Will we see Christian Veilleux?
There is a third option on the table, should franklin decide he needs to use it. That would be Christian Veilleux. The true freshman from the Class of 2021 has been on the travel roster but has yet to appear in a game for Penn State. Given the fact that Veilleux did not play football during the 2020 season (his school did not play due to the COVID pandemic), it makes plenty of sense to refrain from using him as much as possible.
But if Clifford is out for an extended period of time and Roberson has struggles as he did against Iowa, then the emergency glass may be broken and Veilleux may have to be inserted just to see what could happen. The concern is the spot you would have to throw him in. With some of the games remaining, Penn State could risk throwing another young and inexperienced quarterback into a similar situation Roberson was used against Iowa. On the road against Ohio State? That doesn’t sound like a great situation.
So don’t count on Penn State getting this desperate too quickly, but don’t rule out the possibility either.
Overall mid-season thoughts
Penn State’s passing game isn’t necessarily the best in the Big Ten, or the country, but it is good enough to make Penn State a serious contender in the Big Ten…. if Sean Clifford is healthy. Clifford has shown plenty of signs of improvement this season even with a pair of interceptions against Iowa in his most recent outing.
Maybe Penn State can end up doing some things if Roberson is needed for more of a role, but the way Clifford has played this season makes Penn State that much more of a threat to Ohio State (and Michigan and Michigan State) in the Big Ten East race. And if he is healthy for a potential rematch against Iowa in the Big Ten Championship, you should like Penn State’s chances.
Overall grade: B+
Roberson’s poor appearance as a backup brings this down just a hair. Otherwise, Penn State’s quarterback evaluation would earn high marks midway through the season.
Needs improvement: Whoever is the quarterback moving forward will have to do a better job of cutting down on turnovers. Clifford had been intercepted three times in his last two games, and Roberson was picked off twice by Iowa.
Coaching assessment: B+
Mike Yurcich gets a B+ here as well, if only because not having Roberson in a better spot to succeed in his backup role against Iowa brings the grade down a bit. Clifford was having his finest season under Yurcich, and hopefully, Penn State gets to see that continue.
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