Garry Gilliam helped swing momentum back into the Seattle Seahawks’ favor when they needed it most in the NFC championship. The offensive tackle hauled in an improbable 19-yard touchdown on a fake field goal to help cut into a 16-0 deficit in an eventual 28-22 overtime Seahawks win over the Green Bay Packers. Gilliam plowed through all types of adversity to earn a spot on the Seahawks’ roster as an…
KSN Podcast: ‘DeflateGate’ and the Patriots’ AFC Championship blowout win over Indianapolis
The New England Patriots pummeled the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC championship, a thorough 45-7 beatdown that would eventually be overshadowed by “Deflategate” and the topic of air pressure in the home team’s footballs. Bill Belichick and Tom Brady were grilled about PSI after the NFL found 11 of New England’s 12 footballs were under-inflated. While there’s still no official word on possible penalties handed down by the NFL, the…
KSN Podcast: Assigning credit, blame in Seahawks’ comeback win over Packers
The Seattle Seahawks punched their ticket to Super Bowl 49 in dramatic fashion with a 28-22 overtime win over the Green Bay Packers at CenturyLink Field. Seattle needed an onside kick and a fake field goal touchdown to overcome a 16-0 deficit and return to the Super Bowl for a second straight season. The Seahawks’ offense overcame five turnovers and capped the game with a winning 36-yard strike from Russell…
KSN Podcast: Penn State, the NCAA and what’s next in fight over sanctions
The NCAA last week reached a settlement agreement with state senator Jake Corman and state treasurer Robert McCord that brought an end to a lawsuit challenging the validity of the consent decree Penn State signed in July 2012. As a result, 112 wins were restored, and there was resolution on how Penn State’s $60 million fine would be distributed. The settlement brought finality to the crippling sanctions the NCAA levied…
KSN Podcast: Breaking down Patriots-Colts in the AFC championship game
The New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts are on to the AFC championship game after impressive wins in their respective divisional-round matchups. Young Andrew Luck unseated Peyton Manning and the Broncos, an outcome that Keystone Sports Network analyst Jon Ritchie predicted, while the Patriots fended off the Ravens in a matchup that generated controversy over coach Bill Belichick’s deceptive substitution practices. Tom Brady and the Patriots are again heavy favorites…
KSN Podcast: An interview with Penn State WR recruit Juwan Johnson
Penn State coach James Franklin has attracted scores of talent to Happy Valley in his first full year on the job, including a 2015 recruiting class that ranks among the top 10 nationally on Rivals and 247 Sports. The class is full of gifted football players, but perhaps none with the raw talent four-star wide receiver Juwan Johnson brings to the table. Johnson stands at 6-4 and 210 pounds, with…
KSN Podcast: Breaking down Packers-Seahawks in NFC championship game
The Green Bay Packers survived a questionable call and rode the late heroics of quarterback Aaron Rodgers into the NFC championship, where a date with the top-seeded Seattle Seahawks awaits. The ‘Hawks are big favorites behind the NFL’s best rushing attack and a stifling defense that can render even the best quarterbacks ineffective. Green Bay toppled Dallas in the NFC divisional round, while Seattle took care of business against the…
KSN Podcast: Latest Penn State recruiting news on Robert Windsor, Kamaal Seymour, more
Penn State’s push toward National Signing Day will include long looks at defensive tackle targets Robert Windsor and Kamaal Seymour, either (or both) of whom could add a crucial big body to the Nittany Lions’ 2015 recruiting class. In the absence of Christian Wilkins, who gave a verbal commitment to Clemson, coach James Franklin is still in search of his first defensive tackle in the 2015 class. The Nittany Lions…
KSN Podcast: Previewing Carolina-Seattle, Dallas-Green Bay in NFC divisional round
Two NFC teams will punch their tickets to the conference championship game this weekend, with both the Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers entering the week as heavy favorites in their respective matchups. The defending Super Bowl champion Seahawks are 11-point favorites over the Carolina Panthers, and the Packers are six-point favorites over the visiting Dallas Cowboys. Can the Panthers or Cowboys spring an upset after pulling off surprises in…
KSN Podcast: Reacting to the Philadelphia Eagles’ power-shifting front office moves
The Philadelphia Eagles made a series of front-office moves in the hopes of streamlining their personnel strategy, ultimately handing more power to coach Chip Kelly, who just completed his second season in the NFL. General manager Howie Roseman was elevated in job title, but he deferred all personnel strategy to Kelly and a yet-to-be-named executive. The Eagles previously made waves by parting ways with former personnel executive Tom Gamble, which…
KSN podcast: An interview with Penn State 2016 recruiting target Michal Menet
Penn State is pushing forward in its 2016 recruiting class with three high-profile commitments already in place in five-star defensive end Shane Simmons, four-star running back Miles Sanders and four-star quarterback Jake Zembiec. That trio has laid the foundation for another nationally elite class if coach James Franklin can continue to build momentum after National Signing Day next month. One of the Nittany Lions’ top remaining targets is Exeter Township…
KSN podcast: Penn State football news and notes on Deion Barnes, Jesse James, Christian Wilkins
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…
KSN Podcast: Rose Bowl news and notes with ‘correspondent’ Andrew P. Shay
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…
KSN Podcast: Breaking down the latest on Donovan Smith, Tommy Stevens and more
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…
KSN Podcast: Penn State-Boston College Pinstripe Bowl review
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…
KSN Podcast: Uplifting Athletes: Holiday & Bowl Season Update
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.