0 yards in a game.Rivers has a new pass-catcher in wide receiver Travis Benja | Forum

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. Mike Fiers Jersey . -- With injuries impacting their lineup early, freshmen have had to play big minutes in Penn States new fast-paced offense.They havent disappointed and on Tuesday, the Nittany Lions promising freshman class got help from a handful of veterans to pull away from Grand Canyon 85-76.Rookie Lamar Stevens scored 19 points and top returning scorers Payton Banks (15) and Shep Garner (14) chipped in to lead the Nittany Lions in the Hall of Fame Tip-Off Tournament.I think weve made a lot of good strides over the last three games, Banks said. I think were jelling well. I feel like the rotation, were starting to get used to it, starting to get used to where guys are going to be.They were all over the paint in scoring 40 points and netting 20 second-chance points against the Antelopes. Along with Stevens, freshman Tony Carr also had his third-straight double-digit game with 10 points.This is the type of scoring potential Penn State coach Pat Chambers envisioned when he pledged to meld young and old and chase 80-plus points per game in the preseason. To get there, the Nittany Lions (2-1) needed to overcome a 0-for-9 shooting slump in the first five minutes of the second half that saw them squander a 48-41 halftime lead.I found out a lot about my team, Chambers said. They dug deep, they got back to the middle of the ring, they punched back and we took the lead.Joshua Braun made 5 of 10 3-pointers and led Grand Canyon (0-2) with 25 points. Oscar Frayer, Darion Clark, Keonta Vernon and Shaq Carr also finished in double figures for the Antelopes with 13, 12, 11 and 10 points, respectively.Braun hit 2 of 3 free throws with 15:29 left to give Grand Canyon a 50-48 lead -- its last of the game.The Nittany Lions put together an impressive 13-7 run immediately thereafter in which Banks and Stevens combined for all 13 points. Stevens tipped in a rebound with 6:06 left to put Penn State up 75-63 for its biggest lead.We knew it was going to be tough game, Grand Canyon coach Dan Majerle said. Were shorthanded, DeWayne Russell is our starting point guard, he wasnt able to play the first two games, well get him back.BUSY SCHEDULEPenn State played its third game in five days and its schedule remains hectic for the near future. The Nittany Lions will cap the tournament with back-to-back games this weekend and will play five times in the final 11 days of the month.MORE FROM MOOREJulian Moore led Penn State with nine rebounds and had the type of game Chambers hoped he would have earlier. But foul trouble in the first two games limited Moores minutes. He played 20 against the Antelopes.HURT LIONSGuard Josh Reaves missed his third game with a lower leg injury and hes not expected to play this weekend. Forward Davis Zemgulis missed his first game with a concussion and Isaiah Washington also sat out for Penn State with an unspecified ailment.THE BIG PICTUREGrand Canyon: The Antelopes are 0 for 6 against Power 5 teams and have been outscored 550-365 since they joined the Division I ranks.Penn State: The Nittany Lions have never began a season with three freshmen starters in three straight games as they have with Stevens, Watkins and Tony Carr this year. Carr and Stevens were in double figures for the third time and Watkins finished with nine points and six rebounds.UP NEXTGrand Canyon travels to Uncasville, Connecticut to continue the Hall of Fame Tip-Off Tournament against Albany on Saturday.Penn State will also visit Uncasville on Saturday where it will face No. 1 Duke. Dick Green Athletics Jersey . PETERSBURG, Fla. Luis Barrera Athletics Jersey . Louis Blues absence from top spot in the TSN. https:///...ersey-athletics.html . Vaives lawyer Trevor Whiffen claims the former 50-goal man wasnt provided with a copy of the claim beforehand and that he would not have agreed to the allegations made against the NHL had he been asked to review its contents. The San Diego Chargers visit the Kansas City Chiefs in a division matchup that could jump-start either teams season.The Chiefs swept the Chargers last year, winning both games, though the weather looks to be better this weekend than the last time these teams met at Arrowhead Stadium. The Chiefs beat the Chargers in Kansas City, 10-3, but the game was played in