Big Ten play begins under the lights as Illini come to town ranked, unbeaten
Sorting through the blue and white mailbag while hoping you’ll make a contribution this season:
Neil:
I’m down here in Mount Union, and I usually get the weekend paper.
You interview Franklin about these non-conference schedule that he plays. What is afraid of — that he going to lose?
It’s the chance you take. Seems like he wants to play Division III schools to feast on them. Why not put Juniata College and Lock Haven on the schedule?
As a Notre Dame fan, we started with Texas A&M and beat them, but the following week, we had a swelled head and lost. Everybody has to take that chance on the first game.
I look at PSU’s upcoming games in the future. Wow. I called them cupcakes. How are you going to measure your team when it plays easy non-conference games? Why can’t you guys beat Ohio State or Michigan?
David Kelley Mount Union
David:
One of the greatest coaches in District 6 history — in any sport — was Mount Union baseball coach Nick Imperioli.
Neil:
I don’t like the Allar and Pribula package of being on the field together.
In a previous game, we were fortunate a Pribula fumble was ruled down, and against Kent State, he threw an interception.
As for this week, I have never been a Bret Bielema fan, but he is bringing a strong Illinois team
PENN STATE MAILBAG GAME FACTS
Rudel vs. the oddsmakers
Line: Penn State is a 17.5-point favorite.
Inside the line:
vs. Nits … Illinois is 3-0-1 vs. spot this season and 8-2 vs. number in last 10 road games … In last 15 Big Ten games, PSU has covered 11 times … Over-under is 47.5 … Total
Prediction: Penn State 33, Illinois 23
Prediction record: 3-0
PSU vs. line: 2-1
Prediction record vs. line: 1-2
to Beaver Stadium. Their QB and receivers played very well against Nebraska. PSU should win, but a line of 17 points is too much.
William Obert Bedford
William:
When coaches split their starting quarterback out wide — and PSU also did it with Zack Mills, so you can’t blame Franklin for that — I’ve often wondered why opposing defenses don’t attack them with solid, clean blocking.
Hi, Neil:
What the … ?
Why show gimmick plays vs. Kent State? Warren in the “wildcat” twice, including a pass and whatever-that-was with half the O-line and the backs split wide left?
May need a gimmick play against tougher opponents starting this week.
Dave Semler Reedsville
Hi, Dave:
Thanks for showing restraint.
Gimmick plays are fine until they’re not.
You’ll recall CJF didn’t have a
2-point play — in nine attempts — the last time Bret Bielema came calling.
Neil:
Let’s be honest: Who really benefited from last week’s game?
We totally outmanned, physically and talent wise, Kent State. I realize the argument of getting some younger players some game time experience. How valuable is it against such an inferior opponent?
As for Kent State, again I realize the several-million dollar payout of the last two weeks. Obviously, injuries are a part of football, but they leave Penn State probably down their top two quarterbacks.
Plus, what does back-to-back beatdowns by two of the nation’s top teams do for your morale?
Yes, these games are scheduled several years in advance, but you as a coach and AD have to know where your team is at and make some common-sense adjustments. But as the saying goes, if sense was common everyone would have it.
John Pifer Middlebury Center
John:
You file your post-game comments quicker than most deadline writers.
Neil:
Is it safe to say that the NCAA’s introduction of the transfer portal in 2018 has had the biggest impact on college football since the legalization of the forward pass on April 6, 1906?
Mike Rendos Lock Haven
Mike:
Not sure where you were going with your legalization reference.
Neil:
I watched the game against Kent State (on the BTN), but I’m not sure why. Maybe because Bowling Green made it tough. But I hate these “play for pay” games. They shouldn’t count as a W, if you win.
I did love seeing a clip of the Blue Band in the pregame. I miss that a lot. I love halftime shows — Michigan, Alabama, Texas. That was a horrible injury to the QB from Kent on the second play — another reason big schools shouldn’t play weak schools.
Lu Dorfman Houston
Lu:
Wisconsin has a great band. I recall when the Badgers came to Beaver Stadium and ended a long PSU winning streak (20 games) in 1995. Afterward, as the fans filed out, the Badgers marching band performed, prompting the comment, “and their band beat us, too.”
Neil Rudel will respond to brief questions and comments in Gameday. You can email him at nrudel@altoonamirror.com.
ILLINOIS AT PENN STATE
KICKOFF:
WHERE: Beaver Stadium,
RANKINGS: Penn State
AP Top 25 and is 8th in the AP voters and 21st by the coaches.
COACHES:
is 91-39 in his 11th season at Penn State and 115-54 overall. Bret Bielema is 22-19 in his fourth season at Illinois and 119-77 overall with previous stops at Wisconsin
SERIES HISTORY:
Penn State leads the all-time series, 21-6. The Nittany in 2023. Illinois last won in
TV:
RADIO: Steve Jones and beginning at 6 p.m. The game game can also be streamed mobile app.
Neil Rudel
MIRROR GAME BREAKDOWN
Chris Masse analyzes the matchups vs. Illinois
PENN STATE Illinois
Why in the world does Penn State even bother running plays with its backup quarterback when it has a reliable starter, two gifted running backs and a versatile tight end? I get it, it was Kent State in the
no need to overthink things with an offense topping 30 points in all three games.
Sure, the defense looked like the 1970s Steel Curtain, allowing
But did we learn anything? Illinois provides a litmus test to see if this unit really has learned from the mistakes it made against Bowling Green. Just two sacks through three games is a bit alarming.
Despite losing his top two receivers from last year, quarterback Luke Altmyer has taken a big step forward, throwing 10 touchdowns and no interceptions in 105 attempts. He needs just three touchdowns to match last year’s total. Pat Bryant (six touchdown catches) is within one of last year’s total and caught two against Nebraska.
