Penn State Football: Game Balls for the Nittany Lions’ win over Michigan State
On Saturday, Nov. 26, the Penn State Nittany Lions welcomed the Michigan State Spartans to Happy Valley for the final game of the College Football season. While there were some causes for concern, the Nittany Lions’ would walk away with the victory, 35-16.
Saturday’s game was a fantastic team win for Penn State to cap off their great season. It also marked the end of an era for Penn State quarterback, Sean Clifford. For the final time in the regular season, here are the game balls for Penn State’s victory over the Spartans.
Offense: Sean Clifford, QB
In his final game as a Nittany Lion, Sean Clifford showed up and showed out. Last week against Rutgers, Clifford threw for 157 yards and one touchdown, completing 17 of his 26 pass attempts. While it wasn’t his best game, Clifford played great against Rutgers and helped his team win, 55-10.
However, this past Saturday Clifford made sure to finish out his final College Football season with a dominant performance. Clifford threw for 202 yards and an impressive four touchdown passes. He completed 19 of his 24 pass attempts and played his part on offense to win the game for the Nittany Lions.
While he wasn’t always the best, Clifford left his mark on Happy Valley. Looking ahead, there is a lot to be excited about for the quarterback who will be taking over for Clifford, Drew Allar. But before we get to that point, the Penn State Nittany Lions have a bowl game to win.
Defense: Abdul Carter, LB
What a day the Penn State defense had, especially the freshman, Abdul Carter. Last week, Carter played incredibly again, picking up four total tackles off of three solos, and one assist, while also tallying a sack in the game.
This game was no different as Carter, along with Ji’Ayir Brown, led the Penn State defense. Against the Spartans, Carter finished with seven total tackles off of five solos, and two assists. Carter also managed to pick up two sacks and put on another dominant performance for the Penn State defense.
Penn State fans have a lot to be excited about for the young and already so dominant defense. With the defense only expected to get better, the possibilities are truly endless for what this defense and team could accomplish in the coming seasons.
Special Teams: Barney Amor, P
Barney Amor has been a cornerstone of the Penn State special teams unit for the majority of the season. Last game, Amor punted the ball six times and picked up 234 yards in total. Although his long was 58 yards, Amor only averaged around 39 yards per punt. This was certainly not his best day, but also not his worst.
Today, Amor got back on his game as he punted four times for a 50-yard average. His long was 56 yards, and he managed to get one of his four punts inside of the 20-yard line. While nobody really knows what’s next for Amor, he could have most likely played his final game in Happy Valley.
Coming up next for Penn State football fans is finding out what bowl the Nittany Lions will be playing in. With a few teams like Oregon, Clemson, and LSU suffering losses on Saturday, Penn State could potentially pick up a New Year’s 6 bowl game, and get into the top 10.
