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  • Eagles grades: Saquon Barkley leads revived running game and defensive line dominates Giants in blowout win

    Eagles grades: Saquon Barkley leads revived running game and defensive line dominates Giants in blowout win

    Instant grades on the Eagles’ performance in their 38-20 win over the New York Giants:

    Quarterback: A

    Jalen Hurts was efficient through the air, but also with his pre-snap reads in managing the return of the Eagles’ potent running game. He completed 15 of 20 passes for 179 yards and four touchdowns. The exclamation point came on a 40-yard jump ball that wide receiver Jahan Dotson pulled in for a fourth-quarter score.

    Hurts’ first touchdown pass came vs. a Giants blitz. He got his “hot” route — an uncovered Saquon Barkley — and the running back sashayed into the end zone for a 9-yard score. Hurts struggled vs. a third-down blitz a drive later, though, and was sacked.

    Hayes: Kevin Patullo used Saquon Barkley and the running game properly and now the Eagles offense is clicking

    The Eagles stayed committed to having Hurts under center, and he continued his success off play-action with a 26-yard hookup with DeVonta Smith in the first quarter. After a few weeks in which he didn’t run or scramble much, Hurts had his running shoes on. He converted a fourth down and nearly a long third down with scrambles in the first half.

    Backup Tanner McKee took snaps in mop-up duty.

    Running back: A

    The return of the running game led to both Saquon Barkley and Tank Bigsby rushing for over 100 yards in a game — the first time an Eagles running back duo did so since LeSean McCoy and Bryce Brown in Week 16 of the 2013 season against the Chicago Bears.

    Barkley went over the century mark for the first time this season with 14 carries for 150 yards. Barkley finally broke through for one of his patented home runs on his first touch of the game. He cut back against the grain, zipped through a hole, and took it to the house for a 65-yard touchdown.

    A greater variety of run calls helped Barkley. The outside runs were effective, particularly on gap scheme blocking. He picked up 10 and 28 yards on two such examples. Barkley injured his groin on a 28-yard rush late in the third quarter and didn’t return, likely out of precaution. He also caught four passes for 24 yards, including what felt like his first screen pass in ages and, later, a 9-yard touchdown.

    Bigsby was second up again, and on his first carry, he bounced an under-center handoff outside for an 18-yard rush. With Barkley sidelined, he converted a second-and-26 with a 29-yard gain in which he broke a tackle. All told, Bigsby rushed nine times for 104 yards.

    Will Shipley was held to 2 yards on three totes. AJ Dillon was active but didn’t play on offense. His spot on the 53-man roster could be in jeopardy.

    Receiver/tight end: B+

    Don’t let anyone fool you, the Eagles are better with A.J. Brown than without. With the No. 1 receiver out with a hamstring injury, others aside from DeVonta Smith needed to step up.

    On “National Tight Ends Day,” Dallas Goedert beat a safety on a 6-yard slant before the break for a career-best sixth touchdown of the season. Goedert grabbed his seventh in the fourth quarter on an option play in which Smith’s rub route freed the tight end for a walk-in 17-yard touchdown.

    Saquon Barkley and the Eagles run all over the Giants to head into the bye 6-2

    Jahan Dotson was targeted only twice, but he made the best on Hurts’ 40-yard heave. Darius Cooper, activated after a stint on injured reserve, often was the third blocking receiver on running downs in 11 personnel. He drew a pass interference penalty in the third quarter.

    Smith was Hurts’ favorite target, as he’s been over the last month. He caught 6 of 9 targets for 84 yards.

    Offensive line: A-

    The much maligned and banged up O-line delivered the type of performance it is known for with great run blocking and solid pass protection. Center Brett Toth got the job done in place of the injured Cam Jurgens (knee). Toth had a kick-out block on an outside gap scheme run that sprung Barkley for 10 yards. The Eagles went back to it late in the third quarter and Toth led the way on Barkley’s 28-yard run.

    Toth’s false start in the first quarter ruled out a fourth down go-for-it try. The additional 5 yards also tacked yardage onto the field-goal attempt, which was missed.

    Guards Tyler Steen and Landon Dickerson opened various lanes on inside runs but also got to the edge and helped on outside rushes. Dickerson had some rumbling, bumbling blocks on outside runs. The same could be said for tackles Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata. Johnson’s holding penalty brought back a 15-yard pass over the middle to Smith in the first quarter.

    The O-line has struggled vs. five- and six-man fronts all season. But with Fred Johnson lined up at tight end, the Eagles had six blockers vs. the Giants’ five, and each one handled his one-on-one on Barkley’s house call.

    Eagles linebacker Jalyx Hunt sacks Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart, his first of the season.

    Defensive line: A

    The Eagles’ pass rush showed teeth and kept the elusive Jaxson Dart in the pocket, especially once the trailing Giants were forced to drop back their rookie quarterback. They finished with a season-high five sacks.

    Defensive tackle Jalen Carter, who was held out of the first game vs. the Giants, picked up his first sack of the season. He received assistance from good man coverage downfield.

    Outside linebacker Jalyx Hunt brought energy off the edge from the jump. He notched an early run stop and dropped Dart from behind on a scramble that netted just a yard. Hunt picked up his first sack of the season on a third down in the red zone in the third quarter. Defensive tackle Jordan Davis cleaned up for a sack on a failed run-pass option play in the second quarter. Moro Ojomo was credited with a sack.

    The Giants were dealt a blow when rookie running back Cam Skattebo suffered a gruesome ankle injury in the second quarter. The Eagles were more stout against the run than they were in the first meeting, as New York running backs averaged 3.4 rushing yards.

    Patrick Johnson’s rush off the edge forced Dart to step up into the waiting arms of Hunt. Johnson slipped when he dropped to cover Skattebo out of the backfield, and the running back caught an 18-yard touchdown pass for the Giants’ first points.

    Eagles defense shows ‘sense of pride’ and wins physicality battle

    Linebacker: B+

    Nakobe Dean played most of the snaps at inside linebacker ahead of rookie Jihaad Campbell. He had a run stop near the line of scrimmage in the second quarter. Dean trailed Devin Singletary on a wheel route that went for a 28-yard completion on a third down in the third quarter.

    The return of Dean has allowed Zack Baun to play to his freelancing strengths. He led the Eagles with six tackles and had a sack and another tackle for loss. Baun was late to account for Tyrone Tracy out of the backfield on a third-down conversion in the second quarter. But a few plays later, he broke up the pass to Skattebo on the play on which the running back got hurt.

    Campbell played on the edge in base sets. He finished with a relatively quiet two tackles.

    Cornerback: A-

    Kelee Ringo was the outside cornerback opposite Quinyon Mitchell in nickel personnel. Adoree’ Jackson was out with a concussion. Ringo didn’t allow his man to break free after Dart escaped out of the pocket on a third down in the third quarter. Mitchell locked down his side of the field and had a pass breakup on a deep shot.

