Penn State football coach James Franklin accepted responsibility Monday for the Nittany Lions’ 3-2 start and shocking 42-37 loss to previously winless UCLA.
“Ultimately I’m responsible,” Franklin said during his weekly press conference. “I hired the staff. We recruited the players. I’m ultimately responsible for all of it. I’m there to support the guys. I’m there to challenge them. … I totally take responsibility for it.”
He was asked what specific things he could do better as the head of the operation.
“It’s all of it,” Franklin said. “It’s how we game plan. It’s how we practice. It’s how we develop. It’s holding everybody in the building accountable. It’s all of it.”
He has received much criticism for back-to-back losses to Oregon, 30-24 in double overtime, and UCLA, which entered the game as a 24.5-point underdog after firing its head coach, offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator in recent weeks.
It’s generally regarded as the worst loss of Franklin’s 12-season tenure at Penn State, which began the season ranked second in The Associated Press poll.
He was asked whether he’s considering making any staff changes.
“I have a ton of confidence in those men or I wouldn’t have brought them in the building,” he said. “We’re a result-oriented business and we need to produce. My job is to hold everybody accountable and to create an environment where the players and coaches can be successful.”
Franklin said he doesn’t believe he has lost the players when asked to describe the tone around the team Sunday before, during and after practice.
“Is there hurt in the locker room? Yes,” he said. “No doubt about it. Was there hurt on Sunday? No doubt about it and there should be. We have a strong group, a resilient group. We have a bunch of leaders who have been through adversity in the past. I don’t have those concerns right now.
“They have to tune out the negativity and focus on the things that matter and that are going to get us better.”
The Nittany Lions dropped out of the Top 25 with the loss to the Bruins. They allowed UCLA to gain 435 yards, including 269 on the ground, and to convert 10-of-16 third downs.
It was the most points that Penn State has allowed in a regular season game since a 44-31 loss to Ohio State in 2022.
Bruins quarterback Nico Iamaleava completed 17-of-24 passes for 166 yards and two touchdowns and carried 16 times for 128 yards and three scores. He broke tackles and ran down the field with no defenders near him on several scrambles.
“There’s obviously been some adjustments to what we’re doing on defense (under new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles),” Franklin said. “Getting our guys to play confidently within the system is still a work in progress. We’re not playing as fast and aggressively as we have in the past.”
The Lions missed starting linebacker Tony Rojas, who suffered a long-term injury in practice last week. Fifth-year senior Dominic DeLuca replaced Rojas in the lineup, made 12 tackles and seemed to be targeted by the Bruins.
“If you look at us on the defensive side of the ball, we didn’t have a bunch of missed assignments,” Franklin said. “But we’re not executing the scheme or the techniques and fundamentals at a high enough level, such as defeating blocks.”
Penn State ranks 69th nationally in total offense, 52nd in rushing and 81st in passing in Andy Kotelnicki’s second season as offensive coordinator.
“All of it ultimately is my responsibility,” Franklin said. “Up to this point, we have not been as productive as we expected to be. We’ve had slow starts. If you look at what we did in the second half, that’s more who I think we’re capable of being. We can’t go on the road and start slowly two weeks in a row.
“Myself and Andy share that responsibility. We have not been productive enough.”
The Lions (0-2 Big Ten, 3-2) are 22-point favorites against Northwestern (1-1, 3-2) Saturday at 3:30 at Beaver Stadium. The Wildcats defeated UCLA 17-14 two weeks ago at home.
“We have to find a way to beat Northwestern,” Franklin said. “That’s all that matters.”
