Tag: Liam Clifford

Penn State wins first football game against UCLA since 1968

Penn State’s defense helped ensure UCLA would not be heading home with a souvenir victory on Saturday afternoon.

Penn State won its first game against UCLA since 1968 thanks to a 27-11 victory on Saturday afternoon in front of a striped-out Beaver Stadium crowd. In the first meeting between the Nittany Lions and Bruins as Big Ten opponents, Penn State got off to a slow start on offense before putting the Bruins to sleep behind a strong defensive effort.

UCLA started Justyn Martin at quarterback with Ethan Garbers listed as questionable prior to the game, and Martin seemed to give Penn State’s defense a few problems early on. But the Nittany Lions defense, led by leading tacklers linebacker [autotag]Tony Rojas[/autotag] and safety [autotag]Zakee Wheatley[/autotag], held the Bruins out of the end zone until the final 20 seconds of the game. UCLA had gone nearly 150 minutes of game time without scoring an offensive touchdown.

[autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] completed 17 of 24 passes for 237 yards and a touchdown, including a 57-yard pass over the middle to [autotag]Liam Clifford[/autotag], who led all players with 107 yards. [autotag]Julian Fleming[/autotag] came within a yard of his first touchdown with Penn State, and [autotag]Tyler Warren[/autotag] added three catches for 29 yards with a touchdown.

Star running back [autotag]Nicholas Singleton[/autotag] did not appear in the game after being listed as questionable on Penn State’s pregame player availability report. So [autotag]Kaytron Allen[/autotag] took the lead on the ground with 21 carries for 78 yards and a touchdown.

Despite only managing three points, UCLA’s offense did give Penn State defensive coordinator Tom Allen a few things to work on heading into Penn State’s remaining schedule, starting with a top-25 matchup on the road next week.

Penn State will be on the road for its first Big Ten road game of the season next week when they visit another Big Ten newcomer, USC. Penn State will play its first game at USC since 1991.

UCLA will look to rebound and snap a three-game losing skid in Big Ten play with a home game against Minnesota next week.

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James Franklin praises wide receiver group for offseason improvement

James Franklin provided some optimism about the Penn State wide receivers ahead of the season opener.

After the 2023 season, Penn State made it a priority to work in the offseason to find ways to get more out of its wide receivers in 2024. Despite losing some players to the transfer portal, including the team’s leading receiver, Penn State hired a new offensive coordinator and added a key transfer as part of a plan to revamp the offense’s production this fall. And with the first game of the season now just days away, head coach [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] seems to be gaining confidence in his wide receiver group.

“I would say wide receiver. I would say quarterback. I would say offensive line, specifically obviously with the offensive lineman that we lost to the NFL last year. I would say those three positions,” Franklin said during his weekly press conference this week, also noting the improvement of the offensive line and quarterback groups. “I think everybody had pretty good idea who we were at tight end, who we were at running back, so I would say those three positions, and really the three positions we needed to, right?”

Penn State hired Andy Kotelnicki from Kansas to inject some new life into the offense, and the addition of veteran [autotag]Julian Fleming[/autotag] from Ohio State was believed to help solidify the group. And with Drew Allar gearing up for his second season as the starting quarterback, things look like they may be in good shape this fall, beginning this weekend on the road at West Virginia.

One player who has stood out to Franklin among the receivers is [autotag]Liam Clifford[/autotag], the younger brother of former Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford.

“He’s more confident, more comfortable,” Franklin said of Clifford, a player who could step up and become a bigger contributor this season. “He’s much more consistent, which is what it’s all about for all these guys at this level. But it would not surprise me at all, and we are anticipating him having a really good year for us.”

So how many receivers is Penn State looking to field this season?

“I think at wide receiver when you talk about being an 11 personnel set, you know, you’re talking about two deep at two of the positions and then a swing guy in some ways,” Franklin said. “I think we are close to that.”

The big story for the receivers will be figuring out just who is going to step up and demand the football more this fall. Fleming is the veteran option, but Franklin noted a couple of other names we should be watching for.

“I think if you look at kind of across the board, a guy like [autotag]Mehki Flowers[/autotag] has really stepped up for us. Tyler Johnson has really stepped up for us. I think [autotag]Anthony Ivey[/autotag] have really stepped up for us.

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Best photos from Penn State’s Week 3 win at Illinois

Best photos from Penn State’s Week 3 win at Illinois.

It sure looked like a beautiful mid-September afternoon for some college football in Week 3, and the Penn State defense looked absolutely stunning. Penn State improved to 3-0 in the 2023 college football season with a 30-13 victory at Illinois, the Big Ten opener for both schools. Penn State’s defense forced five turnovers in the win, and each one of them was as pretty as could be for those watching with blue and white glasses on.