    Cooper DeJean was outstanding in coverage and run support. He slashed into the backfield and dropped Tracy for a loss in the third quarter. DeJean was in coverage when Darius Slayton caught a short pass and turned upfield untouched for an 18-yard gain. DeJean blitzed off the edge and thwarted a run-pass option attempt in the second quarter.

    Eagles cornerback Quinyon Mitchell breaks up a pass intended for Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton during the second quarter.

    Safety: B+

    Drew Mukuba had a solid bounce-back outing and didn’t allow Dart to beat him over the top. He had a couple of stops. Reed Blankenship struggled at times. He got beat by tight end Daniel Bellinger for a 21-yard reception in the second quarter. Blankenship appeared a touch late on a third-down throw over the middle in the third quarter.

    Special teams: B+

    The Eagles entered the game last in the NFL in defense-adjusted value over average on kick returns. But Will Shipley had a 41-yard kickoff return — the team’s longest of the season — in the first quarter. He had a 32-yard return after dodging a few would-be tacklers a quarter later.

    Xavier Gipson handled punt-return duties for the first time with Dotson’s increased role on offense and had a 17-yard return. Punter Braden Mann booted a 57-yarder with no return and flipped the field in the second quarter.

    Kicker Jake Elliott missed his second straight field goal dating back to last week when he doinked a 58-yard try off the right upright in the first quarter. He otherwise was perfect, connecting on a 40-yard field goal and five extra points.

    Jaxson Dart get his flowers, Tom Brady’s flub, and more from the Eagles-Giants broadcast

    Coaching: A-

    Coach Nick Sirianni has the Eagles 6-2 heading into the bye. It’s been an occasional slog, and it’s not as if the Giants are, well, giants, but he has his team playing its best football.

    Offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo dialed up perhaps his best game since becoming the play-caller. His excellent play calling in the red zone continued. The Eagles have converted 17 of 20 (85%) possessions inside the 20 this season.

    Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts talks to Nick Sirianni (center) and Kevin Patullo during the second quarter of Sunday’s game.

    He opened the drive before the half with a dollop of outside runs — the first to the right, the second to the left, and then lastly one up the middle — which opened up the pass.

    The Eagles still had issues against the blitz and simulated pressures.

    Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio‘s unit contained Dart and until a late, meaningless touchdown held the Giants to 13 points. His simulated blitz call — which put Patrick Johnson in a tough spot — resulted in Skattebo’s 18-yard touchdown catch.

  • ‘KP was just dying on the cross for us.’ Kevin Patullo’s offense is finally rolling as Eagles head into bye week

    ‘KP was just dying on the cross for us.’ Kevin Patullo’s offense is finally rolling as Eagles head into bye week

    It took a few weeks with the new coordinator, but he figured it out, and the offense started producing.

    A few months later, the Eagles won Super Bowl LIX.

    That was last year.

    Kellen Moore introduced a radically new scheme. It took five weeks, give or take, for the Eagles to work out the kinks, and Moore was criticized the entire time. That was with a relatively stable roster, especially along the offensive line. The offense developed a run-first personality, emphasized ball security, beat the Chiefs in the Super Bowl, and earned Moore the head coaching job in New Orleans.

    Grading the Eagles’ win over the New York Giants

    Fast-forward a few months, and no one in the Eagles organization took more heat over the first seven weeks than Kevin Patullo, Moore’s successor and head coach Nick Sirianni’s longtime majordomo.

    Patullo has never been a coordinator before and inherited much of Moore’s simple scheme and elite personnel, but that personnel did not practice together even once for the entirety of training camp. Eight games into the season, the same five offensive linemen have not started and finished two games in a row.

    “You need continuity,” left tackle Jordan Mailata insisted.

    Excuses? Maybe.

    Explanations? Definitely.

    Eagles running back Saquon Barkley scores a touchdown on a 65-yard run in the first quarter against the Giants.

    At any rate, Patullo’s offense averaged 23.6 points in the first six games of the season. After Sunday’s 38-20 win against the Giants, it is averaging 33.0 points in the last two games.

    Moore’s offense averaged just 21.2 points through the first five games last season. It takes offenses time to synchronize.

    “There’s always a period of trying to figure things out,” said quarterback Jalen Hurts, who has now had five offensive coordinators in six NFL seasons.

    “Yeah,” said left guard Landon Dickerson, “remember last year, our start, and everyone wanted Kellen Moore fired?”

    Then, Moore’s offense synchronized.

    With the Eagles entering the bye week with a 6-2 record, consider Patullo’s offense synchronized. The guys finally get it. He’s a bit scarred, but he’s still standing.

    “What Kevin’s done a really good job of is being able to block out anything that can be a distraction to him and working like crazy to put himself in the best position to call the best game that he can each week, regardless of what’s going on,” said Sirianni, himself a weary recipient of the fury of this impatient fan base.

    “We knew KP was getting a chunk of the blame, but we knew, as a locker room, it was us,” Mailata said. “KP was just dying on the cross for us.”

    He’s been resurrected.

    This looks like an offense with a plan and a direction.

    Even more significantly, over the last two weeks, incorporating under-center snaps, play-action, and run-pass option, it looks like an unpredictable, diverse offense.

    Perhaps most significantly, it scored 38 points and produced four touchdown passes without the services of perpetual malcontent A.J. Brown, the best and least mollified receiver in franchise history. Brown missed the game with a mysterious hamstring injury. (Also, on social media, he repeatedly has hinted that he would like to be traded. The Eagles have a bye next week. The trade deadline is Nov. 4, which means missing Sunday’s game ensured that Brown would not incur further(?) injury by sitting out. But that’s a different discussion.)

    Eagles defense shows ‘sense of pride’ and wins physicality battle this time vs. Giants

    It’s foolish to think the offense, despite Sunday’s success, would be better without Brown. It’s wiser to admit that, with Brown, Sunday would have been even better, after seven weeks of twists and tweaks.

    “You realize what you’re bad at, what you’re good at, and where you need to help,” Mailata said. “Kevin’s doing a great job of adapting play calling to, you know, guys we have available and teams we’re playing.”

    He pointed to the plays on which Fred Johnson reported as an extra tackle, the first two of which resulted in a 65-yard touchdown run for Saquon Barkley, then an 18-yard run for Tank Bigsby. Patullo also called passing plays on two of Johnson’s insertions.

    Tight end Dallas Goedert celebrates with Eagles fans after his second touchdown catch of the game on Sunday.

    The Eagles also increased their league lead in red-zone efficiency, now at 85% after scoring touchdowns on all three trips inside the Giants’ 20-yard line.

    Sunday proved that the offense can be dominant; at least, it can be dominant against a plucky, inconsistent Giants team that fell to 2-6. It clearly built on a similarly competent performance in Minneapolis the previous week against a Vikings club that was 3-2 entering the game.

    In that game, Hurts compiled a perfect 158.3 passer rating, with 326 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions. It was the best game of his career as a passer.

