Mike Kern

Mike Kern will turn 49 in April. Born in Holmesburg, he has lived in Northeast Philly all his life, and now lives in Torresdale. Went to Lincoln High School, then Temple University. Came to the DN almost right out of college, started as part-time clerk, graduated to full-time clerk, promoted to sports writer on Feb. 1, 1982, when the Bulletin folded and the DN started covering suburban high school sports. That was my beat for five-six years. I began covering the colleges at that point. In 1991 I also took over the golf beat. Have been the national college football writer since 1993. Have won numerous national writing awards for golf and basketball, for stories on Tiger Woods and John Chaney, mostly. Was the Pa. Sports Writer of the Year in 2003. Became a member of Lincoln's Wall of Honor that same year. Was president of the Phila. Sports Writers Association for two years. Married for 24 years, he has a daughter, 23, and son, 21, both seniors at Temple.

Email Mike at kernm@phillynews.com

Penn State's Quarless sees effort pay off
Villanova earns high marks for graduating athletes
Michigan State looms large in Penn State's BCS bowl future

Mike Kern: College Football Wrap

By Mike Kern

Posted 11/16/2009

Players of the Weekend National Former walk-on Devin Barclay, who played with four teams in Major League Soccer from 2001-05, kicked a 39-yard field goal in overtime to give Ohio State a 27-24 win over visiting Iowa and a trip to the Rose Bowl. At 26, he's the oldest player on his team, and had been the backup until Aaron Pettrey was injured 2 weeks ago.

Mike Kern: Weis hasn't bowled them over at Notre Dame - 11/12/2009: by Mike Kern

If Notre Dame loses at Pitt this week, the Irish would be 35-25 under Charlie Weis. Which, as irony would have it, is the same record Bob Davies had when he was fired after the 2001 season, his fifth.
Mike Kern: COLLEGE FOOTBALL WRAP - 11/09/2009: By Mike Kern

PLAYERS OF THE WEEKEND National Matt Hogan kicked a 51-yard field goal as time expired to give Houston a 46-45 win over Tulsa. Before that, he hadn't made one longer than 34.
Mike Kern: Can Penn State fit into BCS picture? - 11/05/2009: by Mike Kern

TODAY'S QUESTION, class, is: Can Southern Cal's loss at Oregon have any effect on Penn State getting into a BCS bowl?
Mike Kern: College Football Wrap - 11/02/2009: By Mike Kern

PLAYERS OF THE WEEKEND National Case Keenum threw for a career-best 559 yards and five touchdowns, the last a 28-yarder to Patrick Edwards with 21 seconds remaining, to lead Houston past Southern Mississippi, 50-43.
Mike Kern: Texas, USC can't afford to slip up on the road - 10/29/2009: by Mike Kern

Critical weekend for two teams with national title visions. Actually they're all critical, when you're dealing with what amounts to 12 or even 13 one-game seasons.
Mike Kern: COLLEGE FOOTBALL WRAP - 10/26/2009: By Mike Kern

PLAYERS OF THE WEEKEND National Alabama's Terrence "Mount" Cody blocked a Tennessee field goal on the last play, his second block in the fourth quarter, to preserve a 12-10 win and the Tide's unbeaten record.
Mike Kern: BCS standings already have a familiar ring - 10/22/2009: ENTERING THE second half of the season, seven teams (sorry Kansas and South Florida) remain unbeaten. So, what are their long-range prospects?
Mike Kern: College football wrap - 10/19/2009: by Mike Kern

PLAYERS OF THE WEEKEND National Caleb Sturgis, who didn't even start the season as Florida's kicker, kicked a 27-yard field goal with 9 seconds left to give the defending national champions a 23-20 home win over Arkansas.
Mike Kern: It's now or never for Weis, Notre Dame - 10/15/2009: by Mike Kern

CHARLIE WEIS is in his fifth season at Notre Dame. So why is the Kodak moment of his tenure still the 34-31 loss to Southern California in his sixth game? Sure hope you weren't leaning toward possibly last December's 49-21 Hawaii Bowl win over, well, Hawaii. Sorry.
Mike Kern: College Football Wrap - 10/12/2009: By Mike Kern

PLAYERS OF THE WEEKEND National Mason Foster intercepted a pass that deflected off the foot of a wide receiver and ran it back 37 yards for a touchdown with 2 minutes, 37 seconds left to give Washington, which trailed by 12 with 3 minutes to go, a 36-33 win over visiting Arizona.