Tag: Penn State Nittany Lions

James Franklin won his biggest game yet and everyone was too busy arguing about SMU to care

You have to feel for James Franklin just a little bit here.

James Franklin has been the head coach at Penn State since 2014, and pretty much since he stepped foot on campus, the knock against Franklin is that he can’t win the Big Game.

We all know the numbers. Franklin is 3-17 against the AP Top 25 and 1-12 against top-5 teams. Whether at home or on the road, favorites or underdogs, Franklin’s disappointments under the brightest lights have tainted his otherwise impressive resume. Too often those losses have led to even uglier moments.

All of which is to say absolutely no one faced more pressure on Saturday at Beaver Stadium in the first round the College Football Playoff than Penn State’s head coach. Lose to No. 11 seed SMU at home — with 100,000 fans and another iconic whiteout — and it’s fair to believe Franklin’s job status would be in question, to say nothing of the absolute roasting he’d get from college fans online.

Thankfully for Penn State, Franklin’s team went out an absolutely throttled the Mustangs, 38-10, with a near-flawless performance. This should’ve been a moment for Franklin to finally receive some flowers. But nope! College fans were far too busy continuing the nonsense debate over whether or not SMU and Indiana even deserved to be in the playoff field.

Even when James Franklin wins, he can’t win, man. It’s quite likely the second-funniest possible outcome on Saturday aside from a Penn State loss.

Think about it. The Nittany Lions held SMU to 253 yards total, stopped the Mustangs from converting all but three of 14 third downs and didn’t allow a touchdown until there were seven minutes left in the game. Even with SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings throwing three interceptions (including two pick-sixes), this was a dominant performance by Franklin’s defense, as his offense meticulously worked the clock and took care of the ball. And seemingly no one cared.

College fans are absolutely ruthless. It feels like Franklin is Squidward waiting for his applause only for SMU’s SpongeBob to steal all the attention with the mess it made.

Now Franklin and Penn State will get ready to face No. 3 seed Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl, and all the talk of whether or not Franklin can win the Big Game will surely bubble back up and likely ignore the fact he literally just did.

There may have been bigger matchups during his tenure, but there have never been higher stakes than what Franklin faced on Saturday. It seems he’ll have to keep waiting for most fans to notice.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=693157918]

How to buy Penn State Fiesta Bowl tickets, Penn State vs. Boise State College Football Playoff tickets

Penn State is headed to the Fiesta Bowl to take on Boise State on Tuesday, Dec. 31. Tickets are already on sale and selling fast.

Penn State is heading to the Fiesta Bowl.

The Nittany Lions dominated the SMU Mustangs on Saturday afternoon, clinching their place in the newly-expanded College Football Playoff quarterfinal.

Penn State earned a date against the No. 3 seeded Boise State Broncos at the Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Ariz. on Tuesday, Dec. 31.

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop Penn State vs Boise State Fiesta Bowl tickets” link=”https://seatgeek.pxf.io/c/1205322/2374309/20501″]

Fiesta Bowl tickets were already available since the Broncos were announced as a participant, but now that Penn State will join them in Arizona, tickets are selling fast.

At the time of publication, the cheapest available Fiesta Bowl ticket to see Penn State vs Boise State cost $254.

Whether you’re a fan of Penn State, Boise State, or just great college football action, don’t miss out on your opportunity to see this game in person.

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop Penn State vs Boise State Fiesta Bowl tickets” link=”https://seatgeek.pxf.io/c/1205322/2374309/20501″]

Rough go for SMU big-money donors, Mustang band

Bad day for SMU at Penn State

Everything was going awry for SmU on Saturday.

The football team was down 14-0 in the first half.

Some of the biggest boosters for the team weren’t able to get to the game on time because their private jets were diverted to Williamsport with the State College airport packed.

And the SMU band might as well have played on a Zoom meeting from Dallas with the way they were placed in Beaver Stadium.

Penn State was about as inhospitable as it gets, sticking the SMU band in the nosebleeds at Beaver Stadium.

To make matters worse, the Mustangs trailed 21-0 in the first half.

Penn State’s Dominic DeLuca with pick-six against SMU

Penn State with a huge defensive play against SMU

Things have not gone SMU’s way in the CFP first-round game on Saturday at Penn State.

First, the Mustangs went for it on fourth-and-short. Kevin Jennings had a chance to run for the first down but opted to throw a pass that went for an incompletion after a hard hit in the Nittany Lion secondary.

Then, Jennings was picked by Dominic DeLuca, who returned it 23 yards for a Penn State touchdown. The Nittany Lions led 7-0.

How much is Penn State coach James Franklin’s buyout in 2024?

If Penn State ever decided to fire James Franklin, it wouldn’t be cheap.

There’s a ton of money floating around college football, and head coaches make a lot with monster contracts that deliver them millions of dollars. Sometimes, college football coaches are even the highest-paid public employees in their respective states.