    Jaxson Dart get his flowers, Tom Brady’s flub, and more from the Eagles-Giants broadcast

    Sunday, Hurts’ rating was 141.5, with 179 yards, four touchdowns, and no interceptions. It was the second-best day of his career as a passer.

    Two weeks ago, the Eagles were concerned that Patullo’s offense might never jell. Now they can breathe easier during their week off.

    “Sense of relief, yeah,” Mailata said. “I think it does help with the confidence going into the bye week, that we’ve strung along two great games — one game dominant passing, and then the next game dominant in the run game.”

    On Sunday the passing was easier partly because the Giants’ secondary was thinned by injury and partly because the Eagles’ running game erupted.

    Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts talks with Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart (left) after the game at the Linc.

    Barkley’s first touch, the second play of the game, was that 65-yard touchdown run. He finished with 150 rushing yards, more than any other two games combined this season. Barkley suffered a minor groin injury, which gave more touches to Bigsby, who gained 104 yards, the second-best total of his career.

    The running game produced a total of 276 yards, almost 120 more yards than the Eagles’ previous season high and the first time in five weeks they broke the 100-yard mark.

    Can the return of Brandon Graham fill the leadership void on the Eagles defense?

    Again, they did it without Brown, one of their more potent weapons in history. They did it with Brett Toth starting his first NFL game at center, where he is replacing Pro Bowler Cam Jurgens. They did it against a Giants team that dominated them in East Rutherford just over two weeks ago.

    How’d ya’ll do it, Jalen?

    Same as every year:

    “Just got to be persistent.”

  • The long-term vision for Union captain Alejandro Bedoya? Return to the MLS Cup final. Full stop.

    The long-term vision for Union captain Alejandro Bedoya? Return to the MLS Cup final. Full stop.

    Alejandro Bedoya has no idea.

    Don’t talk to him about the next five years; he doesn’t want to discuss them. Will his contract get extended with the Union next season? He says he has no clue.

    In fact, as he arrived for an interview to discuss his career and where it’s going from here, he joked that he didn’t even know where he was supposed to go after this meeting for a scheduled team-bonding activity — one that apparently involved barbecue.

    Bedoya is an enigma. Right now, he might be one of the few people whose off-the-field portfolio, at first glance, shows many avenues. But on this day, as captain of the No. 1 team in MLS’s Eastern Conference … no plans.

    Well, except for one: Get back to the MLS Cup final. That’s it.

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    “Five years from now? I don’t know. I couldn’t tell you,” Bedoya said as he leaned back in his cushioned chair inside the Union’s film room. “What I can tell you? This team is special, and we’ve been special since preseason. We knew this team was special that long ago. I want to be a part of the team that brings an MLS Cup to this club and home to Philly.

    Alejandro Bedoya (right) celebrates scoring a goal in the first half of the Union’s win against the Houston Dynamo on July 29.

    “So, to be honest, I’m not thinking about [anything past that]. I made it a point this season, especially now that we’ve been so successful, to be focused on the team. I don’t want to think too far down the line and cause any disruptions to talk about this or that or what may happen or might not.”

    It’s been an interesting 10-year run in Philly for Bedoya. He’s been the team’s leader since arriving from FC Nantes of the French first division in 2016. He’s been a vocal ambassador for ending gun violence. He’s been a staunch advocate for growing the youth game from a grassroots level.

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    However, this season, he’s mainly been the utilityman that first-year manager Bradley Carnell needs.

    Things get real now for the Union. Coming off a high two weeks earlier after the club captured its second Supporters’ Shield, given to the team that finishes with the best regular-season record, Bedoya now leads the Union into the playoffs with every opponent looking to beat the best.

    Alejandro Bedoya raises the Supporters’ Shield after beating New York City FC at Subaru Park on Saturday, Oct. 4.

    First up is Chicago in Game 1 of a best-of-three series on Sunday (5:55 p.m., FS1, Apple TV+).

    “He’s our leader. He’s one of the guys who holds us together,” Carnell said earlier this season of Bedoya. “That’s why he’s here. He’s committed to doing what he has to for the club. And from a leadership standpoint, there’s no one better. He’s great with the young guys, he’s great with the guys [who] have been here, and he knows what it takes to get to where we’re trying to go.”

    Taste for more

    It was 2022, and the rays of a sunny Los Angeles afternoon beamed onto Banc of California Stadium (now known as BMO Stadium), the site of the MLS Cup final. Led by then-manager Jim Curtin, Bedoya, clad in the Union’s unmistakable lightning bolt kit, took the field for warmups. He didn’t start that day, but his impact to that point was immeasurable.

    That season, at age 36, he’d played in 30 regular-season games for the club and started 27 of them. He played nearly 2,500 minutes and scored six goals along with six assists, highlighted by two goals against D.C. United on July 8, which made him just the third player in club history to join the 20-20 club.

    The fruits of his labor culminated in an Eastern Conference title and a trip to MLS’s final. But as team captain, his leadership guided the Union to its first MLS Cup appearance — and arguably one of the greatest MLS Cup finals ever.

    So what’s changed in his roles and responsibilities from that moment with that coach to this moment with this coach?

    “To be honest? Not much,” Bedoya said. “I’m still one of the captains, whether it’s me, [goalkeeper Andre] Blake or [defender] Jakob [Glesnes]. I, more so maybe than others, act as like that intermediary between the coaching staff, the technical staff, and the locker room. … I’ve been more of a glue guy, if you will. And this year, more than ever.”

    The glue-guy approach has been the case on the field too. Each year, Bedoya’s minutes have dwindled from everyday starter to strategic, none more than this season, when he was used in situations to which he’s unaccustomed, like in the Union’s 7-0 loss to Vancouver on Sept. 13, when he started at right back following the suspension of defender Olwethu Makhanya.

    In that match, the decision — and result — spoke for itself. Bedoya even acknowledged as much. But in the same breath, he noted that ebbs and flows happen in a club-first mindset.

    “We had to rotate a little bit, obviously,” Bedoya said. “Maybe I’m not the best right back. So I took that on the chin there, but we’re all about the collective here … and you have to be an unselfish guy. I think in Bradley [Carnell’s] system this year, I’ve been playing more even on the left side of midfield, which typically I haven’t played in years past. But as I said before, man, whatever it takes, I’m ready to step up and help the team out in any way.”

    A plan for now

    Despite a refusal to look into crystal balls right now, Bedoya’s future does have a number of paths. He has a certification from Harvard Business School and has become an entrepreneur and investor across several ventures.

    He has diversified, but not necessarily in a way where all roads leads back to soccer. Instead, it’s in a way that when he’s not on the field, he can spend more time doing things with his family, namely his children, Santino, age 10, and Milena, 8.

    Bedoya says the two, along with his wife, Bea Hilland, are his biggest supporters. He said he loves doing dad things, like taking them to soccer, dance, and doing school pickups when he’s not on the road.

    But in true dad fashion, sometimes he wants to just sit on the couch and watch football. He says they’re cool with that, too.

    Alejandro Bedoya (left) and his wife Beatrice Hilland (right) were on hand at the White House in 2022 for a celebration of then-President Joe Biden signing new federal gun control legislation.

