BWI Live: A Penn State football podcast from Blue White Illustrated

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BWI Live: Penn State vs. Ole Miss Preview - Scouting the Nittany Lion's Bowl Opponent Dec 07, 2023

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Penn State defense vs. Ole Miss offense: https://bit.ly/3Nbo0yE

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Today on the BWI Live Show, we dissect Penn State's 2023 Peach Bowl opponent, Ole Miss. We'll talk about what the offense, under head coach Lane Kiffen, likes to do, and how they do it. We'll also discuss the team's defensive abilities, schemes and players. Check out the show here or on the Blue White Illustrated YouTube Page.

We'll also discuss new Penn State's offensive coordinator, Andy Kotelnicki and his offensive approach.

Penn State defense vs. Ole Miss

Today's show is based on the By The Numbers series from earlier this week, after the bowl matchup was announced. He's an excerpt of what we discuss on the show.

From a productivity standpoint, Jaxson Dart is the best quarterback that Penn State will face this season. All the former USC commit has done in two seasons under Lane Kiffen is throw for just under 3,000 yards in back-to-back seasons. Despite that, the team isn’t a pass-happy unit with a 60% pass ratio. The team only threw the ball on 48% of its offensive plays this year. We’ve been obsessed with the term “balance” this season with the Penn State offense. This offense truly has balance in its offensive threats.

That’s allowed Kiffen to scheme up explosive plays for the Ole Miss offense. Dart has generated 92 explosive passing plays (15-plus yards) this season, tied for seventh most among Power Five offenses. That accounted for 2,442 yards.

Check out the complete breakdown of the offense here.

Drew Allar, running backs will face a familiar challenge

As for the defense, we folded in some early scouting to give fans a picture of what Ole Miss does defensively. The answer? A lot.

The official Ole Miss depth chart says that the team runs an odd front defense, with three defensive linemen and an “outside” linebacker, but the team can and does run just about every front with regularity. While they “base” out of an odd front (3-4), they play wide over, odd, wide under, and even fronts an equal amount. Despite being listed as an outside linebacker starter, Cedric Johnson has dropped into coverage 44 times out of 526 total snaps in the regular season.

To cut through the technicalities and jargon, Ole Miss deploys two defensive linemen and two edge defenders that they use in multiple ways, including odd fronts. It’s about how you’re used, not always what you “can” do. But the bottom line is that the Penn State offensive line must be ready for many different looks.

Once again, you can see the full breakdown of the defense and it's schemes here.

Learn more about those topics and hear fan questions in quarter three of the show!

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Penn State vs. Ole Miss Preview - Initial Scouting Report on The Rebels

Hoops Show: Is Penn State basketball in trouble after loss to Bucknell? Dec 05, 2023

Show notes

The Penn State Men’s basketball team has now lost four straight games, including a 76-67 clunker against Bucknell this past weekend.

“It’s unacceptable. That’s on me,” he said. “We got to get our guys to completely understand how we play defense. I pride myself and our teams always on being able to stop people, not just in full court but the half court. When you have a new team and how we do things defensively, it’s foreign, not as familiar to some of these guys. It’s not as consistent.

Join the Penn State hoops show, where we discuss the underlying issues with the team as senior editor Nate Bauer explains them.

BWI Live: Penn State Football Navigating the Transfer Portal with New Offensive Coordinator Dec 05, 2023

Show notes

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The Penn State football team, like the rest of college football is in the maelstrom of the 2023-24 transfer portal. This first window is open for a short time, and will be a major factor in which teams are set up for success next fall. Can Penn State fill its holes and reload for the coming year? We'll discuss that and more on today's BWI Live Show. Publisher Sean Fitz and Penn State insider Nate Bauer join the show to discuss the flood of news and topics since the last show.

We'll cover the new coordinator hire, the transfer portal, Penn State's bowl opponent in Ole Miss, plus take your questions! Join the show!

