Penn State head coach James Franklin met with the media after his team’s 38-20 loss to Oregon in the Big Ten championship game. Franklin reflected on the team’s performance, acknowledging the challenges they faced against the top-ranked Ducks.
“I thought our guys played hard, but we just didn’t execute well enough,” Franklin said. “We had some opportunities, but we didn’t capitalize on them. Give Oregon credit, they’re a great team. They’re well-coached, and they’ve got a lot of talented players.”
Franklin praised Oregon’s quarterback, Bo Nix, who threw for 283 yards and two touchdowns. “He’s a great player,” Franklin said. “He’s got a lot of poise, and he’s got a lot of confidence. He’s a leader, and he made some big plays for them.”
Penn State struggled to move the ball against Oregon’s defense, which held the Nittany Lions to just 263 total yards. Franklin attributed the team’s struggles to Oregon’s speed and athleticism. “They’re a very athletic team, and they’re very fast,” Franklin said. “They’ve got a lot of guys who can make plays in space, and they did a great job of containing our offense.”
Despite the loss, Franklin expressed pride in his team’s season. “I’m proud of our guys,” Franklin said. “We’ve had a great season, and we’ve accomplished a lot. We just came up short tonight, but we’ll learn from it and move forward.”
Franklin also discussed the team’s injuries, which have been a major issue for the Nittany Lions all season. “We’ve had some injuries, and it’s been a challenge,” Franklin said. “But we’ve got a lot of guys who are stepping up and making plays. We just need to get healthy and get some guys back.”
The loss to Oregon marks the end of Penn State’s season, but Franklin is already looking forward to next year. “We’ll take some time to rest and recover, and then we’ll get back to work,” Franklin said. “We’ll evaluate our season, and we’ll make some adjustments. We’ll come back stronger and more focused next year.”
Franklin’s comments were echoed by his players, who also praised Oregon’s performance. “They’re a great team,” said Penn State quarterback Drew Allar. “They’ve got a lot of talented players, and they’re well-coached. We just didn’t execute well enough, and they took advantage of it.”
Penn State wide receiver Parker Washington added, “We had some opportunities, but we didn’t capitalize on them. We’ve got to learn from it and move forward. We’ll come back stronger next year.”
The loss to Oregon marks the end of Penn State’s season, but the Nittany Lions will return a strong core of players next year. With Franklin at the helm, Penn State is expected to be a major contender in the Big Ten again next season.
