No. 4 Penn State Football pulled off one of the more impressive victories of the college football season, coming back to knock off USC 33-30 in overtime at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
The Nittany Lions were so fired up after the win, that the celebration may have gone just a tad too far.
Hakeem Beamon, shortly after Penn State kicker Ryan Barker split the uprights on the game-winning field goal, grabbed the ‘We Are’ flag and planted it in the middle of the USC logo at midfield.
Hakeem Beamon plants the flag at midfield after Penn State survives the upset. pic.twitter.com/M91LPeK8oW
— Justin Ciavolella (@jciavolella76) October 12, 2024
Penn State Coach James Franklin was very upset about the celebration.
Penn State players just planted a flag at midfield. James Franklin told them absolutely not. Too late. pic.twitter.com/gFi8ccKOI2
— Audrey Snyder (@audsnyder4) October 12, 2024
It’s easy to understand why Franklin may have thought planting the flag went too far. After all, Franklin stressed to CBS reporter Jenny Dell after the game how much respect he has for the USC program, and head coach Lincoln Riley. Likewise, there’s a chance that Penn State could meet USC again, perhaps in the College Football Playoff, and the flag-planting would certainly be bulletin board material for the Trojans.