With six seconds to play in the game, Penn State backup quarterback Beau Pribula charged in for a 5-yard touchdown run. A dramatic buzzer-beater, this was not. Pribula's dash turned a 31-15 Nittany Lions win over West Virginia into a 38-15 win.
“I wouldn’t have done but it doesn’t bother me," WVU head coach Neal Brown said after the game. "Stuff like that comes back around.”
Just so we're all on the same page here, here's the score as it happened.
Asked about it on Tuesday, Franklin defended the decision.
"I believe that my responsibility in those types of situations is to get my 2s in the game, but I think once those 2s get in the game, then they deserve the right and the chance to play and compete. That's what I believe. I believe from the opening kick to the last whistle, you compete and you play," he said.
Franklin then added an important caveat. "Now, if you leave your 1s in, that's a different story. Then you should change how you play."
To paraphrase Dan Hawkins, this ain't intramurals. Franklin is paid a lot of money to develop and prepare his team to the absolute maximum of his ability, he's not paid to consider the feelings of the West Virginia sideline. There is still a general duty of sportsmanship the combatants owe each other -- it'd be different if Brent Venables was throwing into the end zone to go up 80-0 on Arkansas State -- but Franklin argues he was well within that. Especially since the West Virginia defense was still playing hard itself.
A redshirt freshman, Pribula did not step on the field until 3:30 remained in the game. The series was the first of his career.
"I think when our 2 offense is in there against the majority of their 1s. I think Bo getting in there -- they went to Cover 0, which it's hard to run when you go Cover 0 -- Bo should have the ability to check to our Cover 0 plan and have a chance to execute a play that has a chance to be successful against Cover 0," he said.
Also, I share this simply because it would be a lie of omission on my part if I didn't: Penn State was favored by 21 in the game.