James Franklin on DaeQuan Hardy's huge day vs. UMass: 'He's earned himself a job'

Entering Saturday’s game against UMass, DaeQuan Hardy’s stat sheet was pretty quiet. He had one kickoff return for 19 yards to his name, as well as four tackles and two interceptions on defense.

That changed in a huge way in Penn State’s 63-0 victory over the MInutemen.

Hardy took two punts back for touchdowns as he totaled 129 return yards to help lead the Nittany Lions to the blowout home victory. It was quite the coming-out party for Hardy, the senior cornerback who’s been mostly a role player on the Penn State defense.

He also captured the attention of his head coach.

“I’m really happy for him. I’m proud of him,” James Franklin told Big Ten Network’s Brooke Fletcher after the rain-soaked victory. “He’s a playmaker, and obviously, he’s earned himself a job today.”

Prior to Saturday, DaeQuan Hardy had never returned a punt in college. But he did so in high school, and Franklin knew it. With his performance, Hardy showed what he’s capable of doing on special teams, which is why it likely won’t be the last time he serves as the returner.

“It’s awesome,” Franklin said. “He did this in high school. Obviously, get the opportunity to do it now. He’s a big-time player, he’s a playmaker. We’ve got to put him in that position more often. He showed everybody what he could do with the ball.”

James Franklin credits halftime adjustments for Penn State offense’s breakout second half vs. UMass

In the first half, as Penn State took a 28-0 lead as the Nittany Lions totaled 210 yards of offense. The second half saw more scoring and a more balanced attack as Penn State put up 35 points and ran the ball more as the rain poured down.

Franklin credited the balanced attack, which included 37 rushing attempts and 23 passes. It’s been the story of the season for Penn State, and he was especially happy to get Beau Pribula some looks amid the blowout.

“I just think we’ve been balanced, really all year long,” Franklin said. “We were able to do that today. We were able to make some adjustments at halftime. Also, getting Beau in the game and his threat in the zone read package can be challenging, as well.”

Now, things are about to ramp up in a big way for Penn State. Ohio State looms next week at The Horseshoe in Columbus, and ESPN announced College GameDay will be in attendance.

Following the 24-hour rule, Franklin said the Nittany Lions will celebrate Saturday’s victory before getting ready to face the Buckeyes.

“We’re going to enjoy today’s game,” Franklin said. “Obviously, we’ll wake up on Sunday and get to work on the next opponent. But we’re going to enjoy this one. I’m very, very pleased with it. I’m very happy with our guys.”