Penn State head coach James Franklin recaps 41-12 win over Auburn
Penn State improved to 3-0 Saturday, as the Nittany Lions traveled into the heart of SEC country to defeat Auburn, 41-12. Penn State head coach James Franklin made it clear leading into the week that we’d learn a lot about this year’s team Saturday, and the results were beyond positive.
Overall, Penn State racked up 477 yards of total offense. Even better, it was an even split on the ground and through the air, as the Lions totaled 245 yards rushing and 232 yards through the air. Freshman running back Nick Singleton had already grabbed the attention of many nationally, but Saturday was a true coming out party on a national stage, as the Shillington, Pa., native totaled 124 yards rushing on just 10 carries. Singleton also scored two touchdowns.
His classmate at Penn State, Kaytron Allen, also played well, totaling 52 yards on the ground and two more scores. Quarterback Sean Clifford also had a solid performance, totaling 178 yards passing. He completed 74 percent of his passes (14 of 19) and had a QB rating of 152.4.
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Highs & Lows: Penn State throttles Auburn on the plains
It wasn’t just the offense, however. Multiple up-and-comers on defense also had big games, including freshman linebacker Abdul Carter, who was tied for the most tackles with six. Carter also had a sack, a pass breakup and a forced fumble. Most importantly, the defense didn’t allow a touchdown until the fourth quarter. By then, Penn State was already up multiple scores.
In his postgame press conference, Franklin hit on a variety of reasons for such a big win. He also made it clear that Penn State has to clean some things up if the Lions are going to reach their goals this upcoming season. Nittany Lion fans can watch James Franklin’s complete press conference above.
