James Franklin, the head football coach of Penn State, is aware that Milan Puskar Stadium provides an excellent atmosphere for visiting teams.
During Big 10 Media Days on Wednesday, Franklin took time to discuss the challenge of a Week 1 road trip to Morgantown when asked what he’s most excited to see from his team before the season begins.
Franklin also spoke with the Cover 3 Podcast during this interview. The FOX Big Noon pregame show will air on August 31, the day of the West Virginia vs. Penn State matchup, which is predicted to be a must-watch non-conference game for the 2024 season.
Franklin coached for the Terrapins in four different games at Milan Puskar Stadium during his two spells as an assistant coach at Maryland (from 2000–2004 and again from 2008–2010).
In three games, his squad was 1-3; the last one ended in a 31-17 loss to the Mountaineers in 2010. In contrast, WVU has a 7-17-1 record all-time against Penn State at home.
The last time the two teams faced off in Morgantown was in 1992, when WVU lost 40–26. Franklin remarked, “We’re opening in a fantastic venue.” “We played at West Virginia a lot when I was at the University of Maryland; it’s a difficult place to play.”
Franklin also praised the state’s backing for its flagship university, West Virginia University, pointing out that in the absence of professional sports teams in the state, a lot of attention and funds end up going to WVU.
He is aware that this could lead to boisterous Morgantown home crowds. The Mountaineers are the main focus; there is no professional team. We’re going to be stepping into a hornet’s nest there, Franklin declared.
His team defeated WVU 38–15 at Beaver Stadium in State College last year, despite his dismal coaching record versus the Mountaineers at Milan Puskar Stadium.
Franklin is also aware that the club he faced in Week 1 of last season improved significantly by the course of the campaign and will probably present a more formidable opponent in 2024.
“They ended the season on a real positive note,” Franklin said.
Chip Patterson, host of the Cover 3 Podcast, concurs, saying lately that he believes the Mountaineers are developing a “quiet confidence” within their program.
Franklin thinks that many participants in the program have been better prepared for these conditions because to prior early-season road excursions in recent years.
“I believe that our season-opening games at Auburn and Purdue in 2022 were challenging matches,” he remarked. Therefore, I believe such things helped get us ready for this.
