The College Football season had gotten off to a strong start for the Penn State Nittany Lions, but back-to-back losses have halted their winning run against other top programs. Head coach James Franklin still hasn’t moved past the loss to the Ducks — a game that clearly had an impact on the team’s performance against UCLA.
The Nittany Lions had a golden opportunity to improve their record to 4–1, but an overall lackluster team performance allowed Nico Iamaleava and company to take full advantage of the situation.
With a cooler head and emotions settling down, Franklin spoke to the media and made it clear that the previous loss to Oregon had been a tough blow — one the team clearly wasn’t able to bounce back from quickly.
“Obviously, we did not handle last week’s loss well,” the HC said. “We also lost some players in that game, during the week, and then everything else. Everything else — travel, everything else — we did not come out with the right energy to start the game.
“And before you know it, obviously, they get a touchdown drive and an onside kick, and now you’re fighting. They gain confidence, and we’re fighting for the next three quarters. So, that’s my responsibility, and I didn’t get it done.”
Back in action quickly
This team’s fate isn’t sealed just yet — although two straight losses could heavily impact Penn State’s hopes of reaching the College Football Playoff. Franklin’s main objective now? Bounce back quickly and focus on the next game.
“We’ve got to tune out all the outside noise. I thought our guys worked hard at doing that last week, but obviously not well enough. Not well enough. So, we’ve got to stick together — the coaches, the players in the locker room, offense, defense, the special teams. The reality is we did not play well enough in all three phases to win the game. There’s going to be a lot out there to divide, divide, divide,” he said.
“And we’ve got to tune all that out and stick together. I think we will do that. It’s not going to be easy, but I think we’ll do that.”
What’s next for Penn State?
- vs Northwestern, October 11
- @ Iowa, October 18
- @ Ohio State, November 1
- vs Indiana, November 8
- @ Michigan State, November 15