When James Franklin took over the program at Penn State, a lot of uncertainty was cast over the Nittany Lions, as would be expected for any head coach taking over any program.
Being thrown into the fire with a football program that had been under the national spotlight for not-so-good reasons could be enough to make the best of head coaches squirm. Being thrown into that same fire with a sophomore quarterback may have been even worse.
But Franklin took everything in stride and it’s paid dividends – for now at least – as his Penn State team picked up a narrow 26-24 win over Central Florida, a team which beat the Nittany Lions just a year ago.
“These guys never stopped believing in each other, never stopped believing in the program and they found a way to win. That’s a very important ingredient and we have that,” Franklin said in the post-game press conference. “There was a minute or so left in the game and I looked across the sideline and there wasn’t a doubt in anyone’s eye.”
At the forefront of the season-opening victory sat Christian Hackenberg.
The sophomore signal caller threw for a school-record 454 yards on 32-of-47 passing with one lone score despite throwing two interceptions. It was the game’s final drive, however, that made the young gunslinger look like a seasoned veteran.
With 1:13 showing on the scoreboard in Dublin, Ireland, Hackenberg led his team on an 8-play, 55-yard drive to set up Sam Ficken’s 36-yard game-winning field goal. Hackenberg went 4-for-6 for 47 yards and also picked up a first down with an 8-yard run.
Even Hackenberg admitted that a season ago, that drive may have gone the other way.
“We were a team that struggled in two-minute when we put it in in the spring but as camp went on, we bought in to it,” the quarterback said in the post-game. “The guys went out and they wanted it. They made plays when they needed to make plays.”
On the other end of those big plays during the final drive was redshirt sophomore receiver Geno Lewis, who caught three passes for 34 yards, including a 19-yard strike to set up Ficken’s game-winner.
“I think number one, you guys know we have a special guy playing quarterback. The question was was there going to be guys around him from an experience standpoint to make plays,” Franklin said of his team’s overall performance, “and they did. They made some unbelievable plays, some circus catches.”
Lewis finished the game with eight receptions for 173 yards and a score.
Coming into the game, as Franklin suggested, some may have questioned the playmaking ability of Hackenberg’s receiving corps.
After the game, though, Hackenberg put that argument to rest.
“Everyone thought that was going to be the big question mark this season. We have the playmakers outside, you guys just haven’t seen a lot of them yet,” he said. “I think as these guys continue to get better it’ll be something we can build on. The goal is to always improve.”
And as Hackenberg and Lewis continue to impress, Penn State still has guys like DaeSean Hamilton, who broke the school’s freshman receiving record with 11 catches and 165 yards.
With a plethora of young talent, the Nittany Lions are on right on track, Franklin said, to have a bounce back season after a 6-5 mark a year ago.
Hackenberg agreed, adding. “I think these guys today gave us a great foundation.”
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