Tag: Omari Evans

Penn State lands transfer wide receiver Kyron Hudson from USC

Penn State added a wide receiver from another Big Ten program out of the transfer portal.

Wide receiver is something that continues to be a topic brought up for Penn State not just by the fan base, but also by national pundits who routinely point out the lack of production from that position.

Because of that, this transfer cycle was seen as a huge opportunity for [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] and his staff to add a difference maker who can play a huge part in how the Nittany Lions perform going forward.

They are set to host Florida International transfer Eric Rivers this week. He would give them a productive player on the outside who is adept at getting open, something Penn State’s current group has a hard time consistently doing.

But before he is set to arrive in Happy Valley, the Nittany Lions already struck in the portal by earning a commitment from USC transfer [autotag]Kyron Hudson[/autotag].

The 6-foot-1 pass catcher was a four-star recruit coming out of high school when he committed to the Trojans. Ranked as the 126th-best player and 22nd overall wide receiver in the 2021 class by the 247Sports Composite, he had a productive showing during his career in Los Angeles.

Hudson has totaled 807 yards and eight touchdowns on 72 catches with USC, but it was this past year where he really broke through with 38 receptions for 462 yards and three touchdowns.

Any addition to the wide receiver room is going to be a notable one, but for Penn State to add someone who has been productive at a power conference level is huge.

There are still major questions about how that position group is going to look next year with [autotag]Harrison Wallace[/autotag] and [autotag]Omari Evans[/autotag] likely returning for another season along with the injured [autotag]Kaden Saunders[/autotag], but one or even all three could decide to leave as well.

Even if all three are back, adding Hudson to the mix is huge as the Nittany Lions need more production on the perimeter going forward.

Best photos from Penn State’s one-point win at Minnesota

Check out the best images from Penn State’s thriller of a victory over Minnesota.

No win in college football is ever to be considered easy, but this latest one for Penn State was one of the more nerve-racking games of the season for the Nittany Lions. Penn State did manage to come out on top of the Gophers with a 26-25 win that truly tested the mental strength of the program when faced with some adversity.

From injuries left and right on the turf to having to overcome special teams meltdowns and the inability to convert in short-yardage situations, Penn State dug deep to climb back from a 10-0 deficit and a small halftime deficit to improve to 10-1 on the year, and keeping Big Ten title hopes alive and well going into the final week of the regular season.

Here are some of the best photos from Penn State’s one-point victory at Minnesota.

Penn State will close out the regular season at home next week against Maryland. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET on Big Ten Network. Penn State can clinch a spot in the Big Ten championship game with a win over the Terrapins if Ohio State is upset by Michigan next Saturday.

Follow Kevin McGuire on Threads, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.

Follow Nittany Lions Wire on X, Facebook, and Threads.

Penn State escapes Minnesota’s upset bid, remains in Big Ten title contention

Penn State avoids massive upset at Minnesota and remains in the Big Ten title hunt going into next week.

It’s OK to breathe a sigh of relief, Penn State fans. The Nittany Lions are 10-1, but it certainly was not pretty on Saturday in a 26-25 victory over Minnesota. But a win is a win, and Penn State has 10 of them in 11 games.

Penn State came out sleeping its way to an early 10-0 deficit in the first half, and it was a constant battle to climb its way to a 23-22 lead in the third quarter. Penn State held a 26-25 lead after the Gophers kicked a field goal on its final possession of the game, and a fake punt and a fourth-and-short conversion on helped Penn State run the remainder of the game’s five minutes and change for a hard-fought victory. The win keeps Penn State in the mix for a spot in the Big Ten championship game and should keep the Nittany Lions for a potential first-round College Football Playoff game in Beaver Stadium.

And it was a roller coaster of emotions to get there.

[autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] completed 20 of 27 passes for 233 yards and a touchdown, a 45-yard strike to a wide-open [autotag]Omari Evans[/autotag] in the second quarter. Allar also picked up a short touchdown run in a game where he was under some good pressure throughout the game and let his emotions boil over a bit on the sideline in the heat of the moment. But Allar delivered another gritty performance on the road like he did at USC earlier in the season.

Not surprisingly, tight end [autotag]Tyler Warren[/autotag] was a big reason why Penn State came away with the Governor’s Victory Bell. Warren caught eight passes for 102 yards, including the big fourth-down conversion in the final minute to help Penn State run the clock out for good. Warren was without a touchdown in the game, but he was the game’s leading receiver.

