Last week’s game largely was forgettable for Penn State. The weather was lousy, the announced crowd of 103,818 wasn’t that high and some of those fans in attendance booed the second-ranked Nittany Lions in a 34-0 victory over FIU.
For a team roundly hailed as a preseason championship contender, the result matched the mood. The Nittany Lions weren’t overly thrilled with how they played, either, particularly quarterback Drew Allar, who gave himself plenty of film to study.
Which made for an interesting question posed this week to Penn State coach James Franklin. He was asked to gauge the mood and take the temperature of his team after two non-conference games and with one to go. Franklin didn’t shy from the question. In fact, he called it “fair” and “good.”
“I think there are areas that we know we have to get better and that’s in some rooms articulated more clearly than others,” Franklin said at his weekly press conference. “[Associate head coach] Terry Smith has a reputation of being the ultimate truth teller in the building to everybody, including myself. So that’s happening in all the different meetings, all the coaches have different approaches to how they do that, so that’s valuable and that’s important.
“So I think our guys feel like we have done enough to win but haven’t played up to what our expectations and standards are. But I would also say that’s always going to be the case. We’re always going feel like we can play better.”
RELATED: Penn State is conducting an early beta test. The results are uneven
How to appreciate winning
Penn State Nittany Lion players sign their alma mater following the game against the FIU Panthers at Beaver Stadium. / Matthew O’Haren-Imagn Images
Penn State’s discomfort stemmed largely from a 10-point first half against FIU in which the offense crossed midfield six times but scored just one touchdown. The Nittany Lions got things together in the second half, though two touchdowns in the final 4 minutes padded the final margin.
Penn State faced a similar circumstance, albeit on the other side of the ball, in Week 2 last season. Bowling Green led the eighth-ranked Nittany Lions 24-20 at halftime, but Penn State scored two second-half touchdowns and held the Falcons to a field goal for a 34-27 win.
The game provoked screams from the fan base, which found its way back when the Nittany Lions went to the Big Ten title game and the College Football Playoff semifinal.
Considering that, and Penn State’s 34-0 win over FIU last Saturday, it’s little wonder that Franklin returned to one of his favorite themes about winning. Which is something three top-20 teams did not do last weekend.
“What I would also say to you is I’m going to make sure, which is challenging to do sometimes in today’s culture and today’s day and age, is we’re going to appreciate winning,” Franklin said. “Every Sunday I put up in front of the whole team when we have our team meeting all the teams that lost that were supposed to win. There is a long list every Sunday. I think we all need to do [that] from a perspective standpoint, as sometimes we’re too close to it. I look at a ton of teams across the country that were in dog fights last week that weren’t supposed to be in dog fights.”
RELATED: James Franklin wants his offensive stars to “let it rip”
Finding balance
Penn State Nittany Lions tight end Khalil Dinkins (16) celebrates with wide receiver Kyron Hudson (1) after scoring a touchdown during the first quarter against the FIU Panthers at Beaver Stadium. / Matthew O’Haren-Imagn Images
Penn State closes the non-conference schedule Saturday against Villanova, an FCS team that it beat 38-17 in 2021. After that, the Nittany Lions get a bye week before hosting Oregon in its Big Ten opener Sept. 27. So the team’s mood will change significantly after Saturday. Still, Franklin wants to moderate his players between being critical and being overly satisfied.
“It’s a balance,” Franklin said. “It’s, okay, at the end of the day, winning is the most important thing. Did you do that? No. 2, how can you get better and make sure you’re playing in a way that we can build confidence and chemistry to play at the highest level, and then also, have a global perspective when it comes to the game of college football and what’s happening week in and week out.
“So, okay, we’re going to appreciate this aspect, but we also are going to be hypercritical of the areas we need to get better. I do think there is a balance of those two things.”
Penn State hosts Villanova at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday at Beaver Stadium. FS1 will televise.
More Penn State Football