a torrential downpour. The running attacks of both teams needed to be good last year and both will be looking to control the football in this contest as well. That might not be as easy for the Chiefs as they would have liked.The Chiefs running game ended the 2015 campaign in solid shape even though four-time Pro-Bowl running back Jamaal Charles was on the shelf with a torn ACL in his right knee. The injury happened in Week 5, so many in the organization thought Charles would be ready to play in the 2016 opener. Those plans may be tempered against the Chargers on Sunday.Charles will likely miss the season-opening game, Chiefs coach Andy Reid said Friday.Hes probably not going to play, Reid told reporters when talking about his running back.The Chiefs kept four running backs on the 53-man active roster with Charles still ailing. The tandem of Charcandrick West and Spencer Ware held up their end of the bargain in 2015. The running backs combined for 1,037 yards and 10 touchdowns.The Chiefs kept Knile Davis, primarily a kickoff returner, as the fourth tailback as insurance in case Charles is not healthy enough to play against the Chargers.Ware is the likely starter with West and Davis also available.Theyll all play, Reid said. We have some personnel groupings so well see how that goes. You could probably say that (Ware will start) but it depends on the personnel groups so dont hold me accountable.The Chargers have a new-look defensive line to take on those running backs. The Chargers first-round selection in the 2016 draft was defensive end Joey Bosa, and his defensive linemates will be tasked with trying to contain the Chiefs running attack.Bosa started practice this week with his leg wrapped, observing from the sideline, and is not expected to play.The starting nod goes to second-year defensive end Darius Philon. The former Arkansas Razorback is powerful with his hands and is strong at the point of attack. Philon is solid against the run when lined up next to nose tackle Brandon Mebane. Since the Chargers run a 3- 4 basee defense, the nose tackle position is critical to eat up the blocks of the center and at least one of the offensive guards. Jose Canseco Athletics Jersey. That is a talent at which Mebane excels.With Mebane occupying two blockers, this should free up starting inside linebackers Manti Teo and Denzel Perryman to have clear paths to the Chiefs ball carriers. If Teo and Perryman fill the running lanes and tackle with force, the Chargers should be able to force the Chiefs into passing the football more than they would like.Thats where Bosa enters the picture. The Chargers lacked consistent pressure on quarterbacks in 2015. Bosa, along with outside linebackers Melvin Ingram and Jerry Attaochu or Kyle Emanuel, will be rushing the edges against free-agent right tackle Mitchell Schwartz and newly-paid left tackle Eric Fisher. The revamped offensive line must keep quarterback Alex Smith clean in the pocket. The pass rushers of the Chargers hope this offensive line is as leaky as last years when the front five gave up 45 sacks on the season. Bosa, Ingram, Attaochu and Emanuel must get to Smith in the backfield if the Chargers hope to win the game.Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers has never lacked confidence. Even with the Chargers coming off a 4-12 campaign and not winning a single AFC West contest, the signal-caller still believes in his squad.We believe in here that we can go from the very bottom to winning the division, said Rivers about the teams plan to rebound from a year ago.The difference must begin with Rivers and a much-maligned offense. This was an offense that was so poor in 2015 that most of the offensive staff was fired.Newly installed offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt needs to find a way to protect Rivers and establish a running game with Melvin Gordon. A 2015 rookie who had a very productive college career at Wisconsin, Gordon has yet to score a NFL touchdown or even rush for 100 yards in a game.Rivers has a new pass-catcher in wide receiver Travis Benjamin to complement Keenan Allen. This duo needs to be active outside the hash marks against the young cornerbacks of the Chiefs. Both Steven Nelson and Marcus Peters are second-year players who are aggressive, but can be beaten deep. Phillip Gaines is also expected to see time at cornerback opposite Peters. ' ' '