[autotag]Nicholas Singleton[/autotag] rushed for a game-high 63 yards and a touchdown and he added six catches for 37 yards. [autotag]Abdul Carter[/autotag] had a quiet day in the box score with three tackles, but he did bring some good pressure off the edge. Minnesota just found ways to avoid letting that pressure bring them down. Gophers quarterback Max Brosmer did throw an interception to [autotag]Dominic DeLuca[/autotag] and had a costly fumble when he just dropped the ball in the backfield, with Carter battling him for the fumble recovery.

Special teams disasters by Penn State have been rare this season, but they cost Penn State 9 points in the first half. A blocked punt out of the end zone led to a quick Minnesota touchdown to go up 17-10, and a blocked extra point just before halftime was returned by Minnesota for two points. Confusion on the field also led to a rushed shanked pooch punt by Warren as Drew Allar appeared to want to call timeout.

But it was the special teams that helped deliver a win in the biggest way. Kicker [autotag]Ryan Barker[/autotag] hit a 32-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter to put Penn State up 26-22. After the Gophers had to settle for a field goal to cut the lead to one, Penn State picked up a 32-yard gain on a fake punt run by [autotag]Luke Reynolds[/autotag] from the Penn State 34-yard line to keep the drive moving. Penn State looked like it was going three-and-out on the drive after Minnesota cut the lead to one, so the fake punt was what ended up being the play of the game. But Allar picked up another fourth down conversion with a two-yard run with 2:10 remaining, and Allar’s pass to Warren for an 11-yard gain on 4th and 1 from the Minnesota 14-yard line and 26 seconds remaining was the icing on the cake.

With the win, and with Ohio State beating Indiana earlier in the day, Penn State is still in the running for a spot in the Big Ten championship game going into next week. Penn State will know when it takes the field next week if there is a chance to play for the Big Ten championship for the first time since 2016. If Ohio State loses to Michigan next week in the early kickoff window, then a Penn State win would send the Nittany Lions to the Big Ten championship game to face Oregon.

Penn State will close out the regular season next week at home against Maryland. Next week’s game is scheduled for a 3:30 p.m. ET kickoff and will air on Big Ten Network.

Follow Kevin McGuire on Threads, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.

Follow Nittany Lions Wire on X, Facebook, and Threads.

Penn State cruises by Kent State 56-0 in dominant fashion

The Penn State Nittany Lions obliterated Kent State 56-0 in Happy Valley, ending their non-conference schedule with a bang.

Penn State started off slow against Kent State, scoring just once on their first three possessions. A botched screen pass by Beau Pribula and a missed third down kept things close deep into the second quarter. [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] engineered an impressive touchdown drive to take the lead in between those failed drives, but Kent State was holding strong.

Eventually, however, the floodgates opened for Penn State. They scored on three consecutive drives of 75 yards or more, moving down the field with ease on the ground and through the air. Kent State meanwhile could get nothing going on offense, especially after seeing two of their quarterbacks go down with injuries.

It was 28-0 at halftime, and things never got better for the Golden Flashes. Penn State kicked off the second half with a bang on a 59-yard touchdown pass from Drew Allar to [autotag]Omari Evans[/autotag].

https://twitter.com/CFBONFOX/status/1837606650795987387

Allars’ day was over after that drive, finishing with 309 yards and three touchdowns through the air on just 21 attempts. He added another score on the ground for good measure to close the first half. Backup quarterback Beau Pribula would engineer three touchdown drives of his own, hitting Khalil Dinkins for a score, handing off to Cam Wallace for his first career touchdown, and taking one in himself on the ground to finish the scoring.

Penn State’s defense was dominant throughout the game, never allowing Kent State to come anywhere close to the endzone. [autotag]Abdul Carter[/autotag] finally had a big day, getting his first sack of the season and spending plenty of time in the Kent State backfield.

Dani Dennis-Sutton had a sack-fumble on the second play from scrimmage, with Kent State starting QB Devin Kargman leaving the game with an injury following the hit. The backup QBs couldn’t get the passing game going, with Penn State allowing just 18 yards passing on 13 attempts.

Kent State tried to establish the run game, but they ran into brick wall after brick wall, gaining just 49 yards on 30 carries. It was as thorough a beating as you will see in college football this season as Penn State won 56-0.