After struggling a year ago, Illinois seems to have found its defen-
Xavier Scott ignites an opportunistic defense and has three of the team’s seven interceptions, returning one for a touchdown. Illinois has forced 10 turnovers in four games.
I would have set the over/under on punt attempts at 0.5 and takpunted twice and not well, averaging just 35.5 yards. Kicker Sander Sahadyak has not missed an extra point in three seasons, going 16 for 16. Kaden Saunders gave the return game some juice, averaging 10.7 yards on three returns against Kent State.
coming from outside 50 yards. He also is perfect on 15 extra-point
an honorable mention Big Ten punter as a freshman last year and is excelling again, dropping seven of his 11 punts inside the 20.
COACHING/INTANGIBLES
Was it really necessary for James Franklin to make sure Penn State got that late touchdown against Kent State with less than 90 seconds remaining? Just take a knee, dude. That’s the kind of stuff that gives the critics even more ammunition when Penn State falters in its biggest games each year.
Wisconsin and Big Ten coach of the year Bret Bielema seems like he might be building something good in Champaign. The Illini already have two wins over Top 25 teams and are two wins from eclipsing last year’s total. His Wisconsin teams won at least 10 teams in four of his six seasons there.
Prediction: This feels like an upset alert. Illinois has played better competition thus far, and Altmyer seems mighty comfortable running the offense. I’ll go with Allar leading a late touchdown drive to win it for PSU. Penn State 24, Illinois 21
Brian Carson County Observer Editor
Penn State 31, Illinois 21
A primetime contest between two ranked teams in the No. 19 Fighting Illini and the No. 9 Nittany Lions. Penn State has dominated the recent series, going 9-2 against Illinois at home in the last 11. Both teams are averaging over 30 points a game, but the Nits will have the defense that bends but doesn’t break in this one.
SENTINEL STAFF PREDICTIONS
Greg Williams Sentinel Reporter
Penn State 33, Illinois 15
Let the fun of the Big Ten schedule begin! Penn State keeps the ‘Nois down in its conference opener, especially under White Out conditions at Beaver Stadium, 33-15.
Chris Masse is a sports writer for the Williamsport Sun-Gazette, a sister paper of the Mirror and part of Ogden Newspapers.
NBC quickly establishing its Big Ten coverage
Not that long ago, when some Penn State fans looked ahead at this week’s Illinois-Penn State game, they were worried.
A vocal bunch, at least on social media, was most worried Illinois would be tabbed as the annual White Out game, fretting the late September game was too early for the event and perhaps even that Illinois was an unworthy opponent for the matchup.
Things have changed a little since then.
This week’s game is not the White Out, but it’s a big, meaningful game that will get star treatment as the focus of NBC’s Big Ten Saturday Night, which has quickly developed as the best weekly broadcast of Big Ten Conference games.
Big Ten Saturday Night works well because of its talent. The broadcast has a strong on-air crew — Noah Eagle, Todd Blackledge and Kathryn Tappen — and an equally professional and well-prepared group behind the scenes, led by director Charlie Danmeyer and producer Matt Marvin.
With so many games on TV and so much available technology, it sometimes seems the quality of broadcasts has leveled up across all those broadcast outlets. At other times, though, it’s clear some broadcasts are really good, and others simply are not.
What NBC offers is top notch. Fans get appropriate visuals along with solid calls and information. Eagle has quickly emerged as one of the most well-rounded play-by-play talents in sports,
and Blackledge, the quarterback who led Penn State to its first national championship in 1982, continues to rank as one of the best analysts covering college football. Additionally, Tappen’s experience and preparation help her produce efficient and informative segments that serve viewers whenever she’s on camera. And her work, and that of all sideline reporters, includes more than just those moments.
Really NBC seems to open itself up to two minor areas of criticism with its broadcast. The core on-air team is good, strong enough to carry a broadcast on its own. So, the network’s commitment to offering more and different voices does not seem necessary. More isn’t always better, better is better, and NBC can be solid with just its core group.
Secondly, every network has its gimmick or schtick and NBC’s big marching-band-style drum seems contrived and unnecessary. It’s different, though, and the network has invested into making that an identifiable part of its branding and game-opening segments, so it’s probably here to stay.
Noting need
While traveling last week, the only way to catch the first half of Illinois-Nebraska was on radio, and the Nebraska broadcast offered an interesting potential lesson for Penn State.
TV/RADIO COMMENTARY
Worth watching
Washington at Rutgers 8 p.m. Saturday FOX
Maryland at Indiana Noon Saturday BTN
Wisconsin at USC 3:30 p.m. Saturday CBS
Georgia at Alabama 7:30 p.m. Saturday ABC
Certainly people are doing those things at Penn State. There’s an abundance of new jobs related to the fundraising effort, but it was just striking to hear and see how much more invested and straightforward Nebraska and Tennessee (and no doubt many other schools) seem about what they’re doing.
Notable
ö As much as games like last week’s USC-Michigan and Tennessee-Oklahoma seem to be good for the realigned world of college football — and there will be many such new-age conference matchups the next few seasons — games like Penn State-Kent State last week do not feel as good for the sport. Both are here to stay, though.
The Huskers are all in with their name, image and likeness efforts. They’re selling, and selling hard, because that’s how college sports, especially football, works these days.
During a commercial for Nebraska’s group, the 1890 Initiative, Nebraska coach Matt Rhule offered a matter-of-fact testimonial that the program needs fans to support the group that helps Nebraska “recruit and retain” on-field talent.
In addition, Nebraska’s branding and commitment for the effort includes on-field logos for the 1890 group. It’s not subtle, it’s not a
secret. They’re selling, and they want fans’ support.
