James Franklin discusses Penn State's late TD blunder, Indiana's game-winning conversion

That is not the way Penn State wanted to start 2020.

For much of the season opener against Indiana, the Nittany Lions looked sluggish and mistake-prone on offense. Even with that rough start, Penn State still rallied and took the lead on a big throw by quarterback Sean Clifford.

After taking a slim 21-20 lead, the Nittany Lion defense stood its ground and forced a quick turnover on downs by Indiana. That gave James Franklin’s squad an opportunity to run the clock out.

Unfortunately, Devyn Ford ran for a touchdown on the ensuing play. Why is that an issue? It gave Indiana the time to come back down the field and tie the game with a touchdown and two-point conversion. The Hoosiers then won with a touchdown and two-point conversion in overtime.

After the game, Franklin was asked both about the touchdown running blunder and the razor-thin dive by Indiana’s Michael Penix Jr. that won the game. Here’s what he had to say:

James Franklin: "What we wanted to do was get as much as you can and get down. That's that situation. We covered it." He doesn't want it to be about the TD vs. running out the clock as he points to all the other miscues.

— Audrey Snyder (@audsnyder4) October 25, 2020

James Franklin on the 2-point conversion: "To me, from what I was told it could've went either way. … I haven't seen it."

— Audrey Snyder (@audsnyder4) October 25, 2020

Franklin: "It's turnovers and penalties. … That's very uncharacteristic for us. We gotta get those things fixed."

— Audrey Snyder (@audsnyder4) October 25, 2020

Now, the Nittany Lions will pivot to focus on getting ready for facing Ohio State next Saturday.