Hi, everyone!
Whew. Is it just me, or has the craziness of life ramped up tenfold since the school year began?
I can’t complain, though. September’s been lovely for so many reasons: family time, Penn State football, swimming with Arya, dance and soccer with Stella, a rare date night with Christine, and so much more.
On top of that, I’ve been writing a TON. Hopefully, you've enjoyed following along. With the MLB postseason starting tomorrow, expect plenty more baseball content through the World Series. Plus, I’ve started drafting a piece reflecting on ONE YEAR since leaving Corporate America, along with my weekly Let’s Go State! columns.
Speaking of which, let’s talk about my Nittany Lions...
Let’s Go State! 9-28-24 vs. Illinois 🏈
I’m going to keep this brief because Penn State took care of business again. I’ll give you two things that made me happy during Saturday’s game, and two things that made me sad.
🙂
Kaytron Allen, Nicholas Singleton, and Tyler Warren. Man, these guys are something else. Singleton and Allen carried the load on Saturday, and Warren continues to prove he might just be the most complete—and best—tight end in the country.
The defense isn’t too shabby either! You’d expect a drop-off after being the No. 1 total defense last year and losing our defensive coordinator to Duke (who’s 5-0 now—Go Manny Diaz!), but it seems like they're just different this season. And by different, I mean they look less dominant, at least to my untrained eye. However, the numbers tell another story. Heading into this week, the Nittany Lions rank No. 4 overall in total defense. Tom Allen has this unit dialed in, and it was awesome to see Abdul Carter finally unleashed. (P.S. Carter was named B1G Defensive Player of the Week!)
😔
Now, for Sander Sahaydak—man, you hate to see a kicker struggle. It’s such an isolating role, like being a pitcher in baseball. You’re out there all alone. Whatever confidence Sahaydak built over the past two weeks vanished after missing two field goals from 40+ yards. Penn State can’t afford to leave 6+ points on the board every week. They’ve got to figure this out, and fast.
Same goes for the penalties. I can only imagine how frustrated James Franklin was over the offside and personal foul calls. It’s a discipline issue. Maybe it's just young players finding their footing, but penalties matter just as much as special teams when games are won or lost on the margins. The biggest games are coming up, and I don’t want to see them slip away because of penalties. Please, no more of that heartbreak.
Big game at home versus UCLA coming up before heading out to L.A. to face USC next week ☀️😎🌴
ICYMI: I released the first two “tracks” (chapters) of the rock & roll novel I’m working on.
Babe Johnston has always been a people-pleaser, constantly striving to satisfy her family, lovers, and bandmates—leaving little room for her own voice. But when the lead singer of her rising band suddenly quits, Babe is thrust out from behind the drums and into the daunting role of leader. Grappling with self-doubt and haunted by past demons, she must face the challenge of holding the band together while confronting her fear of failure. To complicate matters, a sinister stalker begins targeting her, threatening to unravel everything she's worked for.
Set in present-day Los Angeles, PAPILIO is the story of one woman’s journey to find her strength as she confronts not only an external threat but also the even greater battle with her own insecurities. Can Babe rise to the occasion and save her career, her band, and herself?
If you like music, contemporary fiction, and a twist of suspense, then check this out!
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CERNIG 📈
It remains modest but there’s still growth, baby! When you put in the hard work, good things happen, even if you don’t become a millionaire overnight 🤪
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