Similarly, Tennessee made national news last week when it announced a 10% ticket increase for football tickets in 2025 that would represent a “talent fee.”
Again, it was a clear announcement, perhaps off-putting to some purists but at least honest.
Meanwhile, Penn State has seemingly tip-toed around the NIL topic at times. There are certainly fans who chafe at the new normal in college athletics, but it must be Penn State’s job to sell and work toward convincing people of the potential impact and need.
ö There must be a continent of Penn State fans who see Tom Osborne Field and Nick Saban Field on TV and wonder what could be, right? With the athletic department constantly looking for revenue opportunities, you also have to think somebody is planning a pitch to donate a significant amount of money if a naming opportunity for the field at Beaver Stadium could come together. Right?
ö It’s a big Saturday for Peacock-exclusive games this week with Louisville-Notre Dame at 3:30 p.m. and Ohio State-Michigan State at 7 p.m.
Sampsell covers the broadcast end of Penn State football for Gameday. He can be reached at stevesampsell@ gmail.com
Steve Sampsell
The Associated Press
Nebraska coach and State College native Matt Rhule arrives at Memorial Stadium before a game vs. Northern Iowa on Sept. 14.
Power 4 conferences could face contraction
There’s a bit of forgotten baseball history that has relevance in the present era of conference realignment in college football.
On Nov. 6, 2001, baseball owners voted 28-2 for contraction, which was the term used for the dissolution of two franchises which were viewed as unacceptable financial drains on MLB.
The two franchises were never publicly identified, but anonymous sources from within the ownership group and MLB executive leadership confirmed that the Minnesota Twins and Montreal Expos were the subjects of the vote. Naturally, officials of the Twins and Expos voted against contraction.
Ultimately, the Twins remained in Minneapolis, and the Expos relocated to the nation’s capital as the Washington Nationals.
Not unlike MLB, the power conferences in college football must continually monitor the financial ramifications of competitive imbalance within their ranks and consider a course of action.
Take the 16-team SEC as an example. Not counting newcomers Texas and Oklahoma, only five of the 14 other teams have won conference championships since 2000. Alabama and LSU have combined for 14 of the 24 titles.
Likewise, the Big Ten, Big 12 and ACC are all dominated by a few teams that annually rank in the top third of the conference standings while the cellar dwellers are all-too-familiar.
Is it fair that all conference
members should receive equal revenue shares in the face of longstanding disparity of fortunes?
Will financial pressures on athletic programs reach the point where contraction of conference members becomes a viable option for expanding shares when revenue becomes stagnant?
As to the likelihood of contraction in college football, David Ubben, a senior writer for The Athletic, writes, “It doesn’t take a look too deep into the crystal ball to see that it’s only a question of when college football takes that next step, not if it chooses to take it.”
When contraction hits, the hot topic of expansion will shift from the power conferences to the Group of 5 conferences.
Another possibility is the evolution of a conference stocked with contracted teams.
In the corporate culture of college football, contraction would be just another way of doing business.
Overlooked, not forgotten
Without the benefit of a game against a ranked opponent, Ole Miss (4-0) has been eclipsed in the national conversation by other top-10 programs with flashier resumes to date, but the Rebels are posting some
NATIONAL VIEW
remarkable numbers.
Defensively, the sixth-ranked Rebels have allowed just one touchdown. Opposing offenses have combined for 33 first-half rushing yards, an average of 0.6 yards per carry.
All four opponents were held to less than 50 total rushing yards, which is the longest streak at Ole Miss since at least 1969, according to available records.
Offensively, Ole Miss has scored 220 points, which are the most in program history through the first four games. Of the team’s 10 touchdown drives that were completed in under a minute, seven required only one or two plays.
Attendance is keeping pace with all the other achievements. In the win over Georgia Southern last Saturday, a record crowd of 67,505 filled Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on the Ole Miss campus.
Quite a boot
Temple’s Maddux Trujillo kicked a 64-yard field goal as time expired in the first half of the Owls’ 45-29 win over Utah State, setting a school record and establishing a new standard for Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.
Trujillo, who also converted six extra points, matched UTEP’s Jose Martinez for the longest made field goal in FBS since 2008.
Previously, the longest field goal at The Linc was from 61 yards by Jake Elliott of the
Philadelphia Eagles.
Ove Johansson of Abilene Christian University holds the NCAA record with the 69-yard field goal that he hit on Oct. 16, 1976, aided by a 12-miles-per-hour tailwind. At the time, officials said the kick was true from 75 yards.
Cardinal soar in ACC debut
In its first ACC game, Stanford defeated Syracuse on the road, 26-24, on Emmet Kenney’s 39-yard field goal as time expired. The Cardinal (2-1 overall) had been picked by media voters to finish last in their inaugural season as a conference member.
Kenney hit four fields in the game, also connecting from 38, 51 and 35 yards. The Stanford defense limited Syracuse (2-1, 1-1 ACC) to 26 yards rushing.
Florida State (1-3, 1-2 ACC) was picked by the media to win the ACC.
Quotable
“Embarrassing day. Shocking day. You shouldn’t be at North Carolina and lose to a Group of Five team, period. There are no excuses.” — North Carolina head coach Mack Brown after his Tar Heels were beaten at home by James Madison, 70-50
“They (Utah) had a couple busted plays for conversions on fourth down and kept drives alive. But what I told the players is the same thing that I’ve told
you guys (media)—early in the season, college football, in my opinion, about half the games are given away. Teams don’t win, the other team just gives it to them.” — Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy after his team’s 22-19 home loss to Utah
Notable
ö Rutgers has started 3-0 for the fourth consecutive season, a feat last achieved by the program from 1958-61.