    “My wife will be the first one to tell you that she plays a major role in the house, with the kids, especially as much as we travel to games,” he said. “And as an old guy myself, you feel more pain, you get more sore the day after games. And you know those Sundays when maybe we have the days off, the younger guys can come in and do even more work, but I just want to sit on a Sunday and watch [NFL] RedZone all day, you know?

    “I make it a routine to make sure every time I’m home, I do a drop off at school and pick up at school. I make sure that even when I do want to be lazy or try to recover on the sofa, that I got both of them next to me on my side … I get emotional sometimes thinking about after we won a Supporters’ Shield, like how happy they were. They’re FaceTiming friends saying, ‘We won the Shield,’ not just ‘Dad won the Shield.’ What I do matters to them, and to me, that’s everything.”

    So how does he juggle a portfolio that doesn’t seem to stop?

    “It’s finding the right balance with them,” Bedoya said. “My kids are at the age where they’re playing sports now. They’re in soccer. They’re in dance; they’re in baseball. I like being part of those special moments. I think part of the beauty of being a father and still being a player is being able to share these moments with them.”

    “Let’s go finish this thing”

    Over the course of his 15-minute interview, the only times Bedoya wasn’t stoic was when he discussed his family and what’s next for the Union. The latter only has a handful of more games before it could be bringing home MLS’s biggest prize.

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    And after 10 seasons in the same league with the same team on the same mission, Bedoya knows he’s not getting any younger. There are no more long-term contracts. His playing career has become a year-over-year proposition with a goal that has been the same since Day 1.

    Bring an MLS Cup back to the Chester waterfront.

    Union captain Alejandro Bedoya is ready to be the leader the team needs as it enters into the 2025 postseason as the No. 1 team in the Eastern Conference.

    This is the year he truly feels offers the best chance to do that. Whatever happens after that, Bedoya has already affirmed is wait-and-see.

    “I can tell you from that first week [of preseason training] in Marbella [Spain], I could sense that there was something brewing,” Bedoya said. “We already had a basic kind of philosophy, philosophical model of how we want to play, but Bradley and the staff came in and amped that up to another level, to another notch.

    “As far as my place? Like I said, I’m maybe not a starter anymore, but I’ve shown even this year that even when I do start, I can still impact the game in a positive way.”

    He paused and added:

    “This team is special, I think our record and our run to this point reflects that. The standard in training and in games is high, every day. We’re the team to beat and now it’s about going out there and being dominant. Let’s go finish this thing.”

    Follow the Union’s complete coverage of Union soccer right here!
  • Temple outlasts Tulsa in overtime to earn its fifth win of the season and third in conference play

    Temple outlasts Tulsa in overtime to earn its fifth win of the season and third in conference play

    Temple and Tulsa spent three quarters locked in an offensive shootout.

    So when Saturday’s game went into overtime, it came down to which defense could get a stop. The visiting Owls would finally get the stop they needed, as a failed two-point conversion attempt by Tulsa secured a 38-37 overtime win.

    Temple improved to 5-3 (3-1 American) and is just a win away from being bowl eligible for the first time since the 2019 season. Tulsa fell to 2-6, 0-5.

    The Owls got the ball first in overtime and needed just two Evan Simon passes to score: a 24-yarder to Colin Chase and a 1-yarder to Kajiya Hollawayne. The Golden Hurricane responded with a touchdown on fourth down to get within a point, but decided to go for two and the win. A jump pass was knocked down and Temple escaped with the victory.

    Simon completed 24 of his 35 passes for 265 yards and five touchdowns. Three of those touchdowns went to wide receiver Hollawayne. Simon now has 21 touchdown passes and no interceptions this season as the Owls are one win away from bowl eligibility.

    First-half secondary struggles

    Tulsa quarterback Baylor Hayes picked apart Temple’s secondary in the first half as he went 11-of-15 for 203 yards and a touchdown.

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    The redshirt freshman singlehandedly kept the Golden Hurricane in the game during the second quarter. Hayes had 109 passing yards and he led Tulsa on a 99-yard touchdown drive at the end of the second quarter to give it a 17-14 halftime lead. Hayes had completions of 38 and 22 yards before throwing a perfect ball to Brody Foley in the back of the end zone for an 8-yard touchdown.

    Temple’s corners struggled to keep up with Tulsa’s wide receivers and Foley proved to be a difficult matchup for anyone on the Owls’ defense. The Owls’ secondary trio of Ben Osueke, Avery Powell, and Jaylen Castleberry routinely got beaten downfield for big gains as Hayes completed seven passes of at least 20 yards.

    However, Temple’s defense contained Hayes for much of the second half. The defensive front started to get more pressure on Hayes, forcing him out of the pocket and making him throw the ball away multiple times. Hayes went just 8-of-16 for 93 yards in the second half and Temple’s defense, which struggled for much of the first half, was crucial in getting the win.

    Explosive offensive plays

    While Temple’s defense was struggling to slow down Tulsa, its offense did everything it could to keep up.

    The Owls’ offense struggled a little in the first half as it was outgained by more than 100 yards. However, Simon started pushing the ball downfield in the second half and Temple relied on explosive plays to keep pace with Tulsa.

    Temple tight end Peter Clarke, seen here in a game earlier this season, had a 50-yard catch-and-run on Temple’s first drive of the third quarter that set up a touchdown pass.

    Simon connected with tight end Peter Clarke for a catch-and-run of 50 yards on Temple’s first drive of the third quarter that set up a 13-yard touchdown pass to running back Jay Ducker to give the Owls a 21-17 lead. Simon completed another 50-yard pass on the next offensive drive, this time to wide receiver JoJo Bermudez. That completion set up another Temple touchdown on a 6-yard pass to Hollawayne to take a 28-24 lead.

    Temple finished the game with 447 total yards of offense: 267 passing and 180 rushing.

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    Simon to Hollawayne connection

    Hollawayne has only been playing wide receiver for a couple of seasons after transitioning from quarterback, but he has developed into Simon’s favorite target. Hollawayne entered the game as Temple’s leading receiver with 341 yards and was Simon’s go-to-guy against Tulsa.

    Hollawayne got the Owls on the board with a 24-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter, but truly made his impact felt in the second half.

    Simon found Hollawayne eight times in the second half for 58 yards. He reeled in his second touchdown of the day late in the third quarter, which gave Temple a 28-24 lead. Hollawayne routinely made himself available as a safety blanket for Simon while also being a deep threat with his size. Hollawayne came up clutch one more time with the overtime touchdown.

    Hollawayne finished as Temple’s leading receiver with 10 catches for 85 yards and three touchdowns.

    Up next

    Temple returns to Lincoln Financial Field next week to host East Carolina (4-3, 2-1) on Saturday (2 p.m., ESPN+).

