Having fun, Clifford shows what he can do for PSU
Sean Clifford has never lacked for effort, commitment or tenacity.
His Penn State teammates respect him as much as anyone in their locker room. Kirk Ciarrocca, the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, said more than once that Clifford wants to be great, wants to be an elite quarterback.
Maybe Clifford has wanted that too badly. Like a golfer trying to hit every approach shot within five feet of the hole, it adds unnecessary pressure.
Perhaps that explains his rash of turnovers over the first five games this season. Without running backs Journey Brown and Noah Cain, maybe he’s been trying to do too much instead of taking what defenses give him.
Saturday at Michigan Stadium, however, Clifford played within himself. He didn’t force passes when receivers weren’t open. Above all, he didn’t commit a turnover.
He made winning plays, which helped the Nittany Lions beat the Wolverines, 27-17, for their first win of the season.
“I minor in psychology,” Clifford said, “and one thing we’ve talked about is when an athlete or anybody really gets in their state of flow, it’s definitely a game-changer. It’s fun when you get in that state where you could kind of just play loose. And I feel like I haven’t been in that. Last year I was. After a couple months of this year, I feel like it’s been tough to find that.”
With exquisite protection from the line, he looked calm and decisive in the pocket, completing 17 of 28 passes for 163 yards. He ran judiciously, gaining 73 yards and scoring once on nine carries.
After Michigan cut Penn State’s lead to 20-17 in the fourth quarter, Clifford delivered a 75-yard drive. On thirdand-3 from the Lions’ 32, he connected with Jahan Dotson for 12 yards. On third-and-7 from the Wolverines’ 12, he
found Dotson again, this time for nine yards.
That set up Will Levis’ 2-yard touchdown run that helped clinch Penn State’s first victory in 11 months.
“Every win is just fun,” Clifford said. “It’s a good win. It’s definitely meaningful for this team just because of the adversity that we fought through. A lot of these guys just keep battling and keep coming back. Nobody’s given up at all, and that showed today.”
Clifford could have given up when coach James Franklin replaced him with Levis in the second quarter of a 30-23 loss at Nebraska, or when Levis started against Iowa.
But Clifford didn’t crumble, even after throwing two interceptions against the Hawkeyes.
“Why won’t I doubt myself?” Clifford said with irritation. “Because I know how hard this team works. I know how hard I work. There’s not one person who could tell me different. I know the talent that we have, and I don’t really care what anybody else has to say about it.”
Center Michal Menet has played with Clifford for four years. He was not surprised by his steady performance at Michigan.
“I’ve never wavered about Cliff’s ability,” Menet said. “I’ve never stopped trusting him. I’ve never lost any faith in him whatsoever. Nobody has. When he can do it consistently, he’s a fantastic quarterback.”
Ciarrocca devised a low-risk game plan that Clifford followed. He completed nine passes to freshman Parker Washington for 93 yards because the Wolverines focused on Dotson. He got rid of the ball quickly. He threw it away when no one was open.
“Cliff is consistent with his effort, his preparation and his approach to the game,” wide receiver Isaac Lutz said. “I can’t say that he did anything different than he has in the past. That’s a dude we all look at and we can rely on. He’s a true leader. I got a ton of respect for him and I’m happy for him.”
“Today I just kind of hung loose and had fun with my teammates,” he said. “And I felt like I was back to the Sean that I used to be.”