James Franklin loved a lot of what his Penn State Nittany Lions squad did in their season opener against the Nevada Wolf Pack on Saturday evening. However, he had one issue to point out.

The No. 2 Nittany Lions were coming off the best season in program history, finishing with a 13-3 record in 2024. They reached the semifinals of the College Football Playoff, losing to the eventual runners-up Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

Penn State picked up where it left off by taking a dominant 27-3 lead at halftime. Franklin went over the team's performance during the CBS Sports broadcast interview, praising their effort while pointing out one issue.

“We gotta get kickoff coverage cleaned up a little bit… but overall we played really good,” Franklin said.

How James Franklin, Penn State performed against Nevada

Penn State defensive tackle Zane Durant (28) tackles Nevada running back Herschel Turner (2) in the first half of an NCAA football game, Saturday, August 30, 2025, in State College, Pa.
Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It's clear that James Franklin wants everything to be right for the Penn State Nittany Lions. That much was the case after they blew out the Nevada Wolf Pack 46-11.

The first half summed up the Nittany Lions' performance. Besides a few minor issues, they controlled all the momentum in the game as it was too much for the Wolf Pack to overcome.

Quarterback Drew Allar had a strong display with 22 completions for 217 yards and a touchdown. He gave attention to multiple receivers with four players making three or more catches. Kyron Hudson shined with six receptions for 89 yards and a touchdown, Trebor Pena had seven catches for 74 yards, while Nicholas Singleton finished with four receptions for 37 yards. Meanwhile, Andrew Rappleyea provided three catches for 33 yards.

The run game proved to be the best trait of Penn State's performance. Four players got to make five or more rushes, including Allar. Kaytron Allen finished with eight carries for 43 yards and a touchdown while Singleton ran the ball eight times for 19 yards and two scores.

The No. 2 Nittany Lions will prepare for their next matchup, remaining at home. They hos the FIU Panthers on Sept. 6 at 12 p.m. ET.

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