Penn State University

Live Qs at 5: Back for more

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by • Live Qs at 5 • , , , ,

BylinesAlanSaunders
Welcome to Live Qs at 5. Since apparently I did a good enough job last week to get to get invited back, this will once again feature all college-related questions.

LiveQsAt5_10-5-2
Here’s how it works: Enter one question in the comments below. I’ll go through and answer as many as possible directly under your Q. When it’s done, all that will be left are the Qs that were used, my replies and any follow-ups by the original questioner.

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With Lucas out, safeties ‘have to step up’

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by • Coverage •

By CONNOR WHOOLEY

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — James Franklin wasn’t with Jordan Lucas when the senior safety found out his Penn State playing career was over, but he wished he had been. Both the coach and the captain were surprised by the season-ending prognosis for Lucas’ undisclosed injury that was handed to them this week.

“Jordan, being a tremendous player here for a long time and also being the captain, it kind of hits home,” Franklin said, “It was really hard on Jordan to know that it’s coming to an end for him.”

This season, Lucas had 56 tackles and a sack in nine starts, as he missed the entirety of the San Diego State game with another undisclosed injury. Sitting out against the Aztecs broke a streak of 40 consecutive games played for Lucas.

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Penn State athletics: Hockey gains respect

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by • Coverage •

By DARIAN SOMERS

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Every week, Guy Gadowsky lays out objectives. If Penn State accomplishes them, the mens’ hockey team will win the game.

This week, the coach said Penn State accomplished those objectives, but the result wasn’t a win. That’s because Niagara goaltender Joe O’Brien stepped up his game to help secure a 1-1 tie Friday against the Nittany Lions.

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Sidney Crosby has failed to produce a point in 10 of the Penguins' 14 games. -- JARED WICKERHAM

Sidney Crosby has failed to produce a point in 10 of the Penguins' 14 games. -- JARED WICKERHAM

Tuesday Takes: All eyes affixed to Crosby now

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by • Columns • , , , , ,

DEJAN
Brief and to the Point …

• Sidney Crosby was among the last of the Penguins lagging on the ice in Cranberry after Monday’s hour-plus workout, and this after Mike Johnston put the group through Herb Brooks-esque sprints to loosen those legs after all that cross-Canada flying.

Say what you will of the captain’s performance to date — 10 scoreless outputs in 14 team games, just two goals and five assists total — but you can’t fault the effort.

TueTakes
And now, officially, you can’t fault linemates anymore, either.

Johnston’s latest reshuffling Monday, this coming at a pace that would make a Vegas dealer blush, had Crosby between longtime fave Pascal Dupuis and newly promoted Beau Bennett. There are no excuses to be had there. Both can keep up, Dupuis can do the dirty work, Bennett can dangle, and Crosby … he just needs to start producing.

To his credit, shortly after coming off the ice, that seemed to be his thought, too.

“Lines change,” he said, “but you’ve got still got to score goals.”

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College soccer playoffs touch all corners

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by • Coverage • , , ,

By C.J. CUNNINGHAM

On Monday, the Division I committee set its 64-team field for the 2015 NCAA women’s soccer championship.

The first-round pairings come with a local matchup between one of the nation’s best and a tournament Cinderella story. This Friday at Dick Dlesk Stadium in Morgantown, second-seeded West Virginia (16-2-1, 7-1-1 Big 12) will host Duquesne (12-9-1, 8-5-0 Atlantic 10), who squeaked in with an unexpected conference title.

The Mountaineers traveled to Kansas City, Mo., last week unbeaten in their last 15 games and on the verge of locking up a first seed. They edged Oklahoma State in the quarterfinal, 2-1, with two goals in the final 10 minutes.

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Tyler Boyd runs through the Notre Dame defense. -- JARED WICKERHAM

Tyler Boyd runs through the Notre Dame defense. -- JARED WICKERHAM

Alan’s college roundup: Shredding records

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BylinesAlanSaunders
While No. 5 Notre Dame was rolling to a 42-30 victory over Pitt (6-3, 4-1 in ACC) at Heinz Field on Saturday, a game with more important implications for the Panthers’ season was being played in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and that one didn’t go Pitt’s way, either.

