What James Franklin said during his end-of-season press conference
It’s been a month since Penn State’s 2020 season came to an end, choosing to finish the season during B1G Champions Week and not participate in a bowl game. The team finished 4-5, salvaging something from a year in which the Nittany Lions got of to their worst start in program history.
Penn State entered the 2020 season as one of the favorites to win the B1G and challenge for a spot in the College Football Playoff. A devastating overtime loss to Indiana and home defeat to Ohio State in the first two weeks of the year crushed all of those goals for the Lions.
After an 0-5 start, Penn State was able to turn things around a bit, winning the final four games on the schedule. The Nittany Lions defeated Michigan, Rutgers, Michigan State and Illinois to close the year on a positive note.
On Monday afternoon, head coach James Franklin met with the season for his end-of-season press conference. Franklin talked with reporters about last season, the decision to make a change at offensive coordinator, the transfer portal, spring practice and the 2021 season.
Here’s what Franklin had to say on Monday afternoon:
Defensive end and defensive back are still the two priority areas with what's left in this recruiting cycle and the transfer portal, Franklin said. "There's still some options out there and there will continue to be."
— Audrey Snyder (@audsnyder4) January 18, 2021
"Right now we're planning to have spring football but we really haven't been told that's a go, but we have it on the calendar," Franklin said. "… We're as planned out as we possibly can be."
— Audrey Snyder (@audsnyder4) January 18, 2021
Franklin said the day after the season he took 2 COVID tests (antigen and PCR), quarantined for 5 days and took 2 tests again and then was able to see his family Christmas Eve and beyond. Said it was a pretty cool surprise. Next hurdle is getting them bck to State College.
— Audrey Snyder (@audsnyder4) January 18, 2021
Could PSU still add a QB via a transfer? "We're gonna be as aggressive as we have to be at every position to help our football program. If there's anything that makes sense then we're going to look at it."
— Audrey Snyder (@audsnyder4) January 18, 2021
Franklin: "I got a tremendous amount of respect for Kirk (Ciarrocca). It was a tough conversation to have. … He's a total class-act." Franklin said philosophically it's about explosive plays, turnovers and scoring points — the three most important things to do on offense.
— Audrey Snyder (@audsnyder4) January 18, 2021
James Franklin beginning his news conference. On new OC Mike Yurcich, Franklin says it's about the style they want this offense to be. "A very tough decision, but something that I felt was the right thing for us to do."
— Audrey Snyder (@audsnyder4) January 18, 2021
Franklin emphasized limiting turnovers, scoring points, and creating explosive plays as the three most important facets of the offense.
— Onward Sports (@OnwardStSports) January 18, 2021
"At the end of the day I'm gonna support whatever decisions these guys make," Franklin added.
— Onward Sports (@OnwardStSports) January 18, 2021
Franklin on Shaka Toney: "The thing that jumps out at you is Shaka's quickness. I think he's gonna test better than people expect. He's deceptively strong, got tremendous quickness, and has a high football IQ."
— Onward Sports (@OnwardStSports) January 18, 2021
Franklin on roster changes over the past few weeks: "You have to embrace it and you have to move forward. This is college football, it's not gonna go back to the way it was."
— Onward Sports (@OnwardStSports) January 18, 2021
Franklin on Yurcich: "His yards per play, his scoring. There hasn't been many offensive coordinators that have been able to average 40 points."
— Onward Sports (@OnwardStSports) January 18, 2021
Franklin on his quarterbacks' play this past season: "I wouldn't say that we took a step in the right direction or built on the year before. That's another big part of this, is getting back to that position and playing at a high level."
— Onward Sports (@OnwardStSports) January 18, 2021
