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James Franklin addresses Penn State’s focus, performance in win over CMU
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Penn State head coach James Franklin is a man who is hard to please with his team’s performance and expectations. One week after a huge road win at Auburn, No. 14 Penn State came back home to defeat Central Michigan 33-14.
Franklin on the team's focus after an emotional victory last week: "Most importantly, we're 1-0…I thought we had a really good week of practice and preparation."
— Onward Sports (@OnwardStSports) September 24, 2022
"It didn't necessarily always feel that way during the game," Franklin added.
— Onward Sports (@OnwardStSports) September 24, 2022
"Defensively, we need to be better on third and long…Offensively, we have got to be able to be more efficient and effective on third down."
— Onward Sports (@OnwardStSports) September 24, 2022
"Looking at our stats sheet…I wouldn't say it necessarily felt like this, but we won [the stats battle]."
— Onward Sports (@OnwardStSports) September 24, 2022
Penn State outgained Central Michigan 403 to 363 in total yards during the Week 4 win. Penn State also forced Central Michigan to turn the ball over four times.
Nittany Lions quarterback Sean Clifford completed 22-of-34 of his passes for 217 yards and 3 touchdowns. He also rushed for 23 yards and a touchdown on 5 carries. Freshman running back Kaytron Allen rushed for 111 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries.
The defense of Penn State allowed the efficient passing offense of Central Michigan to account for 275 yards. The defense allowed some big passing plays to be completed, especially on third and long plays.