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Penn State head coach James Franklin Press conference: Villanova preview, FIU recap

Headshot 5x7 reduced qualityby: Thomas Frank Carr09/08/25ThomasFrankCarr
James Franklin Penn State Football On3
Penn State head coach James Franklin (Photo: Thomas Frank Carr/BWI)

The Penn State Nittany Lions football team is 2-0 after defeating FIU 34-0 on Saturday at Beaver Stadium. Head coach James Franklin opens up week three in the final non-conference game of the regular season today. Franklin hosted the media for his weekly Monday press conference before the team takes on Villanova this weekend. Hear his complete comments on the Blue White Illustrated YouTube Channel, or embedded in the article below.

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You can also subscribe to the BWI YouTube Channel for free. If you enable notifications, you’ll get alerts when Franklin speaks, when we go live, or when we post breaking news. If you missed it, Penn State secured a commitment on Saturday during the win.

Penn State head coach James Franklin press conference

Despite the lopsided nature of the shutout victory, there was plenty to discuss after the win. The team’s offense struggled to put up points in the first half, going into the third quarter with just a 10-0 lead. The team scored 14 points in the fourth quarter to make the win look better in the record book. Franklin was asked about his team’s offensive performance on Monday.

Specifically, the conversation continued about the team’s lack of explosive plays and how they can get them.

One final tuneup

After the game this weekend, Penn State is off for its first of two bye weeks this year. The team rejoins the 2025 season in a big way on Sept. 27 against Oregon in the annual White Out. It’s the first Big Ten game for the team and one of the most challenging games of the 2025 season. Tune into Blue White Illustrated as we cover the team’s progress towards that monumental showdown.