Penn State has 'serious concerns' despite win; Lions' finish was fabulous: What they're saying about the 35-31 victory

Indianapolis, Ind. — A win is a win is a win. That’s one way to view the triumph Penn State scored over Purdue on Thursday night at Ross-Ade Stadium.

Another lens, however, might view it as a familiar old saying: Winning hides your warts and losing makes them seem worse than they are.

Either way, the Lions are 1-0 for the second year in a row after coming back to beat the Boilermakers 35-31, and the Lions are being discussed locally and nationally.

“There’s a bunch of stuff we got to get corrected [Friday],” Lions head coach James Franklin said.

“We will have meetings and practice tomorrow. But obviously, it’s much better to learn these lessons and grow with them a win, a tough win, on the road 12 out of the last 13 years [to open Big Ten play].”

Lions win, but still have serious concerns

That’s the opinion of CBS Sports college football analyst Tom Fornelli, who writes:

“Wins are wins, and Penn State won’t give them back, but I wouldn’t get too excited. First of all, Penn State’s offensive line did not play well for what feels like the 50th consecutive year. The Nittany Lions spread the ball around in the running game but averaged only 3.4 yards per carry (not including sacks), and nobody on the team averaged more than 3.9 yards per carry.

“On the defensive side of the ball, the game ended on a sack, and Penn State picked up two on the evening, but they struggled to generate pressure all night. When they did, it resulted from new defensive coordinator Manny Diaz bringing a blitz.

“Arnold Ebikitie had 9.5 sacks to lead this defense last season, but there were questions about who would step up to fill his shoes this season. One game in, that question hasn’t been answered. The good news is Penn State still has an excellent secondary, but secondaries can only do so much if the front four aren’t generating pressure on their own.”

Penn State finish was ‘fabulous’ despite in-game ups and downs

That’s how PennLive beat writer Bob Flounders views it after Penn State overcame a 31-28 deficit with less than two minutes to play en route to victory.

“Penn State’s running game remains a work in progress,” Flounders writes. “But the Lions’ offense cut up Purdue quickly with the game on the line. And Clifford was quick to remind everyone that the pass protection on his touchdown throw to Lee was flawless.”

Lions winning drive was ‘one to build off of’

As is usually the case, the moments after a win or loss lead to a quickly-asked question: What does it tell us about what will happen next? Sam Cooper at Yahoo Sports tackled that topic early Friday morning.

“Clifford can be frustrating for the PSU fanbase, and a play like that brutal interception is a clear example of why many fans have clamored for Allar or one of the other young QBs on the roster,” Cooper writes. “At the same time, a clutch two-minute drill drive shows why Franklin and the staff were happy to have Clifford back for another year.

“That’s a drive to build off going forward with another tough road game — a trip to Auburn — on the horizon before conference play resumes.”

Did this Penn State win make things complicated?

That’s what Statecollege.com writer Ben Jones asks, and you all know what he means: Penn State and its fans got a taste of what Drew Allar can do. And, that’s only going to intensify the calls to play the former five-star and first-year passer anytime Sean Clifford makes any kind of mistake.

“Allar was in many ways simply competent in his brief stint,” Jones writes. “He completed two passes, saw two more fail to connect (one well thrown but dropped), stood tall in the pocket and moved with a smoothness that was hard to ignore. It was a brief glimpse into the future and that future looked bright. Whatever Clifford’s shortcomings might be, there has yet to be a logical second option. While it might have been brief, and while there is a certain degree of “seeing what you want to see” when it comes to a four-pass drive, Allar looked like a second option.

“And yet with the game hanging in the balance, Penn State’s flawed and polarizing quarterback waltzed out onto the field and crafted a masterful game-winning drive. For all of the clamoring to have Allar swoop in and be the hero of the day, Clifford stood poised like the veteran quarterback he is and saved the best for last, winning the game in the process. Allar may have done the same, but in a world that has everything to do with winning right now he was an uncertainty.

“The challenge now for Franklin will be grappling with a three-pronged reality that has turned Penn State’s quarterback situation into a quasi-referendum on his tenure and his newly minted 10-year contract.”

The most telling moment also focuses on Clifford

That’s the opinion of BWI editor Matt Herb, who focused on the sixth-year quarterback to round out this week’s highs & lows piece.

“This game was a microcosm of the Sean Clifford quarterbacking era at Penn State — a grab bag of spectacular, self-assured moments mixed in with a potentially disastrous misfire,” Herb writes.

“It’s been a combustible mixture, but it’s tough to complain after a road victory over a quality opponent that has been touted by some as a dark horse contender for the Big Ten West Division title this year.”