After UCLA loss, Penn State’s James Franklin knows everything has to be looked at ‘from the top down, starting with me.’

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Penn State head coach James Franklin took the blame following his team’s shocking loss to UCLA on Saturday. He did the same on Monday, citing inconsistent play as a reason for his team’s recent skid.

But Penn State fans have heard similar excuses throughout Franklin’s 12 years in Happy Valley, a tenure highlighted by his 4-21 record against Associated Press top 10 opponents.

» READ MORE: ‘Penn State can do better’: James Franklin is on the hot seat, and what else they’re saying after latest loss

Falling short against top 10 opponents is one thing. But losing to a winless UCLA squad who had an interim head coach and first-time offensive playcaller was the last straw for many fans and pundits.

It is a reason Franklin’s buyout, which a Yahoo report estimated at nearly $50 million if he were fired without cause, has drawn buzz in recent days.

Franklin said losses like Saturday’s force him to “look at everything.”

“[I am] obviously disappointed with the result of last week’s game,” Franklin said Monday. “[We] did not live up to our expectations or standards. Over our time here, we really haven’t had those types of games. So when that happens, it forces you to look at everything from the top down, starting with me.”

Penn State allowed 42 points and 446 yards of total offense on Saturday. Jim Knowles’ defense allowed a 62.5% third-down conversion rate and struggled to contain quarterback Nico Iamaleava on several scrambles.

Franklin said adjustments in Year 1 of Knowles’ scheme are understandable. In Franklin’s view, Penn State defenders are not playing fast enough or with as much confidence as he prefers.

But in Andy Kotelnicki’s second season calling plays, Franklin said the offense’s inconsistency is more worrisome. Especially after Kotelnicki’s decision to call an option run on fourth-and-2 in the last minute against UCLA was blown up to essentially end the game.

“In Year 2 with Andy [Kotenicki] and with so many returning players on the offensive side of the ball, we’ve been inconsistent,” Franklin said. “We’re working every single day, finding ways to be more consistent. That’s in our execution, that’s in our play calling, that’s from the top all the way down, starting with me.”

Kotelnicki’s unit averaged 430 yards per game and ranked 26th in total offense in 2024. Through five games this season, Penn State’s 389 yards per contest ranks 70th in the nation.

The Nittany Lions’ play caller has also been criticized for using Nick Singleton more than Kaytron Allen, despite the disparity in the running backs’ production.

Allen is averaging 7.0 yards per carry to Singleton’s 3.8 and has rushed for 138 more yards on nine fewer carries. But against UCLA, Singleton played 15 more snaps than Allen, according to Pro Football Focus.

Singleton was also on the field during Penn State’s crucial fourth-and-2 play with 41 seconds remaining while Allen watched on the sidelines.

“[Singleton and Allen] are rotating essentially by series, but we’re tracking touches,” Franklin said. “It was a discussion after the game, but it was also a discussion before the game that we need to get Kaytron more touches and more carries.”

Franklin said he still has confidence in his coordinators and declined to state whether he would consider any staff changes.

Penn State lost as a 24.5-point favorite, so frustration within the program and among the players is understandable.

Amid a two-game skid, the program’s first since 2021, and with growing outside noise surrounding his job security, Franklin said he has no concerns about losing the locker room.

“I believe in Penn State. I believe in our players. I believe in the men and women in the Lasch Building [the site of the team’s training facility]. And I believe in myself,” Franklin said. “[We] have to tune out the negativity and focus on the things that are going to [make] us better.”

Franklin wants to move forward, which aligns with his 1-0 mentality. His team will have that chance on Saturday (3:30 p.m., FS1) against a 3-2 Northwestern squad that beat UCLA two weeks prior.

“We’ve got to find a way to beat Northwestern. That is all that matters,” Franklin said. “It is [about] what we have to do against Northwestern to get a win and start getting this thing rolling in a positive direction, where people are excited and looking forward to the rest of the season.”