James Franklin gives stern response about claim of Penn State running up the score

Penn State dominated West Virginia 35-15 in the Nittany Lions’ season opener, but Mountaineers head coach Neal Brown wasn’t thrilled about James Franklin and company putting together a long offensive drive that resulted in another touchdown in the final seconds of the game.

“I wouldn’t have done it but it doesn’t bother me,” Brown said after the loss. “Stuff like that comes back around.”

WVU HC Neal Brown on Penn State not taking a knee at the end and scoring again: “I wouldn’t have done but it doesn’t bother me. Stuff like that comes back around.”

— Mike J. Asti (@MikeAsti11) September 3, 2023

James Franklin took the podium on Tuesday and didn’t hold back in addressing Brown’s remarks. The important thing to note is Franklin had taken out all of his first-string offensive players for the final drive, and the last touchdown was scored by the offensive backups — players who normally never see the field.

James Franklin’s full statement in response to WVU’s head coach Neil Brown saying Penn Stats ran the score up on Saturday. pic.twitter.com/2oJqLyC5gf

— Alex Rocco (@AlexRocco13_) September 5, 2023

“I believe that from the opening kick to the last whistle, you compete and you play,” Franklin said. “Now if you leave your 1s in, that’s a different story. Then you should change how you play, take knees and you run in situations you normally wouldn’t run in. That’s different . But when your 2s go in, those guys get a limited amount of game reps. They should have a chance to compete, and I believe that not just from a Penn State perspective. If we were ever in that situation, I see it the same way. This isn’t me looking at it just from all of you. I got a bunch of other things I could day but I’m just going to leave it at that.”

It’s clear Franklin wasn’t thrilled with Brown’s jab and fully sticks by his philosophy.

Sean Labar