James Franklin highlights excitement, preparing for 'a dogfight' vs Memphis
Penn State is gearing up for another New Year’s Six Bowl under James Franklin.
For the third time in the past four seasons, the Nittany Lions are playing in a premier bowl game under Franklin. Though the team fell short in the B1G this season, Saturday’s Cotton Bowl provides an opportunity to reach 11 wins once again. That is a mark Penn State has reached twice under Franklin in 2016-17.
The last New Year’s Six appearance for Franklin and company came in 2017. They captured the Fiesta Bowl that season with a win over Washington in Arizona.
This year, Penn State’s matchup is a bit different as the team will face AAC champion Memphis in the Cotton Bowl. The Tigers earned the bid as the highest-ranked team from the Group of 5 schools.
Though Penn State has more talent than Memphis on paper, the Tigers will have plenty to play for with a host of talent of their own. In order to come out on top, Franklin said Thursday that his team needs to be prepared for a dogfight in the game.
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Onward St. Sports shared all of Franklin’s comments previewing Saturday’s game:
Franklin: "Excited about the opportunity. The Cotton Bowl and Dallas Cowboys have been great — the facilities have been phenomenal."
— Onward Sports (@OnwardStSports) December 26, 2019
He noted how Memphis has dealt with roster and coaching turnover more than some other programs.
— Onward Sports (@OnwardStSports) December 26, 2019
Franklin on Memphis playing in a game as big as this one: "Mentality in bowl games is critical. You see it every single year, so the first thing is talking about it. This is the biggest game in Memphis football history, in my opinion."
— Onward Sports (@OnwardStSports) December 26, 2019
"That goes back to the healthy respect we have for our opponent. Our guys prepared well, but they need to be ready for a dogfight," Franklin added.
— Onward Sports (@OnwardStSports) December 26, 2019
The biggest challenge facing Penn State is a wide-open offensive attack that the Tigers employ. Memphis is averaging 40.5 points per game which ranks eighth in the nation in scoring.
Hopefully, Franklin and the Nittany Lions are up to the task. Saturday’s kickoff is set for 12 pm EST on ESPN.
