Postgame Interview: James Franklin on Penn State’s Week 1 win over West Virginia | CFB on FOX

so first of all uh give West Virginia and the Mountaineers a ton of credit um it was a great atmosphere obviously we had to to deal with the weather and I think that changed some things but uh it was great atmosphere I thought they battled us very very uh tough especially early on um but we were able to you know do some pretty good things as the game went on and then when we talk about the critical statistics that we talk about all the time uh we won most of them so the turnover battle we won that three to 3 to one um explosive play Battle we won that we met our goal on offense as well uh at 18.3% uh third down battle we won that um I think we can improve in that area that was one of the big challenges I thought early in the game uh we weren't converting on third down and they sustained some drives the time of possession was way out of whack that put our defense in a tough spot that's a combination of the offense sustaining drives and the defense getting more three and outs um sack battle uh we were able to win that um obviously we need to get some sacks earlier in the game but overall uh we got the job done when it was needed um and then starting field position was a push uh the penalty battle is the one thing that really stood out today that we did not win and I thought really impacted the game um we let up Let Them Off The Hook when they were backed up the one time it made it difficult to get into a rhythm on offense I thought the penalties early really affected us getting into a rhythm and then the one time where they clapped our Cadence and we snapped the ball that that created um I think challenges for us to get into a rhythm early on but besides that uh did some really good things it was great to see Trey a guy that we've been talking about for a while have a big game uh give you guys you know something something to to write about um obviously we want to try to get everybody involved um in the Run game in the pass game and all those things but overall I thought we did some really good things we're gonna watch his tape there's going to be a ton of stuff that we didn't like and that we need to get cleaned up but uh we were able to come on the road in a very very tough environment uh and get a win against a team that I think is really um you know I don't know what the right word is under ranked or whatever it is I think I think that's a good football team I think they're going to end up having a really good year so we're appreciative of coming out here with the w and uh you guys want to get home to your families cuz we had a long delay and and so do we so I'm going to take one question and I'm leaving Mark and then Rich James what did you learn from that Michigan State situation several years ago with the delay because it looked like things went much more smoothly for lack of a better way of putting it this time around yeah I think that's fair I mean obviously after that situation um you know we kind of put in all types of plans and policies to be aware of that also helped that before coming here we knew this was a possibility so uh it's hard to go to Chick-fil-A at closing time and ask him to stay open and come up with an order for a football team that's what happened in East Lancing um with Monica um our our police officer going to do that for us so this was obviously a much better situation it's still challenging when you're the visiting team cuz you're stuck in a in a very small locker room you know that's not a critique on West Virginia it's like that everywhere um and they have all their facilities to be able to use so there's some real challenges that come with that I think you guys saw we created kind of out here in the tunnel some more space I thought that was helpful as well and then we just had plenty of food and again because we knew that this was a possibility uh we were able to get ahead of it from that standpoint so thought that was a positive and then obviously having having the the iPads is also another huge Advantage obviously you're you're you're not just killing time you're actually watching tape evaluating tape grading tape a lot of things that we could get done during that time rich and then Todd James how do you think your players handled the delay and how important was it to come out in the second half and score on that first drive yeah I thought that opening drive was huge you know we talk about the middle eight a lot in our program we got the score right before the half which I thought was really important um and then you come out and get this you know the score to start the second half that's great we stalled out the next two drives we we got to get that fixed um but I thought our guys handled it really well I thought our staff handled it really well and it was reflected in coming out you know with a with a a touchdown to start the second half so those middle eight scores I think were probably the two most significant in the game the end of the first half and the start of the second half Todd and the alley coach within that drive Drew had a couple of really nice runs to keep the chains moving we talk about about how he performed running the ball and then Bose's throw late to Tyler for the touchdown putting things on tape for for teams to you know as we talked about Bo throwing and and Drew running a bit more yeah we call him Lamar allar he kind of looks like him right um you know I thought he ran better than probably people expected last year he's dropped 10 pounds um I think he's done a really good job in the weight room becoming more explosive we always talk like you know obviously Mobility at the quarterback position is important but if you're quarterback can get you just two to three first downs a game with his legs it changes everything and uh I thought that showed up today some things that we got to get cleaned up obviously um you know in terms of you know third down I think we can be better in that area but overall I I thought that was big and then obviously as you guys know B's going to have a big part of the game plan that was a big part um of our thought of starting with a two-point play get him involved as early as possible in the game plus we had a play that we liked um it didn't it didn't obviously pay out that way or pan out that way um but but you know Drew bow is going to be a big part of what we're doing moving forward so we wanted to get him involved as early as possible Ali then pickle we talked this week James about week one and all the difficulties that that comes with traveling with new guys implementing three new coordinators things of that nature