Penn State has a quiet start to the transfer portal

As of writing, only two players, punter Alex Bachetta and receiver Cristian Driver, have entered the transfer portal. That's a quiet start for the Penn State Nittany Lions who have been uncommonly good at keeping talent in house during the portal era. We'll look at previous seasons to determine if more will be on the way, or if the team will retain all its players that don't go to the NFL.

We'll also discuss names like Washington State's Josh Kelly and North Texas' Ja'Mori Maclin as players that Penn State has publicly offered in the portal. Both players are receivers, and the team is desperate to find more playmakers.

While it may go unnoticed by some, there have already been losses in the coaching ranks. Penn State analyst Ola Adams has taken a job with Indiana this week, so we'll recap his time at Penn State and discuss his impact on the program. It's a perfect segue to discuss new offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki and what head coach James Franklin had to say about him on Sunday evening. We'll discuss his comments and what the new coordinator brings to the table.

Finally, we'll discuss Penn State's Bowl matchup with Ole Miss. What are the early things you need to know about the next opponent? How does this group present challenges for the Nittany Lions? We'll preview the upcoming game.

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Recruiting Show: What you need to know about Penn State's recruiting before National Signing Day Nov 30, 2023

Show notes

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Now that the season is over, several different worlds are converging for the Penn State Nittany Lions football team. The transfer portal window is about to open, but the team has to secure it's Class of 2024 and make late-game adjustments to the class if the opportunities present. It's a hectic time for the staff, made more hectic by the offensive coordiantor search. We're discussing how all of the pieces fit together on today's BWI Live Recruiting Show.

We'll focus on the team's final preparations for the early signing period in December and what fans should expect out of the Dec. 8 official visit weekend. We'll also disucss the Class of 2024 rankings update from Thanksgiving and explain who moved up and why.

Join the show today at 10 a.m. on YouTube so you don't miss any of the news and conversation about Penn State recruiting!

Penn State misses out on Andrew Dennis

The Nittany Lions have successfully pulled an offensive lineman into the last few classes after securing the bulk of the group during the standard recruiting windows. This year, former Michigan State offensive line commit Andrew Dennis was the target. However, the team missed on getting a commitment with Dennis announcing earlier this week that he was committing to Illinois. We'll discuss the impact on the group Penn State has assembled and what happens next for Penn State among the late push for players in this cycle.

Recruiting insider Ryan Snyder put together a tally of how many players visited Penn State throughout the 2023 home football schedule. He'll compare how the team did in September and October against the late-season noon kicks. He'll also discuss several other interesting nuggets he found when looking back at the current month.

Penn State gets good news with "underrated recruits"

The most recent rankings updates for the Class of 2024 came out during the holiday week. We're recapping which players made significant moves in the latest On300 update. Why did Luke Reynolds and Ethan Grunkemeyer go from afterthoughts int he class to top-ten players? Check out the YouTube video to see highlights from their senior seasons.

What's next?

The transfer portal will heat up quickly for Penn State. While we've covered what Penn State needs on several of the last shows, we'll recap the players Penn State has put a public offer into and what fans should expect when the portal goes live next week.

Finally, we'll preview the Dec. 8 official visit weekend and if fans should expect news between then and now of players making their way to Happy Valley to check out Penn State Football.

Hoops Show: Breaking down Penn State's tournament skid Nov 29, 2023

Show notes

Penn State started the season out with some promising games against non-conference opponents. Then, they hit a tough stretch of games in the ESPN Invitational. Mike Rhoades' team lost three straight to Texas A&M, Butler and Rhoades' old team, VCU.

On today's Hoops Show, we discuss what caused the team's three-game losing streak and the thorny issues causing the team's problems. Rhoades says that the tournament was a wakeup call to reality for his team.

"When you play in really good tournaments like that, you get exposed quickly. You had some great moments. I thought some guys gave us some really good minutes."

"And at times I thought our offense was really good and got some great execution. Just not a consistent enough play on both ends of the court, but especially defense to win those caliber of games. Our effort against Texas A&M I thought it was super. We didn't defensive rebound well enough to win that game. The other two games, I just thought we played frustrated on the defensive end, and it affected us on offense at times."

