He won a ton of games and yet really doesn't evoke a nostalgic emotion on this board.
Shalom
Shalom
Is it fair to say that Daryll Clark was the most underappreciated QB in PSU History
- Thread starter Mr. Potter
- Start date
Well, you can watch him playing on the B1G Network now in the Capital One Bowl.
I think DC is pretty underrated by our fanbase. I think Sean Clifford is as well and as time goes by I think more people will probably realize this.
But those DC teams were fun and he could play. He was severely under recruited out of high school and I believe he was something like a 2-star recruit. If my memory serves me the first time the staff saw him they were scouting someone else who was playing in the game but walked away more impressed with Daryll Clark.
But those DC teams were fun and he could play. He was severely under recruited out of high school and I believe he was something like a 2-star recruit. If my memory serves me the first time the staff saw him they were scouting someone else who was playing in the game but walked away more impressed with Daryll Clark.
Thanks for the heads up; I caught the last 15 minutes.
He’s not underappreciated by me. I loved the way he played. Toughest QB I’ve seen at Penn State.
Yeah, he isn't underrated by me either and he is one of the toughest I've seen play as well. Him and Trace McSorley probably as far as those I've had the pleasure of watching. Heck, I'd even throw Matt McGloin into the argument for toughest. Say what you want about Matt but he was a tough SOB on the field.
Clark is easily one of the more underrated QBs of our glorious history as America's College Football team. I wasn't as optimistic as Joe was after he stepped in during the bowl game against A & M but the Saturday night game on ESPN against the Wisconsin Badgers where we thumped their sorry asses to Todd Blackledge's great disbelief turned the worm for me. The LSU game in the mud was a glorious win and I think the one thing you can say when you contrast him to Anthony Morelli who came to PSU as a 4 star, DC played well when the team needed it. DC is the blue and white version of the first Law of Madden, that great players play great in big games.
He is also tied to two other moments in PSU history. He was concussed the night we beat Turtle Pryor in 2008 and it likely cost us against Iowa the following week. I watch that game a lot on YouTube and he wasn't right. Had we won that game we would have played for the national championship game.
BUT what I remember about DC is that HE was our QB when WE institutionalized 7 Nation Army. We once played that song endlessly during drives and moments in the game better than all the wannabe's do now and #17 was jamming the football down the field while it was echoing off of Mt Nittany.
He is also tied to two other moments in PSU history. He was concussed the night we beat Turtle Pryor in 2008 and it likely cost us against Iowa the following week. I watch that game a lot on YouTube and he wasn't right. Had we won that game we would have played for the national championship game.
BUT what I remember about DC is that HE was our QB when WE institutionalized 7 Nation Army. We once played that song endlessly during drives and moments in the game better than all the wannabe's do now and #17 was jamming the football down the field while it was echoing off of Mt Nittany.
I appreciated the hell outta him. Great QB for us. Great guy. Proud he’s one of us
Tough as they were, I don’t think either stood in the pocket as unflinchingly as Clark did to make throws.
I don’t think Clark is under appreciated at all.
PSU has had at most 4 QBs (Collins, Fusina, Blackledge, and McSorley) in the history of the program whom I would call high quality, big time college QBs.
All the rest were either Tier 2 or Tier 3 QBs. Clark falls into the Tier 2 category which is about right for him.
Tier 1: High quality, big-time college QBs.
Tier 2: Average at best.
Tier 3: Down right terrible or outright busts.
Maybe his under-appreciation is under-shadowed by his teammate, the under-appreciated Evan Royster?
Not to get into a protracted discussion, but Robinson was a better college QB than McSorley. I would put McSorley a touch above Clark, Hufnagel a touch above McSorley, a touch below Robinson. (I got a real soft spot for Mike Robinson.)
I thought he was great and very much underappreciated.
I would add Zach Mills in the mix for a tough QB. He played with a bad shoulder.
Agreed. We have had some tough as nails signal callers.
Robinson only did it for one season though.
Here's one to consider as underrated ... Tom Shuman 1972-74.
1. Shuman was the starter in 1973, taking over for AA John Hufnagel.
2. He led Penn State to a 12-0 season, best record in the country despite a lack of respect from the polls.
3. I think he was named MVP of the Orange Bowl, leading the Lions over LSU; Cappelletti was hampered by an in jury so the offense fell to Shuman who hit Chuck Herd for a long TD to seal the win.
4. Then he followed that up with a 10-2 season in 1974, capped by a Cotton Bowl victory over SWC champ Baylor.
5. Shuman was thus 22-2 as a starting QB. Yet he rarely receives much acclaim from fans when discussing Penn State QBs.
1. Shuman was the starter in 1973, taking over for AA John Hufnagel.
2. He led Penn State to a 12-0 season, best record in the country despite a lack of respect from the polls.
3. I think he was named MVP of the Orange Bowl, leading the Lions over LSU; Cappelletti was hampered by an in jury so the offense fell to Shuman who hit Chuck Herd for a long TD to seal the win.
4. Then he followed that up with a 10-2 season in 1974, capped by a Cotton Bowl victory over SWC champ Baylor.
5. Shuman was thus 22-2 as a starting QB. Yet he rarely receives much acclaim from fans when discussing Penn State QBs.
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We'll have to disagree on that. MRob was a brilliant leader and tough as nails but I thought both McSorley and especially Clark were better QB's.
Hufnagel was before my time.
DC is one of my all time favorites. Agree i will never understand why his stint with the nfl was soo brief. Just dont get it, dude was smart, athletic and had decent tools to work with.
I remember thinking that Mills always waited until the last possible fraction of a second to option the ball out to MRob, it was astounding
he never should have seen the field against Iowa
Chuck Burkhart and Tom Shuman are the only PSU QBs to win two major bowl games.
Sean Clifford could join them if Penn State wins the Rose Bowl.
Sean Clifford could join them if Penn State wins the Rose Bowl.
Didn’t Blackledge win Fiesta and Sugar?
Edit: Quick Google/Wikipedia check says Yes
Loved watching DC play! I remember his as a very accurate passer, a leader on the field, and one tough dude!
Fiesta in both 1980 and 1981 seasons, Sugar and NC in 1982 season. He was 3-for-3 in major bowls. In fact, Penn State's presence in the 1977 Fiesta Bowl helped significantly in raising that Bowl to 'major' status over the next few years, as the 5th major bowl.
True, but that was one great season (2005). He was brilliant in leading that team.
I'm on the fence on this opinion.
Great college QBs are often a far different animal than a great NFL QB. MRob was a great college QB for his one season. Clark was for 2 seasons, winning B1G Offensive POY two seasons, iirc. In many ways, their strengths were similar, and they lacked in similar spots, too. Both were great college QBs, imo. If one was better than the other, I think it was marginally.
McSorley and his magic over 3 seasons is an all-time golden memory for PSU fans.
Absolutely. I was on the brink of quitting my fandom (an empty threat to be sure) when he pulled off that Northwestern win.
To this day one of my favorite PSU football picks of all time.
There it is. I was waiting for this. Back in the days when hope was a thing.
IIRC, there was a meme around with this pic of DC and this pic of Tate Forcier prancing around, saying something along the lines of "Our QB......Your QB"To this day one of my favorite PSU football picks of all time.
I am thinking the reasoning for the statement is based on the undefined point the Fiesta become a major bowl.
Is it not until the Miami game? By the USC game after ‘81, it was a NYD game between top 10 teams.
No matter what, no Individual PSU QB (or RB) had the success in bowls over a span of years as much as Blackledge (and especially Warner) did.
Not a QB pic or if I even agree with it but, just love it . . .
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