Penn State coach James Franklin stopped celebrating for a moment after his team’s 33-30 overtime win at USC on Saturday to admonish a player who was planting a Nittany Lions flag at midfield of LA Memorial Coliseum.
With a Penn State player holding the flag near the USC logo and a few others nearby appearing to enjoy the spectacle, Franklin quickly appeared from a nearby scrum of bodies and put a halt to gesture. Franklin shook his finger at the player before grabbing the flag himself and walking it over to someone else while saying “take that.”
Another Penn State player was spotted running the flag to midfield to plant the flag initially as the No. 4 Nittany Lions enjoyed the euphoria of a dramatic Big Ten victory. It was Penn State’s first time playing a regular season game at USC since 1994. Penn State trailed 30-23 in the fourth quarter before a late touchdown drive and subsequent defensive stop to force overtime.
The Nittany Lions came up with a big defensive stand in overtime to force a missed 45-yard field goal from the Trojans. Subsequently, Ryan Barker converted a 36-yarder to win it for Penn State. Franklin offered strong praise for USC in his postgame interview with Jenny Dell of CBS.
“That’s a very talented football team,” Franklin said. “We have tremendous respect for this university, this program. But we found a way to get a tough win on the road against one of the most talented rosters in the country.”
