Balancing now and next, Penn State continues quarterback dance

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Fresh off of a 45-14 Penn State win over Indiana on Saturday evening, it was happening again. Head coach James Franklin, surrounded by reporters in a conference room tucked under the Memorial Stadium bleachers, was taking questions.

And, just as they had been for the past week, the majority of the questions were again focused on the Nittany Lions’ quarterback position.

Sixth-year senior Sean Clifford completed 15-of-23 passes for 229 yards, throwing one interception and no touchdowns. True freshman Drew Allar, entering the game midway through the third quarter with Penn State owning a 31-7 lead, completed 9-of-12 passes for 75 yards, including two touchdowns.

Reading through the stat line for each player, Franklin offered that Clifford’s interception needed to be corrected. Seemingly alluding to some of Ohio State’s more incredible plays made a week earlier, the miscue against the Hoosiers wasn’t in the same category, he said. Allar, meanwhile, didn’t offer an apples-to-apples comparison opportunity as the game was out of hand. And, by the fourth quarter, it also featured Indiana’s second team. 

A moment to provide his perspective, noting that both quarterbacks are “doing really good things,” Franklin again highlighted the area of Clifford’s game he’s touted as differentiating.

“Overall, he does what he always does, which is a great job of managing protections, all the checks that we’re using in the run game, fine motions, things like that that we do to account for guys,” Franklin said. “But I also understand that you guys don’t get to see it as much at all. 

“Everybody’s got strong opinions on what we should do. And, it’s not their fault, but with probably less than one percent of the information, where we get to watch these guys in practice every single day and in the games.” 

Against a Hoosier defense that has struggled this season, allowing at least 20 points in every outing with Penn State matching Cincinnati’s high-water mark of 45, the results were mostly good for both.

Along with Clifford’s interception, he also at times missed what might have appeared to be easy connections. In another, Mitchell Tinsley bailed out a badly thrown ball with a spectacular 27-yard catch. The moments surrounded a performance that otherwise featured the predictable hot-and-cold streakiness that has accompanied most of Clifford’s career. 

Allar, meanwhile, delivered one of the night’s most gorgeous bullet throws, connecting with Tre Wallace for a 1-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter. In a game that was also well out of reach, Allar rather purposefully completed short- and medium-range passes, none of his tries exceeding a 17-yarder to tight end Khalil Dinkins.

Taking in Allar’s performance from the sideline, Clifford noted the development that has marked the former five-star prospect’s first 10 months in the program.

“I thought that Drew made a lot of good plays today,” Clifford said. “He just keeps continuing to grow. I think that the whole quarterback room, day by day, we just keep pushing each other. I (think) Drew and his attitude toward everything is fantastic.”

In a survey of Penn State teammates, though, that time for development continues to serve as a differentiator. Asked to explain or offer insight into the areas in which Franklin has been alluding, the sentiment from Clifford’s offensive teammates is consistent and nearly uniform.

A no-secret-about-it advantage, the strengths of experience working on Clifford’s behalf are straightforward. 

“I mean, Sean’s played in the Big Ten for six years now; that’s the obvious thing. So he’s seen everything, really,” tight end Brenton Strange said. “Every blitz that a team could give you, every front that a team can give you, he’s very experienced. And, I think that’s what makes him such a great leader for our team. He’s been in almost every situation that is possible, so having an experienced quarterback is big-time for a team, and especially his leadership skills, it’s very big for our team.”

Similarly, having come from a Western Kentucky program in which he was paired with now-NFL signal-caller Bailey Zappe, Tinsley recognized the qualities that experience can bring. And, with Allar gaining in those opportunities, now appearing in his seventh out of nine games at Penn State, that development is something expected to continue to pay dividends moving forward. 

“It’s just experience. I mean, at the end of the day, there are fronts and there are coverages that an experienced quarterback has seen before or will be able to check to,” Tinsley said. “As a freshman, there’s a lot of stuff they’re throwing at you at one time. 

“I think, Drew, when he’s in there, he’s definitely ready and prepared for sure, but as time goes on, he’ll be better and better every week.”

For a Penn State program working to balance its immediate goals of finishing the 2022 season strong, while committing to better preparing its long-term future, it will continue to play out in real-time in the coming days and weeks.