Check out the full show for more.

BWI Live: Recapping the best offensive performance from Penn State this season Nov 29, 2023

Show notes

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The Penn State Nittany Lions defeated the Michigan State Spartans 42-0 on Friday of last week to end the 2023 regular season. While it was almost a week ago, it's important to review and understand how the team finished the season. On today's BWI Live Show, we break down how the offense finished the season with its best overall performance of the season.

Penn State puts together complete offensive performance

The Penn State offense was in rare form against Michigan State. The team compiled over 300 yards combined, passing between quarterbacks Drew Allar and Beau Pribula. Allar had one of his best games of the season, throwing for 292 yards and two touchdowns in the win.

In today's show, we'll explain Penn State's tweaks to the offense under the new dual coordinator setup with Ja'Juan Seider and Ty Howle. These tweaks put players like Nick Singleton, Tyler Warren, and Theo Johnson in a position to succeed instead of other offensive players. We'll break down how the team used similar concepts to gain much better results. We'll also discuss where Michigan State was poor in defense.

Finally, we'll discuss how the Penn State defense used a significant advantage up front to shut down another offensive unit completely.

BWI Live: Decision time looming for several critical Penn State Football players Nov 28, 2023

Show notes

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The Penn State Nittany Lions finished the season strong, beating Michigan State 42-0 on Black Friday. Today, we're discussing the win and the impending fallout of the season's conclusion on the BWI Live show. Join Penn State insiders Sean Fitz and Nate Bauer as we discuss the players that have a decision to make about their future heading into the 2023 offseason.

We'll also take your questions on the show! Join the show live at 10 a.m. on YouTube to discuss the pressing topics on your mind.

Penn State defensive coordinator Manny Diaz left off awards list

The Broyles Award, given to the best assistant coach in college football, announced its finalists this year. Shockingly, Penn State defensive coordinator Manny Diaz was not among the finalists. We'll discuss that decision before talking about Diaz's future. Will he stick around for another season? We'll ask the experts.

From there, we'll shift our focus back to the game on Friday to recap Penn State's final game of the 2023 season. Did the Nittany Lions take a meaningful stride on offense? Or were they playing a bad defense? We'll discuss Drew Allar's performance, the explosive plays, and more.

Big decisions that can change the face of the team

Several Penn State football players have big decisions to make regarding their future. Nate Bauer wrote about which players can return and which have run out of eligibility. We're discussing the list in a superlative fashion. Who has the biggest decision to make? Which one might be the biggest surprise to leave? And which one is the most important to stay?

Tight ends Theo Johnson and Tyler Warren highlight the list. Check out the show to find out which ones make our list!

#PennState #NittanyLions

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Penn State vs. Michigan State Postgame Show: Lions puts it all together in final game Nov 25, 2023

Show notes

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The Penn State Nittany Lions put together its most complete game of the season on Saturday in the team's final regular season contest. They defeated the Michigan State Spartans with a furious rally, pouring on 15 third-quarter points in the third quarter

Join the BWI Live Postgame Show to discuss the game. We're breaking down the game and how Penn State used subtle tweaks to the passing game that unlocked big plays.

We're live moments after the game's conclusion for 60 minutes of postgame discussion.

Penn State offense finally gets its explosive plays

After months of frustration and conversation, the Penn State offense finally went off against a struggling Michigan State team. During the game, the offense hit explosive plays of 60, 53, 50, and 40 yards. Drew Allar hit a 60-yard pass to Omari Evans in a full-circle moment that echoed his second pass of the season against West Virginia to begin the year.

Meanwhile, Kaytron Allen ripped off two runs of 50 and 40 against the Spartan's defense to reestablish the team's big-play prowess. Nick Singleton chipped into the action with a 53-yard screen pass, with a great block from Tyler Warren. Singleton capped off his day with a 14-yard burst in the red zone during the fourth quarter.

