At Penn State, a 'Good Mojo' to Finish the Season
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Turkey or ham?
Penn State coach James Franklin, feeling festive two days before Thanksgiving, devoted bits of of weekly press conference to questions about holiday meal preferences. Sure, Franklin dispensed some football news, including an update on receiver Parker Washington's season-ending injury. but did so with the relaxed and gregarious tone of a coach on a three-game win streak.
Franklin certainly wore the continued afterglow of the Lions' 55-10 win over Rutgers last week, but Tuesday's 45-minute media session represented more. It showcased an at-peace coach in a much different spot than he was a year ago.
The Lions have won three straight entering Saturday's regular-season finale against Michigan State, and Franklin is celebrating the one-year anniversary of his new 10-year contract. The football building is buzzing this week ("The Energy through these hallways I cannot describe," recruiting coordinator for personnel Alan Zemaitis tweeted) as players and their families will celebrate Thanksgiving, Senior Day and what they hope will be a fourth consecutive win.
"I do think we’ve got good energy, I do think we’ve got good mojo about us right now," Franklin said Tuesday. "It’s late in the season. It’s a long season, and there’s times where late in the season can be challenging and a grind on everybody. And it just doesn’t feel like that. Even with the bumps and bruises we’ve got, and we’ve got a bunch of them, the energy's really good."
Pumpkin pie or sweet potato pie?
Contrast that with last November, which Franklin spent answering questions about his future before Penn State announced his new contract Nov. 23. Contrast that further with the 2021 finish. The Lions lost two of their last three regular-season games, including a 30-27 decision at Michigan State.
This November, the Lions have won three in a row by a combined 106 points. They have played their best, most consistent football since losing to Michigan and memorably led Ohio State in the fourth quarter before the big-play Buckeyes struck. And last week, Franklin reached the 100-win milestone as a head coach.
"The best teams in college football get better individually and collectively throughout the season," Franklin said. "I think we're doing that."
Michigan State, meanwhile, blew a 17-point, second-half lead last week and lost to Indiana in overtime. Coach Mel Tucker on Monday glumly recounted how his team has been unable to hold contact practices for three weeks because of injuries and suspensions.
Tucker said the Spartans wouldn't be able to hit during practice this week, either.
"We don’t have enough healthy bodies, so we’re just trying to get guys to the game so we have enough guys to be able to play in the game," Tucker said.
Meanwhile Franklin, who's team has injury issues of its own, asks at his press conference, Mashed potatoes or macaroni and cheese?
"Guys are having fun in the locker room, guys are having fun out at practice every single day and in the meeting room," Franklin said. "And don’t get me wrong: I’m not saying it’s all puppies and rainbows and that kind of stuff. There's tough coaching going on. There's accountability going on. But I think overall we’re in a good place."
Following the win over Rutgers, linebacker Kobe King said that the Lions "just had to stay sane with all the players out." Franklin attributed that process to the work of his captains, with whom he meets every Sunday, and a coaching staff that has mastered the art of juggling.
"Sometimes, certain teams struggle toward the end of the season," linebacker Curtis Jacobs said. "We don’t want that to happen. We want to show that we’re dominant every single time we step on the field."
Cranberry sauce or stuffing?
Franklin is a positive-messaging coach who's relentless about his consistent approach to it. As safety Ji'Ayir Brown said, "Consistency is probably one of the hardest traits to obtain, and this guy is the most consistent person I've ever met in my entire life."
"Positivity spreads, and so can negativity," Franklin said. "You'd better be aware and working toward the positivity as much as you can and have an awareness of any negativity going on."
Noteworthy
Franklin offered some hope regarding returns for left tackle Olu Fashanu and cornerback Joey Porter Jr. Fashanu has missed the past three games with an undisclosed injury. Porter did not play the last two because of appendicitis.
"Olu Fashanu, we expect back. When that is, we'll see, hopefully [it's] this weekend," Franklin said. "Same thing with Joey Porter."
Up Next
Penn State hosts Michigan State on Saturday for Senior Day. Kickoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. ET on FS1.
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AllPennState is the place for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, tracking three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on Twitter @MarkWogenrich. And consider subscribing (button's on the home page) for more great content across the SI.com network.