Penn State’s stars shined in this game, with seemingly everybody getting involved on offense and defense. [autotag]Nick Singleton[/autotag] and Kaytron Allen combined for 147 yards on 22 carries, Omari Evans racked up 116 yards and a score, and [autotag]Tyler Warren[/autotag] scored twice including a passing touchdown to Nick Singleton.

https://Twitter.com/B1Gfootball/status/1837593662261182851

It felt like Penn State could do now wrong. They even broke their record for offensive yards that had stood since a 1926 game against Susquehanna University, finishing with 718 total yards. It was exactly the kind of day they needed after a disappointing showing against Bowling Green in Week 2.

Even with the lower level of competition, this game showed how much better the offense could potentially be this season under offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki. The offensive line was as dominant as they should have been against a small front seven, and all the playmakers had their moments.

The defense looked much better as well, swarming to the ball and harassing the Kent State QBs every chance they had. Only time will tell if it will carry over into conference play, but James Franklin and the rest of the coaching staff have to be happy with how the team performed this week.

Follow Nittany Lions Wire on X, Facebook, and Threads.

 

James Franklin on big pass plays: ‘Ducks accepted, spirals preferred”

James Franklin shared his thoughts on the big play at the end of the first half at West Virginia.

Penn State came into the 2024 season wanting and needing to get more explosiveness out of the offense and passing game. It was only one game to start the season, but the new offense being managed by [autotag]Andy Kotelnicki[/autotag] delivered in a season-opening win at West Virginia.

In all, Penn State had 15 plays that gained 15 yards or more either on the ground or through the air (the 15 plays combined for 346 yards of offense). [autotag]Nick Singleton[/autotag] broke loose for two runs of 40 yards, including one that went for a touchdown to open the second half.

But the biggest game changers came through the air, including [autotag]Omari Evans[/autotag] coming down with a football over the middle of the field late in the first half. Penn State looked like they were going to run out the final seconds late in the first half after West Virginia cut the lead to 13-6 with a field goal. After handing off to Singleton for a short gain, Penn State rushed the offense back to the line of scrimmage and [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] unloaded a deep ball down the field in an attempt to catch West Virginia napping or grasping for a breather. The pass was a bit of a floater, but it worked and was followed up by a dart from Allar to [autotag]Harrison Wallace III[/autotag] for his second touchdown of the half (Wallace scored on a long pass play earlier in the second quarter too).

[lawrence-related id=47262]

“I thought Omari (Evans) coming back and making a play on that was huge,” Penn State head coach [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] said in his postgame press conference following the 34-12 victory. “I think I said at halftime, ‘ducks accepted, spirals preferred’. I’ve chucked a bunch of those ducks up myself.”

Ducks accepted, spirals preferred. That’s a good way of looking at it. The timing of the deep pass caught by Evans is worth considering as well. It was a low-risk, high-reward situation for Penn State.

Had the ball been picked off by West Virginia, as floaters like that play in particular are most vulnerable to be, it might have been a low-risk, high reward situation West Virginia would have had roughly 10 seconds deep on their side of the field to try a Hail Mary play of their own, or simply take a knee and go to halftime down only 13-6.

But Penn State seized the moment and took a chance rolling the dice once more with a shot to the end zone. This time with a preferred spiral.

Follow Kevin McGuire on Threads, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.

Follow Nittany Lions Wire on X, Facebook, and Threads.

Penn State created opportunity to make up for blown call

Penn State executed a 22-second touchdown drive just before halftime at West Virginia.

Sometimes the college football gods are looking after you. Maybe Penn Stae didn’t need the assistance of a little divine intervention, but the Nittany Lions managed to create an opportunity to make up for a bad instant replay that went against them.

Late in the first half, West Virginia was rewarded with a first down on a 4th and 1. Instant replays appeared to show the defense actually stuffed West Virginia a yard shy of the first down markers, but the official ruling was the first down call on the field would stand. A few plays later, West Virginia kicked a field goal to cut Penn State’s lead to 13-6 with under a minute to play before halftime.

