Penn State Football
Head Coach James Franklin Postgame Press Conference
vs. Michigan – October 19, 2019
Opening Statement:
First of all, I want to thank all of you guys for coming out and covering Penn State Football; we appreciate it. I want to thank the fans. We had 110,000 in the game, fourth-largest crowd in Penn State history. I want to thank the staff, the players, the fans, the lettermen, the alumni, the other 150,000 people out in the parking lot still tailgating and screaming, people sitting in the restaurants and bars screaming and going crazy because we did not do this by ourselves tonight. It was the entire Penn State community. It was a great win. I have so much respect for the University of Michigan, their program, their history, their traditions. [Michigan is] very well coached and very talented. We didn't play I would say our best in all three phases tonight, but we played well enough to win the game. We played really good complimentary football. We made plays when it was needed. We made big plays on defense when it was needed. We made big plays on offense when it was needed and the same thing on special teams. We will critique the heck out of this, find a way to get better. We will enjoy it the rest of tonight. We are 1-0, that is always the goal. There are a lot of teams around the country that are not 1-0 tonight, so we are going to enjoy it. We were able to win the field position battle, we were able to win the turnover battle, we were able to win the penalty battle, and we won the explosive plays battle by a very small margin. So just a bunch of good stuff. No doubt that we have to get better, we all do, but great win and I couldn't be more proud of our team, I couldn't be more proud of our program. There's nothing like being a head coach and walking into that locker room and watching our family celebrate together, that is what it is all about.
Q: It seemed like as the game went on your defense was getting worn out. Can you talk about that last stand at the end and what it took for your defense to come up with that stop under the circumstances?
A: Yeah, I think our ability to rotate guys in all year long paid dividends for us tonight. That stop was huge. I thought that they had a good plan and they are talented, no doubt about it. That stop at the end was obviously critical and guys made plays when they needed to, so I am just proud of our coaches. We made some adjustments, they made some adjustments. It was a chess match all night long, but at the end of the day our guys were able to step up and make critical plays at critical moments and that ended the game there and obviously that stop at the goal line was a huge part of it.
Q: Coach, on that third down that kind of iced the game, in the huddle after Michigan calls a timeout is KJ [Hamler] saying "Give me the ball" or is that a combination of we have to get the ball in our playmakers hand?
A: No, we just thought that instead of just handing the ball off with them overloading the box right there, we needed to go to one of our read plays where Sean [Clifford] has the opportunity to keep it or KJ [Hamler] can get it on the perimeter. We didn't feel like we were going to just be able to line up with their overloaded box like that and just hand the ball off again, although we had some success doing that. That's what makes this defense, not just in that situation, but throughout the entire game so difficult. [Don Brown] has been one of the better defensive coordinators in the country for a long time. [Don Brown] used to drive me fits when he was the defensive coordinator at Maryland and I was the offensive coordinator; we go way back. It really comes down to explosive plays against that defense, you have to hit explosive plays. [Don Brown] is going to overload you in the box and put his defensive backs on islands and you have to win. We missed some tonight, but we won enough of them and that was really the difference in the game.
Q: You spoke Tuesday about Noah Cain being a guy you were going to use to close out games. Today we did not necessarily see it in that fashion in the fourth quarter until that last possession. What was the motivation to use other running backs? I know you are a fan of all four, but why not Noah Cain?
A: Yeah I think Noah [Cain] moved up. I think he was the second back in. I think he did have opportunities late in the game, but again, we feel really good. Ricky Slade had a good night tonight. We feel like we have four guys that we have a lot of confidence in and are doing really good things and [Michigan] is difficult to run the ball against. But it's no different than what I have been telling you guys since the beginning of the year with our running back situation.
Q: Going off KJ again, has he done anything to this point that has surprised you? Two touchdowns, and on [College] Gameday you said "10-12 touches is kind of the number". Has that always been the number for him this season? I think this is the first time that you said it publicly.
A: Yeah. I think I said it before but yeah, we would like to get the ball in his hands as much as possible. I think 10-12 is a good number. A lot of different ways to do that and that's on offense, that's special teams, a lot of different ways. The one thing that probably surprised me the most tonight is him turning into a power back at the end of the game there lowering the shoulder and hammering that thing in there; I didn't expect that all 137 pounds of him, or whatever he is. Speaking of using guys, we may make him our four-minute back after that point.
Q: Coach, can you give us an idea of what the conversation was like with Ricky [Slade]? You said you made adjustments as the game went on. You went up 21-0, did you guys change anything philosophy wise, offensively put your foot on the gas. What did you discuss specifically tonight, especially with Coach Rahne?
A: No, we missed some shots, and I think what happens sometimes is you guys don't see the shots as they're called and we get pressured. We get sacked or pressured and things like that. Again, that's the style of defense they are. They're going to overload you, they're going to blitz, you got to get the ball out of your hand and get the ball down the field. We did that, we missed some tonight and others we got pressured and weren't able to really hold the ball long enough to get it out. When it mattered most, we were able to do that but we also missed a few to.
Q: James, another game that Sean Clifford has not turned the ball over. How important is that on a night like tonight and how well do you think he's playing?
A: The best thing we are doing right now offensively is protecting the football. We are getting turnovers on defense, not a bunch, but we are getting enough of them. We are protecting the ball on offense which I think is one of the most important things you can do is to win the turnover battle. Obviously, the other one is the explosive play battle, we were able to win both of them tonight. That was big, there's no doubt about it. That was huge. He's really doing some nice things. But what's probably the thing that jumps out to me the most in my mind is how we are protecting the football at the running back position, how we are protecting the ball in terms of when we receive the ball as receivers. And then the quarterback in the pocket and also our protection. It's all those things. Very, very pleased with that. We had an opportunity at the end of the half, the two-minute situation, which we have been really good at. I should've called a timeout on third down. I thought we got the first down on the far sideline, didn't, and then didn't want to burn a timeout after a bunch of time had already run off the clock. But I should've called it there. On the fourth down, my offensive coordinator background and my aggressive offensive background, on that fourth down, I was thinking about going for it, and then obviously that wasn't the right thing to do because we have one of the best defenses in the country, let's punt the ball and make them earn it. We could've managed that better, I could've managed that better, there's no doubt about it.
Q: We have talked a ton about the pass rush this season, they've had huge games and games like tonight, can you point to a difference in what is going on during games were there are record one sack and maybe struggle to get going?
A: I wouldn't necessarily describe it that way. We've gotten better as the year has gone on. I think we are leading the nation in sacks, pretty good. Hard to sit here and answer a question and say that there are games where we just disappear. We have gradually gotten better as the year has gone on. They did a great job tonight, there is no doubt about it, but for me to sit here and tell you why, I'm not sure, we are going to have to watch the tape on why we weren't able to get to their quarterback. We got to be better, but it's hard to be critical when you are leading the nation in sacks.
Q: James we've seen Blake [Gillikin] with some of those rugby-style punts this year, we saw him go back to his normal style. I just want to know the thought process behind some of those, given he's gone back-to-back weeks hitting 60-yard punts. What makes you change that at certain points?
A: When they are "T-ing" off on the three guys in the back, however you want to describe the wall, the wedge, whatever it is, you can't allow them to just "T" off on those guys. You are going to put yourself in jeopardy in getting punts blocked and you are also putting those guys at risk just standing there where guys taking 10-yard sprints right at them. So, you got to change the pocket up and give them different looks so they just can't "T" off on your protections and "T" off on your personnel. When you are running a spread punt, that's part of it, we need to do a good job with it, and he needs to embrace it.