Tag: PSU-RU-2021

James Franklin explains why Christian Veilleux didn’t play against Iowa

James Franklin expected questions about why he didn’t play Christian Veilleux at Iowa after Veilleux’s impressive showing against Rutgers

As the old saying goes, hindsight can be 20/20. After watching Penn State freshman Christian Veilleux come off the sideline to replace an injured Sean Clifford and lead the Nittany Lions to a 28-0 victory over Rutgers on Saturday, many fans were quick to wonder why James Franklin didn’t turn to Veilleux earlier in the season in a similar situation.

Penn State’s first loss of the season came on the road against the Iowa Hawkeyes. In that game, Penn State was in the driver’s seat with Clifford on the field, but the starting quarterback was knocked out of the game in the first half and Franklin turned to Ta’Quan Roberson to lead the offense for the remainder of the game. That ended up being an absolute disaster as the offense lost all momentum and had no answers for a difficult Iowa defense in Kinnick Stadium. Simply put, it was a terrible spot for any backup quarterback to step in.

But given what fans saw against Rutgers, would Veilleux have done any worse than Roberson at Iowa? Could Veilleux have led Penn State to at least one more scoring drive that would have changed the outcome of the pivotal game?

Franklin defended the logic behind not going to Veilleux against Iowa by suggesting Veilleux has improved in practices as the season has gone along, and he was more prepared for the moment against Rutgers than he might have been against Iowa.

“They’re allowed to get better,” Franklin said of players in general during the course of the season during his postgame media session after the win over Rutgers. “You know, at that point, it was not obvious that he was going to be the backup quarterback. I also don’t know if going on the road at Iowa, number two in the country, in his first three possessions at the minus-one, the minus-two and a minus-one. Ta’Quan had been in the program longer and really, it’s pretty obvious to everybody, that he gave us the best chance at that stage to win.”

This is a topic where coaches working every practice throughout the week and season have much more information and insight on what their players can or cannot do at any given point in time. Veilleux had not played a down of football since 2019, and asking him to step in for an injured Clifford against a feisty Iowa defense in Kinnick Stadium in the sixth game of the season could have also been a disaster. Perhaps, in this case, there was no perfect solution for Penn State in that game against the Hawkeyes.

But Franklin knew to expect that line of questioning.

“After the way Veilleux played today, I get the question. I understand it totally, but he’s just gotten better,” Franklin explained. “You got to remember, he didn’t play football his senior year. His season got canceled because of COVID. So, he just keeps getting better and I was proud of him. He was very poised today, made some plays with his legs, made some big-time throws, made some checks. Obviously, it’s something to build on, but I get the question. He’s gotten better, that’s the difference and that’s the reason.”

So now the question will be this; will Veilleux get his first career start this weekend on the road against Michigan State? Or will Clifford be ready to step back on the field for the regular-season finale in East Lansing?

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James Franklin said 35 players were out for Penn State vs. Rutgers

Penn State head coach James Franklin said his team was without 35 players available vs. Rutgers

Penn State blanked Rutgers on Saturday, but it was anything but easy for the Nittany Lions. The backup quarterback story of Christian Veilleux replacing an injured Sean Clifford was the headliner, but James Franklin said after the game it went much deeper than the backup quarterback rising to the occasion.

Franklin said his team was without 35 players for one reason or another, including 21 of which were suffering from flu-like symptoms. Fortunately for Penn State, none of the players appeared to be suffering from COVID symptoms but having so many players out for practices as late as Friday was a big concern for Franklin and his staff.

“We faced as much adversity in this game as I’ve been around. We had 35 guys out for one reason or another. 21 guys because of the flu. 14 guys who had the flu and played through it,” Franklin explained in his postgame media session. “Thursday, it looked like a hospital ward in there. There was IVs everywhere.”

As late as Friday, Franklin was still a little unsure just what kind of availability his team would have to work with on Saturday afternoon. That included Veilleux not being available.

“Friday was the same way – we didn’t have a scholarship quarterback at Friday’s practice,” Franklin explained. “We weren’t sure what was going to happen. So, the way the guys stuck together, a bunch of guys that played and hadn’t played all year long in significant roles. I’m just really proud.”

Veilleux replaced Sean Clifford late in the first quarter. Clifford was among the players suffering and battling through some illness factors, on top of potentially having an arm injury as he left the game. Fortunately for Penn State, Veilleux was prepared to step into action against Rutgers and lead the offense to four touchdown drives, including his first three career touchdown passes.

Penn State will need to get rested up and in good shape for the regular-season finale. Penn State hits the road to face Michigan State, with the Spartans coming off an embarrassing loss to Ohio State in Week 12.

Kickoff for Penn State’s road game at Michigan State has been set for 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC.

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Inside the Box Score: Key stats from Penn State’s win over Rutgers

Inside the box score from Penn State’s 28-0 win over Rutgers shows defense was terrific once again, as was Christian Veilleux.

Penn State took care of business in front of their fans in Beaver Stadium on Saturday with a full team effort in all phases of the game. Penn State’s defense was automatic against Rutgers and the offense, despite playing with a backup quarterback for the majority of the game, ended up turning in a nice showing against the Scarlet Knights. And once again, Penn State had a reliable afternoon in the special teams department.

Things may have started slowly on offense, but the final box score looked pretty encouraging for the passing game while continuing to show some concerns on the ground. Fortunately for Penn State, Rutgers had no answers for the Penn State defense as the Nittany Lions celebrated a 28-0 victory to clinch a winning season.

Here’s a look at some of the key stats from the game.

