Big chance awaits Clifford to show his growth
Sean Clifford is in a good place with Penn State 2-0 and ranked 10th. He’s confident, as usual, and seemingly happy.
Clifford was steady, not spectacular, in wins over Wisconsin and Ball State. He made some very nice throws and he missed a few, too.
It’s a small sample size, but he ranks in the middle of the Big Ten in passing yards, completion percentage and pass efficiency. The most important statistic to him and Nittany Lions coach James Franklin are the zero turnovers he’s committed.
If new offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Mike Yurcich has had an impact on him in an area other than ball security, it’s been hard to tell so far. But not to Clifford.
“I think I’m getting through progressions faster,” he said Wednesday, “being smarter with the football, checking the ball down when I need to, finding the escape routes, just being a smarter football player.
“I feel extremely confident and extremely experienced when it comes to seeing looks, recognizing coverages and then making plays in the short amount of time that I have in the pocket.”
Clifford will receive one of the greatest tests of his career when Penn State meets No. 22 Auburn Saturday night at 7:30 at Beaver Stadium (TV-ABC, WEEUAM/830).
The Tigers have an experienced, fast, talented defense that has allowed just 10 points in wins over Akron and Alabama State.
Clifford has a mixed track record against ranked opponents, going 5-3 and throwing for fewer than 200 yards in five of those games.
But with a strong performance against Auburn, he can diminish the memories of the miserable 2020 season, at least until the Lions travel to Iowa Oct. 9.
Clifford played well under constant pressure two weeks ago at Wisconsin, where he threw for 247 yards and one touchdown in Penn State’s best road win in 13 years.
His other top performance came in 2019 when he went 14for-25 for 182 yards and three touchdowns in a 28-21 home victory over Michigan. He did not commit a turnover in either of those games.
He was asked Wednesday if he can draw on anything from his best performances that might help him against Auburn and other tough games later this season.
“Playing within myself but still making the big plays,” Clifford answered. “Converting on the explosives and just making sure I’m playing the way that I know I’m capable of playing. Those are the biggest things for me.
“The score’s going to be 0-0 when it starts, so it doesn’t really matter what I’ve done in the past or what I haven’t done in the past.”
A year ago, he threw nine interceptions and lost three fumbles, most of the turnovers coming during Penn State’s 0-5 start, the worst in school history. Shortly after the season ended, Lions coach James Franklin fired Kirk Ciarrocca after one year on the job and hired Yurcich to invigorate the offense and fix Clifford, who was benched briefly in midseason.
Franklin wanted Yurcich on his staff as much for his playcalling as for his work with quarterbacks such as Sam Ehlinger at Texas, Justin Fields at Ohio State and Mason Rudolph at Oklahoma State.
Yurcich is Clifford’s fourth coordinator and position coach in his five seasons.
“He’s pushed me in a lot of different areas,” Clifford said. “I’ve learned a lot from each offensive coordinator that I’ve had. Coach Yurcich has brought a lot of different philosophies to me and to this team. I think it’s hard to say why I’m better because of him specifically.
“Also, I’m better because I work hard, too.”
No one has ever questioned his work habits, his commitment to the team or his leadership. The debate about him centers
on whether he’s a championship-level quarterback.
“A lot of it comes down to how your quarterback plays,” Franklin said after the win over Ball State.
Sean Clifford can quiet his critics Saturday night with an outstanding performance, one that could go a long way toward defining his career.