ö With wins over Kent State, Cincinnati, West Virginia and Youngstown State, Pitt went undefeated in non-conference play for the first time in program history. Pitt was an independent until joining the Big East in 1991 and then moving to the ACC in 2013.
ö Clemson defeated N.C. State last Saturday for the 800th win in program history, becoming the 14th FBS program and first ACC program to achieve the milestone. ö Army, 3-0 for only the eighth time since 1958, has won seven straight games since last season. The streak is the second-longest active winning streak nationally. Missouri has won eight straight. ö BYU’s 38-9 triumph over then-No. 13 Kansas State represents the largest margin of victory over a top-15 team in program history.
Jim Caltagirone, a former member of Penn State’s sports information department, comments on the national scene for Gameday. He can be reached at jimclion4ever@gmail. com.
Jim Caltagirone
By Andy Stine astine@altoonamirror. com
If there was anything to be unhappy about after last weekend’s game with Kent State, it was the penalties for Penn State. The Nittany Lions times for a total of 65 yards.
PSU is tied for 89th in penalties per game (7.3) out of 134 FBS schools.
“I don’t like them. I don’t like them at all,” PSU coach James Franklin said.
Franklin has a reason to not like them, especially on the presnap penalties that
Pre-snap fouls plague Nits early
against Kent State and Bowling Green, and eight times at West Virginia.
“As a head coach, it embarrasses me because it shows a lack of discipline and it’s sloppy and it makes things harder than it needs to be,” Franklin said.
Many of the penalties are being committed on either side of the ball on the line. On the ofWilliams was called for holding and a late hit just within a couple minutes of each other. Drew Shelton
a hold against Bowl-
ing Green. Freshman Anthony Donkoh jumped for a false start twice against West Virginia, but has since cleaned up those penalties.
side, the pre-snap
a killer. Alonzo Ford Jr. jumped offsides against Kent State, while Hakeem Beamon and Amin Vaagainst Bowling Green.
The West Virginia game was worse for the offsides penalties as Abdul Carter was called twice, while
Dennis-Sutton also both went early.
IN THE TRENCHES
because you jumped offsides on defense, you’re not going to get the sacks you want. You’re not going to get the tackles for loss you want,” Franklin said.
Pre-snap penalties and mistakes by
Illini, Hoosiers sit atop the Big Ten
By Mitch StAcy
The Associated Press
No, this is not a typo or somebody’s idea of a joke: Illinois and Indiana, two perennial also-rans in the mighty Big Ten, are both 4-0 and sitting atop the conference standings.
The last time both of those schools were un-
games was in 1910. The last time Indiana and Il-
season with winning records was in 2007 — Indiana was 7-6, Illinois was 9-4.
A lot of football ranging from mediocre to bad has been played in Bloomington, Indiana, and Champaign, Illinois.
It’s been more than two decades since either school won a Big Ten title.
Illinois coach Ron Turner did it in 2001 when he guided the Illini to a 10-2
coach when Hoosiers last
won a Big Ten crown in 1967.
So there hasn’t been much to crow about — until 2024.
Indiana beat FIU 31-7 in the opener, routed FCS squad Western Illinois in Week 2 and then grabbed going on the road and walloping new Big Ten member UCLA 42-13. Inweek and beat Charlotte 52-14.
Indiana quarterback Kurtis Rourke, a transfer from Ohio who threw for 307 yards and four touchdowns against UCLA, is
currently the top-rated quarterback in the conference. Wake Forest transfer Justice Ellison is among the top 10 in the conference with 290 rushing yards and four touchdowns going into Saturday’s game at Maryland (3-1).
“I think this team has learned a lot, and I think pretty strong intangicoach Curt Cignetti said.
character on this football team and a lot of really good guys as well as good players. We’re looking
young players such as Donkoh are going to happen, and it’s important that they’re limited to the non-conference portion of the schedule. They will need to be
the Big Ten will be a challenge in No. 19 Illinois.
“We’re going tosions about it as a staff, and we’re going to work on getting it
forward to what’s ahead. I think the whole key right now is maintaining our focus.”
Illinois under fourthyear coach Bret Bielema dispatched Eastern Illinois 45-0, got by then-No. 19 Kansas 23-17 and beat Central Michigan 30-9. The Illini showed they at then-No. 22 Nebraska.
Illinois debuted in the AP Top 25 two weeks ago
spots to No. 19. They will look for their third win
State (3-0) on Saturday.
“I wanted those guys to understand, it’s great, right?,” Bielema said.
kind of set the standard
The Illini’s Luke Altmyer, who transferred from Ole Miss last year, leads conference quarterbacks with 10 touchdown passes. He was named Big the Week for his performance against Nebraska.
Besides Penn State, the other conference unbeatens are Ohio State, Oregon and Rutgers — all 3-0.
The Associated Press
Penn State coach James Franklin talks to an official against Kent State during the second half Saturday at Beaver Stadium.
Rourke
Altmyer
MSU’s Smith raising five siblings
Spartan defensive back became legal guardian
Sept. 11 after mother died from breast cancer
By Larry Lage
The Associated Press
LANSING, Mich. — Armorion Smith pressed his palms together over the bridge of his nose, closed his eyes and leaned against the kitchen sink.
The 21-year-old Michigan State defensive back needed a moment in the four-bedroom, two-bathroom home he shares -
lings. He has a lot on his plate, more than most college students and certainly more than most student-athletes.
His mother, Gala Gil-
way to start taking classes next semester while juggling her role with the family.
Smith looks and sounds determined to help his siblings be happy, healthy and safe. His teammates watch in awe.
