FRISCO, Texas – The No. 10-ranked Penn State Nittany Lions (10-2, 7-2 Big Ten Conference) started game week preparations for the 84th Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic on Sunday afternoon with a spirited 90-minute indoor practice at the Ford Center at The Star. The Nittany Lions take on the No. 17 Memphis Tigers (12-1, 7-1 American Athletic Conference) in six days in the first meeting between the two programs.
Head Coach James Franklin led the workout, a standard game week Sunday practice in which the team practiced without pads. Sunday's session provided the Nittany Lions with a chance to work at one of the nation's finest football facilities, the state-of-the-art Ford Center that connects to the corporate headquarters of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys. A multi-purpose, 12,000-seat, facility connected to the Cowboys' football operations and practice fields, it is a facility shared by the Cowboys with the City of Frisco and the Frisco Independent School District.
At the conclusion of practice, Franklin introduced former Green Bay Packers wide receiver Donald Driver to speak to the team. Driver, a native Texan, and Franklin developed a close relationship when Franklin served as wide receivers coach for the Packers in 2005. Driver urged the players to meet the challenge ahead of them this week, to leave a legacy with their performance, and to earn respect. Over the span of a 14-year career, Driver missed only four games due to injury and was a four-time All-Pro. He is one of the most beloved players in Packers history and a member of the organization's Hall of Fame.
Following their normal game week practice schedule leading up to this Saturday's clash with Memphis, the Nittany Lions will not practice on Monday. However, it will be a busy day as the team will visit the Children's Medical Center, one of the nation's largest pediatric health care providers, in the morning before returning to The Star in Frisco to attend the Dallas Cowboys Welcome Event later that evening. Penn State returns to practice on Tuesday afternoon, Dec. 24, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
The 84th Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic is Saturday, Dec. 28, at 11 a.m. CST on ESPN.
Leading into the two College Football Playoff semifinal broadcasts, this year's Classic is part of the ESPN bowl lineup for the sixth straight year. Mark Jones and Dusty Dvoracek are set to the call the action from the booth with Olivia Dekker reporting from the sidelines.
ESPN Radio returns as the Classic's national radio partner for the eighth consecutive year with Brad Sham and Jordan Rodgers in the booth and Kris Budden on the sidelines to describe all the action from AT&T Stadium.
