Will Penn State football fans ever fully appreciate Sean Clifford? [opinion]
Oct. 23—When Sean Clifford was introduced as Penn State's starting quarterback for the 40th time Saturday night, he didn't receive a rousing ovation from the White Out crowd at Beaver Stadium.
He didn't even hear polite applause. He heard mostly boos.
"We have a passionate fan base," Clifford said. "I understand that. They can think what they want to think, but I'm going to focus on what I can do on the field.
"I'm going to give my heart and my soul every single time I step on that field and nobody can take that away from me."
Clifford responded to the home fans' distaste for him with one of the best performances of the season in a 45-17 romp past Minnesota.
He completed 23-of-31 passes for 295 yards and four touchdowns. He got the Nittany Lions into the right plays. He made the correct blocking calls. He played with the experience of a sixth-year quarterback.
Yet many Penn State fans want to kick him to the curb and replace him with freshman Drew Allar, the shiny, new toy.
Coach James Franklin and offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich see both guys every day and they believe Clifford is the Lions' better option over Allar, that he gives them the best chance to win.
"I have no reaction to those types of things," Franklin said of the booing. "I'm proud of Sean. He's a battler. He's resilient. He's tough. He played well."
Many fans are quick to fault Clifford, however, and slow to praise him.
Take the 41-17 loss last week to Michigan, for example. Blaming that mess on Clifford on a day when the Penn State defense allowed a mind-boggling 418 rushing yards is like blaming the orchestra for the sinking of the Titanic.
This season, Clifford directed a game-winning drive in the final minutes at Purdue. He brilliantly managed the offense at Auburn. And Saturday night, he rebounded from a first-quarter interception to make some pretty passes and guide the Lions to an easy win.
Mitchell Tinsley made a spectacular one-handed catch in the second quarter, but Clifford threw it in a perfect spot. Parker Washington leaped in front of a defender in the third quarter to pull down a touchdown pass from Clifford, who was leveled as he released.
"That's one of the better throws he's made under duress," Franklin said.
In the second quarter, he avoided what looked like a certain sack before finding Nick Singleton on a 22-yard screen pass, then Tyler Warren on a 38-yard touchdown.
"The offensive line played a tremendous game," Clifford said. "You saw it throughout the whole game. I had so much time so I was able to pretty much have my way sitting back there in the pocket.
"So kudos to them. Love those guys up front."
Penn State fans loved Clifford when the Lions were unbeaten and ranked fourth in the first eight starts of his career in 2019. But when he threw three interceptions in a 31-26 loss at Minnesota that year, the honeymoon ended. He even received death threats.
He's really never been embraced since then, even though he'll likely end his career with the most passing yards and passing touchdowns in school history.
He's not a Heisman Trophy candidate or an elite quarterback. But he's completed 61.5% of his passes for 1,445 yards and 13 touchdowns against three interceptions this season. Those are far from terrible numbers.
More significantly, he's very sharp at the line of scrimmage and very experienced.
"He does all the little things that a true freshman quarterback may overlook at times," Yurcich said several days ago. "Those are important things for the overall offense to be successful, for us to be able to adapt and to change and to maybe check a play."
Clifford may never win over the Penn State fan base, and that seems to be all right with him. But when the Lions arrived at a crossroads to their season Saturday night, he delivered.
"It's the greatest atmosphere in college football," he said. "I really do appreciate the energy the fans brought tonight."
Whether they ever appreciate him remains to be seen.
