Saturday’s double-overtime loss against No. 6 Oregon was all too familiar for Penn State fans, and head coach James Franklin is shouldering the blame.
The No. 3 Nittany Lions fell 30-24 against the Ducks in front of a “White Out” crowd at Beaver Stadium, dropping Franklin’s record against AP top-10 opponents to 4-21 during his tenure, including 1-18 against top-10 Big Ten teams. He said after the game that the team’s struggles against elite squads fall on him.
“I get that narrative, and it’s really not a narrative — it’s factual. It’s the facts,” Franklin said, per ESPN’s Jake Trotter. “I try to look at the entire picture and what we’ve been able to do here. But at the end of the day, we got to find a way to win those games. I totally get it. And I take ownership. I take responsibility.”
According to Trotter, Franklin’s .160 winning percentage against AP top-10 teams while coaching Penn State “is tied for the third-worst record by a coach (minimum 25 games) at a single school since the poll era began in 1936.” Franklin added that he understands the growing frustration among the fans.
“We have a passionate fan base,” he said. “When we win, there’s nothing better. When we lose, there’s nothing worse. So I get it. I get the frustration that comes with a fan base that is invested and cares.”
Before losing in double overtime, the Nittany Lions nearly pulled off a miraculous comeback by storming back from a 17-3 deficit in the fourth quarter. Senior quarterback Drew Allar spearheaded back-to-back touchdown drives to force overtime, and the team scored a touchdown on the opening possession of the extra frame.
However, the Ducks answered back with a touchdown and another one on the first play of the second overtime, and Allar threw an interception on the ensuing play to seal the loss.
Allar, who is now 0-6 against AP top-6 opponents since becoming Penn State’s starting quarterback in 2023, echoed Franklin’s disappointment, but also expressed optimism for the remainder of the year.
“Obviously, it hurts,” Allar said. “We had our opportunities. … But it’s a long season ahead of us. We’re going to have more opportunities to fix this, and I’ll be the first one to go into the fire.”
Penn State will look to bounce back from its first loss of the season when it visits unranked UCLA next Saturday.
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