“I couldn’t even begin to imagine if I was in his situation,” linebacker
Jordan Hall said. “He’s in a tough spot, but he is one of the strongest guys I have ever known.”
nati for two years.
After Smith’s mother was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2022 during his sophomore season with the Bearcats, he transferred last year to be closer to home. The life lessons from his mom continued.
When Smith, holding his 2-year-old sister, arrived at a recent fundraiser, each of his other siblings introduced themselves to people there to support the family and shook their hands while making eye contact.
“That’s from my mom,” he said.
liam, died of breast cancer a month ago and without a father in the family’s life, Smith has become the head of the household while studying criminal justice and playing major college foot-
ball. He became the legal guardian for four siblings on Sept. 11.
“My cards were given to me,” Smith said softly with a steely gaze, standing on a small porch behind the home as the sun
set on a recent evening. “I didn’t choose my deck of cards.”
His 19-year-old sister, Aleion, is in charge while he is gone for about 12 hours most days to be a student and athlete. Ap-
WEEK 5 SCHEDULE
FRIDAY
EAST
Washington (3-1) at Rutgers (3-0), 8 p.m.
SOUTH
Virginia Tech (2-2) at Miami (4-0), 7:30 p.m.
SATURDAY
EAST
W. Kentucky (3-1) at Boston College (3-1), Noon
Harvard (1-0) at Brown (1-0), Noon
Bucknell (2-2) at Lehigh (3-1), Noon
Dayton (2-1) at Marist (0-3), Noon
Buffalo (3-1) at Uconn (2-2), Noon
Holy Cross (1-3) at Syracuse (2-1), Noon
Columbia (1-0) at Georgetown (2-2), 12:30 p.m.
Frostburg St. (0-0) at Mercyhurst (1-3), 1 p.m.
Colgate (1-3) at Penn (0-1), 1 p.m.
Dartmouth (1-0) at Merrimack (1-3), 1 p.m.
Fordham (0-4) at Monmouth (NJ) (2-2), 1 p.m.
Yale (1-0) at Cornell (0-1), 2 p.m.
Howard (2-2) at Princeton (0-1), 3 p.m.
Sacred Heart (2-2) at Delaware (3-0), 3:30
p.m.
p.m.
W. Michigan (1-2) at Marshall (1-2), 3:30
Maine (2-2) at Albany (NY) (1-2), 3:30 p.m.
Morgan St. (2-2) at Stony Brook (3-1), 3:30
p.m.
LIU Brooklyn (0-4) at Villanova (3-1), 6 p.m.
SOUTH
Navy (3-0) at UAB (1-2), Noon N. Illinois (2-1) at NC State (2-2), Noon
South Florida (2-2) at Tulane (2-2), Noon
Kentucky (2-2) at Mississippi (4-0), Noon
Valparaiso (2-2) at Morehead St. (2-2), 1 p.m.
Ball St. (1-2) at James Madison (3-0), 1:30 p.m.
Mercer (4-0) at Wofford (2-1), 1:30 p.m.
ETSU (2-2) at The Citadel (2-2), 2 p.m.
S. Utah (1-3) at Austin Peay (1-3), 2 p.m.
Richmond (2-2) at Elon (1-3), 2 p.m.
Delaware St. (1-3) at Campbell (1-3), 2 p.m.
Robert Morris (2-2) at E. Kentucky (2-2), 2 p.m.
North Alabama (0-5) at West Georgia (1-2), 2 p.m.
Samford (1-2) at Furman (1-3), 2 p.m.
Alabama St. (1-2) at Bethune-Cookman (04), 3 p.m.
Norfolk St. (2-3) vs. NC Central (2-2) at Indianapolis, 3 p.m.
Georgia Southern (2-2) at Georgia St. (2-1), 3:30 p.m.
Liberty (4-0) at Appalachian St. (2-2), 3:30 p.m.
Louisiana-Lafayette (2-1) at Wake Forest (12), 3:30 p.m.
Oklahoma (3-1) at Auburn (2-2), 3:30 p.m.
Colorado (3-1) at UCF (3-0), 3:30 p.m.
Tennessee Tech (1-2) at Gardner-Webb (1-
3), 4 p.m.
UTSA (2-2) at East Carolina (2-2), 4 p.m. North Carolina (3-1) at Duke (4-0), 4 p.m.
Wagner (2-2) at FAU (1-3), 6 p.m.
Hampton (3-1) at William & Mary (3-1), 6 p.m.
NC A&T (1-3) at SC State (1-2), 6 p.m.
Louisiana Tech (1-2) at FIU (1-3), 6 p.m.
Charleston Southern (1-2) at Tennessee St. (2-2), 6 p.m.
UT Martin (1-3) at Kennesaw St. (0-3), 6 p.m.
Davidson (2-1) at Presbyterian (2-2), 7 p.m.
Alcorn St. (1-3) at MVSU (0-4), 7 p.m.
Louisiana-Monroe (2-1) at Troy (1-3), 7 p.m.
Grambling St. (3-1) vs. Prairie View (1-3) at Dallas, 7 p.m.
Portland St. (0-3) at Chattanooga (0-3), 7 p.m.
Stanford (2-1) at Clemson (2-1), 7 p.m.
Middle Tennessee (1-3) at Memphis (3-1), 7:30 p.m.
Georgia (3-0) at Alabama (3-0), 7:30 p.m.
South Alabama (2-2) at LSU (3-1), 7:45 p.m.
MIDWEST
Maryland (3-1) at Indiana (4-0), Noon
Oklahoma St. (3-1) at Kansas St. (3-1), Noon
Nebraska (3-1) at Purdue (1-2), Noon
Minnesota (2-2) at Michigan (3-1), Noon
Va. Lynchburg (0-3) at Butler (3-0), 1 p.m.
