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…
KSN Podcast: A final look back at the 2014 PIAA state football championships
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…
KSN Podcast: PA State Football Playoffs
Ross Tucker and Andy Shay discuss the most recent playoff results and preview the State Finals.
KSN Podcast: Previewing Penn State-Boston College in the Pinstripe Bowl
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…
KSN Podcast: Breaking down the 4 teams in the College Football Playoff field
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…
KSN Podcast: Talking Pinstripe Bowl, Penn State season-in-review with StateCollege.com’s Ben Jones
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…
KSN Podcast: An interview with 2016 Penn State QB recruit Jake Zembiec
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…
KSN Podcast: Breaking down the Philadelphia Eagles’ 24-14 loss to Seattle Seahawks
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…
KSN Podcast: Fantasy football Week 15 quick hits: Kerwynn Williams, Jonathan Stewart, others
The fantasy football waiver wire doesn’t yield a ton of big names for Week 15, when the playoff stakes are high in most leagues and matchups count more than ever. This past week had its standouts, but also a number of under-performers that, surprisingly, featured star quarterbacks Drew Brees and Peyton Manning. Sticking with quarterbacks, help could be hard to find as popular waiver wire targets such as Colt McCoy…
KSN Podcast: Interview with 4-star Penn State OL recruit Steven Gonzalez
Penn State has just one interior lineman in its lauded 2015 recruiting class in Steven Gonzalez, a four-star guard from Union City (N.J.) High School. The 6-3, 305-pound prospect said he is 100 percent committed to the Nittany Lions and doing his part to lure other big-time offensive linemen from both the 2015 and 2016 recruiting classes. Gonzalez said James Franklin made all the difference when he gave his verbal…
KSN Podcast: Recruiting breakdown: How Garrett Taylor can impact the cornerback depth chart
Penn State landed four-star cornerback Garrett Taylor over the weekend, as he committed the day after taking an official visit for the Michigan State game. While still considering LSU, Ohio State and Virginia Tech, Taylor swiftly pledged to James Franklin and gave him a big, versatile cornerback who is both talented and aggressive. Taylor’s winding recruitment ended in Happy Valley after first beginning with a commitment to Brady Hoke and…
KSN Podcast: Fantasy football waiver wire targets: Isaiah Crowell, Daniel Herron, Johnny Manziel, more
The fantasy football playoffs are looming in a huge number of league formats, so the pressure is mounting to make late improvements to rosters with the hopes of building depth for a postseason run. And while the Week 14 waiver wire pool doesn’t feature a ton of immediate help, there are promising prospects available at all positions ranging from Johnny Manziel to Isaiah Crowell to Daniel “Boom” Herron and plenty…
KSN Podcast: Penn State recruiting update: Garrett Taylor and Jake Zembiec commitments
Penn State’s recruiting efforts are picking up this week after the team wrapped up its 2014 season with a 34-10 loss to Michigan State. Scholarship offers are being extended, and commits are entering the fold, most recently from four-star cornerback Garrett Taylor and four-star 2016 quarterback Jake Zembiec. Commitments from both players carry extra significance for James Franklin, who got the big cornerback he desires in Taylor and a potential…
KSN Podcast: Philadelphia Eagles make NFC East statement with win over Dallas Cowboys
The Philadelphia Eagles dominated their much-anticipated Thanksgiving day matchup against the Dallas Cowboys, taking a one-game lead in the NFC East while making a big statement with a 33-10 victory. Philadelphia scored twice in the opening 11 minutes and was never threatened, despite settling for field goals on four of its five red-zone trips. Turnovers and missed red-zone chances continue to be major storylines for the Eagles this season, but…
KSN Podcast: Penn State-Michigan State review: Spartans set early tone, dominate Nittany Lions
Penn State got off to an ominous start in its regular season finale against Michigan State and trailed throughout in a 34-10 setback at Beaver Stadium. The Nittany Lions surrendered a 90-yard return touchdown to. R.J. Shelton on the opening kickoff and did little to reverse the early momentum before eventually being worn down by the 10th-ranked Spartans. Given its offensive struggles and the inevitability of Michigan State’s high-powered offense…
KSN Podcast: Uplifting Athletes Chapter Highlights – Week 14
Scott Shirley and Andy Shay Discuss the end of the college football regular season, the upcoming College Football Playoff, the rivalry Touchdown Pledge Drive between Clemson and South Carolina in their Palmetto Bowl matchup, and the fundraising done throughout the season by the Uplifting Athletes chapter network. Visit upliftingathletes.org for more coverage of the nonprofit organization that aligns college football with rare diseases.