Penn State Football: Position Grades at Pitt
By Dylan Burd
Quarterbacks
It was largely a result of the rainy weather, but Trace McSorley didn’t have a great game against Pitt. However, he did more than enough to get the job done which is why Trace McSorley has been such a special player for the Nittany Lions over the past three years. He’s a winner, and he rarely makes mistakes.
Trace McSorley threw for only 145 yards in this game on 14 completions. He did throw 30 passes, so his completion percentage was below 50 percent, but the conditions were not ideal for throwing the football, as mentioned before. In addition, there was minimal help from the receiving corp, who dropped several passes throughout the game.
However, McSorley threw for two touchdowns, one to KJ Hamler, and one to Mac Hippenhammer. He also ran for 36 yards and a touchdown on five carries.
One of the best plays of the game came from not Trace McSorley, but third-string quarterback Sean Clifford. Tommy Stevens has been injured, so Clifford, the redshirt freshman, was handed the ball with a bit over four minutes left in the game. Clifford unleashed a 34-yard bomb down the field to Brandon Polk for a touchdown on his first ever snap for Penn State.
This throw was so impressive given the weather conditions, and given the fact that he had no game experience prior to it. It’s good to know that the future is bright for Penn State at the quarterback position.