For the second time this season, Penn State football was shut out in the first quarter. Most recently, it happened in its 27-11 win over UCLA on Saturday. The offense has scored 21 points in the first quarter this season.

Slow starts have been an increasing concern for the Nittany Lions this season. In week one, both Penn State and West Virginia were knotted at zero as the teams exchanged fumbles. Drew Allar then hit Trey Wallace for a 50-yard touchdown on the first play of the second quarter.

In week two, the Nittany Lions trailed Bowling Green 10-7 at the end of the first frame and were behind the Falcons heading into halftime. In week four, Penn State’s 7-0 lead over Kent State was the only time it had led at the end of the first quarter. The blue and white were tied 7-7 with No. 19 Illinois a week later.

“I think that first quarter, you look at the time of possession, and it’s not what you want. You look at third down on offense and on defense, not what you want,” Franklin said after playing UCLA.

The Nittany Lions were 0-for-2 on third down and the Bruins had over 10 minutes of possession in the first quarter. Penn State was also outgained 72 yards to 28 yards against UCLA in the quarter. Allar had nine passing yards to first-time starter Justyn Martin’s 59 yards.

Franklin said the offense scripts plays for the opening possession to make high-percentage throws, get the ball to the playmakers, and get the ground game going. However, Franklin said sometimes, “You don’t always stick to the script.”

The Nittany Lions have scored two touchdowns on opening drives this season. The other three drives ended in a fumble, interception, and punt.

Luckily for the blue and white, the second and third quarters of games have been a strength. While Penn State’s scored 21 points in the first quarter of games, the offense has scored 68 points at a 13.6 points-per-game clip in the second quarter.

In the third quarter of games, the defense has been one of the best in the country. The Nittany Lions have allowed 34 total yards and zero points in the last four games and held UCLA to -9 yards on Saturday.

“Defensively, I think you get a good feel for who they are, you get them settled down, you make some adjustments, and I think that’s the biggest reason why we’ve been able to play really good third-quarter football,” Franklin said. “I think the technology has helped with that as well. But overall, getting our guys lined up, getting their cleats in the ground, getting them ready to play, I think we’ve done a nice job of that.”

With USC less than a week away, starting fast will go a long way in getting past the Trojans. USC has had its problems with slow starts too as it’s only scored 17 points in the first quarter and just 60 points in the first half this season.

But like the Nittany Lions, the Trojans have looked like a different team in the second half. In its two ranked matchups, USC scored 17 points in the second half to beat LSU after being tied 10-10 at halftime. Against Michigan, it scored 21 points in the second half of an unsuccessful comeback after being down 14-3.

Franklin is aware of the importance of starting fast and said his team is working on improving in that area.

“We are investing a lot of time in it, and we understand how important it is,” Franklin said Monday. “There’s nothing we want more, really on all three phases.”