James Franklin lists one area Penn State's defense must change moving forward
James Franklin was not happy with the performance of his defense against Michigan in Week 7.
Penn State was gashed on the ground at Michigan, with the Wolverines collecting 418 yards on the ground. The huge rushing performance was a big factor in the final score, with the Nittany Lions falling 41-17.
“We gotta get bigger. We’re undersized in some spots. Everyone thinks they’re Aaron Donald, but they’re not.”
— Onward Sports (@OnwardStSports) October 15, 2022
Franklin may have a point here. Only 1 starting lineman for the Nittany Lions weighs over 300 pounds. The senior P.J. Mustipher is the largest lineman Franklin has at his disposal. Franklin thinks this lack of size is a major detriment to his team.
“There’s only one guy in the last 100 years to do that,” Franklin says talking about Donald.
— Onward Sports (@OnwardStSports) October 15, 2022
Interestingly, Penn State had the 4th-ranked rushing defense heading into Week 7, so these performances are not typical for the Nittany Lion defense.
Penn State will have another tough conference challenge in Week 8, as Minnesota heads to Happy Valley.
