Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
In relief, Levis revives Nittany Lions on offense
When Penn State assistant coach Tyler Bowen walked over to tell Will Levis he was entering Saturday’s game at Nebraska, Levis was ready.
Levis replaced the struggling Sean Clifford in the second quarter, revived the Nittany Lions and nearly led them to a stunning comeback before they fell 30-23 to the Cornhuskers in Lincoln, Neb.
Levis, a 6-3, 222-pound sophomore from Madison, Conn., completed 14-of-31 passes for 219 yards, rushed 18 times for 61 yards and led Penn State (0-4) to 20 of its 23 points.
“His play did everything that we needed from an energy and juice standpoint,” linebacker Jesse Luketa said. “He was out there having fun. He was poised. He looked very comfortable and he did his job.
“Seeing him out there doing what I know he can do was exciting for me. I’m happy for him. He had a good day.”
Clifford, a junior, was 5-for-8 passing for 37 yards with one interception, which Cam Taylor-Britt returned 56 yards to set up a Nebraska field goal. On the play from the Cornhuskers’ 41, Clifford had Jahan Dotson open near the sideline and threw a pass well to the inside of Dotson and into the hands of Taylor-Britt.
In the second quarter, Clifford was sacked and lost a fumble that Deontai Williams returned 26 yards for a touchdown and a 24-3 Nebraska lead. That turned out to be Clifford’s final play.
Levis replaced him on Penn State’s next series and quickly made an impact. With him on the field, the offense looked crisper and more active.
“You really create your energy by how you play, just generating plays and points,” Levis said. “That’s where energy comes from. We had that touchdown run (by freshman Keyvone Lee)
and a few field goals and the emotion started getting a little higher on the sidelines.”
Luketa and defensive end Jayson Oweh said Levis infused the Lions with enthusiasm.
“He just brought a great dynamic to it,” Oweh said. “I love Will. I love what he brings to the game. He’s a tough runner. He’s smart. He believes in himself. He gave us a spark when we
needed it.
“We knew that he was gonna give it all on the offensive side, so we had to give it our all.”
Penn State coach James Franklin said he’s not going to name the starting quarterback for next week’s game against Iowa until he discusses it with his coaching staff.
“I’m just completely confident in my abilities,” Levis said, “and have been for the last couple of seasons. It’s not my choice. It’s not my call, but that doesn’t affect how I’m going to be preparing.
“I’m gonna put my trust in the coaches and I’m always going to be willing to do whatever is best for the team.” SHAKEUP ON LINE » Penn State shuffled the offensive line Saturday, moving senior Will Fries inside to right guard and starting redshirt freshman Caedan Wallace at right tackle.
That left junior guard Mike Miranda as the odd man out.
The Lions rushed for 245 yards and gained 501 total yards, topping 500 for the first time this season.
“We were just more committed to focusing on the details and studying our opponent,” Fries said. “We really wanted to get the ball moving after a poor performance last week (against Maryland). A strong running game helps the whole offense.
“The whole O-line took pride in that this week and wanted to put it on our backs to move the ball.”
Wallace was a four-star prospect in Penn State’s Class of 2019 from Robbinsville, N.J.
“I’m extremely comfortable with him,” Fries said. “We developed a relationship this year knowing that he may have a role at some point. We’ve done a good job building off each other and working together. He’s a guy that I know I can rely on going forward.” ELLIS STARTS » Penn State sophomore Keaton Ellis made three tackles in his first appearance of the season at Nebraska, starting at cornerback in place of senior Tariq Castro-Fields.
Ellis and junior wide receiver Cam Sullivan-Brown, who saw his first playing time of the season Saturday, were in uniform for the first three games but did not play for undisclosed reasons.
Castro-Fields, who started every game since the 2019 opener, was in uniform but did not play. No reason was given.