Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/741084
GAME CHANGER Charles ignited a rally with his TD vs. the Gophers. Photo by Steve Manuel enn State head coach James Franklin and his players com- posed themselves in the immedi- ate aftermath of their 29-26 overtime victory against Minnesota earlier this month. On the heels of a performance that im- proved their record to 3-2, the Nittany Lions touted the significance of the win and affirmed their confidence even as they admitted the need for improved ex- ecution moving forward. "I think it was definitely something our players needed," Franklin said. "Everyone needed it, there is no doubt about it." As he continued, the Nittany Lions' third-year coach referenced a crucial victory during his tenure at Vanderbilt. That win, he said, "built a lot of confi- dence in everybody. It kind of went from there, and we needed that here. Tonight is one of those nights." The game in question took place on Sept. 10, 2011. On that night in Nashville, the Commodores outlasted Connecticut, 24-21. They had trailed, 21-14, in the fourth quarter but tied the score with 6 minutes, 45 seconds to play when they returned an interception for a touchdown. After forcing the Huskies to go three-and-out on their next posses- sion, Vanderbilt kicked a 31-yard field goal with under three minutes to play and walked away with the win. It was Franklin's second game at the school, and one that he looks back on as a semi- nal moment in the three-year building process during which the Commodores climbed out of the Southeastern Confer- ence basement. The choice to reference a win against Connecticut five years ago was an inter- esting one. In Franklin's two-plus seasons in Uni- versity Park, the Nittany Lions have had their share of come-from-behind victo- ries. His first game with the team took place an ocean away from home in Dublin, Ireland, and Penn State got a buzzer-beating field goal from Sam Ficken to earn a 26-24 victory. Two weeks later, the Lions used a 5-yard touchdown run by Bill Belton with 1:13 remaining to earn a 13-10 win at Rutgers. Even the final game of the 2014 season featured a dramatic fourth-quarter comeback, as Penn State overcame a 24- 21 deficit with just 2:10 left to play against Boston College in the Pinstripe Bowl. The atmosphere was surprisingly charged for that Dec. 27 bowl game, and JUDGMENT CALL P