San Diego (2-1) at Drake (1-1), 1 p.m.
Houston Christian (1-3) at Indiana St. (1-2), 1 p.m.
The family Smith grew up in in Detroit, recalling how he was homeless at times and hopped from house sleep. He was a three-star prospect at River Rouge High School and attended the University of Cincin-
Murray St. (1-2) at North Dakota (3-1), 2 p.m.
S. Illinois (2-2) at South Dakota (2-1), 2 p.m.
Youngstown St. (1-3) at Missouri St. (2-2), 3 p.m.
Lindenwood (Mo.) (1-3) at E. Illinois (1-3), 3 p.m.
N. Dakota St. (3-1) at Illinois St. (3-1), 3 p.m.
Akron (1-3) at Ohio (2-2), 3:30 p.m.
San Diego St. (1-2) at Cent. Michigan (2-2), 3:30 p.m.
Louisville (3-0) at Notre Dame (3-1), 3:30 p.m.
Umass (1-3) at Miami (Ohio) (0-3), 3:30 p.m.
E. Michigan (3-1) at Kent St. (0-4), 3:30 p.m.
TCU (2-2) at Kansas (1-3), 3:30 p.m.
Northwestern St. (0-4) at SE Missouri (3-1), 4 p.m.
Old Dominion (0-3) at Bowling Green (1-2), 5 p.m.
McKendree (0-0) at W. Illinois (0-3), 7 p.m.
Ohio St. (3-0) at Michigan St. (3-1), 7:30 p.m. SOUTHWEST
BYU (4-0) at Baylor (2-2), Noon
Sam Houston St. (3-1) vs. Texas State (2-1) at Houston, 3 p.m.
Texas A&M (3-1) vs. Arkansas (3-1) at Arlington, Texas, 3:30 p.m.
Mississippi St. (1-3) at Texas (4-0), 4:15 p.m.
Charlotte (1-3) at Rice (1-3), 7 p.m.
Jackson St. (2-2) at Texas Southern (1-2), 7 p.m.
SE Louisiana (1-3) at Tarleton St. (3-1), 7
She was trying to prepare him for what was to come before she died Aug. 19. She was 41.
“She used to tell me everything: ‘Get hard’ and all of that,” he recalled. “And I see why she was under a lot of stress.”
See Siblings/Page 12
Lamar (3-1) at Cent. Arkansas (3-1), 7 p.m. Iowa St. (3-0) at Houston (1-3), 7 p.m. Tulsa (2-2) at North Texas (3-1), 7 p.m.
Cincinnati (3-1) at Texas Tech (3-1), 8 p.m. Florida St. (1-3) at SMU (3-1), 8 p.m. FAR WEST
Cal Poly (1-2) at N. Colorado (0-4), 3 p.m.
Fresno St. (3-1) at UNLV (3-0), 3:30 p.m.
Wisconsin (2-1) at Southern Cal (2-1), 3:30 p.m.
Sacramento St. (2-2) at N. Arizona (2-2), 4 p.m.
Montana St. (4-0) at Idaho St. (2-2), 6 p.m. Air Force (1-2) at Wyoming (0-4), 8 p.m. Montana (3-1) at E. Washington (1-3),
The Associated Press Armorion Smith (from left) reviews game video on his phone as he sits with his siblings Arial, 11, Aleion, 19, Amaira, 2, Armond, 16, and Avaugn, 15, on Sept. 3 at home in Lansing, Mich.
Vols’ talent fee opens talk of who will follow
By Gary B. Graves
The Associated Press
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The quiet part about evolving landscape of name, image and likeness compensation in college athletics was bound to be said out loud, and it wasn’t that shocking when Tennessee’s athletic department stepped forward, cleared its collective throat and stated the obvious.
A week has passed since the school announced a 10% “talent fee” for 2025 football season ticket renewals to help pay its athletes and help the No. 6 Vols attract and keep the best talent. That’s in addition to a 4.5% hike that athletic director Danny White explained on video helpsble” as the collegiate model changes.
The price hike could be viewed as a pre-emptive move with a agreement to pay $2.78 billion in damages to hundreds of thousands of athletes dating to 2016. It includes an agreement by schools to distribute up to $21 million in athletic revenue annually starting as early next fall.
Anticipating all of that hitting their budgets, some schools have already incorporated ticket increases in upcoming budgets. Tenmention a surcharge specifically for talent as the bidding wars for top players are exposed for what they are.
“I can’t imagine that they’re going to be the only ones that announce something like that,” Louisville AD Josh Heird told The Associated Press. “It’s just, how do you feel like you
can as an athletic department come up with that from that rev share number to try to compensate the student-athletes at the highest possible level?”
The NCAA in July 2021 opened the door for NIL payments to athletes, which led to the advent of so-called collectives, funded by boosters, around many programs that are separate from school athletic departments. It’s too early to predict where collectives will end up, but it is a key part of the settlement.
As for talent fees, the question is whether season ticket holders will accept paying another surcharge besides charges for handling and convenience added to the face value. Ditto for the single-game spectator mulling how much the price of admission will run.
Judging from the announcement from Tennessee – which consistently sells out 101,915-seat Neyland Stadium for Vols home games with thousands more on a waiting list – indications they will.
And the school likely has plenty of company at football powerhouses such as Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State and Texas, for starters.
But that fan acceptance also ratchets up the high expectation of hoisting the national championship trophy, or at least regular contending in the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff. Not that any of those schools have a problem understanding the assignment.
“Given the landscape of college athletics and today’s economy, I think
most fans at the power conference schools will likely be OK with a marginal talent fee or tax like what we’re seeing here becauseitive teams,” said Lamar Reams, department chair and professor of sports administration at Ohio University.
