Clifford showcased excellence when Nittany Lions needed it most
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UNIVERSITY PARK -- After the final seconds ticked off the clock and the Nittany Lions put the final stamp on a signature 28-20 victory over Auburn on Saturday night, quarterback Sean Clifford showcased something that Nittany Lion fans hadn't seen from him in quite some time -- pure jubilation.
Clifford stuck around to soak in every moment of the victory and rightfully so, running around Beaver Stadium, celebrating with his teammates and high-fiving fans who stuck around to celebrate.
Few players were exposed to the criticism that Clifford experienced last season as Penn State sputtered through an 0-5 start. But the resilient, blue-collar quarterback looks to have grown back into the player that the Nittany Lions believed he would be following his stellar sophomore campaign.
Maybe the secret to his success is as simple as his pairing with new offensive coordinator and renowned quarterback guru Mike Yurcich. Perhaps it's simpler than that and all the quarterback needed was to regain his confidence.
"I just feel really confident in what I am doing," Clifford said. "It's not just because I feel confident, it's because I'm confident in my team. That's why I'm so confident, because of the offensive line, the guys around me in skill positions and the defense in how they play and special teams -- it's really unbelievable what our team is doing right now. The locker room and chemistry are good and it's so much fun to come in to work with those guys."
On Saturday night, Clifford was everything the Nittany Lions' could have asked for and then some. The senior quarterback completed 28-of-32 passes on the night for 280 yards, two scores and one interception on an ill-advised heave at the end of the first half, that ultimately had no impact on the game.
Whether it was getting the ball in the hands of playmakers Jahan Dotson and Parker Washington early and often, working the ball to tight end Brenton Strange or willing the Nittany Lions down the field on a 14-play, 91-yard drive in the second quarter to take the lead for good, Clifford was nothing short of magical.
"He made the plays that he should have made today. But I also thought he made a couple plays -- the play that he extended and threw it in the back of the end zone (to Dotson) -- I thought that was a big-time play. I'm really proud of him," Nittany Lions' coach James Franklin said. "I'm really happy for him. His preparation should lead to this. That's not how the world works. Life isn't fair. But for him right now, his preparation is leading toward success and I'm really happy for him."
For a quarterback that has gone through three different offensive coordinators in the past three years and was at the forefront of the Nittany Lions free fall last season, Clifford appears to be back with a vengeance as he played perhaps the best game of his career against a revered Auburn defense.
"It was probably the calmest I've ever been in a game, to be honest with you," Clifford said. "I went in and from the first snap I was seeing everything so clearly and I think that kind of is also with how Coach Yurcich has developed me and really pushed me every single day, not letting me slip through the cracks on anything. We got a whole season in front of us. I'm so excited about where we're going."
The Nittany Lions knew that a large part of the 2021 season rested in the hands of Clifford and how well the the offense could progress after a trying season.
So far, the Nittany Lions have weathered a challenging schedule brilliantly, picking up victories over ranked opponents in two of the first three weeks of the season for the first time in school history.
For the Nittany Lions, the difference is rooted in redemption.
"It was a crazy offseason," Clifford said. "We grinded harder than we ever have in my time here because we have something to prove. Last year wasn't us -- everyone knows that. Even if you didn't, I'm hoping we are proving that now because we are like that now."
The No. 6 Nittany Lions will face Villanova this week before back-to-back challenges against Indiana and No. 5 ranked Iowa on Oct. 9.
Overall, the start has just grown expectations from within the locker room as the redemption tour continues.
"It's just growing our confidence," Clifford said. "We're a confident football team. I'm ready to keep attacking each day, 1-0 (against Auburn) and that's what we're planning to do (against Villanova)."