Inside the box score: Key stats from Penn State’s win over Michigan State

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Penn State’s 35-16 victory over Michigan State was anything but a decisive victory. The Nittany Lions were on the edge in the fourth quarter as the Spartans nibbled away at a Penn State lead, but a couple of big plays by the offense helped Penn State breathe a bit easier in the final minutes of the game.

But what does the box score have to say about things? Penn State did control the total offensive yards by a 410-254 mark, and the Nittany Lions were .500 on third-down attempts and perfect on two fourth-down tries. Those stats alone will help lead to a victory more often than not, so Penn State will take pride in that.

Here are some of the other key stats, both for the team and some individual efforts, from Penn State’s Land Grant Trophy victory over Michigan State.

Sean Clifford: 19 of 24, 202 yards, 4 TD

Nov 26, 2022; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Sean Clifford (14) runs with the ball during the first quarter against the Michigan State Spartans at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew OHaren-USA TODAY Sports

Say what you will about [autotag]Sean Clifford[/autotag], but the sixth-year senior delivered in the clutch when Penn State’s offense needed it. After watching Michigan State cut a 21-3 deficit to a 21-16 game in the fourth quarter, Clifford helped orchestrate a successful 75-yard touchdown drive capped by a screen pass to Nick Singleton on fourth-and-one for a touchdown.

Clifford didn’t have good protection in front of him, which is a recurring theme to his legacy perhaps, but Clifford showed up big in the biggest offensive series of the game, and you can’t take that back from him.

Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton: 160 rushing yards, 74 receiving yards, 1 TD

Nov 26, 2022; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions running back Nicholas Singleton (10) runs with the ball during the first quarter against the Michigan State Spartans at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew OHaren-USA TODAY Sports

The two freshmen have been leading the running game for a while now, and it is probably necessary to just combine their stats together instead of comparing and contrasting the two. The running game had to work hard for every yard against the Spartans, but [autotag]Kaytron Allen[/autotag] and [autotag]Nick Singleton[/autotag] proved once again they are a terrific combo for this offense.

Penn State: 14 points off turnovers

Nov 26, 2022; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions defensive tackle Coziah Izzard (99) tackles Michigan State Spartans running back Jalen Berger (8) for a loss of yards during the first quarter at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew OHaren-USA TODAY Sports

One particular area Penn State head coach [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] likes to make note of every week is the turnover battle. Fortunately for him, Penn State easily won that contest in this game.

Michigan State coughed the ball up twice on offense and once more on special teams for three total in the game. Penn State capitalized on two of those turnovers with a pair of quick touchdowns in the second half but missed on a field goal attempt early in the game.

Michigan State offense: 4-for-14 on third down, 2-for-3 on fourth down

Nov 26, 2022; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Michigan State Spartans quarterback Payton Thorne (10) is sacked by Penn State Nittany Lions defensive end Adisa Isaac (20) during the first quarter at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew OHaren-USA TODAY Sports

If you were a Penn State fan watching this game at home, it sure felt as though Michigan State quarterback Payton Thorne was coming up with some big passes caught by his targets a bit more often than the box score would indicate. The Spartans were able to stay on the field six times out of 14 third-down plays and three fourth-down plays.

Abdul Carter: 3 TFL, 2 sacks

Scott Taetsch/Getty Images

Penn State’s terrific young linebacker, [autotag]Abdul Carter[/autotag], had plenty of big moments for the Penn State defense. Carter chased down Payton Thorne twice and had three tackles for a loss. He also nearly got his hands on an easy defensive touchdown, and if not for bumping into a teammate he may have had it.

Story originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire