Penn State Nittany Lions

Penn State Football: James Franklin Temple Week Press Conference Recap

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

foxsports

Penn State Head Coach James Franklin met with the media Tuesday to discuss the upcoming game with Temple.

The weekly press conference started in somber fashion, as James Franklin gave his condolences to the family of Brandon Jackson. The Army defensive back died tragically over the weekend. Franklin noted that Jackson played against Penn State as a true freshman last year and recorded seven tackles and a sack.

As for football matters, Franklin praised his team for the comeback effort against Pittsburgh last Saturday. ” The first thing I want to talk about is how proud I am of our guys, how they battled and persevered, and also how they handled themselves postgame in the press conference,” Franklin said.

There were obviously some issues on defense against Pittsburgh. Alignment was the main culprit for the trouble stopping the run according to the head coach.

More from Victory Bell Rings

Up next is a revenge game with Temple. It’s the Stripe Out, a tradition that started last year with a big win over Rutgers.

Below you’ll find a few highlights of what the coach had to say Tuesday. You can read the entire transcript on GoPSUSports.com.

On Starting Slow:

“I think the first week was a typical first week. Last week, it was a tough environment. That stadium was rocking. There was a lot of emotion. We anticipated all of those things.”

On Poor Tackling:

“I think it’s a combination of things. It’s fundamentals and technique that we need to do a better job of coaching. It’s also the fact that, like I mentioned at the beginning of the season, we have the second youngest team in the FBS….. We need to do a better job. That fine line of what can you do in practice with fundamentals and technique without live tackling. I think that’s something we need to do a better job of coaching. We have to do a better job of emphasizing, embracing, and understanding that throwing a shoulder is not good enough when you have big, physical running backs.”

On Finding a Kick Returner:

“We’re basically not having as much success there as we want to have. We have a couple guys that we feel have the chance to do it, and we’re waiting for someone to take the job. We need to block better with the other ten guys on the field, but we’re waiting for somebody to step up and make some plays, break some tackles, make some people miss and create some big plays and do it consistently. Then we can go with one guy. That’s why you’re seeing a rotation with those guys back there to figure out who that will be.”

On the Linebacker Depth:

“Cam Brown, I think you’ll see his role continue to grow. Again, as a true freshman playing linebacker in the Big Ten, you’d like to have a little bit more time to develop those guys, but he’s showing enough signs that we need to get him on the field. On top of that, we’re thin at that position, so Jake Cooper, Manny Bowen and Cam Brown, I think you’re going to see bigger roles for those guys.”

On Addressing the Pitt Clapping Issue With the Big Ten :

“There’s no way to rectify these things. We turn plays in each week to the officials. The officials do a great job. I turn plays in, not because it’s going to change anything, but to make sure that we’re on the same page in understanding the rules and how we’re teaching it and how we’re coaching it, and if allowable, that we’re doing the same thing. So we use it as education for our staff. I think it’s also used with the officials moving forward. But, theres is not anything that can happen retroactively.”

This article originally appeared on