Penn State's James Franklin: 'I'm Surprised We Didn't Play Well'

The Lions had a plan entering Saturday's game at Michigan. And the Wolverines stepped on it.

Penn State coach James Franklin wasn't prepared to watch Michigan become the first team to rush for more than 400 yards against him. And he certainly didn't expect the Lions to cede control of both lines of scrimmage they way they did Saturday at Michigan Stadium.

"Let me give them credit, they are a good football team, but we didn’t play well. So yeah, I’m surprised that we didn’t play well," Franklin told reporters in Ann Arbor after the Lions' 41-17 loss to Michigan. "When you're not able to control the line of scrimmage the way you need to control the line of scrimmage, you're going to have a hard time."

Michigan rushed for 418 yards, including a combined 339 and four touchdowns from Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards. It was the most rushing yards a Penn State team has allowed under Franklin and the third-most in program history.

Which is why, as Franklin noted, even though Michigan's slim 16-14 halftime lead "indicated we were in the thing," Penn State ultimately wasn't. The Wolverines scored 25 unanswered points in the fourth quarter.

The Wolverines held huge advantages in total yards (563-268), first downs (28-10) and time of possession (42 minutes to 18). That Penn State rushed for 111 yards was boosted by Sean Clifford's 62-yard carry that set up the team's only offensive touchdown.

Beyond that, Penn State rushed 21 times for 49 yards. Freshmen Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen combined for 35 yards on 12 carries. Further, Michigan converted 11 of 17 third-down attempts; Penn State went 4-for-12 and 2-for-6 on third-down attempts of 1-4 yards. Michigan was 6-for-9.

"Offensively we weren't able to run or convert in short-yardage to stay on the field, but defensively we weren't able to get off the field," Franklin said. "They controlled the line of scrimmage and they controlled the game."

To improve in those areas, Franklin said, the program has to get better in a host of others.

"It's all of it," Franklin said. "We've got to develop, we've got to recruit, we've got to get bigger. We're undersized at some spots. Everybody thinks they're [Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle] Aaron Donald now, and they're not.

"Like, everybody sees Aaron Donald playing undersized and everybody thinks they're that guy, and there's been one of those guys in the last 100 years of football. We need to be bigger we need to be more physical. Our footwork, our technique, our fundamentals: it's all of it. We own all of it."

Penn State returns home Oct. 22 against Minnesota, another run-heavy team. Mohamed Ibrahim ran for 127 yards and a touchdown in Minnesota's 26-14 loss to Illinois, a game in which Gophers quarterback Tanner Morgan was carted off the field.

"This game can't linger," Franklin said. "... We're 5-1. That’s what we are. Very clearly. We own it. We’re 5-1. The losses aren’t bigger than what they are and the wins aren’t bigger than what they are."

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