Penn State football is still fighting, folks.

With under a week until the Nittany Lions take on Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl in the College Football Playoff semifinals, James Franklin took to the stand at Pegula Ice Arena to address the Fighting Irish, his role as a Black head coach, Abdul Carter, and more.

Here’s what we learned from Franklin’s 45 minutes in front of a microphone.

On Abdul Carter’s Injury Status

Franklin declined to say outright if star defensive end Carter will play against Notre Dame on Thursday, but the junior seems to at least be trending in the right direction.

“He’s doing great. His attitude is great. His mentality is really good. We’ll see,” Franklin said. “But I think he’s taken the right approach and mentality, and it’s good. It’s going to come down to how he feels and how much practice he’s able to get during the week.

“At this point, I don’t think there’s anything that is stopping him from playing, but it’s going to come down to how is he able to play. We’ll see. But his mentality is great. Got a big smile on his face. I think he’s excited about this week, but it’s too early to say at this stage.”

Franklin’s lack of comment could also prove useful to the Nittany Lions in game prep, as Notre Dame may have to go several more days without an absolute answer on whether or not one of the nation’s best defensive players will be on the field.

Off the field, Carter seems positive about his recovery process. He’s taken on the persona of Sith Lord Darth Vader online and referenced the Star Wars character’s healing process from burns in Episode III.

On The Wide Receiver Corps

After a question about blocking on offense, Franklin took the time to defend a wide receiver group that was on the negative end of media coverage and fan debate last year. While Tyler Warren has still picked up the slack from a lot of this year’s group, Franklin felt the wide receivers have put together more well-rounded performances in Marques Hagans second year as the corps’ position coach.

“I think the development of our wide receiver room is something that I don’t think has been talked about enough that has turned into a strength. And I know there was a ton of conversations coming into the year,” Franklin said. “You look at the year that Trey [Wallace] has had, we have felt like Trey has been able to have those years the last couple years, but he’s had injuries. Omari [Evans] really coming on and playing to his superpower. Liam [Clifford], Julian [Fleming], you think about those catches Julian had against USC, we’re not here without those.

“And I get it, they’re not gaudy numbers. But you watch how Julian’s blocking, where the explosive play is coming from, the receivers owning all of the responsibilities of being true wide receivers… And NFL people watch that, and they see that. So real football people know what to look for. And I think Marques Hagans and those wide receivers in that room have done a really good job of making plays at critical times, being explosive…

“So I just think there haven’t been enough stories written, in my opinion, about that because there sure were enough articles written about the opposite, and they have been a huge part of our season and our development. And, again, at a time in college football and in society where maybe that’s hard to do in terms of every receiver wants 80 catches and 1,000 yards, but those guys are a big reason that we’ve won the games we’ve won, and we’re at this point in the season because if you don’t have it, those two running backs aren’t getting the yards that they have because people are loading the box up.”

Franklin also took the time to praise Evans, who has had nine catches for 177 yards and three touchdowns in the last five games, saying the receiver’s speed has been crucial for the Nittany Lions. Even when he doesn’t make catches downfield, Franklin said, Evans’ speed is still enough to make other teams adjust their game plan in the secondary.

On Possible Being The First Black Head Coach In An FBS Title Game

Regardless of who wins on Thursday, either Franklin or Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman will make history as the first Black head coach to lead a team to an FBS national championship game.

When speaking with media on Saturday, Freeman didn’t seem too interested in putting much weight behind the chance to make that kind of history. Franklin, who has said in the past that he wanted to be the first Black head college football coach to win a national title, took the matter more seriously.

“At the end of the day, does this create opportunities for more guys to get in front of athletic directors? Does this create opportunities for search firms? I hope so. I think at the end of the day, you just want an opportunity, and you want to be able to earn it through your work and through your actions,” Franklin said.

“I take a lot of pride in it. I think you guys know there’s been some conversations in the past, I kept private for a long time, but take a lot of pride in it. I’m honored. I’m honored to be able to compete against Marcus. I’m honored to be able to compete against Notre Dame. Most importantly, I’m honored to represent Penn State and the young men in that locker room, and for me to sit here and say that it’s not important and it’s not significant would not be accurate.”

On Andy Kotelnicki & Offensive Play-Calling

In recent games, Penn State offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki has come under fire for his play-calling, which, while creative, has had many fans and analysts wondering if the Nittany Lions are playing too cute.

Franklin defended his offensive play-caller and the Nittany Lions’ style, saying that style of play is what Penn State wants to demonstrate and how it performs well against opposing defenses.

“When it works, everybody thinks it’s a great decision… We work at these things. We want to be aggressive. We want it to be just part of our identity. This is what we do, and I think it creates a lot more headaches for the defensive coordinator, the defensive staff that’s trying to prepare for these things. And at the end of the day, it’s about execution. You got to rep it enough that the guys know what to do,” Franklin said.

“Whatever it may be, I think that’s the important thing is we want the creativity. We want the explosive plays,” Franklin continued. “That’s probably the biggest difference in our offense this year, is the explosive place, which is a big reason why he’s here.”

On Nick Singleton & Kaytron Allen

Unsurprisingly, Franklin didn’t say if either of his top two running backs had made a decision about the NFL Draft. As for Nick Singleton, Franklin said that announcement would wait until after Penn State’s season was over.

When speaking about Singleton, Franklin spoke highly of the Pennsylvania native’s family and how Singleton’s approached the last three years.

“I think him and Kaytron have developed a really good relationship. Sometimes that’s not always the case, could be adversarial. They’ve been really good friends, both on and off the field. I think they’re complimentary pieces to each other,” Franklin said.

“But [Singleton’s] doing great. He’s thriving. Obviously, we’d love him back, but if he decides to come out, we’ll fight like heck to get him drafted as high as possible. And I know it’s really important for him to go play well in this game this week, to keep this season going and to keep this team together. We got 65 plays left on offense, defense, 24 plays on special teams. That’s how we’re approaching it.”