Penn State interim coach Terry Smith didn’t pull any punches in taking accountability for James Franklin’s firing.
“We all failed Coach Franklin,” Smith told media Wednesday. “That’s why he’s not here.”
What led to Franklin’s firing was the most unlikely three-game losing streak in program history.
Losing to then-No. 6 Oregon was normal. Losing consecutive games to UCLA and Northwestern wasn’t. Not for a team that started the season ranked No. 2 with realistic national championship aspirations.
Penn State Receives Highest AP Preseason Poll Rank Since 1997
Smith isn’t the only person in the program to show accountability this week.
Team captain Nick Dawkins gave a similarly blunt response Tuesday morning in a Zoom interview with media.
‘WE GOT OUR COACH FIRED’
Photo by Matt Lynch, Nittany Sports Now
Dawkins, a sixth-year senior and second-year captain, expressed similar accountability to Smith when talking with media.
“Ultimately, as players, it’s an overwhelming sense of guilt—like we got our coach fired, we didn’t play well enough, we didn’t do our job good enough,” Dawkins said. “And now he doesn’t have a job anymore. … Just a new sense of ownership, responsibility.”
THE TASK AT HAND
Penn State’s Chop Robinson sacks Iowa’s Cade McNamara and forces a fumble, recovered by the Nittany Lions.
Somehow, someway, Penn State must weather everything going on and get it together for a game against Iowa under the lights at Kinnick Stadium.
Iowa is no slouch, coming in at 4-2 with a win giving it at least a chance of cracking the top 25.
Iowa also remembers the beating Penn State gave it the last time the teams met, which was two falls ago in Happy Valley.
Smith didn’t sugarcoat anything.
“Obviously, this is a challenging week,” Smith said. “The guys are responding somewhat. We still have some work to do. They’re all hurt and torn, disappointed in what happened. Coach brought everyone in the building in. These are young people, they’re not used to people. We as adults, we have to adjust quicker. We’re just taking the time to mentor these guys, and spend some quality time with to get them interested and motivated back out here.”
Penn State-Iowa is scheduled to begin at 7 on Peacock.
