Penn State news, notes, and updates for Sept. 27 include ESPN’s list of assistants primed for bigger jobs, headlines of the day, and more. It’s time to dive into Friday’s top tweets and stories about the Nittany Lions and college athletics.
Longtime ESPN college football reporter Adam Rittenberg is getting ahead of next year’s coaches carousel with an early look at the 33 current college football assistants who could be ready for a promotion sooner rather than later. First-year Penn State offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki made the cut. He joined the Lions this year. He has been an offensive coordinator at six different schools dating back to 2006.
“The impact he has had on programs is profound and soon could vault him into leading his own team. Kotelnicki, 44, helped transform Kansas under coach Lance Leipold, as the Jayhawks ranked fifth nationally in yards per play and 18th in scoring during Kotelnicki’s final two seasons as coordinator. Kansas seemingly misses him, too, as the team is 1-3 this fall,” Rittenberg writes.
“Penn State, which struggled mightily to generate explosive plays last season, is fifth nationally in yards per play and seventh in yards per game, after setting a team total offense record with 718 yards Saturday against Kent State. “He’s going to be a hot name, with what he did at Buffalo and Kansas,” an industry source said. Kotelnicki is a Minnesota native who has spent the bulk of his career in the Midwest and could be an interesting fit for Big Ten, ACC or certain Big 12 jobs.”
Former Nittany Lion D’Anton Lynn, the current defensive coordinator at USC , also made the list. Former Nittany Lion Al Golden, the defensive coordinator at Notre Dame , and former PSU assistant Tim Banks, who calls the defense at Tennessee , did as well.
Headlines of the day
Penn State’s Terry Smith on slowing the Illinois pass game: ‘We want to make these guys earn it’ : Flounders, PennLive
Important target headed back to Penn State this weekend : Fitz, BWI
How Penn State Is Preparing to Face Unbeaten Illinois : Mader, SI
Penn State vs. Illinois Predictions: Lions open up Big Ten play with Top 20 clash : Snyder, BWI
Penn State Looks to Uphold ‘Standard’ in Front of 1994 Team That Set It : Engle, Statecollege.com
Junior college prospect among handful of new additions to Penn State-Illinois visitor list : Snyder, BWI
Former Penn State WR Allen Robinson II activated to Detroit Lions official roster : Alenstein, Daily Collegian
Quote of the day
“He’s been lights out this year. I think I read a stat somewhere, he’s the only quarterback in the country that’s thrown for 10 touchdowns with no turnovers. So he’s done a great job taking care of the football. He’s given his team a chance to win. And, we just got to try to challenge the routes that are coming at us. Take the access throws away. He’s done a great job of just taking clear access throws. And we want to make these guys earn it.
“If they can throw the ball down the field or run the football down the field; just not make it easy on those guys. So make those guys earn and give them some hard pictures to look at and, obviously we want to get after him up front and challenge him and make him move to pocket. And he hasn’t been much of a runner this year, but he has run in the past, so we’re going to be ready for his scramble and his legs and just try to create some havoc for him.”
–PSU corners coach Terry Smith on Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer .
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