Here are some of the best photos from Penn State’s third game of the season, its first road test of the season.

Penn State defense forces 5 turnovers in 30-13 win at Illinois

Penn State 30, Illinois 13: Penn State defense carries Nittany Lions to Big Ten-opening win at Illinois

Taking the road for the first time this season proved to be a bit of a challenge for the Penn State offense. Fortunately, the offense didn’t make the trip to Illinois alone this weekend. The Penn State defense was dominant in a 30-13 victory over the Illini with five forced turnovers in the game. Although Penn State struggled to gain control on offense, the Nittany Lions scored 20 points off the five Illini turnovers.

[autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] had a rough outing in his first road start for Penn State, but he had some big moments to help lead the team to a win. The biggest moment of the game came late in the first half for Allar as he ran for a first down, hurried to the line, and delivered a dime down the field to [autotag]Liam Clifford[/autotag] for a big gain to set up a late field goal just before halftime. That gave Penn State a 16-7 lead but the offense could not carry over any momentum at the start of the second half.

Penn State’s quarterback ended his afternoon completing 16 of 33 pass attempts for 208 yards without a touchdown, but he also did not turn the football over despite being under consistent pressure by an aggressive and well-schemed Illinois defense.

Allar also did not get some help from his wide receivers. Allar made some good throws that simply were dropped by his intended targets, including a pair to receiver Malik McClain. But Allar did miss a few open looks and couldn’t quite connect with a couple of his passes. Overall though, Allar seemed to handle the pressure of his first start out of Beaver Stadium well enough to pick up the win, and there is clearly room to improve.

But this game was all about the defense. Penn State allowed just seven points for the second straight game and has yet to allow an opponent to score more than 15 points. On a day when Penn State’s offense needed an assist, it was the defense that set the tone and shut down nearly every threat by the Illini. It started right from the start with three interceptions of Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer. Penn State managed just 13 points off of those early turnovers, but the defense made plays when it was needed the most.

[autotag]Johnny Dixon[/autotag] came up with a massive interception in the second half immediately after a big passing play by the Illini with the game still very much in question. Or so it seemed. [autotag]Abdul Carter[/autotag], [autotag]Daequan Hardy[/autotag], and [autotag]Cam Miller[/autotag] also got their hands on an Illinois pass attempt. Linebacker [autotag]Kobe King[/autotag] also recovered a fumble forced by [autotag]Dominic DeLuca[/autotag].

Head coach [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] will be able to look at many self-inflicted wounds by his team in the coming week as well. Poor penalties on took Penn State’s offense out of favorable positions, including a poor unsportsmanlike penalty on receiver [autotag]KeAndre Lambert-Smith[/autotag] in the first half that turned a 3rd-and-2 into a 3rd-and-17. Allar smacked his hand on a defender’s helmet on the following play and [autotag]Alex Felkins[/autotag] had a 52-yard field goal blocked. Illinois followed up with its first touchdown of the game on the ensuing possession to cut the Penn State lead to 13-7. Penn State was flagged for six penalties in the game, costing Penn State 65 yards.

Penn State will be home next weekend for a primetime matchup with Iowa. It will be the official whiteout game for the Nittany Lions.

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Social media reacts to Drew Allar’s big plays toward end of first half

It was a tough first half for Penn State but Drew Allar had social media buzzing over his late-half heroics

Few things seemed to go well for the Penn State offense in the first half of their Week 3 contest at Illinois. Penn State had to fight for every one of the 16 points it scored in the first half and the offense knows they left some points on the scoreboard, failing to fully capitalize on three forced turnovers by the Penn State defense.

But quarterback [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] may have provided a bit of a much-needed spark with a pair of big plays late in the first half. After running for a first down in the middle of the field, Allar dropped back in a hurry-up approach and dropped a dime to wide receiver [autotag]Liam Clifford[/autotag] down the right sideline for a big gain, putting Penn State in position to tack on to its slim lead just before halftime.

Penn State kicker Alex Felkins hit the third of his three first-half field goals to extend Penn State’s lead to 16-7 as the first half came to a close, and it was thanks to the big pass from Allar to Clifford.

Best social media reactions to Penn State’s win over West Virginia

Penn State and Drew Allar were trending on social media during a win over West Virginia

A college football Saturday feels a little incomplete without your favorite social media apps by your side.

For many of us, that may still be X, the app formerly known as Twitter. For others, perhaps you have been among the few select individuals to get an invite to Bluesky. Or maybe you have gone diving into Threads in hopes of finding others you can chat college football with every time Penn State is on the field. That’s where you will be most likely to find me.

