Penn State's James Franklin 'Surprised' Abdul Carter Doesn't Draw More Holding Calls

The Nittany Lions defensive end leads the Big Ten in tackles for loss despite extra attention from opposing offenses.

Penn State Nittany Lions defensive end Abdul Carter (11) tackles Purdue Boilermakers running back Reggie Love III during a game at Ross-Ade Stadium. / Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

Penn State defensive end Abdul Carter flew across the field to track down Purdue wide receiver CJ Smith, limiting what could have been a long catch-and-run on a screen pass. The play was the latest example of Carter’s “phenomenal motor,” which has terrorized Big Ten offenses in recent weeks. Penn State coach James Franklin called that his favorite play of the Nittany Lions’ 49-10 win over the Boilermakers. 

“I mean, the play he made on the screen was phenomenal,” Franklin said. “For us, we try to spend a lot of time talking about real football people, studying the tape, NFL scouts, GMs, other college coaches. When you watch the tape, the guy is impactful. Whether it's sacks, whether it's tackles for loss, whether it's holding calls, whether it is obvious that they have a specific plan in how they're trying to limit his impact — keeping tight ends in, keeping running backs in, always sliding in his direction so there's double-team between the tackle and the guard — he is impacting the game in a number of ways, which creates opportunities for other guys on our defensive line and within our defense and causes a lot of headaches.”

"Oh man.. that is scary!" 🗣️

Abdul Carter's track down speed is an offense's nightmare 👀 @PennStateFball #B1GFootball on CBS 📺 pic.twitter.com/WDKGp8D1Pj

— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) November 16, 2024

Carter made two more tackles for loss against the Boilermakers, improving his Big Ten-leading total to 17.5 (he ranks second in FBS). Although he didn’t register any sacks, Carter routinely got around Purdue’s tackles and pressured its quarterbacks, which created opportunities for other players. Dani Dennis-Sutton, Amin Vanover and Coziah Izzard each registered sacks. 

Since Carter transitioned from linebacker to defensive end this offseason, he has continued to progress both on and off the field. Although there were early concerns with offsides penalties, Franklin said people are now focusing on “all the positive things he’s doing.” 

“He's been great. His attitude's been great. He is coachable,” Franklin said. “He is becoming more and more of a leader every single day.”

Carter’s team-leading eight sacks are a career-high for him, and he still has at least two more games to add to that total. Following last week's game at Purdue, Franklin said that he was "surprised" Carter doesn't draw more holding penalties. But the head coach added that Carter hasn't appeared frustrated with fighting through extra attention and uncalled holding.

“If to me it's showing up on the field where he's getting frustrated and now his effort changes because he feels like, ‘Hey, I can't get a call here, I'm getting held every time,’ then that would be a concern,” Franklin said. “But the guy is playing with phenomenal motor.” 

Carter’s efforts have helped the Nittany Lions rank in the top half of the nation in most defensive statistics, but one area where Penn State’s defense doesn’t rank highly is takeaways. 

The Nittany Lions seek more turnovers

Penn State has 12 takeaways this season, which ranks in the lower half of the nation. Franklin addressed this Monday during his weekly press conference, saying the defense has done “a pretty good job” at breaking up passes and contesting catches, and now the group has to take the next step. 

“The next step is not just the confidence of breaking the ball up, but actually going after the ball,” Franklin said. “Most importantly, I want to continue to play great defense, which I think we are doing. I don't think Tom Allen and the defensive side of the ball is getting enough credit for how good of defense we're playing.” 

In contrast, Minnesota has forced 20 turnovers, including 16 interceptions. Franklin said taking care of the football will be a continued emphasis for the Nittany Lions against the Gophers on Saturday. 

Freshmen updates

Franklin also touched on his true freshmen, many of whom played during the second half against Purdue last weekend. A total of 15 true freshmen have played for Penn State, three of whom have burned their redshirts: offensive lineman Cooper Cousins, safety Dejuan Lane and tight end Luke Reynolds.

With two regular-season games remaining, several freshmen entered the category where they can play and not risk burning their redshirt (the NCAA permits freshmen to play four regular-season games and retain the year of eligibility). On offense, those players include wide receiver/punt returner Tyseer Denmark, offensive lineman Eagan Boyer and running backs Quinton Martin Jr. and Corey Smith. Because Martin has played three games, he’ll only be able to play in one of the Nittany Lions’ final two games, Franklin said. 

On defense, defensive tackle Xavier Gilliam and defensive ends Max Granville and Jaylen Harvey are all “full go” for the last two weeks (Harvey left the Purdue game with an injury). Linebacker Anthony Speca and defensive backs Vaboue Toure, Antoine Belgrave-Shorter, Jon Mitchell and Kenny Woseley Jr. can play one more game while preserving their redshirts, so the coaches will have to be “strategic” in managing their playing time, Franklin said. 

Up next

Penn State visits Minnesota on Saturday at Huntington Bank Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS.

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Sam Woloson has covered Penn State Athletics for the past three years and is currently the managing editor of The Daily Collegian. His work has also appeared in Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Huntingdon Daily News and Rivals. Follow him on X @sam_woloson