    Follow the Inquirer’s complete coverage of Temple athletics right here!
  • A two-TD day from Luke Colella highlights Villanova’s win against Albany on homecoming weekend

    A two-TD day from Luke Colella highlights Villanova’s win against Albany on homecoming weekend

    A second-half surge propelled Villanova to a 29-16 homecoming weekend defeat against Albany.

    The Wildcats’ win against Albany marked their 20th consecutive victory at Villanova Stadium and the fifth straight win this season. Villanova (6-2, 5-1 Coastal Athletic Association) had a slow first half offensively, settling for two field goals in the red zone. Villanova’s defense held Albany (1-7, 0-4) at bay despite allowing a touchdown on the first Great Dane drive.

    “If I had the answer to that one, I would bottle it up and take it on the road with us,” Villanova coach Mark Ferrante said when asked about the home win streak. “It’s great. These guys love playing at home. The environment today was great. The Wildcat Walk was probably the best one we’ve had so far this year, with everyone in the back there. Whatever the record is or the streak is, it is what it is.”

    Villanova wide receiver Luke Colella (1) scores one of his two touchdowns against Albany on Saturday.

    David Avit had five consecutive rushes on a second-quarter drive, with the final run for Villanova’s running back resulting in a touchdown. Avit finished the game with 89 rushing yards on 20 attempts.

    The passing game found its rhythm in the second half. Pat McQuaide finished the game with 203 passing yards and a touchdown as the Wildcats’ quarterback completed 15 of his 22 passing attempts (68%).

    Penn drops its first Ivy League loss against Yale as penalties and turnovers take over

    Villanova totaled 256 yards of total offense. Graduate Luke Colella led all receivers with 107 receiving yards, hauling in six passes and two touchdowns.

    Defense wins games

    Villanova’s defense has been rolling through the last four games, and on Saturday held Albany to a season-low 154 yards of total offense.

    Despite allowing Albany to score on its opening drive, the Great Danes did not find the end zone again. It was one of Albany’s two trips to the red zone.

    “I think that after that first drive, you know, a lot of times it takes a little bit of settling in,” graduate linebacker Shane Hartzell said. “Some of these offenses have scripted drives and stuff and whatnot. So I think it just takes a little bit to get a feel of what we’re going up against. And after that, we were able to settle in there.”

    Hartzell totaled a team-high eight tackles, two sacks, and two pass breakups. He currently leads Villanova this season with 49 total tackles (30 solo) and 4.5 sacks.

    In the first half, the Wildcats limited the Great Danes to three first downs and 55 yards of total offense.

    Over Villanova’s last four games, the defense has allowed just 976 yards of total offense and 58 total points.

    Villanova defensive lineman Ayden Howard (91) falls on an Albany fumble in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s game.

    The duo keeps rolling

    The connection between Villanova quarterback and receiver Luke Colella continued against Albany.

    Colella hauled in two touchdown passes from McQuaide. One was off a 37-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter to stretch Villanova’s lead to double digits. Like clockwork, Colella was wide open as he neared the end zone for a 36-yard touchdown pass from McQuaide in the fourth quarter.

    McQuaide has connected with Colella on 35% of his total completions.

    “We all live right in the same hallway,” Colella said. “So spending time with them every day is awesome. And making this connection has been super fun so far.”

    Colella now has five games with 100-plus receiving yards. He has totalled 737 receiving yards and five touchdowns on the season, averaging 91 yards per game.

    Villanova’s Pat McQuaide and Luke Colella have formed instant chemistry on a tight-knit team

    Slow start, strong finish

    In the first half, Villanova was 1-for-7 on third downs and 1-of-3 on fourth down conversions.

    The Wildcats managed to get on the board with a touchdown, but settled for field goals on two red zone trips. Villanova entered the half with 111 total offensive yards.

    “It looked like [Albany’s] D-line was pinning their ears back and kind of beating us off the ball a little bit,” Ferrante said. “And they were bringing a lot of pressure. They were bringing linebackers and safeties. They were loading the box to stop the run, which they did a pretty good job at. We’ve just got to play more consistently.”

    Villanova scored touchdowns on two second-half drives that lasted a total of four plays.

    Up next…

    Villanova heads into a bye week before a return to action on the road against Towson (3-5, 1-3) on Nov. 8 (1 p.m., FloSports). Last season, the Wildcats defeated the Tigers, 14-13, at home and currently hold a 12-7 all-time series lead.

  • For these Olympic squash hopefuls, here’s how Philly kick-started their path to LA 2028

    For these Olympic squash hopefuls, here’s how Philly kick-started their path to LA 2028

    When the Olympics come knocking, you drop everything to answer the door.

    And by the time squash standouts Marina Stefanoni and Aly Abou Eleinen learned that their sport would be included in the Olympics for the first time in 2028, they already were a step ahead.

    Stefanoni, the 25th-ranked women’s player in the world, moved to Philadelphia after graduating from Harvard last year to be closer to West Philadelphia’s Arlen Specter U.S. Squash Center — the home of the U.S. national squash team.

    Before joining the pro ranks, ninth-ranked squash player Aly Abou Eleinen competed for Penn.

    Eleinen is the 11th-ranked men’s player in the world. A 2022 Penn graduate, Eleinen moved to his native Egypt a year after graduating to train at the national squash center in Cairo.

    This week, both competed at the U.S. Open Squash Championships in University City and are continuing to put in the hard work on the professional circuit in the lead-up to the Los Angeles Games in 2028.

    “I am looking at it as ‘If I happen to make the Olympics, then I’ve probably achieved what I want to on the timeline that I want on the pro tour,’” Stefanoni said.

    Added Eleinen: “[The Olympics] line up well with my [Professional Squash Association] World Tour goals. If I keep focusing on myself, keep focusing on my body, keep trying to rise up the rankings on the TSA World Tour, that’ll put me in a good position for the Olympics.”

    Daunting tasks

    Stefanoni is part of the Big Four of American women’s squash, along with No. 5 Olivia Weaver, No. 9 Amanda Sobhy, and Sobhy’s sister, Sabrina, who’s ranked 89th. The youngest of all four, Stefanoni feels a bond with her USA team members despite having less experience in the PSA.

    What the other three have in experience, Stefanoni makes up for in youth — and fully expects to get her shot at Los Angeles come 2028.

    “We are at very different stages of our career, which makes it extra interesting,” Stefanoni said. “… As you get deeper into your 30s every year, it’s massively more difficult to maintain that high level of squash.”

    Aly Abou Eleinen returns the ball during the U.S. Open Squash Championships this week at the Arlen Specter US Squash Center.

    Eleinen, having to earn his spot against an Egyptian field that holds seven of the top 20 men’s players in the world, knows that any chance of playing in the Olympics must come through dethroning the nation’s top talents, a plan made more difficult following recent ACL and MCL injuries that ended his 2024-25 season early.

    With a burning need to get back on track, Eleinen knows there’s no better time than the present to begin improving.

    “In Egypt, it is a bit more challenging than other countries,” he said. “But it is what it is. That’s the reality of the situation. And for me, yes, I’m competing with the guys that I’m training with, but that’s also helpful, because you get to raise the level, which also helps on the PSA World Tour.”

