would not necessarily be a game where the Nittany Lions would be put on upset alert.

Will Michigan State spoil Penn State’s New Year’s Six bowl hopes? Experts don’t think so, but we will find out on Saturday.

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Parker Washington suffers season-ending injury

James Franklin confirms the worst fears regarding Parker Washington.

After not traveling with the team for a road game at Rutgers, rumors were running rampant that Penn State wide receiver [autotag]Parker Washington[/autotag] is done for the year due to an injury. And on Tuesday, while not getting into the specifics of the injury, head coach [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] did confirm the worst fears among Penn State fans. Washington is officially done for the season.

Washington’s 2022 season comes to a premature close with 611 receiving yards on 46 receptions with two touchdowns in 10 games. Washington entered the 2022 season with high expectations but things got off to a bit of a slower start than most would have anticipated. It was not until late October when Washington scored his first touchdown of the season, but he exploded against Ohio State for 179 yards on a season-high 11 receptions.

The loss of Washington is a significant blow to Penn State’s offense as he had been reminding those watching just how dangerous he can be going into November. Penn State will rely on [autotag]Mitchell Tinsley[/autotag] and [autotag]KeAndre Lambert-Smith[/autotag] to lead the way in the receiving game, and the offense may have more opportunities for players like [autotag]Harrison Wallace III[/autotag], [autotag]Omari Evans[/autotag], and [autotag]Malick Meiga[/autotag] to get some more playing time.

The reliance on the tight ends is also a safe route for the passing game with one final regular season game to be played, in addition to a postseason bowl game.

Penn State will host Michigan State this weekend and then wait to find out what bowl game they will be participating in. The latest bowl projections seem to be favoring the Citrus Bowl, but a path to the New Years Six is still on the table for the Nittany Lions as well.

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Checking in on the draft stock of key Penn State prospects

Let’s take a look at the draft stock of some key Penn State players.

We are nearing the end of the college football season, and the Nittany Lions are continuing to make their promising push towards a New Year’s Six bowl appearance.

Penn State lost notable players on both sides of the ball to the NFL draft after last season. This season, it will likely be the same.

The offense lost Jahan Dotson, but added Western Kentucky transfer receiver Mitchell Tinsley, who has really found his groove on Penn State’s offense. On top of that, Parker Washington also returned to State College and he has had himself a productive 2022 season.

As for the defense, some key players lost include Arnold Ebiketie and Jaquan Brisker. However, the Nittany Lions did get Ji’Ayir Brown and Joey Porter Jr. back, which has been huge for them.

As much talent as they lost, Penn State has done an impressive job overcoming that, especially with the emergence of key players like Nick Singleton, Kaytron Allen, Chop Robinson, Kalen King and Abdul Carter, who have all had impressive seasons for Penn State.

So, what are some of the stocks looking like for key Penn State draft prospects? Let’s take a closer look.

Report Card: Grading Penn State’s win vs. Rutgers

Penn State’s one-sided game at Rutgers led to plenty of high grades on the report card.

The sportsbooks had the lines on this game all over and in the end, they didn’t give Rutgers nearly enough points. Penn State dominated this game on the defensive side which covered up a lackluster offense to start the game.

Once the second quarter started though everything was smooth sailing for the Nittany Lions against Rutgers. The best part? If you take out the losses to Michigan and Ohio State, Penn State is outscoring opponents in the last six weeks 192-48.

Let’s jump into another easy scorecard.

Quarterback

Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Grade: B-

I am always tough when grading quarterbacks but that mainly has to do with the fact that [autotag]Sean Clifford[/autotag] continues to get meaningful reps. The offense looked horrendous early in the game outside of the rushing attack, shocker. Clifford stayed in the game until mid-way through the third where [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] came in and once again we saw a spark in the eyes of the offense.

NEXT: Running backs

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Best photos of Penn State’s lopsided win at Rutgers

Check out the best photos form Penn State’s Week 12 win at Rutgers

Penn State had to work to overcome a feisty effort from Rutgers on the road, and a sluggish start by the offense, but all was good by the time the clock hit triple zeroes on Saturday evening in New Jersey. Penn State’s 55-10 victory over Rutgers ensured Penn State’s goal of playing in a New Years Six bowl game will remain alive going into the final weekend of the college football regular season, and the team got contributions in the win in all areas.

Penn State scored a touchdown on special teams with [autotag]Nick Singleton[/autotag] returning a touchdown 100 yards for a score in the first quarter, and the defense scored a pair of touchdowns on fumble returns by [autotag]Ji’Ayir Brown[/autotag] and [autotag]Kalen King[/autotag]. A third defensive touchdown was wiped off the board by a blocking penalty on the return. Regardless, it was all smiles for the road team as Penn State left New Jersey with a 9-2 record with one final home game to play next weekend against Michigan State.

Here are some of the top photos from Penn State’s decisive victory at Rutgers.

5 reasons why Penn State will lose to Maryland

Here are the five reasons why Penn State will lose to Maryland on Saturday.

Penn State is back home to take on Maryland this Saturday.

Despite the Terrapins coming off a 23-10 road loss at Wisconsin last weekend, they are still a .500 team.

One notable loss on their defense is [autotag]Chop Robinson[/autotag], who transferred to State College to play for [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] at Penn State.

The Nittany Lions have another productive transfer in Robinson, who has been quite impressive this season.

Last season, it was the Arnold Ebiketie show, who went on to be a second-round draft pick in 2022 to the Atlanta Falcons.

Penn State’s biggest loss on offense is Jahan Dotson, but they also bring back [autotag]Parker Washington[/autotag] and add Western Kentucky transfer [autotag]Mitchell Tinsley[/autotag]. Not only that, but the Nittany Lions have a productive backfield led by Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen.

