Penn State OL Vega Ioane had enough.
Ioane was near his head coach, James Franklin, left the field following Penn State’s 24-15 loss to Michigan Saturday, and the Beaver Stadium crowd wasn’t too happy with Franklin.
Ioane and let his emotions out.
Penn State fans had some words for James Franklin, and OL Vega Ioane had enough. pic.twitter.com/bNK12JLNO0
— Joe Smeltzer (@joesmeltzer775) November 11, 2023
That wasn’t the only time the fans’ booing was noticeable. There was even an occasion where fans threw dubris on the field and had to be asked by the PA announcer to refrain from doing so. Franklin and his players know that Saturday wasn’t good enough, but at the same time, nobody likes to be booed, and Penn State DE Dani Dennis-Sutton is no exception.
“I appreciate all the fans that support,” Dennis-Sutton told reporters after the game. “But when people boo us, half of them won’t step up on the field.”
Dennis-Sutton is a budding star on Penn State’s defensive line. After a tackle for loss, he made a gesture that he confirmed afterward was a reference to Michigan’s alleged illegal sign-stealing operation.
“I was just trying to have fun out there,” Dennis-Sutton said. “Whatever they got going on, just trying to make fun of it, man,” Dennis-Sutton said. “If you don’t have fun with this, it’s gonna be boring.”
Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy returned the favor later in the game, but it’d be almost impossible to argue that Dennis-Sutton’s gesture had any impact one way or the other.
But Penn State losing the game had a huge impact on the team’s season. Any realistic chance of winning the Big Ten is now up in smoke, and all the team can do now is try for another double-digit win season.