    Love-hate relationship

    Stefanoni calls Philly home, but it’s taken a while for her to come around.

    “I hated Philly before coming here,” Stefanoni said. “I was like, ‘This city is the worst.’ Cities are just so hectic … but I’ve slowly been becoming a fan.”

    As the youngest-ever winner of the under-19 U.S. Junior Squash Championship at 13 years old, Stefanoni has been a star in the making since before she could remember. But as she continues her rise, she hopes to enjoy the ride more often on her way to the top.

    “Sometimes I need to take a step back and realize that this is actually a big deal, and what I’m doing is pretty cool,” Stefanoni said.

    On the other hand, Eleinen fell in love with the city during his time at Penn, and he said he frequently misses the area.

    “I still have family in Philly, and every year since graduating, I’ve been coming [back] to Philly over and over,” Eleinen said. “… Philly’s always had a special place in my heart.”

    Despite his fondness for the city, his career and family come first.

    With his parents, coaches, and fiancée in Cairo, the Egyptian star says that’s the best place for him to prepare for 2028.

    “Cairo has been amazing for me,” Eleinen said. “I see myself staying in Cairo for a while. I’m getting married next summer, in July, which is just so exciting. We’re going to have our wedding in Cairo; we’re going to settle in Cairo. So for me, Cairo is the place to be right now.”

  • Brandon Graham’s return to the Eagles, a can’t-miss podcast about a Philly sports villain, and other thoughts

    Brandon Graham’s return to the Eagles, a can’t-miss podcast about a Philly sports villain, and other thoughts

    First and final thoughts, rapid-fire style …

    The Philadelphia region, at least the healthy portion of the population that cares deeply about the Eagles, went gaga this week over the news that Brandon Graham was coming out of retirement and re-signing with the team. That reaction was, of course, expected and understandable.

    Graham was a terrific player, a favorite of the fans who rooted for him and the media who covered him. He made the most significant defensive play in franchise history. And he was now authoring a new chapter to his story — that of the old, beloved hero, riding back into town to save the day.

    Brandon Graham says he didn’t want to retire — and this isn’t the first time the Eagles tried to bring him back

    But those syrupy-sweet sentiments didn’t change the reality that the Eagles’ defense needed some saving. Ahead of Sunday’s matchup against the Giants, the Eagles rank 25th in the NFL in sacks, 22nd in pressure percentage, and 24th in rushing yards allowed per attempt. Yes, they’ve been missing Nolan Smith, and his eventual return should help, but even with him active, their defense would be thin up front.

    Look at it this way, from a colder, more clinical perspective: This week, the Eagles acquired a 37-year-old defensive end who retired after last season — a season in which he tore his triceps, sat out nine weeks, returned to play in the Super Bowl, then re-tore his triceps despite lining up for just 13 snaps in that game.

    If this player’s name weren’t Brandon Graham, we’d be focused a lot more on how desperate this team was to improve its lousy pass rush and find a defensive end who can set the edge.

    Sixers start with a win

    The 76ers’ season-opening victory over the Celtics on Wednesday in Boston was significant not just because VJ Edgecombe announced his presence with 34 points or because Tyrese Maxey dropped 40, but also because it felt like a transitional moment for the franchise and its future.

    Rookie guard VJ Edgecombe had a sensational debut in Boston with 34 points.

    Joel Embiid did not play at all over the game’s final 9 minutes, 18 seconds, and when he did play, he spent most of his time on the perimeter, running two-man action with Maxey and heaving long three-pointers. Perhaps he simply needs more time and more games to get back into playing shape, but for at least that night, the Sixers were better — freer, younger, more athletic — when he wasn’t on the floor.

    Recommended listening

    The latest episode of the podcast Pablo Torre Finds Out, in which the host and one of his correspondents, author and reporter Dave Fleming, dive into the (often-exaggerated and self-aggrandized) background and football expertise of Mike Lombardi.

    A former NFL executive and longtime acolyte of Bill Belichick, Lombardi is now the general manager of the University of North Carolina’s football program and is one of the sources of the controversy and ridicule that now surround the Tar Heels.

    Jalen Hurts has never been better in saving the Eagles against the Vikings

    Around here, though, Lombardi probably is best known for his regular appearances on WIP during Doug Pederson’s tenure as the Eagles’ coach — and for saying, less than a year before Super Bowl LII, that Pederson was “was less qualified to coach a team than anyone I’ve ever seen.”

    The episode is devastating for the way Fleming and Torre marshal facts and insights to demonstrate what some of us who have followed the Eagles for a long time have known for a long time: that Mike Lombardi is pretty much full of it.

    Bits and pieces

    A.J. Brown will not play Sunday. Which means somebody had better keep an eye on Jahan Dotson’s Instagram page. … Maybe, for all those years, Ben Simmons just had the under on himself. …

    Over his first seven games this season, Sean Couturier led the Flyers in points (eight) and, among their forwards, ice time (19:42 per game). It sure seems that he still has whatever John Tortorella thought he didn’t. … The only way the last four weeks could have gone worse for James Franklin is if a ground ball back to the mound had caromed off his ankle.

    The Eagles will be without A.J. Brown this week because of his hamstring injury.

    I don’t want to talk about it

    The Toronto Blue Jays are in the World Series for the first time in 32 years. The last time they were there, on Oct. 23, 1993, a group of friends and I were attending a Flyers game when we abruptly left in the middle of the third period, sprinted to my tuna-can ’85 Chevy Cavalier parked outside the Spectrum, piled in, and raced back to St. Katharine’s Hall at La Salle University … all to catch the final three innings of Game 6.

    The rest of my memories of that night are hazy and not worth mentioning.

    Bernie Parent was the best of the Flyers and the best of Philadelphia. RIP.
  • Jeff McLane’s keys to Eagles vs. Giants in Week 8: What you need to know and a prediction

    Jeff McLane’s keys to Eagles vs. Giants in Week 8: What you need to know and a prediction

    The Eagles host the New York Giants in a Week 8 matchup at Lincoln Financial Field at 1 p.m. on Sunday. Here’s what you need to know about the game:

    When the Eagles have the ball

    Wide receiver A.J. Brown is out with a hamstring injury. His presence is of obvious importance. DeVonta Smith has had more of the hot hand recently, but the attention his counterpart receives from defenses has helped Smith catch 21 of 26 targets for 346 yards over the last three games.

    Jalen Hurts’ bounce-back performance against the Vikings will mean only so much if momentum is stalled a week later. And no Brown, despite whatever may be bothering him off the field, will make it that much harder on the quarterback. Receiver Jahan Dotson’s workload will increase. John Metchie, Xavier Gipson, and possibly Darius Cooper (shoulder) are next on the receiver depth chart. Tight end Dallas Goedert figures to be Hurts’ second option.

