OSU sent PSU to its third consecutive defeat 33-24 in the Big House. The “Nittany Lions” played heroically. 19.5 underdogs they fought like pitbulls on crack and were close the entire game, leading through most of the first quarter. James Franklin coached desperately, even vindictively. It was not a well-played game. OSU fumbled on its first possession. PSU recovered at the OSU 43. On the first play starting running back Noah Cain fumbled right back to OSU. The PSU defense forced a punt but Franklin was livid. He took Cain OUT. The play-by-play on the next series reads like this:
-John Lovett [Who?! Not Noah Cain is all Franklin cared.] run for 4 yards.
-John Lovert run for 5.
-Sean Clifford run for 2.
-John Lovett run for 1.
Lovett had three more carries on the drive, six total, only 13 for the game, Lovett can’t run, his yrds/carry for the game were 1.5, but he was not Noah Cain (Cain touched the ball only four more times after his fumble). Franklin took Cain’s fumble as a personal betrayal. This was Franklin’s longshot game of redemption, with PSU fans and with prospective employers, and Cain had blown a golden opportunity for Franklin.
That was not good coaching. But Franklin and his team gave a magnificent account of themselves that would have been miraculous redemption if they had won. Alas for them, they did not, and all this game serves is as bookend to a three-game losing streak. They have an easy (but Illinoise was easy) next three games but a season that crested at fourth in the nation with other employers in hot pursuit of Franklin has now crashed to at least a three-loss season in which James Franklin had some kind of mental-emotional short circuit.
