Penn State head coach James Franklin walked away from the opener satisfied with the way his team executed in an early-season environment, but his eyes quickly shifted toward fixing details and preparing for FIU.
“I was pleased with an early season game and how clean things were and how organized we were,” Franklin said. “We had no issues that you see a ton of early games in a season with college football programs where they’re burning timeouts, those types of things.”
Franklin praised his team for creating turnovers, starting with a 13-play scoring drive, and excelling on special teams. “When you take the kickoff return by King Mack that was blocked extremely well, plus four for four on field goals,” he noted, “I thought our special teams were excellent.”
The Nittany Lions played 73 players. “Ton of value in that. And not only 73 guys, but a lot those guys played 20 or more reps, so really good,” Franklin said. Still, he admitted “finishing drives on offense, kicked too many field goals” must improve.
Quarterbacks Drew Allar and Beau Pribula (Grunk) both drew praise. “Drew played how you would expect him to play. He was consistent. Made some big time throws,” Franklin said. “Grunk came in and played well. He just looked…better than he’s practiced at times.”
Defensively, Franklin spotlighted the development across the line. “I thought Kemajou did some really good things as well. He’s got a bright future. Excited about him,” he said, while adding that the first three games are critical for young players “to grow up quickly.”
Looking ahead, Franklin made sure to highlight FIU’s new head coach Willie Simmons. “I’ve known Coach Simmons for a long time,” Franklin said. “Got a ton of respect for him and the program. Obviously he was at Duke most recently with Manny. He’s going to do a really good job. From Florida originally. Is a really good fit.”
IT’S GAME DAY IN HAPPY VALLEY!!! pic.twitter.com/F100kWmFca
— Penn State Football (@PennStateFball) September 6, 2025
Franklin expects FIU to present challenges on both sides of the ball, pointing to quarterback Keyone Jenkins and running back Kejon Owens as playmakers. “So it should be a good game,” Franklin said. “We’re looking forward to the opportunity.”
MORE COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEWS:
- Deion Sanders say Colorado is everybody’s Super Bowl
- Randy Moss and Deion Sanders lean on each other through cancer battles
- Deion Sanders to Arch Manning ‘be you’