Penn State Players Make Their Thoughts Clear On Who Should Replace James Franklin

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Penn State Players Make Their Thoughts Clear On Who Should Replace James Franklin

Penn State got a major win over Nebraska in Happy Valley on Saturday night.

Penn State came into the game needing two wins to reach bowl eligibility and got one step closer to achieving that goal, thanks to a dominant 37-10 win over Nebraska. Nebraska came into the game with a 7-3 record and was down 23-3 at halftime before being outscored 14-7 in the second half.

This was the fifth game for Penn State under interim head coach Terry Smith and the program improved to 2-3 under him since he took over for James Franklin, who is now the head coach at Virginia Tech.

Penn State is in the process of searching for a new full-time head coach, but the players are making it pretty clear that they want Smith to get the job. They were holding up “Hire Terry Smith” signs after the win.

Nov 22, 2025; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions defensive end Zuriah Fisher (36) holds up a Hire Terry Smith sign following the game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Beaver Stadium. Matthew O’Haren-Imagn Images

They want Smith to be given the keys to the program once the 2025 season ends.

The Nittany Lions have one regular-season game left against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights before a potential bowl game awaits them. Smith will have to do everything in his power to sway the decision-makers to give him the job.

The Nittany Lions-Scarlet Knights game will be on Nov. 29 and will start at 3:30 p.m. ET on Big Ten Network.

Related: Penn State Loses Another Commitment After Firing James Franklin

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Nov 23, 2025, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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