After initially looking like the Nittany Lions would simply run the clock with a handoff to [autotag]Nick Singleton[/autotag] that went almost nowhere on the first play of the ensuing drive, Penn State hurried to the line and let [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] take a shot deep down the field. [autotag]Omari Evans[/autotag], with the benefit of the refs not flagging him for a push-off of the defender, got his hands on the ball and gave Penn State an opportunity for a score just before halftime.

http://twitter.com/CFBONFOX/status/1829938176032387278

At worst, Penn State would be able to take a shot at a field goal just before halftime to get those three points back. But with 10 seconds remaining, enough time was available to take a shot to the end zone. And for the second time of the game, Allar connected with [autotag]Harrison Wallace III[/autotag] for a touchdown. While Wallace’s first touchdown was highlighted by speed in the open field, his second touchdown was an impressive feat in the end zone.

https://twitter.com/CFBONFOX/status/1829938922320810182

So not only did Penn State erase the gift of three points for West Virginia moments earlier, but the Nittany Lions tacked on four additional points as a result. Give credit to offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki for creating this opportunity and potentially catching West Virginia napping a bit toward the end of the half.

Penn State is set to get the football to start the second half of the game, but a weather delay put the resumption of the contest on hold for an undetermined amount of time.

Follow Kevin McGuire on Threads, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.

Follow Nittany Lions Wire on X, Facebook, and Threads.

Penn State’s leading receiver poised to return for the 2024 season

Penn State’s leading receiver shared a social media post seemingly suggesting he has made up his mind for the 2024 season.

The wide receivers were Penn State’s worst position group throughout the 2023 season. It never seemed to completely click between the receivers and starting quarterback [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag]. No pass catcher surpassed the 700-yard mark or 53 receptions.

Yesterday evening, Penn State’s leading receiver from a season ago, [autotag]KeAndre Lambert Smith[/autotag], posted on X (formerly known as Twitter), giving a shoutout to Penn State’s NIL collective, Happy Valley United. Although this is technically not an explicit declaration of returning to State College, it does seem that the post, plus no announcement from Lambert-Smith about NFL draft plans, points to a return.

With former Ohio State wide receiver and former 5-star recruit [autotag]Julian Fleming[/autotag] also now in the fold, the wide receiver room seems to be trending in the right direction. Lambert-Smith caught 53 passes for 673 yards and four touchdowns. The return of ‘KLS’ adds to the veteran leadership presence to mentor the younger guys like [autotag]Harrison Wallace III[/autotag] and [autotag]Omari Evans[/autotag].

Consistency will be key up and down the depth chart, but no doubt new offensive coordinator Andy Kotelenicki will count on Lambert-Smith and others to produce far better than last year. The receiver group will definitely be a position to watch throughout spring ball and as the season approaches.

Follow Charlie Strella on Twitter, Threads, and Instagram.

Penn State wide receivers respond to critics following Peach Bowl loss

A couple of Penn State wide receivers seemed to respond to critics on Twitter after the Peach Bowl loss.

You will have a difficult time finding anyone coming to the defense of the Penn State wide receivers following a disappointing showing in the Peach Bowl. Penn State’s 38-25 loss to Ole Miss saw no catches by a wide receiver until the fourth quarter, and by the time the receivers did start making plays, the hole to climb out of was too deep for the Nittany Lions. After the game, the wide receivers took some heat, as did quarterback [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] and head coach [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] for the season-long lack of explosiveness at the receiver position.

And those criticisms were heard loud and clear by at least one member of the Penn State receiving corp. [autotag]Kaden Saunders[/autotag] responded to the critics with a post on his X (formerly known as Twitter) account on Saturday night, hours after Penn State’s loss to Ole Miss.

“All I see on my Twitter is stuff about wide receivers,” Saunders said. “We have more than enough talent, trust me.”

If the talent is in fact there on the roster at the wide receiver position, then the blame should absolutely go on the playcalling all season long. This is a big reason why Penn State made a late season change at offensive coordinator to fire Mike Yurcich from his role as offensive coordinator. Penn State will look to fix the passing game with the addition of new offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki, who comes to Penn State from Kansas. Given Kotelnicki’s history as an offensive coordinator, that should be filling fans with some optimism going into the 2024 season, which will see Penn State under some serious pressure.

[autotag]Omari Evans[/autotag] may have taken a slightly more veiled response to the same criticisms.

Saunders is coming off his second season in the program. After redshirting the 2022 season with three appearances during the regular season, Saunders made it onto the field in 12 games for the Nittany Lions in the 2023 season. He caught 6 passes for 56 yards and a touchdown. He also played a role on special teams with 14 punt returns for a gain of 86 yards, an average of 6.1 yards per return.

Evans is also coming off his second season with the program. After appearing in all 13 games as a true freshman in 2022, Evans made appearances in 11 games for Penn State in 2023. He caught 4 passes for 94 yards and a touchdown.

Neither player caught a pass in the Peach Bowl.

