Penn State Football: Grades vs. Indiana

This was a defining game for Sean Clifford, as it was the first time he was coming off a loss. Last week wasn’t only a loss for Clifford, but also the worst game of his career as he threw three interceptions.

While the stats may not look amazing, Sean Clifford certainly bounced back and had a solid game. He completed 11 of his 23 passes for 179 yards and a touchdown. The touchdown came on a 12-yard pass to tight end Nick Bowers.

What made this a great performance for Clifford was his rushing, as he had ten carries for 55 yards and two touchdowns. Both of these touchdowns came at big moments, as the first touchdown went for 38 yards and the second one came on a fourth and goal with 1:44 left in the fourth quarter to put the Nittany Lions up 10.

With K.J Hamler going down with an injury in the first half, Clifford’s reliance on his legs in the game was crucial.

In terms of turnovers, Clifford didn’t throw an interception in the game, but he did fumble once. However, the fumble was due to a horrible blown block by the offensive line, and Clifford doesn’t deserve much of the blame there.

In what’s probably the most shocking stat of the day, Sean Clifford’s rushing performance put him at 374 rushing yards on the season, which is nine more than Trace McSorley had in his redshirt sophomore season. I certainly didn’t think that was something I’d be hearing this season.