James Franklin has had his ups and downs as the head coach of the Penn State football program. Here are the top-10 wins of his time at the helm.
The Penn State football program has fallen on hard times in 2020, as they lost a ton of talent due to injuries and COVID-19, and got off to their worst start in school history at 0-5. On Saturday, the Nittany Lions got a much-needed win, and one could say that it was one of the more important wins of James Franklin’s run at the school.
With that said, here are the top-10 wins of the James Franklin era at Penn State.
Victory No. 1: Penn State vs. UCF in Dublin, Ireland
In his first game at the helm of the Penn State football program, James Franklin and the Nittany Lions headed to Ireland to take on UCF. Playing in the Croke Park Classic, Franklin rode the right arm of Christian Hackenberg, who threw for 454 yards, and the leg of Sam Ficken, who drilled the game-winning field goal with no time left on the clock.
Penn State showed incredible resilience in the game, as a Justin Holman touchdown run gave the Knights the lead with 1:13 left in the game. The win would kick-start a four-game win streak to start Franklin’s run at the school, but they would go on to lose four straight after that, including losses to Michigan and Ohio State.
Penn State football: Top-10 wins of the James Franklin Era
Pinstripe Bowl win over Boston College
To close out his first season as head coach of the Nittany Lions, James Franklin, and his Penn State squad took on Boston College in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl. In what would be an instant classic, Franklin once again rode the right arm of Hackenberg, who capped off a pretty disappointing sophomore season with 371 yards and four touchdowns.
Down 21-7 in the third quarter, Penn State rallied back, and when the game went into overtime, they took advantage of a missed extra point by BC to bring home the win. It was the Nittany Lions’ first bowl game win since 2011, as they were suspended from postseason play due to the Jerry Sandusky Scandal.
For Franklin, it was a crowning moment in a tough season but was a huge stepping stone in him building back up the program. Once again, Ficken was a hero, as his field goal sent the game into overtime, and his extra-point sealed the victory for Penn State, who finished the season with a 7-6 record.
Penn State football: Top-10 wins of the James Franklin Era
Penn State wins overtime thriller over Minnesota
The 2016 season brought plenty of highs for the Penn State program, including a signature win, but we will get into that in a moment. That season, the Nittany Lions got off to an up-and-down start to the season, beating Kent State in the opener, losing to Pitt on the road, beating Temple, and then losing to No. 4 Michigan in Ann Arbor.
That set up a matchup with the Minnesota Gophers, a rivalry game that would prove to be the turning point in the best season of Franklin’s time at the school. Minnesota was down 20-13 heading into the fourth quarter, but as we all know, the party was just getting started. They scored ten straight to take a 23-20 lead before Tyler Davis kicked a 40-yard field goal to send it into overtime.
In overtime, Minnesota got the ball first, and the defense would stuff them, as they had to settle for a field goal. Star running back Saquon Barkley would send the home fans back to their cars happy, as he took a Trace McSorley handoff on the first play when Penn State got the ball back and raced 25 yards to the end zone for a 29-26 overtime victory.
Penn State football: Top-10 wins of the James Franklin Era
Penn State defeats No. 2 Ohio State
The signature win of James Franklin’s run at Penn State came in October of the 2016 college football season, as an unranked Nittany Lions squad went up against the No. 2 team in the country in rival Ohio State. Playing inside White Out conditions at Beaver Stadium, the Penn State program proved they were back with the win over the Buckeyes.
Ohio State went into that game as a favorite to win it all that season, and against a Penn State team that was on a winning streak, but not getting national love, they were supposed to steamroll. However, the 2016 team was full of pride and talent, and they pulled off one of the more shocking victories of the college football season.
With a chance to go up to seven, Ohio State lined up for a field goal with under five minutes left in the game. What ensued was pure bedlam, as Marcus Allen blocked the field goal and Grant Haley scooped it up and ran 60 yards the other way for a score. The win would be the Nittany Lions’ third of a nine-game winning streak that season.
Penn State football: Top-10 wins of the James Franklin Era
Penn State wins Big Ten title over Wisconsin
Going into their Big Ten title game matchup against Wisconsin, the Penn State football program had not won a conference title since 2008. Since that last title, the program had gone through some very low points, including being given a near-death sentence due to the horrific scandal that rocked Happy Valley.
The 2016 season was a chance for the program to get back to the top of the mountain in one of the toughest conferences in all of college football, and they did just that. Penn State got to the title game thanks to a tiebreaker over Ohio State, who had the same conference record but were beaten by the Nittany Lions earlier in the year.
The Nittany Lions went into the fourth quarter trailing, but an early touchdown run by star running back Saquon Barkley with a little under 14 minutes left in the final frame gave Penn State the lead for good. A 24-yard field goal by Tyler Davis with a little over five minutes left gave the Nittany Lions a 38-31 lead they would not surrender, and with the win, they went to face USC in the Rose Bowl.
