James Franklin responds to West Virginia’s Neal Brown’s comments on Penn State’s late encounter
Those who bet on Penn State to cover the 21-point spread on Saturday night were pleased with how the final seconds played out. But apparently West Virginia head coach Neal Brown wasn’t too thrilled.
The Nittany Lions, with their substitutes on the field, scored a goal six seconds apart to lead 38-15. That was after Penn State started in fourth and second and converted into an assist. And instead of kneeling before the first goal – or simply letting the clock run out – Penn State made two plays, including a touchdown at Nittany Lions, . Reporters asked Brown after the game if he was upset that Penn State scored so late. He replied no, noting that he used all three timeouts during the trip.
Explaining more on the topic, Brown said:
“I wouldn’t do it, but it doesn’t bother me. Things like that, whatever happens. At some point it will come back. I do not know when. That doesn’t bother me. That doesn’t bother me.
During Tuesday’s press conference, James Franklin was asked if he had any reaction to Brown’s comments and subsequent criticism.
Here’s Franklin’s full answer, in 295 words:
“I guess everyone sees it differently, right?” As for me, I believe it’s my responsibility in these situations to bring my two players in. And I think once those two are in the game, they deserve the right and the chance to play and compete. That’s what I believe. I believe that from the start until the final whistle, you are playing and you are playing.
“Now, if you leave your stuff inside it’s a different story. Then you should change the way you play, get down on your knees and run in situations you wouldn’t normally encounter. It’s different. But when your two players come into play, these have a limited number of repeats. They must have a chance to compete. I believe so, not just from Penn State’s point of view. If we were in this situation, I would feel the same way. I’m not someone who just sees things from our point of view. I have a lot more to say. But I’ll just leave it at that. This is my philosophy and our philosophy.
“I think when our No 2 attack is against most of their attack, they have a chance to play. And I think Beau got in there and was able to command the attack – they got to Cover Zero, which is very difficult to deal with when you get to Cover Zero. They will have a chance to test our Cover Zero plan and have a chance to make a play that has a chance of succeeding before Cover Zero. And they will have a chance to score. I feel comfortable with that. I cannot say more. I will leave it there.
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