KSN podcast: Penn State football news and notes on Deion Barnes, Jesse James, Christian Wilkins

January 6, 2015

The Penn State football program withstood its third early defection of the offseason this week when defensive end Deion Barnes and tight end Jesse James both announced their intention to declare for the 2015 NFL draft. Add Barnes and James to Donovan Smith, and James Franklin has seen three players leave eligibility on the table and bolt early. In addition to the NFL draft candidates, Penn State is also in…

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KSN Podcast: Rose Bowl news and notes with ‘correspondent’ Andrew P. Shay

December 31, 2014

Oregon and defending national champion Florida State clash in the Rose Bowl this New Year’s Day with a berth in the College Football Playoff championship on the line. The Ducks enter the Rose Bowl as a nine-point favorite behind quarterback Marcus Mariota, while the Seminoles survived a number of close calls in posting a perfect 13-0 record behind the strong arm of reigning Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston. The matchup…

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KSN Podcast: Breaking down the latest on Donovan Smith, Tommy Stevens and more

December 30, 2014

Penn State was dealt a blow Monday when redshirt junior Donovan Smith announced he would forgo his final season of eligibility and declare for the 2015 NFL draft, a move that strips an already-young offensive line of its most veteran member. Smith started 31 games in his three-year career, earning a prominent role on the Nittany Lions’ line as a redshirt freshman in 2012. On the same day, Penn State…

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KSN Podcast: Penn State-Boston College Pinstripe Bowl review

December 30, 2014

Penn State wrapped up its 2014 season in dramatic fashion with a 31-30 victory over Boston College in the Pinstripe Bowl. The Nittany Lions capitalized on a Golden Eagles missed extra point in the first overtime period, when Christian Hackenberg connected with tight end Kyle Carter for the game-winning score. After nailing the tying field goal, Sam Ficken drilled the extra point to deliver a walk-off win. The victory delivered…

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KSN Podcast: Uplifting Athletes: Holiday & Bowl Season Update

December 24, 2014

Scott Shirley and Andy Shay preview the holiday and bowl season for the Uplifting Athletes chapter network, the year in review for our nonprofit organization, the college football awards, and a few personal stories from the past. Visit upliftingathletes.org for more coverage of the nonprofit organization that aligns college football with rare diseases.

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KSN Podcast: An interview with Penn State linebacker recruit Jake Cooper

December 17, 2014

Penn State is getting a certified winner in its 2015 recruiting class in Archbishop Wood linebacker Jake Cooper, a three-star prospect who has won three Pennsylvania state football titles. Cooper toughed it out through a sprained MCL in last Friday’s championship game, estimating he was at “65 or 70 percent” for Wood’s 33-14 win over Central Valley. Cooper joined Ross Tucker and Dustin Hockensmith on the Keystone Sports Network this…

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KSN Podcast: Week 16 fantasy football quick hits on Joseph Randle, Harry Douglas, more

December 17, 2014

The fantasy football season has officially hit crunch time, with many league championships coming down to what happens in Week 16. Waiver wire help is in limited supply, but at least one opportunity presents itself this week in the Dallas Cowboys backfield, if DeMarco Murray (hand) is forced to miss any time. Joseph Randle could be worth a proactive add on the waiver in the event that he does get…

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KSN Podcast: Penn State recruiting updates with Paris Palmer, Michael O’Connor news

December 16, 2014

Penn State landed another top offensive line recruit last week in Lackawanna College tackle Paris Palmer. Coach James Franklin flipped Palmer from his previous commitment to South Carolina, in the process adding an experienced offensive lineman to a 2015 recruiting class that made the jump to No. 9 in the nation on 247sports.com. Franklin also lost freshman quarterback Michael O’Connor, who announced his intentions to transfer, which could impact the…

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KSN Podcast: Breaking down the Philadelphia Eagles’ Week 15 loss to the Cowboys

December 16, 2014

The Dallas Cowboys exacted revenge on the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 15, bouncing back from an ugly Thanksgiving Day loss to hand Philadelphia a 38-27 loss at Lincoln Financial Field. The Cowboys built a big 21-0 lead early and fended off an Eagles comeback to take a one-game lead in a back-and-forth race to win the NFC East crown. With two weeks to go and winnable matchups against the New…

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KSN Podcast: A final look back at the 2014 PIAA state football championships

December 16, 2014

Four high school football teams were crowned state champions at Hersheypark Stadium over the weekend, capping the end of an action-packed 2014 season. St. Joseph’s Prep, Archbishop Wood, South Fayette and Bishop Guilfoyle were all crowned champions in their respective divisions. Longtime high school football writer Andrew P. Shay and former NFL lineman Ross Tucker broke down the four championship games on this week’s Keystone Sports Network podcast. Tucker had…

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KSN Podcast: Previewing Penn State-Boston College in the Pinstripe Bowl

December 10, 2014

For the first time in three seasons, Penn State is going bowling. The Nittany Lions are back in the postseason mix after two years of bowl sanctions and their destination comes as little surprise. James Franklin and his crew are headed to New York City for the Pinstripe Bowl and a date with Boston College. The Nittany Lions and Eagles will clash Dec. 27 at 4:30 p.m. as part of…

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KSN Podcast: Breaking down the 4 teams in the College Football Playoff field

December 10, 2014

The inaugural College Football Playoff field was set as the committee announced semifinalists in No. 1 Alabama, No. 2 Oregon, No. 3 Florida State and No. 4 Ohio State. The Buckeyes snuck in on the strength of a 59-0 blowout win over Wisconsin, edging Big 12 co-champions Baylor and TCU, both of whom played one less game and were docked style points by not winning their conference outright. Four of…

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KSN Podcast: Talking Pinstripe Bowl, Penn State season-in-review with StateCollege.com’s Ben Jones

December 10, 2014

Penn State started the 2014 season overseas in Dublin, Ireland, where the Nittany Lions played at Gaelic football stadium in the Croke Park Classic. Now they’ll finish it on a baseball field at Yankee Stadium, a bizarre start and finish that brought a bit of symmetry to James Franklin’s first season. That fact wasn’t lost on StateCollege.com beat writer Ben Jones, who said he saw potential in the Pinstripe Bowl…

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KSN Podcast: An interview with 2016 Penn State QB recruit Jake Zembiec

December 10, 2014

On the same day its 2014 regular season ended, Penn State got a big boost to its recruiting efforts when 2016 quarterback Jake Zembiec gave his verbal commitment to the program. Zembiec, a four-star prospect from Aquinas Institute in Rochester, N.Y., became the third verbal pledge in the Nittany Lions’ class and represented a key cog in the future competition for Christian Hackenberg’ successor. Zembiec checks in at 6-2 and…

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KSN Podcast: Breaking down the Philadelphia Eagles’ 24-14 loss to Seattle Seahawks

December 9, 2014

A week after putting together arguably their most crucial win of the season, the Philadelphia Eagles suffered their most lopsided defeat in a 24-14 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Seattle ran 85 plays to Philadelphia’s 45 and used a dominant defensive effort to limit the Eagles to just 139 total yards, nine first downs and little more than 18 minutes of possession. Turnovers were again a story for the Eagles…

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