Junior college transfer John Franklin III has served as the backup to starting QB Sean White so far in 2016.
On Saturday, though, he left Auburn fans wanting more. In limited action, Franklin threw a 39-yard touchdown pass and scored a touchdown on an electric 80-yard sprint to the end zone.
Auburn coach Gus Malzahn, on the other hand, thinks Franklin is getting plenty of opportunities to help the Tigers succeed, according to The Ledger-Enquirer:
“He’s our number two quarterback, so he’s got to be prepared at any minute,” Malzahn said. “When needed, we’ll definitely have him. He’s getting better and the more that he can get out there and play like he did today, that really helps him.”
Franklin said he’s fine with the amount of playing time he’s gotten this season, too:
“To me it don’t matter, whatever helps us win the game that’s my number one goal,” Franklin said. “Every one loves winning and if that means I play one snap and we still win then good.”
As for his big scoring run, Franklin said he felt like he was going to make an impact with his legs before kickoff:
“I felt like I was going to have a big run all day today,” Franklin said. “I kind of called it before it happened, but it felt really good when it happened.”
Auburn may need Franklin to provide even more spark moving forward. The Tigers travel to Starkville on Saturday to take on Mississippi State.
Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.