    Eagles vs. Giants predictions: Our writers pick a winner for Week 8

    Can the Giants make it as hard on Hurts in the rematch? They play more man coverage than almost any other defense, and normally, that’s a recipe for passing success for the Eagles. But Hurts had his worst game of the season in the initial meeting. He saw blitzes only a quarter of the time, but he was sacked twice and tossed an interception when defensive coordinator Shane Bowen sent extra rushers.

    The Giants’ strength remains their front four. Brian Burns, Dexter Lawrence, Abdul Carter, and Kayvon Thibodeaux pressured Hurts a combined 11 times. The Eagles’ offensive line will be without center Cam Jurgens (knee). Brett Toth, his likely replacement, may be a marked man.

    Brett Toth likely will fill in at center for the injured Cam Jurgens against the Giants on Sunday.

    The Eagles still were unable to run the ball in Minnesota, but the increased use of under-center runs led to success off play-action. It’s a wonder it took Nick Sirianni and Kevin Patullo so long to get to it. But the hope is that the four passes for 121 yards and a touchdown that came after Hurts was under center will force the Giants to respect the pass.

    Saquon Barkley has been facing six-man fronts and stacked boxes at an increased rate this season, and the only way to slow it is for Hurts to make defenses pay with his arm. The Giants, who ranked third-to-last in the NFL in expected points added per rush, offer another opportunity to get Barkley off the schneid. He would like nothing better than to do so against his former employer.

    The Eagles were without star defensive tackle Jalen Carter in their first game against the Giants, a 34-17 loss in Week 6.

    When the Giants have the ball

    The Eagles found out 90 minutes before the last game vs. the Giants that they would be without defensive tackle Jalen Carter. They then lost cornerback Quinyon Mitchell in the early going. The absence of two of their best defensive players wasn’t a fitting excuse for how Vic Fangio’s unit performed at the Meadowlands, but it helped explain a season-worst outing.

    Carter (heel/shoulder) returned the following week and had arguably his best performance with two hurries that led to interceptions. He hasn’t quite looked like the game wrecker he was most of last season, but it was a step in the right direction.

    Jalen Carter, Landon Dickerson, Nakobe Dean among five reasons Eagles will win the rematch vs. Giants

    Mitchell, meanwhile, had a lot to do with keeping Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson in check on Sunday. The other cornerback spot is a question mark with Adoree’ Jackson out with a concussion. Kelee Ringo has toggled back and forth at the spot and likely will start again with Jakorian Bennett (pectoral) still out.

    One possible way to avoid the return of Ringo would be to move Cooper DeJean outside in all packages and play Parry Nickerson in the slot in nickel personnel.

    The Giants may have Darius Slayton (hamstring) back, but their receiver group isn’t the same without Malik Nabers, even though the Eagles made them look superior in the first meeting. Safety has been an under-the-radar issue. Rookie Drew Mukuba has been out of position at times, which has stressed Reed Blankenship, who hasn’t been as impactful.

    Giants rookie running back Cam Skattebo rushed for 98 yards and three touchdowns in a 34-17 victory over the Eagles in Week 6.

    Tackling was an issue the first time around. The Eagles missed 11 and got bowled over by Giants running back Cam Skattebo (19 carries for 98 yards and three touchdowns). They also had trouble getting rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart to the ground. He escaped several would-be sacks and scrambled five times for 42 yards — he rushed for 58 yards overall.

    The Eagles are down another edge rusher with Azeez Ojulari (hamstring) sidelined. Brandon Graham came out of retirement this week, but he’s still ramping up. That leaves just Jalyx Hunt, Joshua Uche, and Patrick Johnson at outside linebacker. Inside linebacker Jihaad Campbell helped on the edge the last game, but mostly on base downs and had only three pass-rush attempts. He may get more on Sunday.

    Eagles Week 8 film preview: Key for big day for Jalen Hurts, stopping Giants rookie duo, and more

    Extra point

    The Eagles enter about as banged up as they’ve been all season with three starters sidelined. They’re already without outside linebacker Nolan Smith. Middle linebacker Nakobe Dean’s return helped settle the run defense last week, and he could do the same against the Giants. But Brown and Jurgens are key guys, and missing Jackson and Ojulari will test the team’s depth.

    Still, it’s hard to win twice within the division, especially within a 17-day span. The Giants may be reeling from an epic choke against the Denver Broncos. It’s not like they have much to fall back on. Dart and Skattebo have brought energy to a floundering franchise, but I like the odds that Fangio won’t have another hiccup against an inferior opponent.

    Prediction: Eagles 26, Giants 19

  • Villanova’s Pat McQuaide and Luke Colella have formed instant chemistry on a tight-knit team

    Villanova’s Pat McQuaide and Luke Colella have formed instant chemistry on a tight-knit team

    After Luke Colella officially transferred to Villanova this offseason, someone stopped by his hometown outside of Pittsburgh for a visit.

    It was Pat McQuaide, Villanova’s quarterback.

    McQuaide was on his way home to the Cleveland area, but decided to make a pit stop in Wexford, Pa., to meet his new wide receiver and throw to him.

    “I think that’s kind of where the chemistry started,” Colella said.

    Fast forward seven games into the 2025 season, Colella has become McQuaide’s top target within Villanova’s offense. Colella leads the Wildcats with 41 receptions — 23 more than any other receiver — 630 receiving yards, and three touchdowns. Of McQuaide’s 115 completions this season, 35% of them have gone to Colella.

    Villanova extends its winning streak to four games in 56-14 rout over Hampton

    Two weeks ago, McQuaide found Colella on back-to-back drives for touchdowns against Elon. The connection keyed a 26 -point second half for the Wildcats, who rallied from 11 down at the break to defeat the Phoenix, 29-21. Colella finished the game with a career-high 10 receptions and racked up 125 receiving yards to go along with the two touchdowns, while McQuaide threw for 255 yards and the pair of scores.

    During last weekend’s dismantling of Hampton, when the Wildcats led 49-0 at halftime, McQuaide again turned to his go-to guy Colella, hitting the receiver for a 34-yard touchdown before Villanova’s starters were pulled in the second half.

    The two graduate students will look to continue their success Saturday when No. 11/12 Villanova hosts Albany (3:30 p.m., NBCSP+) on homecoming weekend. The 5-2 Wildcats are seeking their fifth consecutive win and 20th straight victory at Villanova Stadium dating back to 2022.

    Acing chemistry

    McQuaide and Colella’s chemistry extends beyond just quarterback and receiver. They have become close friends.

    “Luke’s great,” McQuaide said. “First of all, he’s a great kid. He doesn’t technically live with me, but he pretty much lives with me. He lives across the hall. He’s in my room all the time. And I think that’s probably one of the reasons why it has been so big for us this year in the passing game.”

    Villanova’s offensive coordinator Chris Boden has taken notice of the bond McQuaide and Colella have quickly cultivated.

    “They’re very tight off the field,” Boden said. “They have a great relationship. I mean, it’s just nonstop back and forth, busting each other. They’ve just been on the same page. Personality-wise, they mesh really well. They’re high energy.”

