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Reporters Looked Back - and James said some things
James Franklin held his weekly press conference on Tuesday to give closing thoughts on the disappointing loss at Ohio State and point toward what his team has ahead this week when returning home to play Indiana. As always, you can read the full transcript here or follow below for the highlights.
Opening Statement
Franklin was said that was took away the positive that his team battled tooth and nail in Columbus, but was clearly frustrated that they fell short. He addressed a late fourth down where they didn’t convert that came after he had to use a timeout because of having 12 players on the field. Meanwhile, he also mentioned some of the personnel that he’ll be watching from Indiana, who will seek its first ever win in Happy Valley on Saturday.
Third Down Failures
Moving right into that discussion of last Saturday’s loss, Franklin was asked about his team’s identity on offense. He noted that being a consistent chain-moving team has gone well this year, but that the biggest issue with them losing on Saturday was the inability to convert and pick up first downs.
And more…
Franklin addressed a question about lack of rushing attempts by pushing again to the inability of his team to stay on the field.
And even more…
Similar response to a question about maybe simplifying things within the playbook for big situations. Franklin said it was fair to question what the “money” plays (or editor’s note concepts) might be at the moment for this offense.
On No. 18…
Asked about the offensive line, Franklin noted that they were fine, but maybe not as good as they could have been. He returned to addressing the defense and how well they played, though he did notice that they lost track of Marvin Harrison Jr. more often than they should have.
Chop’s Return
Franklin said he hoped that Chop Robinson would be back practicing and playing soon, making note that he didn’t believe Robinson’s injury to be categorized as season ending.
Sign Stealing
Asked about Michigan and how his team signaled, he chose not to mention the Wolverines at all, but did say that personnel groupings, formations, etc. are all things that he and his staff study in terms of not being predictable.
A question of production
Franklin was asked about the play of Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton and if he believed the Lions were getting enough out of them. And again, this turned to a discussion of not being on the field enough because of third/fourth-down failures. Lastly, he did say that the Lions needed to get the perimeter blocked better in order to get explosive plays.
Judging the Full Picture
Franklin said it was very fair to judge his staff on their performance in big games, while also noting that he wanted to be judged on a full picture of his work - and that today wasn’t the time to do that.
Watching Out for his Guys
A question noted the emotion of Saturday’s game and how Penn State would bounce back. Franklin alluded to the raw emotion that was displayed being normal for the effort that his team put in and that he wants to see them get back to stacking together good days.
No Pribula Package
Franklin was asked about Beau Pribula and a read-option based attack not being used at all on Saturday. Franklin basically said yes, it wasn’t used. Editor’s note: I can’t handle it with the focus in print and podcasts (and maybe some on this blog?) about things that have never happened being asked about. Mike Yurcich has shown no desire to use a two-QB system. Maybe that changes at some point, but I wouldn’t waste breath asking a question about it.
Attacking the Full Field
Franklin used a Mike Leach quote about balance to address how his team needs to do a better job of getting the ball pushed to different portions of the field and in different playmakers hands.
Wide Receiver Production
A lot of words, but Franklin was point blank at the end: the wide receivers haven’t produced well enough for his team to reach its full potential.
He had a second question - that started focused on Dante Cephas - that wound up being much of the same kind of answer.
Evaluating the Offense
Familiar refrain in this press conference - Franklin was asked about his team’s Saturday failures a lot, as would be expected. He more or less had a lot of coach speak and then a lot of “we have to get better”.
Moving Forward
The last couple questions gave Franklin a chance to both relay the frustration he still feels - he noted his voice and how he and his staff have been busy since Saturday trying to figure things out. But, at the same time, he also alluded to the idea that his team’s process needs to stay consistent as they push forward to next week’s game.
Final Editor’s Note: Thanks for reading this one. It wasn’t fun to parse through. In the end, much different vibe than any other press conference with nearly every question looking back at Saturday’s failures.
Obviously Count: 20 - should have saved some of those for last Saturday
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By: Bennett765
Title: Tuesdays with Obviously: Indiana
Sourced From: www.blackshoediaries.com/2023/10/24/23931034/tuesdays-with-obviously-indiana-press-conference-penn-state-2023
Published Date: Wed, 25 Oct 2023 01:28:54 +0000