Whatever app you are using this season, the reactions and commentary remain just as much a part of the experience of watching a game from home as it has ever been. And there was a lot to react to as Penn State opened the 2023 season with a home win over West Virginia. Penn State’s 38-15 victory over West Virginia offered plenty of praise for quarterback [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] and the continued emergence of [autotag]KeAndre Lambert-Smith[/autotag] as a potential go-to receiver.

A late touchdown by Penn State might have been a bit controversial for some, but very important for many. If you know, you know!

Until we are able to embed posts from Threads in a social media recap, here are some of the best social media reactions found on X.

2023 Penn State football snapshot profile: No. 2 Liam Clifford

Penn State wide receiver Liam Clifford could be a key backup for the Nittany Lions in 2023.

Going into the 2023 football season, Nittany Lions Wire will be looking at each scholarship player listed on the Penn State roster. Over the preseason, each profile will cover where the player is from, how recruiting websites rated them coming out of high school, and what role they will play for James Franklin this season.

Continuing in this effort is a potential candidate for a leading backup role in the wide receiver room, Liam Clifford. Yes, while he is the younger brother of former starting quarterback Sean Clifford, this Clifford is looking to leave his own mark on the Penn State program before his time on campus runs out.

The wide receiver position is a big question mark for Penn State in 2023, especially in terms of experience and depth, but young players like Clifford could make some big steps forward to help the team’s offense this fall. Here is a snapshot look at one of Penn State’s wide receiver options on the depth chart this fall.

Penn State spring football preview: Wide receivers and tight ends

Who will be the wide receivers and tight ends to watch in Penn State spring football practices this year?

As Penn State gets ready to embark on the 2023 season, the offense will be expected to be the big storyline this fall. With a new starting quarterback taking the spotlight, it should not go without mentioning that the wide receiver position will be instrumental to Penn State’s success this season. And with its top two wide receivers and leading tight end from last season departing the program for the NFL, there is more to figure out on offense than whether or not its new quarterback is ready to take flight.

Penn State loses Parker Washington and Mitchell Tinsley at wide receiver and Brenton Strange at tight end. Together, that accounts for 1,550 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns to replace in the passing offense from a year ago. Fortunately, Penn State has some players ready to step up and make up for the lost production, including some young players that will continue to develop this spring.

Here is a look at what Penn State has to offer at wide receiver and tight end this spring when spring football practices open on March 14.

Keandre Lambert-Smith

Michael Hickey/Getty Images

Measurables: 6’1″, 184 lb

Year: Junior

Expected role: Starting wide receiver

KeAndre Lambert-Smith is Penn State’s top returning wide receiver from a season ago. Following the departures of Parker Washington and Mitchell Tinsley, Lambert-Smith has the most Penn State experience at the position, and he should remain a fixture in the offense for new starting quarterback Drew Allar to rely on stretching the field.

[autotag]KeAndre Lambert-Smith[/autotag]

Harrison Wallace III

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Measurables: 6’1″, 196 lb

Year: Redshirt sophomore

Expected role: Possible starting wide receiver, solid contributor

Competing for a possible starting job could be Harrison Wallace III, who had 19 catches for 273 yards and a touchdown last season as a reserve option. Wallace finished sixth on the team in receiving yards in 2022 and is the third-leading receiver coming back from last year’s roster, although a pair of transfer additions to the roster means Wallace will look to make a statement this spring for consideration for an increased role in the fall.

NEXT: Key transfer additions

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5

Top 5 position battles heading into Penn State’s spring practices

These position battles will be heating up when Penn State opens spring football practices.

Penn State football is in a very good position overall with the way that James Franklin has this team constructed. Of course, there are a few positions that need to be sorted out still.

The position battles going on this spring will be what solidify the starting lineup. The team is very deep and whoever loses these battles shouldn’t be seen as someone not of the quality you expect from Penn State. Rather, it will speak volumes as to what the starters should be seen as which is top-level quality players.

Here are the top five position battles to monitor this spring.

Penn State football snapshot profile: No. 82 Liam Clifford

A snapshot profile of Penn State wide receiver Liam Clifford, younger brother of QB Sean Clifford.

Going into the 2022 football season, Nittany Lions Wire will be looking at each scholarship player listed on the Penn State roster.

Over the preseason, each profile will cover where the player is from, how recruiting websites rated them coming out of high school, and what role they will play for [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] this season.

You might recognize the last name of this next player. Liam Clifford, brother of Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford.

Liam will have even more competition than he did last year, with the addition of Western Kentucky transfer Mitchell Tinsley.