The Virginia Tech Hokies defeated the Outdated Dominion Monarchs 44-21 on Saturday to enhance to 2-0. The sport wasn’t as shut because the rating indicated, however it gave head coach James Franklin loads of ammunition to encourage his crew forward of this week’s recreation at Maryland.
The Hokies go on the street for the primary time within the Franklin period, going through a crew that he is aware of fairly effectively. Franklin was Penn State’s head coach from 2014-25. Throughout that point, Franklin’s Nittany Lions went 9-2 towards the Terrapins, with six of these wins coming by 30 or extra factors. Maryland’s solely two wins in that period got here in 2014 and 2020. Up to now 4 conferences, Penn State received 31-14, 30-0, 51-15, and 44-7. In 2017, PSU defeated Maryland 66-3, and in 2019, shut out the Terps 59-0.
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After that 44-7 win in 2024, Franklin drew the ire of Maryland coach Mike Locksley. Locksley angrily confronted Franklin because the coaches shook palms.
Here is the video:
Locksley was reportedly mad at Franklin over Penn State throwing a landing go on the ultimate play. Apparently sufficient, the quarterback on that last play, Beau Pribula, is now the starter on the College of Virginia. The receiver, Tyseer Denmark, is now a Hokie.
Anyway, Locksley did not respect it, even when it was younger backups getting an opportunity to play.
“It was bulls–, is what it was,” Locksley mentioned in regards to the last play, per Adam Rittenberg of ESPN. “I respect the sport. I’ve bought a number of respect for James, his program. I believe it was bulls—.”
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Franklin’s response?
“Your 1s [starters] are within the recreation, you have been attempting to attain, we’re attempting to attain,” Franklin responded. “On high of that, you are enjoying Cowl 0. Play Cowl 2. And on high of that, there’s additionally a change in faculty soccer. We try to play so long as we are able to, make the playoffs, and be seeded as excessive as doable, and scoring as many factors and some extent differential issues. All that issues. If you do not get that, it is actually not my drawback.”
Franklin famous his “3s and 4s” (third and fourth-stringers) have been within the recreation, and Locksley’s starters nonetheless could not cease them.
That was the final time the 2 groups performed, so will probably be attention-grabbing to see in the event that they’ve put that incident behind them.
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Past his disagreement with Locksley, Franklin has a extra private historical past with the College of Maryland. He was the vast receivers coach/recruiting coordinator from 2000-05. When Ralph Friedgen took over in 2001, he retained Franklin. He was certainly one of solely two assistants he retained. The opposite? Locksley. Franklin and Locksley could be on Maryland’s teaching workers for 3 seasons collectively.
Franklin left Maryland in 2005 for the Inexperienced Bay Packers, then moved to Kansas State in 2006. In 2008, he returned to School Park, this time as Friedgen’s offensive coordinator, assistant head coach, and head coach-in-waiting. Nonetheless, a change in athletic administrators put the head-coach-in-waiting title doubtful, and Franklin as a substitute took the pinnacle teaching place at Vanderbilt.
On Monday, Franklin mirrored positively on his time at Maryland.
Whereas I am undecided in regards to the present state of Franklin’s relationship with Locksley, Maryland video games have all the time been private for him. That head-coach-in-waiting deal apparently did not sit proper with Franklin. He is made them pay ever since.
Simply have a look at these scores.
You possibly can wager Saturday’s recreation might be private for Franklin, too.