Penn State football: Top-10 wins of the James Franklin Era
Penn State blows out No. 19 Michigan
The 2017 college football season saw Penn State get out to a tremendous start, as they followed up their appearance in the Rose Bowl with a 6-0 start to the season heading into the Michigan game. At the time, Penn State was ranked No. 2 in the country and were fully expected to beat the Wolverines.
However, what ensued was an absolute bloodbath inside Beaver Stadium, as the Nittany Lions dominated the Wolverines from the start, beating their rival 42-13 in front of the home fans. What made the win even sweeter was the fact that College Gameday was there, and after the win, many believed this was a Penn State team that was destined for a national title.
Unfortunately, the good feelings surrounding this team would fade away, as they lost back-to-back games to Ohio State and Michigan State, and saw their No. 2 ranking fade to a No. 16 ranking. Still, pasting Michigan in front of over 110,000 people was one of the defining moments of Franklin’s career.
Penn State football: Top-10 wins of the James Franklin Era
Penn State wins Fiesta Bowl over No. 12 Washington
Though the 2017 team went into the season with higher expectations than playing in the Fiesta Bowl, it was still a sign that the program had some all the way back from the scandal. Outside of the losses to Ohio State and Michigan State in back-to-back weeks, Penn State dominated their schedule in 2017 and would go up against a high-powered Washington offense in their bowl game.
The winners of six Fiesta Bowls heading into this matchup, Penn State was a small favorite over a Huskies team led by star quarterback Jake Browning and running back Myles Gaskin. After getting out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter, Penn State looked to be in cruise control, as the lead swelled to 28-7 in the second quarter.
From there, the Nittany Lions saw the Huskies surge back, and a 69-yard touchdown run by Gaskin actually pulled Washington to within seven with a little over six minutes left in the game. That would be as close as the Huskies would get, as after Penn State missed a field goal to put the game away, Washington got the ball back, but a fumble by Dante Pettis on a lateral from Aaron Fuller ended any chance for a miracle.
Penn State football: Top-10 wins of the James Franklin Era
Penn State defeats No. 16 Michigan
Penn State opened up 2019 with five straight victories, earning a No. 10 ranking in the country. In game No. 6, they would travel to Kinnick Stadium to take on a tough Iowa team that had just lost a close one to Michigan State the week before. The game was a struggle, but Penn State was able to come away with a 17-12 win, setting up a top-25 matchup with Michigan.
The Wolverines went into the game against Penn State with only one blemish on their record, and they were coming off a dominant victory over Illinois. Once again playing in the marquee matchup of College Gameday, the Nittany Lions wowed the faithful inside Beaver Stadium, narrowingly escaping with a 28-21 victory.
Sean Clifford was magnificent in the game, throwing for three touchdowns, twice hitting star wideout K.J. Hamler for scores, and also ran in a score. The game had major significance because No. 6 Wisconsin had lost earlier, allowing Penn State to move up to No. 6, and then eventually No. 4, before losing to Minnesota two weeks later.
Penn State football: Top-10 wins of the James Franklin Era
Penn State wins 2019 Cotton Bowl over Memphis
The Penn State football program finished off what was a solid 2019 college football season with a berth in the Cotton Bowl, taking on Memphis and their high-powered offense. The Tigers were the No. 15th ranked team in the country head into the game, as they posted a 12-1 record, and were the AAC Conference champs.
By the end of the first quarter, it actually looked like the AAC would make some noise on a big stage, as they were up 13-7 thanks to a touchdown run by Patrick Taylor Jr., and a field goal by Riley Patterson. Unfortunately for the Tigers, Penn State had way too much firepower with Journey Brown toting the rock, as the back finished with over 200 yards rushing in the game.
Memphis made it a game in the second half, and actually only trailed by two in the third quarter, before a Garrett Taylor interception return for a touchdown off of Brady White, who threw for over 450 yards in the game. Patterson would inch the Tigers closer with a fourth-quarter field goal, but Noah Cain put the game away with a one-yard touchdown run midway through the closing frame.
Penn State football: Top-10 wins of the James Franklin Era
Penn State snaps 0-5 start to 2020 season
The Penn State football program went into their game against Michigan sitting at 0-5, a mark they had never reached in team history. Due to players sitting out because of COVID-19, and star running back Journey Brown ending his career due to a horrific issue with his heart, the talent just has not been there for Penn State in 2020.
Originally expected to challenge for a CFP spot, Penn State has lost to the likes of Maryland, Nebraska, and Iowa to name a few, though they did hang in there with Ohio State. This past Saturday, it kind of felt like Franklin was coaching for his job, as the Wolverines are awful this season as well, but a convincing 27-17 victory on the road could be just what this team needs to finish strong.
It has obviously been a terrible season for the Nittany Lions, and there are plenty of fans out there who are looking for the team to make a change at head coach next season. Beating Michigan is always nice, but in a season where the team is setting records for futility, it may be a lone bright spot for Franklin and this squad.