James Franklin looks back on goal line stand issues vs. Ohio State

It was a frustrating loss to Ohio State for Penn State and head coach James Franklin, with the Nittany Lions struggling to finish key drives. That included a massive goal line stand where the Nittany Lions weren’t able to punch the ball in.

Following the game, Franklin broke down what happened on that goal line stand, emphasizing that the issue was not getting movement. He also pointed out that they trust their running backs, Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen, but could have gotten the ball to Tyler Warren too.

“First of all, obviously, we didn’t get movement,” James Franklin said. “We didn’t get movement up front. We’ve got two of the better running backs in the country. You want to try to feed those guys and allow them to get downhill. They’ve done a really good job of it, not only this year but throughout their careers. I think that’s the right thing to do, but I also think there is a piece where you can say in critical moments, you’ve got to think players not plays. You know, maybe in one of those three downs, at least, you’ve got to make sure Tyler Warren touches the ball, however that is, whether it’s Wildcat, whether that is in the passing game, or whether that’s as a ball carrier.”

Tyler Warren has been one of the best offensive players in the country this season and Penn State has used him in a variety of ways. That includes as a quarterback to go along with his traditional tight end position. For the game, he had 47 rushing yards, which led Penn State. He also had four receptions for 47 yards on the game.

“But, again, I think we’ve got two really good running backs that we feel good about,” Franklin said. “Those guys have got to touch the ball as well. That’s probably the biggest thing. I think when you do throw the ball you’re going to have to understand that they’re just as aware of Tyler Warren as we are trying to get the ball to him. Likelihood is that guy is going to be double-teamed as well.”

The Nittany Lions ended up losing to Ohio State by a touchdown. It was another frustrating loss for the Nittany Lions against a top-tier opponent. Now, against Ohio State and Michigan, James Franklin has a record of just 4-17.

“So, obviously, hindsight is 20/20, but at the end of the day, you’ve got to create movement and score when you need one yard,” Franklin said. “Whether that’s picking up a critical fourth down or whether that’s goal line. We got to do some things better scheme-wise, but also, we’ve got do little bit better job fundamental and technique-wise to make sure we get the movement we need.”

Penn State is back in action this week for the whiteout game against Washington. There, the Nittany Lions will look to improve their offensive effort from last week.