to get a win like this on the road you're setting up for a month here at home what can you take from this as you build into the the bul ofer season here yeah I think you know you guys saw it today um across the country we've seen it every year these opening games playing these types of opponents um you know they're tough and they're challenging um you know it's a philosophy right um athletic directors have a big role in this head coaches have a big role in this what what type of games are you going to schedule in your out of conference games um and what's what's in everybody's best interest you see across the country you know you start out with a with a tough loss and you play maybe not as clean as you normally play because you're still working through some of the Kinks um obviously when you get the win you know it's it's a huge positive um but if you don't then you know it it can really start your season off the wrong path and you're going to have to battle through it you know your point is we're going to be at home for a couple weeks Pro that's probably also not positive you'd prefer not to have whether we have four straight home games um I think for some fan bases that would be an issue it's not for ours uh the support that we get in Beaver Stadium and State College and the state of Pennsylvania and the region is phenomenal we'll be able to handle that um they'll be asking for a fifth one after the fourth one but um but you know coming here and getting a win in this type of environment when it works I think it's a huge win but you know the the the question is does it really make sense um you know and and obviously me and Pat have had a ton of conversations and he's got strong opinions on it pick golden Jared coach you saw your offense against your defensive Place Versa all months now that you saw each side of the ball against an opponent did you feel like the way you came out of Camp what you saw L carried over to today yeah I think I think we got a chance to be good on both sides of the ball I think we got a chance to be more balanced on on both sides of the ball um and when I talk about balance I'm talking about you know both being able to win on the defensive side of the ball being able to win on the offensive side of the ball um and I thought there was examples of that today I I think I think they do a really good job on offense I think their o line coach is excellent um and I think they do a really good job so they created some challenges for us the quarterback's going to be a problem just like he was for a lot of people all all year long they got two Elite backs um so I think our defense played really well and if you look at us even last year you know where we started at the beginning of the year compared to where we were at the last the end of the year I think that's kind of the reality and the approach that we have to have we just we just got to get better each week if we get better each week of the Season we'll like where we're at come the end go Jared and then we'll go down front here he coach Franklin um earlier this week you mentioned that playing an opponent like West Virginia in week one could maybe show some things that usually don't show until later on like week two or three how do you feel like you all were able to manage that today could you say that one more time I apologize sorry so earlier in the we I was distracted by my guy with the Phillies hat with the ammo with the ammo lid on it cuz he's trying to kind of like be P Penn State supportive and connect with West Virginia yeah yes sir yes sir I'm sorry but yeah um earlier in the week you said uh sometimes playing an opponent like West Virginia in week one um you can show some things that don't show up until later on in the season how do you feel like you all were able to manage that today against not totally understanding your question um I'm I'm not totally understanding your question um I know this is the third time now yeah I mean um you said some James you said some things could show up on week four or five and because you're playing a quality opponent they show up on week one you said that on Monday and he's saying how did that go beautiful that that's his question he doesn't get another one that um yeah you know I I guess what I'm saying is when you play this type of opponent I think you're forced and challenged both both physically and mentally and and as coaches right out of the gate um and I think we were going to be tested and I thought today we were tested um we battled through some things we grinded through some situations we found a way to create some explosive plays we grinded out some first downs same thing on the defensive side of the ball so playing this type of opponent I think you get tested earlier in the season where some people are playing opponents not like that so I think that's really just kind of what I was referencing is how challenge the the environment challenges you got to be able to handle that um you know the opponent challenges this team's going to win a ton of games in the Big 12 in my opinion so we'll we'll see how it plays out we'll go down front if you can introduce yourself hi I'm John Raby with the Associated Press hey John I'm not this short obiously the big plays uh does one game solve your concerns about explosive plays or is it just like you said we just have to keep chugging along with it no but that one play this may be too soon but that one play looked like we just chucked it deep down the middle of the field too soon too soon I get it um and I thought Omari coming back and making a play on that was was huge I said I think I said it halftime since the 90s Ducks accepted spirals preferred um I've been chucking I chucked a bunch of those Ducks up myself but um I think when you got players like that that can make plays in open space and that scare you with their speed Omari can run run and when when you you when you're in open field and you got to cover 53 and a third and you don't know where the ball is and they do that's not a great position to be and and what I was so proud of Amari was fighting through the contact back for the ball that created the pass interference contact um so that was huge I mean we you know we got to it today we got to our goal which was which was positive um you know in terms of 18% our goal is 15% each week so that's a positive um but as you guys know we got to do it week in and week out and I thought we we really grinded the Run game uh and then Nick was able to you know you know bust a few there that that really you know changes the the stats changes the num so that that was good for us thank you coach thanks guys be careful driving home thank