Roar Lions Roar: A Penn State Football Podcast

In the final position preview of the preseason, Nick and Craig are back to take a look at the special teams unit. The elephant in the room is the lack of do-it-all star Jordan Stout. In 2021, Stout handled place kicking, punting, and kickoff duties. While the Nittany Lions probably won't be able to, maybe ever, find someone as effective in all three phases, they should be able to come at least close to replicating his impact in the aggregate. Of course, the battles for each position still need to be won. Gabriel Nwosu, Bradley Amor, and Alex Bachhetta all remain in the fight for the punter role, while Jake Pinegar and Sander Sahaydak are each working for the placekicking and kickoff jobs. And then there's the matter of replacing Jahan Doston as a punt returner and finding a new kick returner. Questions abound in this group.Take advantage of our discount code with Homefield Apparel and use the code "ROARLIONSROAR" at checkout to receive 15% off of your first order.Be sure you're subscribed to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and everywhere else you listen. Please also take the time to leave us a 5-star review if you can! If you leave a question with your review, we'll happily answer it on the podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We've discussed a lot of position groups loaded with talent for the Nittany Lions this fall, but perhaps none is more stocked-full of top-end players with NFL futures than the defensive backs. Nick and Flip are here to break down both the cornerback and safety rooms for Penn State, which includes future pro after future pro everywhere you look. In fact, this may just be the most talented secondary James Franklin has ever had in Happy Valley, and at the very least it looks to be the most talented cornerback room. That leaves us with mostly fun questions to ask. Which two of Joey Porter Jr., Kalen King, and Johnny Dixon will be the primary starters? Who will start at safety next to Ji'Ayir Brown? How many interceptions will Brown rack up? This is a remarkably fun and loaded group.Take advantage of our discount code with Homefield Apparel and use the code "ROARLIONSROAR" at checkout to receive 15% off of your first order.Be sure you're subscribed to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and everywhere else you listen. Please also take the time to leave us a 5-star review if you can! If you leave a question with your review, we'll happily answer it on the podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

While the linebacker group is loaded with talent, it's not a unit without questions. We march on with our preview series, today with Nick and Craig getting together to discuss the immediate future of LBU. Curtis Jacobs returns and looks primed to become the next LBU superstar, but this is very much a unit in transition. Jonathan Sutherland is moving from safety to join the group, either Tyler Elsdon or Kobe King will become a first-time starter at middle linebacker, Jacobs himself is transitioning from the SAM linebacker role to the WIL, and long-time position coach and defensive coordinator Brent Pry is off to Virginia Tech to be replaced by Manny Diaz. Will all of these moving parts be able to come together in time to act as the strong backbone that the defense needs?Take advantage of our discount code with Homefield Apparel and use the code "ROARLIONSROAR" at checkout to receive 15% off of your first order.Be sure you're subscribed to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and everywhere else you listen. Please also take the time to leave us a 5-star review if you can! If you leave a question with your review, we'll happily answer it on the podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The #MattCast is back! Matt and Matt return once again to discuss the first defensive group in our preview series, the defensive line. Unlike the offensive line, there are not many questions about this group other than "Who is going to be the next superstar?". Loaded with top-end talent AND depth, this unit is primed for a huge 2022 season. There are well-known names like PJ Mustipher and Nick Tarburton. There are talented youngsters ready to break out like Hakeem Beamon and Adisa Isaac. There are highly-touted freshmen ready to make early impacts like Dani Dennis-Sutton and Zane Durant. Everything you want to see, this group has, and they're going to lead the defense this fall.Take advantage of our discount code with Homefield Apparel and use the code "ROARLIONSROAR" at checkout to receive 15% off of your first order.Be sure you're subscribed to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and everywhere else you listen. Please also take the time to leave us a 5-star review if you can! If you leave a question with your review, we'll happily answer it on the podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, we return to our season preview coverage with the most maligned group from last year's roster – the offensive line. Matt de Bear and Matt Filipovits (that's right everyone, it's a #MattCast) get together to figure out whether this year's group will finally, FINALLY be the group that provides the standout play in the trenches that fans have been waiting for. It won't be easy, particularly with the departure of starting left tackle Rasheed Walker, but this is a unit that is certainly not lacking in talent. It's just a matter of whether position coach Phil Trautwein and offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich can finally get everyone on the same page so they can simply let their natural talent shine. Fingers crossed.Take advantage of our discount code with Homefield Apparel and use the code "ROARLIONSROAR" at checkout to receive 15% off of your first order.Be sure you're subscribed to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and everywhere else you listen. Please also take the time to leave us a 5-star review if you can! If you leave a question with your review, we'll happily answer it on the podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today's episode, we take a break from our position group previews to talk with the CEO of Homefield Apparel and the podcast's newest sponsor, Connor Hitchcock. Bill joins Connor to discuss the Homefield process and all of the great things coming with the upcoming Penn State release. The guys then pivot to discussing the dumbest showdowns between our Nittany Lions and Connor's beloved Indiana Hoosiers. As you might expect, there are some really, REALLY dumb games to discuss.Huge thanks to Connor for joining the podcast and for sponsoring Roar Lions Roar. Be sure to listen to the podcast to find out how you can save on your next Homefield order, which will hopefully be this Saturday, August 13 when the new Penn State line drops.As always, please subscribe and leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever else you're listening. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Part three of our season preview returns Nick, Bill, and Flip once more, but this time to discuss a legitimately awesome part of the 2022 Penn State roster – the wide receivers and tight ends. While the Nittany Lions do lose superstar Jahan Dotson, this group is still loaded in 2022. Parker Washington is set to truly break out on the national stage, fellow returning starter KeAndre Lambert-Smith looks ready to take another step forward, and transfer Mitchell Tinsley brings production with him that looks like it's straight out of a video game. And that's not even to mention the trio of Brenton Strange, Theo Johnson, and Tyler Warren at tight end, all of whom flashed monster potential in 2021. This group is going to be absurdly tough for defenses to match up with this fall.Be sure you're subscribed to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and everywhere else you listen. Please also take the time to leave us a 5-star review if you can! And listen carefully in today's episode for a special promo code to use with our new sponsor! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Part two of our season preview sees Nick, Bill, and Flip reunite once again, this time to discuss the Penn State running back room. The Nittany Lion run game was a mess in 2021 as the team was one of the worst in the country when it comes to rushing yards per game. From last year's rotation, Noah Cain (LSU) and John Lovett (graduation) are gone, but Keyvone Lee, Devyn Ford, and Caziah Holmes all return. Are any of those three ready to take a step forward? Or will this room ultimately belong to the pair of highly-touted true freshmen, Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen?Be sure you're subscribed to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and everywhere else you listen. Please also take the time to leave us a 5-star review if you can! And listen carefully in today's episode for a special promo code to use with our new sponsor! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In part one of our season preview, Nick, Bill, and Flip get together to discuss the current state of the Penn State quarterback room. Sean Clifford is back for a final season in Happy Valley. What should we expect from the soon-to-be four-year starter? What about returning backup Christian Veilleux? Is he ready to take another step? And then there are the true freshmen. Will the former five-star, Drew Allar, or the Pennsylvania product, Beau Pribula, be ready to challenge for the backup job, or even push Clifford for playing time with the first team offense?Be sure you're subscribed to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and everywhere else you listen. Please also take the time to leave us a 5-star review if you can! And listen carefully in today's episode for a special promo code to use with our new sponsor! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Don't call it a comeback. While Roar Lions Roar the blog may be gone (at least for now), the podcast will live on. Nick, Bill, and Matt are back in their familiar places to discuss the decision to close the doors on the blog, share the plans for the future, and do a very brief overview of some general thoughts surrounding the 2022 Penn State Football season.Be sure that you're subscribed to the podcast wherever you choose to listen because we have big plans for the upcoming season! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Here's some stuff we talked about today:1. Recruiting2. The 2021 Penn State football season3. The 2022 Penn State football season4. Your mailbag questions Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Penn State's defense: real good! On today's pod, Bill and Matt look back on the Nittany Lions' 2021 defense and take a quick look ahead to what we can expect in 2022. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Penn State's offense had its good and its bad during the 2021 season. On today's pod, Bill and Nick look back on each position group and the offense as a whole. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Penn State lost the Outback Bowl, and on today's episode of the pod, Bill and Matt explain why they're pretty bummed about that. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Penn State plays Arkansas in the Outback Bowl on New Year's Day. To get you ready for the game, Bill is joined by Matt Brown of The Athletic to break things down. They also discuss opt-outs in bowl games and give their College Football Playoff picks. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Things went pretty well for Penn State during the Early Signing Period, as the Nittany Lions managed to secure one of the top classes in America. To break it all down, Bill and Nick were joined by Ryan Snyder of Blue White Illustrated. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's the start of the Early Signing Period, and the gem of Penn State's 2022 class is 5-star quarterback prospect Drew Allar. To learn a little more about him, we sat down with Medina coach Larry Laird, under whom Allar turned into the top QB recruit in America. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Penn State had two big pieces of news in the last week, as Sean Clifford will come back in 2022 and Manny Diaz is the team's new defensive coordinator. Bill and Matt break down what that all means on today's edition of the pod.(NOTE: Bill mentions an episode of BWI Daily in which Thomas Frank Carr breaks down Diaz's fit at Penn State. It was very good, and you can watch it here: https://www.on3.com/teams/penn-state-nittany-lions/news/what-did-penn-state-land-in-manny-diaz-bwi-daily/) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The college football regular season is over. To celebrate, Bill and friend of the pod Patrick Mayhorn discussed every Big Ten team.Follow Patrick on Twitter, @patrick_mayhorn, subscribe to his newsletter, and listen to his podcast, @FieldFlipping. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brent Pry is now the head coach at Virginia Tech. On today's episode of the pod, Bill and Nick discuss his tenure in Happy Valley coming to an end. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welp! Bill and Matt talk about the game, the end of the regular season, and [gestures at the weird stuff in college football lately] and how Penn State fits into it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Penn State wraps up its regular season this week with a trip to East Lansing. On today's pod, Bill say down with Chris Vannini of The Athletic to talk Sparty, James Franklin's extension, and of course, the Land Grant Trophy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1-0 this week. On today's episode of the pod, Bill and Matt look back on Penn State's win over Rutgers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Penn State's 2021 home finale against Rutgers takes place this week. On today's pod, Bill and Matt get you ready for the game. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Penn State lost to Michigan this past week. On today's episode of the pod, Roar Lions Radio debutant Andrew Rubin and Bill discussed the game and some big picture questions facing the program. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Penn State takes on Michigan this week. To talk through the game, Bill is joined by Daniel Gallen of PennLive. There is a very brief discussion of Penn State basketball at the very end, for those interested. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Penn State takes on Michigan this week. To learn some more about the Wolverines, Bill sat down with Ace Anbender of The Bucket Problem. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1-0 this week. On today's episode of the pod, Bill and Matt talk about Penn State snapping its recent losing streak. Jahan Dotson is excellent. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Penn State heads to Maryland this week in an attempt to break its three-game losing streak. Ahead of the game, Bill sat down with Jacob Richman of The Diamondback to learn a little bit more about the Terps. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Penn State lost to Ohio State on Saturday. Bill and Matt break it all down on today's pod. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Penn State heads to Ohio State this week. If you wanna hear us talk about that game, jump right to the 27:16 mark. Otherwise, prepare for a lot of talk about James Franklin's future in Happy Valley. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Penn State heads to Columbus to take on Ohio State this week. To learn a little more about the Buckeyes, Bill sat down with Jason Priestas of Eleven Warriors. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We have been in better moods. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Penn State is back in action this weekend, as the Nittany Lions play host to Illinois. On this today's edition of the pod, Bill is joined by Will Pegler of Onward State to discuss the vibe around the team since the Iowa loss and preview Illinois. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Well, that stunk! On today's episode of the pod, Bill, Matt, and Nick discuss Penn State's loss to Iowa and how things will look after the bye. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Penn State football heads to Iowa this week. On today's episode of the pod, Bill and Matt look at the top-5 battle in Kinnick Stadium. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Penn State heads to Iowa this week. To get some insight into the Hawkeyes, Bill sat down with Ben Lewis of Go Iowa Awesome. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1-0 this week. On today's episode of the pod, Bill and Matt break down Penn State's win over Indiana. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Penn State hosts Indiana under the lights in Beaver Stadium this week. On today's episode of the pod, Bill and Matt break down the game. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Penn State plays host to Indiana this week. On today's episode of the pod, Bill sat down with Jacob Rude, the host of the Locked on Hoosiers podcast, to learn a little bit more about a team that has been a thorn in the Nittany Lions' side in recent years. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1-0 this week. On today's episode of the pod, Bill and Nick recap Penn State's win over Villanova before looking back at the non-conference slate and answering some mailbag questions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Penn State takes on Villanova on Saturday afternoon. On today's episode of the pod, Bill and Nick break down the game. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Villanova is headed to Happy Valley this weekend. On today's episode of the show, Bill got the 411 on the Wildcats from Villanova radio broadcaster Ryan Fannon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1-0 this week. On today's episode of the pod, Bill and Matt break down Penn State's win against Auburn. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Penn State takes on Auburn this week. On today's episode of the show, Bill and Matt discuss the 2021 White Out game. And, yes, they talk about James Franklin-to-USC rumors. If you wanna skip that, jump right to the 11-minute mark of the pod. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With the 2021 Whiteout just a few days away, Nick and Matt decided to get together and reminisce on some of their favorite memories from Whiteouts back when they were in school. Some highlights include the Marcus Allen blocked kick, the Mike Hull blocked punt, the Allen Robinson 4OT game catch, and the sheer ugliness that was the 2015 Michigan loss. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Penn State plays host to Auburn this weekend. Before we do our breakdown, Bill sat down with Jerry Hinnen of The War Eagle Reader to get a look at the Tigers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1-0 this week. On today's episode of the pod, Bill and Nick break down Penn State's big win over Ball State. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Penn State football makes its Beaver Stadium debut on Saturday against Ball State. Bill and Nick broke things down in the lead-up to the game. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After Penn State beat Wisconsin in Camp Randall, James Franklin made it a point to say that the Nittany Lions win 97 percent of their games when they win two statistics: turnovers and big plays. Why? On today's episode of the pod, we decided to ask our pal Bill Connelly of ESPN to provide some insight. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.