What James Franklin said after Penn State’s last-second loss to Michigan State

The 2018 season wasn’t going perfectly for Penn State, but even after the one-point loss to No. 3 Ohio State, the Nittany Lions entered Week 7 as the No. 8 team in the country.

Upsets were taking place around the country on Saturday and if Penn State took care of its business against Michigan State, the Nittany Lions would have rose even higher. However, the Nittany Lions didn’t take care of business.

With just 17 seconds remaining, Michigan State QB Brian Lewerke found WR Felton Davis III on a 25-yard TD to take a 21-17 lead. Too little time remained, and a desperation heave from Penn State QB Trace McSorley got batted down and the game ended.

The Nittany Lions are now 4-2 overall and 1-2 in Big Ten play this season.

After the loss, coach James Franklin spoke with the media:

James Franklin, on part of his opening statement:

"We had a chance to put them away several times on offense, on defense and on special teams and we didn't do it. We let them stay in the game; we let them stay in the game."

— Josh Moyer (@ByJoshMoyer) October 13, 2018

https://twitter.com/audsnyder4/status/1051259411296079872

JF: [Overturned fumble from Lewerke] doesn't make sense to me. From the beginning of time… if you throw the ball backwards, it's a lateral.

— Collegian Football (@psufootblog) October 13, 2018

https://twitter.com/audsnyder4/status/1051259794907049985

JF: I love Amani. I wouldn't trade him for anybody.

— Collegian Football (@psufootblog) October 13, 2018

JF: We'll get closer from this. We'll get stronger from this.

— Collegian Football (@psufootblog) October 13, 2018

JF: I want my players to know, whether they've gotten unconditional love in their life, they got it from me and this coaching staff.

— Collegian Football (@psufootblog) October 13, 2018

JF: There's things that are showing up on Saturdays that are not showing up through the week.

— Collegian Football (@psufootblog) October 13, 2018

Franklin on end game situations: “We have won a bunch of games from year one with situational football…We gotta be able to finish.”

— Black Shoe Diaries (@BSDtweet) October 13, 2018

On getting over the OSU loss: “We gotta look at that, I don’t think there’s any question.”

— Black Shoe Diaries (@BSDtweet) October 13, 2018

On relying too much on Trace: “I think the issue isn’t running too much with Trace. The issue is that we weren’t able to throw the ball with Trace.”

— Black Shoe Diaries (@BSDtweet) October 13, 2018

JF: On offense, defense and special teams, we have a few mistakes, and when you have a few mistakes, you lose a game like that.

— Collegian Football (@psufootblog) October 13, 2018