Penn State football players talk James Franklin, feel 'like we got our coach fired'

The Penn State football world is swirling for the players this week.

They are still trying to absorb the loss of their longtime head coach while preparing for another defining game Saturday, this time at revving Iowa.

They are also trying to find the means to break a stunning three-game losing streak with a new starting quarterback and a new leader.

Seniors such as offensive lineman Nick Dawkins and linebacker Dom DeLuca talked about the process Tuesday — and their feelings for recently fired coach James Franklin.

“Ultimately, for us, at least as players, it’s just an overwhelming sense of guilt,” Dawkins said. “Like, we got our coach fired. We didn’t play well enough. We didn’t do our job good enough, and now he doesn’t have a job anymore.

“At this point, the grittiness, the toughness — yes, everything like that. But I think it’s playing for a purpose, playing for each other. … Maybe it’s a new sense of ownership, of responsibility and accountability for what we’ve done in the past and what we have to do now.”

The Nittany Lions, ranked No. 2 nationally just a few weeks ago, spiraled after a double-overtime defeat to Oregon. They followed with shocking losses to huge underdogs UCLA and Northwestern on homecoming. And they often looked unexpectedly uninspired and unprepared going through it.

With a high-expectation season crushed and fans turning on Franklin, and even his team, university officials fired Franklin on Sunday. A day later, interim head coach Terry Smith urged his Lions “to get our grittiness back, our toughness, our swag, and most importantly, we got to go have fun — enjoy playing the game of football.”

DeLuca, a former walk-on and a team captain, talked about moving forward amid so many distractions.

“It’s not easy, I’ll definitely say that. I know a bunch of guys, after we got the news, had dinner together that night, hung out, just relaxed, caught up, got stuff off their chest, off their mind, and just be able to talk,” DeLuca said. “I feel like that was huge for a lot of people, and it helped a lot of people, definitely.

“I feel bad for the young guys, it’s a hard thing to go through. I can’t imagine being a freshman going through it, especially everything going on in the day of college football now. Just being able to keep everyone’s head on their shoulders and be able to move forward and have a positive attitude going about everything and just trying to focus on the week to week.”

For the first time all season, the Lions will be underdogs when they play at Iowa.

For the first time, senior Drew Allar, injured and done for the season, won’t be their quarterback.

The first time playing without the head coach who “every single one of us is in the locker room, on the team … brought us here,” Dawkins said.

The mission?

“Do your job. Do it for Coach Franklin. Do it for the guy to the left and right of you,” DeLuca said. “Do it for everyone at this point, all the Penn Staters who love the game and love the Nittany Lions.”