After a Fourth Defeat, Penn State's James Franklin Sounds Defeated

Penn State didn't quit against Nebraska. But the team also gave itself too big a hill to climb.

James Franklin never sounds defeated. He did Saturday.

After Penn State's 30-23 loss to Nebraska, marking the first 0-4 start of his head-coaching career, Franklin went out-of-body, manufacturing answers to questions he couldn't answer, framing fault around himself and then getting the heck out of his Zoom call. They were 12 of the least compelling minutes of Franklin's career at Penn State.

Except for the moments when Franklin took the long view, perhaps pointing to this season as an aberration more than anything else.

Yes, Penn State has dug inescapable holes in the first halves, being outscored 93-26 through four games. That's an anomaly, Franklin said, because his teams have been notoriously shy out of the gate but often rallied to win. In fact, his 2016 team won five comeback games.

"We've played a winning brand of football here for four years," he said.

And yes, Penn State's defense has been bafflingly late to kickoff, allowing opening-drive touchdowns in its last three games, a withering show of ill-preparedness. On Saturday, two Penn State defenders said they were ready for Nebraska quarterback Luke McCaffrey but surprised to see him start, and more surprised at the tempo with which he worked.

Franklin said that the team can be better "in every single area." He then added, "but I also know that, not only the last seven years here at Penn State but over the last 10 years, [with defensive coordinator Brent Pry], we've played pretty good defense around here."

Maybe this season is an anomaly. Maybe all the forces surrounding Penn State (from four new assistant coaches to COVID-19 to Micah Parsons' departure to Journey Brown's forced retirement) conspired to dig the Lions a hole from which they can emerge only when it's too late.

Penn State certainly hasn't quit on Franklin and each other. That was evident in the second half, when quarterback Will Levis and the defense nearly dragged the team from a 21-point deficit to a game-tying touchdown. But since their season-opening touchdown drive against Indiana, the Lions have appeared unready for an opponent to start a game.

That's not an intangible. The Lions were highly motivated Saturday to play for Brown, since they ran onto the field holding up four fingers (the back's jersey number) and celebrated big plays the same way. No, that's preparation, and that's what Franklin, offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca and defensive coordinator Brent Pry aren't doing well enough.

Penn State's defense wasn't prepared for McCaffrey, wasn't prepared to play quick-change football (despite entering the game at minus-5 in turnover margin) and wasn't prepared to run its backup quarterback into the red zone.

Afterward, once again, the players tried to diffuse criticism of their coaches, as receiver Jahan Dotson did last week after the Maryland game. This time, tight end Pat Freiermuth said some players need to get their acts together off the field.

"It's stuff that we’ve never done," Freiermuth said. "Showing up late to stuff, not doing things that coach Franklin has preached to us to be successful, not only in football but in life. We just have to keep holding each other accountable for that."

Franklin this week admitted to his own off-the-field struggles, having to coach without his family at home. It's a rare situation, one Franklin chose but also one that few other coaches around the country are facing.

Yet Franklin said that, following last Tuesday's in-person team meeting and crisp practice, he felt better about Penn State's direction. And then, for the second consecutive week, the Lions trailed by 21 points at halftime.

Unlike the 2016 team, which had Saquon Barkley and Chris Godwin and Mike Gesicki and a quarterback in Trace McSorley who got better as the season progressed, this Penn State team lacks that electricity. Levis provided some, notably in the run game, but also with a 74-yard throw to an obviously hurting Freiermuth to set up the final touchdown. But it wasn't quite enough.

"We can't let [teams] dictate what they want to do [early in games]," Freiermuth said. "We've got to go dictate it for ourselves. That's probably the best answer I've got for you."

Before the season, there was a sense that, if anybody could be successful during a pandemic football season, it would be Franklin. He had experience handling reduced rosters during his first two seasons at Penn State, guiding the team out of sanctions without a losing season. Certainly, he could manage the potential chaos that a COVID-19 season might bring.

Franklin apparently has managed virus prevention well, but his team hasn't performed on the field. The coach made mention of that last week.

"During practice, I'm going to let the trainers and the doctors manage COVID, and I'm going to coach football," Franklin said. "I know that sounds ridiculous, but I've been spending a lot of time trying to manage those other things as well. And I feel like I've got a responsibility to do that as a head coach. But I also have a responsibility to make sure that we play well."

On Saturday in Lincoln, Franklin looked like he didn't quite know how to do that.

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