James Franklin reacts to CFP First Round victory over SMU, reveals Penn State's mindset moving forward

James Franklin and the Penn State Nittany Lions are moving on to the Quarterfinals of the College Football Playoff, as they were able to secure a 38-10 victory over the SMU Mustangs on Saturday afternoon in Happy Valley.

Penn State raced out to a 28-0 lead in the first half, and they never looked back, thanks to an incredible performance from their defense. The Nittany Lions are now headed for a date with the Boise State Broncos in the Fiesta Bowl, but before he closed the book on the Mustangs and moved on to their next opponent, Franklin caught up with the TNT Sports broadcast crew.

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He made sure to heap immense praise on his defense, specifically their performance in the first half: “I thought our defense played lights out,” the Penn State coach stated, following the game. “Obviously, when you were able to create three turnovers and two for touchdowns.

“Took us a little time to get going on offense. But as good of a first half  of defensive football as I’ve seen.”

As for his team’s mindset, Franklin is taking it game-by-game, and recognizing that as long as Penn State does what they’re supposed to do, they’ll keep surviving and advancing.

“A lot of college programs are talking about, ‘It’s a four game season.’ We didn’t approach it that way,” Franklin added. “It’s a 65-play season on average, on offense, defensive — 20 on special teams. Depending on how we handle those plays, we’ll get another opportunity.”

Alas, James Franklin has secured arguably the biggest win of his Penn State tenure, and each potential victory from this moment forward will supersede it in the College Football Playoff. Boise State is on the docket next, and it’ll be fascinating to see if the Nittany Lions can keep the good times rolling.