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James Franklin weekly press conference: Michigan State

Headshot 5x7 reduced qualityby:Thomas Frank Carr•11/22/22•

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Penn State head coach James Franklin discussed how his relationship with Sean Clifford is unique compared to other quarterbacks he's coached. (Photo: Thomas Frank Carr/BWI)

Penn State football hosts Michigan State for the final game of the 2022 season Saturday at Beaver Stadium. Before the final kickoff at 4 pm, head coach James Franklin spoke with the media on Tuesday to give a preview of the Thanksgiving week game. Subscribe to Blue White Illustrated on YouTube, so you don’t miss his comments, which air moments after the conclusion of the press conference. 

Penn State head coach James Franklin grills media (about Thanksgiving)

Before previewing Michigan State, Franklin recaps his team’s 55-10 win over Rutgers. Penn State started slow on offense, but thanks to defensive and special teams’ touchdowns, Rutgers never truly threatened it. Franklin recaps the areas of strength from the game and the facets his team needs to improve upon heading into this week. He also names the team’s offensive and defensive MVPs. 

Next, he gives his impressions of the Michigan State Spartans under second-year head coach Mel Tucker. Then, Franklin breaks down the offense, defense, and special teams to identify the players he thinks can be a problem for Penn State. 

The main discussion for this week’s press conference is senior day. It’s a unique event with COVID seniors graduating, some of which have been at Penn State for six years. Franklin also grills the media about their Thanksgiving food preferences to lighten the mood. 

Press conference rundown

00:00 Press conference start
00:20 Opening statement
03:05 Michigan State vs Penn State preview
06:30 Parker Washington, Olu Fashanu, Joey Porter Jr. status 
07:24 Will Washington be back next season? Have you had that conversation? 
09:05 What is one unique thing about Sean Clifford that is unique? 
11:30 Is this group unusual in their energy? 
15:30 How important is Chris Stoll’s consistency to your team? How important is his role? 
18:10 Is there a chance that Clifford will someday return as a Penn State assistant? 
20:55 How have you seen the young players develop behind Washington at receiver? 
23:10 How emotional will you be with these specific Penn State seniors? 
27:27 How much does Jonathan Sutherland represent the model of a Penn State student-athlete? 
32:12 How do you balance the emotions of senior day with the game right after?
34:30 Do you share a unique perspective and commonality about coaching and quarterback with Clifford that you didn’t with your other QBs?
38:30 You seem at peace right now. Are you more at peace?
41:37 What’s your case to make for Manny Diaz as the top coordinator in college football?
47:22 How long does it take to learn what you need to adjust on offense and how do you still play effectively through it?

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