However, things were close early; the team gained 308 yards at halftime but only 13 points. Penalties and sacks in the red zone stymied the scoring opportunities early. However, Penn State eventually showed they had the firepower to knock out Michigan State.

Defense dominant once again

As expected, the Penn State defense was dominant once again. The starting unit pitched a shutout. The defense was relentless, with six sacks during the competitive portion of the game. Michigan State put together two potential scoring drives, but Jaylen Reed snuffed the first out with an interception. Adisa Isaac forced an intentional grounding pass from wide receiver. Alante Brown.

From there, the team never mounted a threat to the Penn State defense. The starters forced seven three-and-outs and 74 yards in the game. However, injuries were a scare during the game. Defensive end Chop Robinson was stepped on during the first half's final play. JB Nelson came out of the first drive and wasn't seen again. Finally, Abdul Carter was injured and didn't return to the game.

We're discussing those points and your thoughts on the Penn State offense and defense on the BWI Live Postgame Show.

#PennState #NittanyLions

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BWI Live: Sketching out the Penn State plan against Rutgers to learn the details of what changed Nov 22, 2023

Show notes

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The Penn State Nittany Lions football team faces off against Michigan State on Saturday for the team's final game of the 2023 season. It's also the second game without offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich. Head coach James Franklin fired Yurcich after the team's loss to Michigan earlier this year.

So what was different last week, and what can we expect in the upcoming game against the Spartans? We'll discuss the plan of attack for the team when quarterback Drew Allar was under center before he was knocked out of the game in the third quarter.

We'll also discuss how the game changed in the second half when backup Beau Pribula came into the game and operated the offense.

Penn State game plan altered last week

While Franklin declined to discuss the specific issues with Yurcich's style during his Monday press conference, he did expound on how to build a good offensive game plan in college football.

"How tight can you get the game plan to allow the players to get enough reps versus all the looks in the game to play fast and assignment sound, but not too small that there is not enough things in the plan to give the defense challenges and issues.

So that is always the constant battle. I remember when I first became a coordinator, coming from a west coast system the game plan was massive," he said.

But with a collaborative effort on the offensive staff, led by tight ends coach Ty Howle and running backs coach Ja'Juan Seider, Franklin said he was pleased with the plan. They kept things lean and effective, which is what he learned in his career.

Lean is effective

Multiple times during his time at Penn State, Franklin reinforced the idea of Yurcich not trying to reinvent the offense each week.

"Not just the number of plays in the game plan, how many of those plays are new concepts, not the same play run from a different formation with a different motion. That's fine. How many of those plays are new concepts as well?

What's the sweet spot for that as well? Typically that may show up on third down and red zone or with a trick play or shot.

So all those things have to be factored in, and to me, that's where the best ones are. They're as tight as they can be with the game plan, but not so tight that it becomes simplistic and easy for the defense."

On today's show, we'll describe how that played out on the field and give examples of Penn State's offensive staff putting the quarterback in a position to succeed more often and earlier in the game.

#PennState #NittanyLions

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BWI Live: Penn State vs. Rutgers Review- James Franklin happy with new path on offense Nov 21, 2023

Show notes

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The Penn State football team got a needed win against Rutgers on Saturday with a 27-6 beatdown. It's also the final week of the 2023 regular season. We're previewing the final game of the regular season by discussing what we learned from the last several days. On today's BWI Live Show, we're discussing what Penn State head coach James Franklin had to say about his team's win over the Scarlet Knights this past weekend. We'll also give our impressions of the game.

Penn State quarterback Drew Allar was knocked out of the game early in the third quarter on a quarterback run. How much did that affect the way the game ended? And how much will Penn State use both quarterbacks on Friday if both are healthy? We'll discuss how Beau Pribula's role in the offense is expanding now that Ty Howle and Ja'Juan Seider are calling the plays.

We'll also disuss the team's coordinator search and how that might evolve if Manny Diaz finds a new job as a head coach elsewhere in college football.

Penn State vs. Rutgers Review: James Franklin happy with new path on offense

#PennState #NittanyLions

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