{"id":80697,"date":"2025-10-01T09:00:53","date_gmt":"2025-10-01T13:00:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/?p=80697"},"modified":"2025-09-30T16:36:57","modified_gmt":"2025-09-30T20:36:57","slug":"franklin-struggles-at-penn-state-continue-as-offensive-woes-mount","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/2025\/10\/01\/franklin-struggles-at-penn-state-continue-as-offensive-woes-mount\/","title":{"rendered":"Franklin Struggles at Penn State Continue as Offensive Woes Mount"},"content":{"rendered":"
Penn State entered its White Out showdown with Oregon riding high expectations. After two full weeks of prep time, the Nittany Lion offense looked lifeless in the first half, struggling to move the chains and maintain rhythm. Against a top opponent, that kind of baseline puts a team in jeopardy. When games against elite programs hinge on adjustments and execution, Penn State\u2019s perennial soft spots, offensive inconsistency, questionable game-calling, and an inability to generate edge pressure reappeared. The loss raises another concern. The Nittany Lions cannot afford to overlook UCLA or Northwestern in the next two weeks. Those matchups now carry real weight before the more daunting stretch of Iowa. While traveling to Ohio State and Indiana. For James Franklin<\/a>, this could be the defining crossroads of his tenure.<\/div>\n

Franklin Struggles at Penn State Continue as Offensive Woes Mount<\/h2>\n

Franklin\u2019s Troubled Record in Big Games<\/h3>\n
Even before the Oregon game, a familiar narrative dogged Franklin. \u00a0His struggle in marquee matchups. Fans and analysts routinely cite an alarming record in primetime or top-10 contests. Oregon added to that legacy, dropping the Nittany Lions in double overtime. According to Franklin, \u201cNeither offense was explosive, but we battled, we were resilient, and we had a chance to win the game at the end.\u201d<\/div>\n
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But crediting \u201cbattle\u201d or \u201cresilience\u201d does little to erase a pattern. The real metric is execution when the stakes are highest. Over the years, Franklin\u2019s teams often start slow, fail to flip momentum, and lose confidence when a battle tightens. That is exactly what unfolded here. Rather than lighting a fire under his players, Franklin\u2019s public posture often smothers urgency. He called the game \u201cwhat we expected it to come down to,\u201d and noted first downs and early execution as the fatal flaws.<\/div>\n
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This stretch of games ahead is more than just a test. It is likely the last real chance for Franklin to prove he can take Penn State to the next level, rather than simply maintaining it.<\/div>\n

Offense Stagnates: Rhythm Missing, Passing Flounders<\/h3>\n
The heart of the issue lies in the offense. The Nittany Lion unit failed to find any consistent rhythm in the first half against Oregon. As Franklin observed, \u201cWe weren\u2019t able to get anything going early in the game on offense.\u201d Drives stalled. Third downs often became long yardage. The result was a constant passing mode with the line under pressure.<\/div>\n
Quarterback Drew Allar<\/a> acknowledged execution problems. \u201cI just felt like we weren\u2019t executing what we wanted to do and were supposed to do.\u201d \u00a0When the offense finally showed signs of spark in the fourth quarter, it was only a marginal improvement. Allar and Devonte Ross<\/a> connected for a 35-yard TD to shrink Oregon\u2019s 17-3 lead. \u00a0However, those bursts felt isolated and unsustainable.<\/div>\n
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It raises a critical question. Is Allar in the wrong system? A pro-style scheme demands anticipation, timing, and consistent pocket presence. He looks out of sync early and reliant on improvisation late, a precarious formula at this level. More troubling, offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki<\/a> has yet to fashion a plan that plays to Allar\u2019s strengths over a full game. Execution should not be the excuse when the blueprint lacks balance.<\/div>\n
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\"Penn
Photo Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Defense Holds Early, Gasps Late<\/h3>\n
To their credit, Penn State\u2019s defense carried the team through most of the first half. They made key fourth-down stops and held Oregon\u2019s offense in check. However, as with many elite teams, Oregon made adjustments. The Ducks began to attack the edges on later drives. Penn State offered almost zero consistent pass rush, especially on the perimeter, a glaring deficiency.<\/div>\n
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By the fourth quarter and overtime, conditioning and depth became liabilities. Oregon exploited mismatches, wore down the secondary, and finally made decisive plays. The interception by Dillon Thieneman<\/a> sealed the game after Allar\u2019s throw was tipped. This collapse echoed previous losses in the biggest of games. A defense that starts strong but bleeds late.<\/div>\n

The Crossroads: Time for Franklin to Prove or Pivot<\/h3>\n
Penn State\u2019s next two games, against UCLA and Northwestern, no longer look like tune-ups. Both carry real weight for a team searching for rhythm. The margin for error has shrunk, and Franklin cannot afford a stumble before the tougher stretch of Iowa, at Ohio State, and Indiana. Franklin has already been handed multiple lifelines. Now, either he drives this program forward or confirms the ceiling many suspect. This season\u2019s early games have shown a team that is pedestrian, inconsistent, and inefficient on offense. That is unacceptable for a program with championship aspirations. Legendary coaches do not survive repeated failures in big games solely by virtue of their reputation.<\/div>\n
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Franklin must refine his offense to play faster, more rhythmically, rather than reacting to chaos. He must show creativity in play-calling and commitment to attacking weaknesses, especially in pass protection and edge pressure. He must also inspire urgency, and not let his own guarded public messaging function as a dampener. Because make no mistake, Penn State\u2019s fan base, players, and boosters have grown weary. Losing to Oregon in this fashion adds heat to a long-simmering narrative. This is perhaps Franklin\u2019s last clear path toward redemption. If he fails now, the decision may be out of his hands.<\/div>\n
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Main Photo: James Lang-Imagn Images<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Penn State entered its White Out showdown with Oregon riding high expectations. After two full weeks of prep time, the Nittany Lion offense looked lifeless in the first half, struggling to move the chains and maintain rhythm. Against a top opponent, that kind of baseline puts a team in jeopardy. When games against elite programs […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5544,"featured_media":80734,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"1","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5,2,17,35610],"tags":[32817,34906,34517,8490,837],"class_list":["post-80697","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bigten","category-featured","category-news","category-penn-state-nittany-lions","tag-andy-kotelnicki","tag-devonte-ross","tag-dillon-thieneman","tag-drew-allar","tag-james-franklin"],"modified_by":"Kate Pearson Halyburton, Editor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80697","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5544"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=80697"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80697\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":80735,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80697\/revisions\/80735"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/80734"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=80697"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=80697"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=80697"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}