Their best chance at a Coastal Division title disintegrated when North Carolina blew out Duke, 66-31. A Duke win would have left open the possibility of a three-way tie at the top of the division if the Panthers beat the Blue Devils next Saturday. Now, Pitt must win out and hope for the Tar Heels to lose two of their final three games.

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Wide receiver DaeSean Hamilton fumbles in Penn State's 23-21 loss to Northwestern. -- GETTY

Wide receiver DaeSean Hamilton fumbles in Penn State's 23-21 loss to Northwestern. -- GETTY

Penn State rallies, but falters at finish line

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by • Coverage •

By CONNOR WHOOLEY

EVANSTON, Ill. — Saturday’s contest between Penn State and Northwestern came down to opportunities.

Simply put, the Nittany Lions didn’t take advantage of their theirs and, on their final drive, the Wildcats did.

Jack Mitchell knocked home a 35-yard field goal with nine seconds remaining to give the Wildcats a wild 23-21 victory over the Lions at Ryan Field.

During the deciding drive, the Lions should’ve had the Wildcats stopped twice.

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Final: Northwestern 23, Penn State 21

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by • Game previews •

By CONNOR WHOOLEY

EVANSTON, Ill. — Looking ahead to kickoff …

Game: Penn State (7-2) vs. Northwestern (6-2), 12 p.m., Ryan Field

TV, radio: ESPNU, KQV-AM 1410

Online: GameTracker | Multimedia | Media notes

CONNOR’S PREGAME NOTES:

12:46 p.m.: Northwestern quarterback Clayton Thorson has left the game with an apparent injury and is questionable to return.

11:27 a.m.: Kicker Joey Julius is not with the team in Evanston. Tyler Davis will handle the kicking duties.

• Penn State will wrap up its string of 10 straight games to start the season with a matchup against Northwestern. The Nittany Lions are 7-2, with No. 16 Michigan and No. 6 Michigan State remaining after the bye to close out their season.

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Alan’s college outlook: Tradition on display

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BylinesAlanSaunders
There aren’t many games left in the college football schedule like the one that will be played on Saturday at Heinz Field, where two traditional powers, Pitt (6-2, 4-1 ACC) and No. 5 Notre Dame (7-1), will meet for the 70th time.

As conference alignments, television rights deals and the continued perseverance of the almighty dollar over college football’s traditions make games like this one less and less common, it’s possible that they’ve become even more prominent.

“I think it’s a rivalry,” Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly said earlier this week. “It’s a game that’s been played for a lot of years, so there’s a lot of history to the game, and I think both teams really look towards this one as a special game on their calendar.”

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Perseverance, positivity pay off for Lewis

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by • Coverage •

By CONNOR WHOOLEY

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State wide receiver Geno Lewis has just two touchdowns this season. It’s a stark contrast to what was expected from him in 2015.

But he hasn’t stopped working, and now, more than halfway through the year, it’s paying off. 

The receiver started slow this season and the opportunities haven’t flown his way like they used to — he has just nine catches for 107 yards — but he’s come on of late and has two important and impressive touchdowns to show for it.

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Live Qs at 5: Our first all-college edition

by • Live Qs at 5 • , , , ,

BylinesAlanSaunders
Welcome to my first Live Qs at 5, and our first as a site that’ll be all colleges.

LiveQsAt5_10-5-2
Here’s how it works: Enter one question in the comments below. I’ll go through and answer as many as possible directly under your Q. When it’s done, all that will be left are the Qs that were used, my replies and any follow-ups by the original questioner.

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Penn State struggling with mobile passers

by • Coverage •

By CONNOR WHOOLEY

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Indiana’s Zander Diamont, Ohio State’s J.T. Barrett, Maryland’s Perry Hills, and now Northwestern’s Clayton Thorson.

In three of Penn State’s last four games, the Nittany Lions have faced a dual-threat quarterback. Now, when the Lions travel to Northwestern, they will be facing a fifth quarterback who can tuck it as well as chuck it.

It’ll be up to the Blue and White defense to glean knowledge from past experiences and stop the redshirt freshman in his tracks.

“This quarterback especially, along with Maryland and Ohio State’s quarterback, they can extend plays,” safety Malik Golden said. “It’s pretty tough for the (defensive backs) because you have to stay on your man a little bit longer, stay in coverage, not go up and try to attack him and he throws the ball over your head.”

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