    McQuaide’s infectious energy seemingly doesn’t have an off switch. Every time he hits a receiver for a touchdown, the quarterback can be seen zipping down the field to celebrate with his teammates.

    Villanova quarterback Pat McQuaide has thrown 10 touchdowns compared to one interception this season.

    Boden, a former Villanova quarterback himself, has nicknamed McQuaide the “juice captain” of the team.

    “It’s a big part of my game, just trying to bring energy,” McQuaide said after the win against Hampton. “I just try to be a source of positive energy and try to remind everybody that we’re playing a game, and games are supposed to be fun. I think that positive energy is contagious.”

    Boden echoed that statement when asked about McQuaide’s personality.

    “He just has a very contagious personality,” Boden said. “He’s high tempo. He’ll bark at the guys, and he’s always talking. He breaks down the team. He breaks down the offense. He does it on the field as well. He’s got nonstop chatter on the field. And I’ve never had a quarterback that led with that much energy.”

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    ‘What it means to be a Wildcat’

    Despite starting their college careers in different programs, McQuaide and Colella’s journeys have some similarities as graduate transfers. McQuaide, a Nicholls State transfer, and Colella, a transfer from Princeton, arrived on the Main Line this year with one final season of collegiate eligibility.

    Both players also harped that the culture of the program was a big reason why they chose Villanova.

    “A lot of people use the word culture, and I think that it’s really, really good here,” Colella said. “And I think that’s a testament to what the coaches bring to the table here. I think it’s just a really close group that gives us that feeling as soon as you walk in here, where it feels like I’ve known [McQuaide] for 10 years.”

    McQuaide credits coaches who were once former Wildcats, like Boden, for helping foster that special culture.

    Mark Ferrante has built a strong family culture at Villanova and has the Wildcats eyeing a fifth FCS playoff appearance in his nine seasons at the helm.

    “I think it’s great when you have coaches that come back,” McQuaide said. “We talk all the time about protecting the brand, the ‘V’, it’s a sacred thing for us, and people hate the ‘V’ outside of here. It’s bigger than just the guys that we have on this team and on this staff. I think having guys like Coach [Mark] Ferrante, who spent his whole career [here] for the most part, and Coach Boden and Coach [Forrest] Rhyne. All of those guys that played here, you can’t put a price on that.”

    For McQuaide and Colella, this season’s accomplishments are not just for them; they are for the Wildcats who played before them and the ones who will come after them. After just a few months spent on the Main Line, the two already feel the significance of what culture and family mean to Villanova as the Wildcats chase a Coastal Athletic Association title and third consecutive playoff appearance.

    “The tightness of the group is obviously set by the coaches,” Colella said. “Like, you look to our left and all the coaches are running stairs together. I’ve never seen that before. I’m sure Pat hasn’t either. They’re together right now, doing their thing. I think it’s really reflective of what it means to be a Wildcat.”

  • What’s ailing Penn State’s offense? It’s anyone’s guess, including the team’s offensive coordinator.

    What’s ailing Penn State’s offense? It’s anyone’s guess, including the team’s offensive coordinator.

    STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Penn State’s once-dynamic offense has faltered this season.

    During last year’s College Football Playoff run, the unit ranked 26th in the nation in total offense. Andy Kotelnicki’s flashy play calling enabled Drew Allar to take deep shots, Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen to each rush for over 1,000 yards, and Tyler Warren to win the Mackey Award as college football’s best tight end.

    But the Nittany Lions’ offensive production has plummeted through seven games. The group has gone from averaging 430.2 yards per game to just 355, which ranks 97th among Football Bowl Subdivision teams.

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    So, what has gone wrong?

    “I don’t know,” said Kotelnicki, the team’s offensive coordinator. “The reality is it hasn’t gone like we’re hoping. And what do you do? You go to the next play, you go to the next game, you go to the next moment and opportunity. I don’t have a good explanation for where [the offense] is.”

    Penn State offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki’s offense ranks 97th among FBS programs.

    Penn State has passed for 250 yards just twice through Kotelnicki’s 23 games as offensive coordinator, its last such performance coming last October.

    The offense has thrown for fewer than 150 passing yards in three of its seven games this season. Against Iowa, first-time starter Ethan Grunkemeyer finished with a 93 yards, the lowest passing mark for Penn State this year. His longest pass was for 14 yards.

    Allar’s 67-yard completion to Devonte Ross, a drag route the speedy receiver turned into a big gain against Florida International, is the team’s longest pass play this season.

    Interim head coach Terry Smith wants that to change.

    “On offense, we continue to not be able to throw the ball down the field, or even throw the ball in the intermediate zone,” Smith said. “We’ve gotta get that fixed.”

    But it’s not just the passing game.

    Nick Singleton, who rushed 172 times for a career-best 1,099 yards in 2024, has struggled to find rushing lanes in 2025. The senior running back is averaging just 3.6 yards per carry compared to 6.8 in his freshman campaign and 6.4 last season.

    Singleton is known for his speed, but he has yet to break a run longer than 16 yards and has eclipsed 50 rushing yards just twice through seven games.

    Penn State doesn’t intend to play scared under interim coach Terry Smith

    Smith said he wants to get Singleton going. Kotelnicki said Singleton’s superpower is finding lanes and hitting them with speed.

    “[Nick] has great speed,” Kotelnicki said. “We need to do a good job of getting him on the perimeter, allowing him to get some edges where his speed can show up.”

    Penn State running back Nick Singleton is averaging just 3.8 yards per carry in a season that was expected to be his breakout year.

    A steep climb

    With Allar lost for the season, Grunkemeyer will quarterback the Nittany Lions’ offense in Columbus against No. 1 Ohio State on Nov. 1 (noon, Fox 29), before facing No. 2 Indiana at Beaver Stadium on Nov. 8. The redshirt sophomore completed 15 of his 28 pass attempts and threw two interceptions in Penn State’s 25-24 loss to Iowa last Saturday.

    But considering the circumstances, starting his first college game in a tough road environment, Grunkemeyer’s performance wasn’t all bad. At least in Kotelnicki’s view.

    “There are things that he does really well with his feet. He makes quick decisions, and he goes. That was evident,” Kotelnicki said of Grunkemeyer. “There were some opportunities that he missed or got off the read too fast, but those are things you would expect to say about somebody who got their first career start.”

    Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer (17) faces two stiff defenses in No. 1 Ohio State and No. 4 Indiana.

    Kotelnicki’s confidence stems from Grunkemeyer’s preparation while serving as the team’s QB2. The second and third tests of that preparation: The nation’s No. 1 and No. 4 scoring defenses.

    Kotelnicki said he is “pleased” with the direction his young quarterback is trending in entering the team’s toughest stretch.

    “I [anticipate] that through this bye week and the next week, there’s a ton of growth from start one to start two,” Kotelnicki said. “How we practiced, how we prepared him, the number of reps we’ve gotten him through all the spring and in the moments where he’s gotten into games has prepared him for how he’s going to handle those things.”

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