With their huge contracts also come very large buyouts — the money a school would owe the coach if it decided to fire him without cause. And it can sometimes be enough money to force a school to ride it out a little longer, rather than cough up several million dollars.

So how much would Penn State have to pay James Franklin if the Nittany Lions ever decided to fire their head coach?

Franklin — who has been the Nittany Lions’ head coach since 2014 — has the sixth-largest buyout among college football coaches as of 2024, according to USA TODAY Sports’ database of salaries and contracts. As of December 1, 2024, Franklin’s buyout is $56,666,667.

That’s definitely not the largest — Georgia’s Kirby Smart has the biggest buyout at $118,083,333 — but still a huge chunk of change if Penn State ever decided to fire Franklin.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 tag=421393249]

How to buy Penn State Fiesta Bowl tickets, Penn State vs. Boise State College Football Playoff tickets

Penn State is headed to the Fiesta Bowl to take on Boise State on Tuesday, Dec. 31. Tickets are already on sale and selling fast.

Penn State is heading to the Fiesta Bowl.

The Nittany Lions dominated the SMU Mustangs on Saturday afternoon, clinching their place in the newly-expanded College Football Playoff quarterfinal.

Penn State earned a date against the No. 3 seeded Boise State Broncos at the Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Ariz. on Tuesday, Dec. 31.

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop Penn State vs Boise State Fiesta Bowl tickets” link=”https://seatgeek.pxf.io/c/1205322/2374309/20501″]

Fiesta Bowl tickets were already available since the Broncos were announced as a participant, but now that Penn State will join them in Arizona, tickets are selling fast.

At the time of publication, the cheapest available Fiesta Bowl ticket to see Penn State vs Boise State cost $254.

Whether you’re a fan of Penn State, Boise State, or just great college football action, don’t miss out on your opportunity to see this game in person.

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop Penn State vs Boise State Fiesta Bowl tickets” link=”https://seatgeek.pxf.io/c/1205322/2374309/20501″]

College Football Playoff: 2025 draft prospects to watch during SMU vs. Penn State

College Football Playoff: 2025 draft prospects the Saints should be watching during SMU vs. Penn State, and how to tune in

The new College Football Playoff format is underway and that means a new way to prepare for the 2025 NFL draft.

For many New Orleans Saints fans, the draft is already the first thing on the mind. Watching top prospects battle it out in a high-pressure situation against other top talent will be a new opportunity.

The first game taking place on Saturday is the SMU Mustangs traveling to take on the Penn State Nittany Lions. There are plenty of players to watch in this one at every level of the draft.

When taking a look at the first round talent in the game, one player sticks out. Nittany Lions defensive end Abdul Carter is someone that gets paired with the Saints in a lot of mock drafts.

Carter was an off-ball linebacker before this past season, but moved to the line with great success. He has 10 sacks already this year and could provide a much-needed boost to that spot of the field for New Orleans.

The top Day 2 prospect to watch would be another Penn State defensive end, this time Dani Dennis-Sutton. Sutton is much more of a traditional end, especially for what the Saints usually gravitate towards.

He is much bigger, but might be too limited as a pass rusher to make a lot of sense for New Orleans. He has flashes, though, and a good playoff performance could go a long way in making teams drool over him.

Closing out the list with a Day 3 prospect, Mustangs offensive weapon Brashard Smith could make sense for the Saints next year.

Smith was a wide receiver for the first three seasons to little success. He expanded his role during this campaign for SMU and the results were much better. In the NFL, he could be moved around both spots and has the athletic ceiling to be dangerous if used correctly.

He had 1,573 yards from scrimmage this year with 18 touchdowns.

How to Watch

This matchup is surprisingly not being broadcast by the usual suspects at ESPN. Instead, it will be aired on TNT on TV and will be available to stream from Sling and Max.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

How to watch Penn State vs. SMU, College Football Playoff TV channel, live stream

Everything you need to know to watch the Penn State Nittany Lions vs. SMU Mustangs in the College football Playoff on Saturday, Dec. 21.

The Penn State Nittany Lions welcome the SMU Mustangs to Beaver Stadium this Saturday for the first round of the College Football Playoff. If you want to catch the action you have been waiting all season to see on TV or live stream, we have the details you desire below.

The Nittany Lions are the fourth-seeded team in the CFP while holding the fifth spot in the US LBM Coaches Poll on the heels of an impressive 11-2 campaign. However, they lost the Big Ten title game to the top-seeded team, the Oregon Ducks.

The Mustangs arrived on the Atlantic Coast Conference scene with a bang in their first season, earning the 10th seed in the CFP while being ranked 12th in the Coaches Poll. Like Penn State, SMU also lost its conference championship game — a 34-31 defeat at the hands of the Clemson Tigers.