“For the fans, this is aparent tax that they know that they can contribute to. So, if there’s some sucthe line, they can certainly take the perspective that they had or played some role in contributing to that.”
Reams notes that that type of fee might not be palatable for fans of a school with less football success or tradition. Or, those willing to initially pay may eventually balk if the on-
don’t provide a return on the investment.
Talent fees could also become an option at smaller Division I schools with strong football or basketball tradition. San Diego State athletic director J.D. Wicker echoed Reams’ belief that having fans feeling more involved in the success of the team can be a positive -- at times.
“If (Tennessee) is in the Jeremy Pruitt days, you’re probably not doing it,” Wicker said, referring to the Vols’ previous coach. “But if you’re top-six in the country heading to Oklahoma and you have had a lot of success, it’s a lot easier.”
And as college sports prepares for revenue sharing, Wicker notes, “People are going to get creative.”
2024 PENN STATE STATISTICS
Smart looks past Saban connection
Bulldog coach no
longer has to fret about his mentor-turnednemesis on visit to Tuscaloosa
By Paul NewBerry
The Associated Press
tion — essentially, what’s it going to be like to face an Alabama team that’s not coached by Saban? — Smart kept the focus squarely on the two powerhouse programs that will meet Saturday night on Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
six of them in charge of the Alabama program — seems to be cherishing life after coaching.
ATHENS, Ga. — Kirby Smart no longer has to worry about his mentor-turned-nemesis in Tuscaloosa. Somewhere, deep in his gut, the Georgia coach might be a bit relieved that Nick Saban is now wearing a mic at the broadcast table rather than a headset on the sideline.
Just don’t expect Smart to come right out and say it. -
sions of the same ques-
“No, I don’t expect it to be strange,” Smart said Monday. “That’s just the normal course of progression.”
Still, there’s no getting around the major issue hanging over a rivalry that largely has charted the course of the Southeastern Conference for nearly a decade.
Saban is not a part of it anymore — other than his duties as an analyst for ESPN’s “College GameDay,” which will be on hand in Tuscaloosa as the No. 2 Bulldogs (3-0, 1-0 SEC) face the No. 4 Crimson Tide (30, 0-0).
Smart said he’s glad that Saban — who retired in January after winning a record seven national titles,
“I’m thrilled that he gets an opportunity to do what he wants to do and be with who he wants to be with within his family and enjoy that,” Smart said. “I’m really happy he’s still part of college football because he makes college football better.”
These two coaches — one now retired, the other in the prime of his career — will be linked forever.
Smart was on Saban’s staff for more than a decade, soaking up every bit of wisdom he could glean from perhaps the greatest coach in college football history.
After the 2015 season, Smart departed Tuscaloosa to take over the good-butnot-quite-great program at his alma mater, quickly pushing the Bulldogs to that next level.
You know, the spot at the top of the conference held by Saban’s Crimson Tide.
Georgia captured the SEC crown in Smart’s second season, only to be defeated in the national title game by Alabama in an overtime thriller.
Saban beat his former assistant three more times — twice with the league championship on the line, another time in a regularnally broke through with a 33-18 victory in the national championship game at the end of the 2021 season.
straight national titles for Smart’s Bulldogs, moving them to the pinnacle of college football’s hierarchy, but it was Saban who deliv-
former pupil.
After Georgia breezed through the 2023 regular season at 12-0 and seemed poised for an unprecedented third straight title in the poll era, Alabama pulled off a 27-24 upset in the SEC championship game — a result that knocked the Dawgs out of the four-team playoff.
It was a loss that still stings between the hedges.
chip on our shoulder,” receiver Arian Smith conceded.
Smart, who has brought a singular focus to the Bulldogs that was a hallmark of Saban’s teams, doesn’t want his players thinking about a game from nine months ago, especially when the Crimson Tide are now coached by Kalen DeBoer.
“I don’t know how similar or different it will be,” Smart said. “We’re a different team. They’re a
different team. They’re a different staff. We’re a similar staff. So, I can’t compare last year’s game to this year.”
This will be Smart’s second trip to Tuscaloosa since taking the Georgia job. During the pandemic-plagued 2020 season, the Bulldogs lost 41-24 to an Alabama squad that went on to claim what would be
“You move on,” Smart said. “I think the last time we went (to Tuscaloosa), it
the time we had lived there. It’s so weird when you play there because you’re in and out. You’re there and then you’re gone.”
Smart has certainly carved his own dynastic path at Georgia, but he never quite escaped Saban’s shadow. His record against his former boss was 1-5. The Bulldogs have only two losses in their last
51 games — both of them coming to Alabama.
For sure, Saban’s presence still looms over this rivalry. There may be a different guy on the Alabama sideline Saturday night, but many of those taking the previous coach.
“Well, he recruited a lot of them, and they’re good players,” Smart said of Saban, before catching himself and quickly shifting the focus to the game at hand and not who will — or won’t — be coaching in it.
“Any time you go against a really good team that’s a powerhouse in college football, it’s a challenge,” message. “I really look at it like this is a hell of an opportunity for our kids, our program, on a national stage.”
He went on a bit longer, but there was no more mention of Saban.
The Associated Press
Georgia head coach Kirby Smart looks on during the first half against Kentucky on Sept. 14 in Lexington, Ky.
Saban
The Associated Press
Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer leads his team on the field against Wisconsin on Sept. 14 in Madison, Wis.