Their defense lost some crucial pieces, but they have done a nice job overcoming that.

Despite Penn State’s talent, Maryland can still be productive enough to pull off the upset on the road on Saturday.

Here are the top five reasons why Penn State will lose to Maryland on Saturday.

Defensive keys to a Penn State win against Maryland

Here are the top three defensive keys to a Penn State win against Maryland on Saturday.

Penn State takes on Maryland this week in a matchup that could be more intriguing than people think.

Last season, Penn State blew out Maryland 31-14. However, both teams did not lose a ton offensively.

[autotag]Chop Robinson[/autotag], Maryland transfer defensive end now at Penn State, will take on his former teammates this Saturday.

Maryland’s biggest loss on offense was tight end Chigoziem Okonwu, who was a 2022 draft pick to the Tennessee Titans.

However, the Terrapins still have their two starting receivers in Rakim Jarrett and Dontay Demus Jr. returning this season.

As for Penn State, on top of bringing in Maryland transfer Robinson, they also bring back [autotag]Parker Washington[/autotag] on offense, along with Western Kentucky transfer wide receiver [autotag]Mitchell Tinsley[/autotag].

This could definitely be a trap game for the Nittany Lions. Maryland is a good team, better than what people give them credit for. Penn State has the talent, especially defensively, to win this game on Saturday.

Here are the top three defensive keys to a Penn State win against Maryland.

Win over Indiana boosts NFL draft stock for Penn State prospects

Here is an updated look at the draft stock of some key Penn State prospects.

Penn State is coming off an impressive win over Indiana. It has been a nice past few weeks to be a Penn State NFL draft prospect.

We have seen multiple Nittany Lions featured in first-round mock drafts. Out of every Penn State 2023 draft prospect, Joey Porter Jr. has been featured in multiple first-round mock drafts.

On top of that, we have seen players like offensive tackle Olumuyiwa Fashanu boost their draft stock.

Penn State wide receiver Jahan Dotson was selected 16th overall in the 2022 draft by the Washington Commanders. Now, the Nittany Lions have added Western Kentucky transfer Mitchell Tinsley, who has kept his draft stock fairly steady.

Porter Jr. is also continuing to solidify himself as a first-round prospect.

Not only that, but we also have players like Parker Washington who are quietly rising their draft stock.

Let’s take a look at an update on where the current draft stock of some key Penn State prospects.

Report Card: Penn State defense gets ‘A’ in win over Indiana

Penn State defense shines in the postgame report card after Indiana win.

Following a full team victory the way Penn State had in Week 10 against Indiana, there are plenty of compliments to be handed out with few negative criticisms. It could have been incredibly easy for a team to fold on the road a week after a tough loss to Ohio State, but the Nittany Lions responded in a positive way by going on the road and letting talent prevail in a defensive mismatch.

Penn State’s defense was stellar and the offense took care of business against an undermanned Indiana team scuffling into November and down the final stretch of the regular season.

Here are the grades for Penn State, position by position, following its 45-14 victory at Indiana on Saturday.

Quarterback

Nov 5, 2022; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Sean Clifford (14) throws a pass during the first half at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-USA TODAY Sports

Grade: B

[autotag]Sean Clifford[/autotag] turned in a solid enough of a day throwing the football to ensure Penn State would emerge victorious. With over 200 passing yards and an interception that was tipped by his receiver, it was more than adequate enough to feel good before coming out of the game as freshman [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] got some reps in the second half.

Allar made the most of his quarter and a half running the offense with a pair of touchdowns, some nicely-placed passes with zip, and showing off the ability to read what Indiana was trying to do defensively to make some adjustments at the line.

All in all, this was just what [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] would have wanted.

NEXT: Running Backs

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Instant reaction: Penn State gets rebound win in 45-14 rout of Indiana

Instant reaction: Penn State defense sets the tone in 45-14 blowout of Indiana

Penn State needed this one in a big way. A week after scuffling late in a game against Ohio State, Penn State overpowered Indiana on the road for a dominant 45-14 victory in Bloomington.

Penn State opened the game’s scoring with a short touchdown run by [autotag]Nick Singleton[/autotag] on a drive that featured some big catches by [autotag]Mitchell Tinsley[/autotag] from [autotag]Sean Clifford[/autotag]. But Indiana responded with an eight-play, 75-yard touchdown drive with some big plays from backup quarterback Jack Tuttle, who started in place of Conner Bazelak.

Tuttle would not last the whole game though. The Penn State defense knocked  Tuttle out of the game with an injury and forced Indiana to play the second half with backup options Brendan Sorsby and Dexter Williams II. Neither was effective enough to spark anything for the Hoosiers as Penn State picked off three of their passes.

Clifford also got an early exit from the game, but as a result of the blowout unfolding allowing for freshman [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] to get some reps. Clifford ended his day early in the third quarter with 229 passing yards, bringing him 16 yards shy of passing [autotag]Trace McSorley[/autotag] as the school’s all-time leading passer. Clifford should get that chance early next week at home against Maryland.

[autotag]Kaytron Allen[/autotag] was electric with 86 rushing yards, three rushing touchdowns, and 72 receiving yards in the win. Singleton had 73 rushing yards with the early touchdown as Penn State’s freshman duo continues to lead the ground game this season.

Penn State returns home to Beaver Stadium for a matchup with Maryland next Saturday. An official start time has not yet been announced. Maryland lost at Wisconsin on Saturday, 23-10. Indiana will be on the road at Ohio State next week. The Buckeyes had to grind out a road victory at Northwestern, 21-7.

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