[afflinkbutton text=”Watch Nittany Lions vs. Mustangs on Sling” link=”https://sling-tv.pxf.io/c/50053/2373029/14334?sharedid=usatoday_paidncaa”]

Penn State vs. SMU Week College Football Playoff info

Here’s everything you need to watch the Nittany Lions against the Mustangs.

  • When: Saturday, Dec. 21
  • Where: Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pennsylvania
  • TV channel: TNT
  • Live stream: Sling

It is time to get hyped up for the College Football Playoff!

What time is Penn State vs. SMU?

The Nittany Lions take on the Mustangs at noon ET on Saturday, Dec. 21.

[afflinkbutton text=”Watch Penn State vs. SMU with Sling” link=”https://sling-tv.pxf.io/c/50053/2373029/14334?sharedid=usatoday_paidncaa”]

Why Penn State’s Katie Schumacher-Cawley refused to let cancer win amid volleyball Final Four run

What a warrior.

Penn State women’s volleyball head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley has cancer, but she’s refused to let it stop her all season long.

In September, Katie was diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer. However, despite the diagnosis, she’s continued to coach. Katie used practices and games as fuel while she sat through chemotherapy behind the scenes, describing her approach as a combination of “strength, determination, and an unwavering sense of hope.”

Her resilient spirit has helped her as the Nittany Lions finished the regular season with a 29-2 record en route to a Final Four run. Still, it begs the question: Why wouldn’t Katie step away to take time for herself? She didn’t want to. “My mindset has always been wanting to win and having the best team I can,” she recently told ESPN. “I feel normal…I just want to keep going. I feel so loved, and I’m so lucky to have the staff I have.”

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 tag=67]

Who is Caroline Jurevicius? Meet the Penn State volleyball player whose NFL dad won a Super Bowl

On Thursday, freshman Caroline Jurevicius plays in the Final Four. Meet the Penn State volleyball transfer.

When the women’s volleyball Final Four begins Thursday, Penn State volleyball player Caroline Jurevicius be on the court.

The Nittany Lions have a date with Nebraska, a familiar foe to Jurevicius. She spent the first year of her college career with the Huskers and used that time as a redshirt season before transferring at the end of the year.

Now, she’s a key piece of a squad coached by Katie Schumacher-Cawley, trying to add another championship school’s seven national titles.

If you’re wondering who Jurevicius is and what you need to know about the young player, we’ve got you covered. Here are more facts about the outside hitter, including her ties to the NFL.

1. Caroline Jurevicius was making waves before she arrived at Penn State

Aug 30, 2023; Lincoln, NE, USA; The Nebraska Cornhuskers watch a presentation before the match against the Omaha Mavericks at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports

Caroline had a stout volleyball career before she arrived at Penn State as a redshirt transfer.

At Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin High School, she led her team to the Ohio DII state championship as a sophomore. Eventually, she returned and won it as a senior in 2022, recording a blistering 27 kills in the championship match.

In 2023, her elite skills landed her at Nebraska, where she was part of history when the Cornhuskers played in Memorial Stadium before a sold-out crowd of 92,003. It was the largest crowd ever for a women’s sporting event in the United States.

2. Caroline Jurevicius’ dad is Joe Jurevicius, an NFL veteran who won a Super Bowl

CLEVELAND – NOVEMBER 04: Joe Jurevicius #84 of the Cleveland Browns carries the ball as he is grabbed by Jordan Babineaux #27 the Seattle Seahawks on November 4, 2007 at Cleveland Browns Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio. The Browns defeated the Seahawks 33-30 in overtime. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

Fittingly, Jurevicius’ ties to Penn State are a bit deeper than most might realize. Her dad is Penn State alumni and 11-year NFL veteran, Joe Jurevicius. He had several years as a productive receiver with the Nittany Lions before being drafted in 1998 by the New York Giants.

Joe Jurevicius spent four seasons with New York before signing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a free agent, where he went on to win a Super Bowl in 2003. After a stint in Tampa, the former wideout played for two other organizations, including the Cleveland Browns, before retiring.

Since then, Joe Jurevicius has spent time with his family and is an avid supporter of his daughter. Cameras recently caught him nervously watching a match.

3. Caroline Jurevicius and Penn State have a date in the women’s volleyball Final Four

Penn State volleyball head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley holds up the Big Ten title trophy after the Nittany Lions defeated Nebraska 3-1 to claim at least a share of the title at Rec Hall on Friday, Nov. 29, 2024, in State College, Pa.

Volleyball fans can watch Jurevicius in action on Thursday, December 19, when Penn State plays Nebraska in the national semifinal at 9:00 p.m. ET during the women’s Final Four.

Her team has overcome several obstacles to get there, including head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley’s September breast cancer diagnosis. Under her leadership this season, the Nittany Lions produced a 29-2 season and a No. 2 record.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 tag=67]