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2024 PENN STATE ROSTER
PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS
2024 SCHEDULE
29
30
30
LB 6-2 213 R-Soph. Philadelphia, Pa. Imhotep Charter
33 Dani Dennis-Sutton DE 6-5 272 Jr. Millsboro, Del. McDonogh School (Md.)
34 Tyler Holzworth RB 6-0 221 R-Jr. Milford,
35
36
36 Feyisayo Oluleye
37
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Andy Kotelnicki, Offensive coordinator
Tom Allen, Defensive coordinator/LBs
Justin Ludwig, Special teams/OLBs/Nickels
Anthony Poindexter, Co-DC/Safeties
Kinshasa, DR of the Congo St. Thomas More (Conn.)
56 JB Nelson OL 6-5 327 R-Sr. Pittsburgh, Pa. Mount Lebanon
57 Donnie Harbour OL 6-3 329 Fr. Milwaukee, Wis. Catholic Memorial
58 Kaleb Artis DT 6-4 323 R-Soph. Westbury, N.Y. St. Francis Preparatory School
60 Logan Bahn OL NA NA Fr. Ramsey, N.J. Ramsey
61 Liam Horan OL NA NA Fr. Malvern, Pa. Malvern Prep
63 Alex Birchmeier OL 6-5
64
65
66
6-5 306 Jr. Downingtown, Pa. Downingtown West
67 Henry Boehme OL 6-5 283 R-Fr. Birmingham, Ala. Mountain Brook
68 Anthony Donkoh OL 6-5 336 R-Fr. Aldie, Va. Lightridge
70 Garrett Sexton OL 6-6
2024 SCHEDULE
Ty Howle, Co-Offensive Coordinator/Tight ends
Deion Barnes, Defensive line
Ja’Juan Seider, Asst. HC/Co-OC/RBs
Terry M. Smith, Asst. HC/def. recruiting/CBs
Marques Hagans, Off. recruiting coord/WRs
Phil Trautwein, Offensive line
SIBLINGS: ‘It just puts a smile on my face to see them happy’
(Continued from Page 7)
Smith keeps notes on his phone to help manage busy days that start before dawn, when he is up to make sure his two sisters and three brothers are awake before he leaves for school. Smith gets a lift from a teammate or a ride-hailing service to make the 4-mile trip to campus for therapy on his surgically repaired shoulders and meetings with the football team before going to classes and practice.
His eldest sister gets their 16- and 15-year-old brothers, Armond and Avaugn, and 11-yearold sister, Arial, ready for school. There are two varieties of Cap’n Crunch atop the refrigerator in a kitchen that didn’t have a table or chairs during a recent visit.
The school-age brothers rely on a ride-hailing company to get them to school and back while their oldest sister cares for their toddler sister, Amaira.
“Me and my sister got to work
he said. “While I’m in college sports, she’s got to be able to take care of everything that I can’t do, like pick up where I left off, while
He and the siblings he is now responsible for at least have a home thanks in part to a GoFundMe campaign.
Student caregivers
While Smith’s story is unusual in college sports — the NCAA does not track the number of athletes whose day-to-day activities include caring for a dependent — a 2020 study from the National
Center for Education Statistics found 19.5% of undergraduate college students had a dependent and 5.5% of them were responsible for non-child dependents. Other research shows student-caregivers are disproportionately from historically marginalized racial and ethnic groups.
Ray Ray McElrathbey was a 19-year-old freshman at Clemson in 2006 when he took over custody of his 10-year-old brother because of his mother’s drug problems and his father’s gambling addiction. Initially, they lived solely off McElrathbey’s scholarship and later the NCAA approved a plan where donations were administered by a local bank and distributed to Ray and Fahmarr. His story was the sub-
When McElrathbey was a child and saw “Angels in the Out-
felt there were other children out there like him. These days, he does speaking engagements and shares his message of hope with young people.
“Just kind to speak to those kids in a similar situation like I was growing up and have them have something to inspire them
Tufts University professor Emma Armstrong-Carter, who has done research on children caregivers, said these young people show amazing strength and don’t want to be pitied.
“Isn’t it incredible that these young people are able to overcome so many challenges and support their families in ways
at home.
One of his mother’s close friends, Yolanda Wilson, whose son, Nick Marsh, is a standout freshman receiver and former high school teammate, has been a source of support.
“I’m going to be there no matpromise I made to their mother. And they have everybody here backing them up. So, it’s going to be a hard transition as it is, but we’re going to be that tightknit community and have their
The love is not lost on Smith.
“Me and my family are very happy, very appreciative and lot of love Spartan Nation has shown us these past few months. It’s been a rough time, but to be able to take some of the stress off of my shoulders and show me a lot of love is a blessing and has
that are necessary and mean-
“There’s a need for more institutional support to help them
Smith and his family are able to afford renting a house in the state capital, paying for utilities, bills, food and ride-hailing -
Lansing and an IHOP in Livonia set up by former Michigan State football players Jason Strayhorn and Sedrick Irvin and promoted podcast.
Road trips are part of the calendar and the Spartans don’t play two home games in a row until the end of the season in November, though two bye weekends will give Smith more time
nancial support. The GoFundMe effort has raised more than $60,000, and he makes some money through name, image and likeness deals. Michigan State has helped through a student assistance fund. Two fundraisers
When Smith gave The Associated Press access to his home one recent evening, three siblings were upstairs in their bedrooms while a teenage brother was napping on a sectional couch in a living room without a TV or table. His toddler sister giggled between drinks from a sippy cup.
“It just puts a smile on my face watching video clips from practice on his phone.
Smith’s sadness comes and goes, but he knows his mother would want him to carry on.
“I can feel her living through her voice telling me how proud
The Associated Press
Michigan State defensive back Armorion Smith (right) listens as secondary coach Blue Adams talks to players on the sidelines against Maryland on Sept. 7 in College Park, Md.
