West Virginia hosts No. 8 Penn State on Saturday in week one of the college football season.
PSU head coach James Franklin held his press conference on Monday and talked about WVU's success last season, his thoughts on Pat McAfee, and the challenges surrounding a week one environment on the road.
Success for WVU in 2023
Franklin and his team finished this game last year with a convincing 38-15 victory over the Mountaineers, but Franklin knows of the success WVU had towards the back half of the 2023 season, finishing with nine wins.
"Our focus now is directly on West Virginia and making sure we’re in the best position to go win at a place I got a ton of respect for. I think Neal Brown’s done a great job. I think it’s a very very, challenging place to play, I think for an opener that’s going to create some challenges and issues for us and a team that I think is feeling really, really, good about themselves and has a ton of confidence," Franklin said.
"They won nine games, they really should’ve won 10 games, that Houston game was a very tough loss. In my mind, they played well enough to win 10 games. They ended the season I think winning five out of their last six games including the bowl game so they got a lot of positive momentum, the quarterback played really well. Our focus is totally on that right now."
Week One Challenges
Franklin referenced there would be many challenges outside of going into what he views will be a hostile road game environment.
Franklin talked about the returning production West Virginia brings into the 2024 season as well as this being a rivalry game.
"A team that’s returning a ton of starters and a team that’s returning a ton of starters that had success, that creates challenges. I think if you look at some of the people that rank teams, that’s one of the factors in ranking teams, how many returning players you got. And then the unknowing of the transfer portal and guys coming in especially if they’ve come from smaller schools and you don’t have as much information on them, that can create some real challenges as well. I think both, they’ve done both, to be honest with you," Franklin said.
"Opening with this type of game, that’s another argument. I think it’s really good because it motivates and prepares everybody but you better have your I’s dotted and your T’s crossed and understand and be prepared for what that environment is going to be like. From what I understand you can’t get a ticket, you can’t find a ticket to this game. Very similar to conversations of what our fans have had, what their fans have had is why playing West Virginia and playing Pitt makes sense for a lot of reasons," Franklin added.
WVU's Home-Field Advantage
Franklin knows Saturday will be a challenging venue and be loud for his team.
He said they can try to replicate the noise in practice but with WVU's home-field advantage, there is a uniqueness about playing at West Virginia. He also added there is a historical component to this game which is also important to understand as a team.
"I think the first thing is everybody knows. It’s pretty much proven that a home-field advantage is a real thing. It’s a real thing, it factors into a lot of things that you guys talk about that I can’t ever talk about. Home-field advantage is a real thing, I think that’s number one. I think number two when you talk about the specifics of a home-field advantage, it’s the noise in the stadium but you can replicate that a little bit. It’s players that are playing for Penn State for the first time, how are they going to handle that. It’s one thing to do it at home in front of 100,000 which is challenging, it’s another thing to do it on the road with 70,000 people that kind of hate you. You're 250 vs their 70,000," Franklin said.
Franklin said for some of his team it's the first time they've traveled, especially for the newcomers on the Nittany Lions roster and they have to also make sure they tie any loose ends in regards to those logistics.
"It’s traveling for the first time and we haven’t traveled with some of these guys before. The hotel, the bus, the meals, the sleep, sleeping in a different bed, all those types of things they factor in. Just making sure you’re doing everything you possibly can and some of those things you can prepare them for, other things you can’t. it’s making sure the freshman doesn’t leave one of the tester tip sheets on the floor in the meeting room because everybody that works in that hotel is probably connected or related to somebody at West Virginia football. I know that stuff sounds funny and silly, it happens, so, making sure we’re doing everything we possibly can to prepare our players," Franklin said.
Franklin is not a stranger to what WVU represents and how there is no professional team in the state. He said that's something he will also have to explain to his group.
"I think it’s magnified in a place that does not have an NFL team. Everything in that state revolves around West Virginia and Mountaineer football. I think they’re the seventh-winningest program, I think I may have read in their media guide, seventh-winningest program in college football depending on what metric you look at how you look at that whether it’s total wins or percentage of whatever that may be. I was looking through their staff and all the way back to Don Nehlen and what he was able to do and then I noticed there’s like six relatives of Don Nehlen working on their staff somewhere in their building.
"There’s a ton of cool things about West Virginia football, this game, and the historical aspects of this game. Then you also look at when was the last time West Virginia beat Penn State when was the last time Penn State beat West Virginia, we got somebody on our staff that was there in their stadium last time West Virginia won at their place. There’s value in that and we have to tap into that and what that meant and what that experience was like and how it happened and so on and so forth. There’s some moving parts that you can replicate, there’s other moving parts that you can’t."
McAfee Giving Bulletin Board Material?
Former Mountaineer Pat McAfee has had many public comments showing his support for West Virginia football and Franklin was asked how those could be used.
He said he uses things that can be seen as motivation and vice versa, he doesn't want to create anything that West Virginia can use.
"First of all, I love Pat McAfee and his energy and enthusiasm for sports and specifically college football, I think he’s been good for college athletics and sports in general, I think he’s been fun. I think his ability to speak freely is unique and fun in a lot of ways. For us, it’s a fine line. I think it’s very similar to the old billboard material. I want to make sure our guys don’t say anything and our staff doesn’t say anything that creates billboard material because for some people that motivates them. I want to make sure I’m not talking out both sides of my mouth with our staff and our players because I also strongly recommend our players getting off of social media, especially in season," Franklin said.
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