JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – Speaking candidly about a host of topics related to Penn State athletics and the world of college sports in general, Steve Jones, the radio voice of the university’s football and men’s basketball teams, speaks remained on the court for about two hours during Thursday’s annual dinner for the Laurel Highlands Chapter of the Penn State Alumni Association at the Holiday Inn Johnstown-Downtown.
Jones, who partners with Bishop McCort Catholic graduate and Pro Football Hall of Famer Jack Ham during football broadcasts, also offered his thoughts to The Tribune-Democrat on the upcoming football season for the Nittany Lions.
He also discussed his relationship with Ham, who will enter his 25th season in the booth with Jones.
“He and I played at Sunnehanna (County Club),” Jones said. “He’ll say, ‘I’m still a member here.’ He and Ron Moehler grew up together. Ron is with us in the booth for the home games. The friendship they have is tremendous. The friendship that Jack and I have is tremendous. Johnstown was great to him. He has a great affection for Johnstown. “When we come here, we have a great time here.”
Ham’s fondness for the city extends to keeping up with his alma mater, which merged its football program with Bishop Carroll Catholic in 2021.
“He always asks, ‘What did Bishop McCort do last night?’ He always asks how things are going in town,” Jones said. “He cares a lot about Johnstown. His roots are very important to him. I’ve always felt that where you grow up shapes you as a person, and Jack is one of the best people around. He has no ego and that is a tribute to Johnstown.”
A season after Penn State finished 10-3 capped by a 38-25 loss to Mississippi in the Peach Bowl, the Nittany Lions’ 2024 prospects come with the weight of new expectations with the College Football Playoff expanding to 12 teams .
“The pulse of the team is that they’ve taken care of their business,” Jones said. “They have been thinking a lot about what they should do and how they should do it. The noise outside is about the College Football Playoff. In some ways, Penn State is in the noise and in some ways, Penn State is under the radar, and I think they like it that way.”
One of the country’s winningest programs since 2016, when a dramatic midseason turnaround led Penn State to capture the Big Ten championship, coach James Franklin has led the Nittany Lions to a 76-27 record in that span . The program has always been left out of the four-team playoff.
“I think everyone would like this to happen now, especially the head coach (Franklin),” Jones said, “because he’s worked hard to get them back to this point. It’s been a long road to get back to this point.
“You have to admit that James took a really bad situation, because of the number of scholarships, not because of what Bill O’Brien did (from 2012 to 2014), and put them in a competitive situation to go toe-to-toe with the best . .”
While it may not necessarily be a now-or-never situation for Penn State to make the playoffs, recent history supports the sentiment that the team can earn a bid if it can play to those standards.
“In an expanded playoff, if they had had the expanded playoffs since 2016, Penn State would have been there five times,” Jones said. “This is an opportunity for them to get there. We all know that the top four teams will get a bye, then teams 5-8 will play at home. I think in a 12-team playoff it took too long to get there, but at least we’re there now. People want to watch games with bets. “I think that’s the excitement of it all.”
With the Big Ten divisions dissolving with the addition of former Pac-12 schools Oregon, Southern California, UCLA and Washington, the Nittany Lions won’t have annual dates with Ohio State and defending national champion Michigan, but there are new challenges waiting. , such as increased travel and unknown opposition.
“First of all, the schedule is completely different,” Jones said. “They have Ohio State at home, but there is also Washington. There’s Southern California. There’s UCLA.
“Those are conference games, which also includes travel. Now I want to give the Big Ten the credit it’s due. They looked closely at the schedules and 14 schools in the Central and Eastern time zones have to go to the (Pacific) coast. Of the 14, eight have a bye week next week, including Penn State.
“The other six will play at home next week. The Big Ten was smart to do this when it came time to schedule it.”
The team is also adjusting to three new coordinators following the departures of offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich, who was fired Nov. 12, Manny Diaz, who took the head coaching job at Duke, and special teams coordinator Stacy Collins. , who left for Boise State. Jones’ observation is that the Nittany Lions are making a smooth transition to the new schemes.
“The spring was about fine-tuning things, because we had three new coordinators (offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki, defensive coordinator Tom Allen and special teams coordinator Justin Lustig),” Jones said. “There is a learning curve. They got through that part and are doing very well. Now he’s getting ready for training camp and he’s getting ready to see who’s not only going to win jobs, but what I call ‘gain playing time,’ because when I look at, for example, the defense, they can play so many “There are 25 to 28 defensive players in a game.”
In an offseason of big changes, there have been slight adjustments to personnel roles, such as Abdul Carter’s move from linebacker to defensive end. In 2023, Carter had 4.5 sacks and 48 total tackles. Getting Carter closer to the line of scrimmage can allow the junior to create more chaos.
“His weight has gone up to 259 (from 250),” Jones said of Carter’s work transitioning to the line. “Tremendous takeoff. It’s going to be a real challenge for the tackles to handle on the outside. Conversely, when you’re attacking up the middle, you’re handling guards, centers, and maybe a running back. When you’re outside, you have to face a bigger man. So Abdul will have to beat him with his strength and speed. I watched him in the spring and thought he picked it up relatively easily. It also doesn’t mean he’s always going to be lining up outside.”
Penn State’s receiving room is also undergoing changes with leading receiver Keandre Lambert-Smith taking his game to Auburn, while Dante Cephas transferred to Kansas State. The cupboard isn’t empty as the Nittany Lions were able to sign a veteran receiver to add to the mix.
“Leadership comes in two places,” Jones said. “(Ohio State transfer and Southern Columbia graduate) Julian Fleming, for sure, and Liam Clifford as well. Fleming came from Ohio State and has played in the biggest games. He has played in the College Football Playoff. He has played in the national championship. He has had success and puts it on the table. Something he has worked on with the strength and conditioning staff is a quicker release from the line of scrimmage. He is relatable to Liam Clifford and has been there. Because he has been there, I think a lot of people see him as a leader.”
Getting the ball to the receivers will fall to returnees Drew Allar and Beau Pribula, who are expected to find ways to contribute in Kotelnicki’s offense.
“(Allar) has adapted well to the offense, it fits him very well,” Jones said. “So Beau Pribula suits him very well, because Beau Pribula is a superior athlete. There’s a role for him somewhere in this. For Drew Allar, he’s the guy you look up to. He has all 12 starts under his belt. He earned those 12 starts. He has a very good feeling for everything around him. I think he does a really good job in that 3 to 4 foot area in the pocket where you have to move, I think that’s where he’s made the most improvement.”
Penn State also has a two-way attack at running back with Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen having combined for 1,654 yards and 14 touchdowns on 343 carries.
“Last year they were separated by a carry,” Jones said. “Two years ago, they were nine carries apart. They have done a great job keeping each one fresh. I think that’s the big selling point when you get to today’s game. The mileage that Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen have put in is really consistent to this point, and I think it’s also been important to their long-term development as runners.”
Shawn Curtis is a reporter for The Tribune-Democrat. He can be reached at 814-532-5085. Follow him on Twitter @ShawnCurtis430.
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