The Pitt Panthers were picked towards the bottom of the standings during ACC Media day earlier in the week, but with a ton of talent coming back on the offensive side of the ball, Pitt could be a surprise in the Coastal Division. Some of that talent was recognized on Thursday when three Pitt players were selected to the preseason All-ACC football team. Running back James Conner, wide receiver Tyler Boyd and offensive lineman Adam Bisnowaty were all selections. Conner, the reigning ACC Player ... Read More
Duquesne picked to finish second in preseason NEC Poll
The Duquesne Dukes look good on paper for the upcoming 2015 season and the rest of the Northeast Conference has taken notice. Duquesne placed five members on the preseason NEC team and was picked to finish second in the league in the preseason coaches poll, right behind Bryant University. Sacred Heart, which finished first and won the conference's automatic bid to the FCS playoffs each of the past two seasons, was picked to finish third. Wagner was picked fourth, followed by St. Francis ... Read More
Troy Douglas files lawsuit against Pitt over firing
Needless to say it has been an interesting offseason for the Pitt Panthers football program. Pat Narduzzi replaced Paul Chryst as head coach and has had to deal with a couple of off the field distractions thanks to DUI arrests of both wide receiver Tyler Boyd and defensive end Rori Blair. Now one of the Panthers former coaches has filed a lawsuit against the university. Former defensive back coach Troy Douglas, who came to Pitt last season from Iowa State and was fired when Narduzzi ... Read More
Pitt picked to finish next to last in ACC Coastal Division
New Pitt head football coach Pat Narduzzi has created a lot of buzz in Pittsburgh since taking over for former coach Paul Chryst last winter. Apparently that buzz hasn't been felt across the rest of the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Panthers were predicted to finish next to last in the ACC's Coastal Division during the conference's annual Media Day on Tuesday. In addition to the Panthers not being expected to do much, reigning ACC Player of the Year James Conner was not even the ... Read More
Penn State returning to roots, remove names from jerseys
The Penn State Nittany Lions will return to their roots in 2015 after the school announced on Thursday that the team would be removing their names from the back of the jerseys. During former head coach Bill O’Brien’s inaugural season, he made the somewhat controversial decision to add the players’ names to the backs of the jerseys, saying that their loyalty and dedication to Penn State deserved recognition. Current head coach James Franklin followed O’Brien’s example for one year, praising ... Read More
Anthony Zettel, Jordan Lucas get Nagurski nods
Penn State’s Anthony Zettel continues to rake in preseason honors, named this week to the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and Outland Trophy Watch Lists; senior safety Jordan Lucas also received a nod from the Nagurski committee. Named for the now infamous star for the University of Minnesota and the Chicago Bears, the Bronko Nagurski Trophy is given annually to the National Defensive Player of the Year. The Outland Trophy is given in honor of All-American University of Pennsylvania lineman at the ... Read More
Mangiro, Carter top preseason watch lists for Nittany Lions
Several members of the Penn State Nittany Lions football team have been named to preseason watch lists in the past few weeks. Senior center Angelo Mangiro, who started each game and controlled a young, inexperienced offense at Penn State last year, was added to the Rimington Trophy Watch List on Wednesday. Over the course of the 2014 season, Mangiro played at least three different positions, offering a versatility that James Franklin desperately needed. The Rimington Trophy, given to the ... Read More
Pitt’s James Conner, Tyler Boyd named to Maxwell Award watch list
Heading into the 2015 college football season, the Pitt Panthers may have one of the best duos on the offensive side of the ball in the entire nation in running back James Conner and wide receiver Tyler Boyd. That duo received another preseason honor on Tuesday as both have been named to the watch list for the Maxwell Award, which is given annually to the College Player of the Year. Two former Panthers have won the award in the past as running back Tony Dorsett did so in 1976 and defensive ... Read More
Pitt loses OT Jaryd Jones-Smith for season
New Pitt Panthers head coach Pat Narduzzi suffered his first big blow when it was announced on Thursday that sophomore offensive tackle Jaryd Jones-Smith will miss the 2015 season with a right knee injury. Jones-Smith was injured during an offseason conditioning session. He's scheduled to have surgery on Thursday. He played in all 13 games for the Panthers a year ago, making three starts. He was expected to be a starter this season as he was expected to replace All-ACC right offensive ... Read More
Column: Could Franklin be Penn State’s “Great One?”
It is not out of the realm of believability to say that James Franklin’s 2014 was pretty good. Great, even. In January, he was hired to be the head football coach of a fairly prestigious university (a team in his home state that he grew up watching, nonetheless), he scraped out a winning season despite having a severely depleted team, and he led Penn State to its first bowl game since 2012 and it’s first bowl win since 2010. So the question becomes this: will 2015 bring greatness for ... Read More