Saunders and Evans will be two of the players to watch during the spring as Penn State looks to get more out of the wide receiver position.

Follow Kevin McGuire on Threads, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.

Penn State dominates Michigan State, 42-0, for 10-2 regular season

Penn State kept its hopes for a New Years Six bowl game within reach wiht a decisive victory over Michigan State.

Penn State wasn’t about to have any Thanksgiving hangover in its regular-season finale on Friday night. [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag]’s big night through the air and an aggressive defense was far more than Michigan State could handle in a 42-0 victory by the Nittany Lions in Ford Field in Detroit.

Allar was 17-of-26 for 292 yards and 2 touchdowns without an interception. That included a pair of passes that traveled over 40 yards with running back [autotag]Nick Singleton[/autotag] taking a pass for 53 yards and [autotag]Omari Evans[/autotag] getting his hands on a deep ball for a 60-yard gain to set up a touchdown.

Singleton ended the night with 118 rushing yards, 1 rushing touchdown, and 68 receiving yards. [autotag]Kaytron Allen[/autotag] carried the football 15 times for 137 yards. It was the first game all season where any Penn State player rushed for 100 yards.

Penn State was a bit slow out of the gates with a field goal by [autotag]Alex Felkins[/autotag] in the first quarter and an early miss from Felkins on a later drive. Penn State led by a score of 13-0 at halftime before putting the game away in the second half.

Penn State’s defense recorded 6 sacks and 11 TFL on a night with constant pressure in the backfield. [autotag]Chop Robinson[/autotag], [autotag]Adisa Isaac[/autotag] (7 tackles, 1 sack, 1.5 TFL), and Abdul Carter (2 sacks, 2 TFL)all had some big plays as they never allowed Spartans quarterback Katin Houser to feel comfortable. Houser passed for just 87 yards with 1 interception.

[lawrence-related id=38819]

Penn State’s victory is the first shutout in series history against the Spartans. It is the fourth shutout in the all-time series with Penn State being shutout in 1945, 1949, and 1965.

This is Penn State’s second-straight season with at least 10 wins. Penn State went 10-2 in the regular season last year and ended the year with a victory in the Rose Bowl for an 11-2 record. Penn State will get a chance to get to 11 wins with their upcoming bowl game this bowl season. This is also the fifth season with at least 10 wins under James Franklin.

Penn State’s regular season is now in the books and the waiting game begins to learn which bowl game will be the next destination for the Nittany Lions. At 10-2, Penn State sits in a favorable spot for a potential at-large spot in a New Years Six bowl game, although a lot could happen in the final week of the regular season and in next week’s conference championship games to impact the final bowl projections.

Michigan State will now focus on turning the page as a program with a new head coach being hired. There are reports the Spartans could name a new head coach in the coming days as the coaching carousel is about to spin wildly out of control.

Follow Kevin McGuire on Threads, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.

Penn State receiver Omari Evans named to Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award watch list

Rising Penn State wide receiver Omari Evans was named to a unique award’s watch list for the 2023 season.

One of Penn State’s potential players on the rise is wide receiver Omari Evans. The breakout star of the spring Blue-White Game is now on a watch list for a college football award heading into the 2023 college football season.

Evans was named to the watch list for the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award. The sophomore wide receiver is looking to be the first Penn State player to win the award that recognizes the top college football player that meets a few specific requirements.

What makes this particular award unique is the requirement that a player either be born in Texas, attended a Texas high school, or attended a Texas junior college or university. Evans, a native of Killeen, Texas, checked off the first couple of boxes to be considered for the award’s watch list this season.

[lawrence-related id=34670,33285]

Evans appeared in all 13 games during the 2022 season for Penn State with five receptions for 55 yards and a touchdown in a reserve role. With Penn State losing its top two wide receivers to the NFL in 2023, Evans has emerged as a possible candidate for a starting job with the season quickly approaching. Evans was the offensive MVP of the Blue-White Game in the spring, and he could be in line for a key role in the passing game this fall.

The Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award was first presented in 2013 to Baylor quarterback Bryce Petty. Only one player from the Big Ten has since won the award, with Ohio State running back J.K. Dobbins winning the award in 2019. Last year’s winner was TCU quarterback Max Duggan.
Follow Kevin McGuire on Threads, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.

Follow Nittany Lions Wire on X and like us on Facebook for continuing Penn State coverage and discussion. Let us know your thoughts by leaving a comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=10]