5 takeaways from Penn State’s 28-0 victory over Rutgers

5 takeaways from Penn State’s 28-0 victory over Rutgers in Week 12

Penn State managed to close out its home schedule with a win on Saturday afternoon in Beaver Stadium. As I suspected it may be, it was a bit of a slow burn for Rutgers as Penn State pulled away in the second half after a sluggish start to the game. But what I didn’t see coming was a backup quarterback coming into the game to provide the much-needed spark on offense. Christian Veilleux was impressive in his first career game for Penn State and the defense was once again its dominant self as Penn State handled Rutgers, 28-0, to clinch a winning season.

Here are some of my initial takeaways from Penn State’s Week 12 win against Rutgers.

1. A look to the future with Christian Veilleux?

Matthew OHaren-USA TODAY Sports

Fans love the backup quarterback, and Christian Veilleux gave no reason not to be looking forward to the future of the Penn State offense. For all of the focus that has been placed on Class of 2022 quarterback Drew Allar, it may be premature to completely forget about Veilleux too.

On Saturday, Veilleux quickly got himself adjusted to what he was facing from the Rutgers defense and ended his first career game with three touchdown passes and 235 yards. He also rushed for 36 yards on 10 rushing attempts.

2. It’s a shame Sean Clifford didn’t get to finish the game

Matthew OHaren-USA TODAY Sports

I said after the Michigan loss last week that Sean Clifford was absolutely deserving of respect for his commitment to representing this program despite being as banged up as he has been and was against the Wolverines. I see no reason to back away from that stance this week. Clifford was knocked out of the game in the first quarter with an apparent arm injury, but he was also reportedly under the weather and not feeling great for the game. But on senior day, he wanted to get one final time to go out a winner in a Penn State uniform in Beaver Stadium.

Unfortunately, he didn’t get to do that quite in the way he would have liked. We’ll see if Clifford is available and back in the starting lineup next week when Penn State goes to Michigan State. If he is healthy, I see no reason James Franklin would not go back to Clifford. But if Clifford is not ready to play, then there should be no reason to hesitate to hand the starting job to Veilleux for the first time.

Arnold Ebiketie has been so much fun to watch this season

Matthew OHaren-USA TODAY Sports

It seems as though Arnold Ebiketie has been involved in some big moments all season long for Penn State. And on a line that lost PJ Mustipher recently, having Ebiketie making plays is always welcomed. The former Temple player who transferred to Penn State appears to be taking advantage of the opportunity to be a defensive force in Happy Valley and scouts will surely be intrigued to see how he looks in the draft prep cycle.

Penn State’s other transfer addition on the defensive line, Derrick Tangelo from Duke, also had an early impact with some big plays to set the tone.

4. I still am in awe of Jordan Stout

Matthew OHaren-USA TODAY Sports

Maybe I have been covering Penn State and Big Ten football too long, but I have really been enjoying the art of Penn State punter Jordan Stout. In a game of field position early on, Penn State and Rutgers were each well equipped in the punting department with two of the best punters in the nation showing off what they can do. Stout was pinning the Scarlet Knights offense deep in their own end throughout the first half, and he ended up getting more of a rest in the second half and the offense got going.

Having a punter like Stout is a luxury that can fly under the radar, but Penn State has one of the best punters in the country.

Let’s not revisit the Iowa game too much

Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

Going back to Christian Veilleux, it is difficult not to go back to the Iowa game and wonder what could have been if James Franklin opted to go with Veilleux instead of Taquan Roberson when Clifford was knocked out of the game by the Hawkeyes earlier this season.

That is easy to do after witnessing what Veilleux did against Rutgers, but I have a feeling not much would have been different if Franklin had a do-over. Even if Veilleux was inserted in the game in place of the injured Clifford against Iowa, Veilleux would have been put in the same awful situation Roberson was. On the road against the Iowa defense off the bench would have been as stiff a challenge as you could be put in. Veilleux had a much better situation in front of him in Week 12 against Rutgers at home and with the benefit of roughly twice as many weeks’ worth of practices under this belt.

But still, it’s hard not to wonder what could have been. Could Veilleux have led Penn State to one scoring drive that would change the outlook of the game? Maybe, but there is no guarantee.

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Report Card: Grading the Nittany Lions after a win against Rutgers

Report Card: Grading Penn State’s victory over Rutgers, where the defense and special teams earn high honors

Things didn’t exactly go as planned for Penn State on senior day against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, but the Nittany Lions still managed to get to the end of its final home game in Beaver Stadium on the winning side of things. And after the second half of the season playing out the way it has, that is not to take for granted.

Here are the grades for Penn State’s performance against Rutgers on Saturday afternoon in Beaver Stadium.

Quarterback: A-

Matthew OHaren-USA TODAY Sports

Perhaps this is more a grade specifically for Christian Veilleux, but we’ll go with it in this situation. Sean Clifford started the game but didn’t reach the end of the first quarter. things were tough for Penn State’s starter before getting knocked out of the game for the second time this season, and it took a little bit of time before Veilleux got in a groove.

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But it was difficult not to be impressed by Veilleux’s anticipated debut, especially given the circumstances. Veilleux threw three touchdown passes and made a few plays with his feet as well. And, best yet, it all helped lead to a win in a game that started off as sluggish as it could get.

NEXT: Running Back

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Instant reaction: Christian Veilleux provides spark, defense is dominant in win over Rutgers

Instant reaction: Christian Veilleux provides spark, defense pitches shutout as Penn State tops Rutgers

For the second time this season, Penn State was forced to go with a backup quarterback leading the offense before halftime. Fortunately for Penn State, they had to do so at home against Rutgers rather than on the road against Iowa. Christian Veilleux replaced an injured Sean Clifford in the first quarter as Penn State won a low-scoring contest in Beaver Stadium against the Scarlet Knights by a final score of 28-0.

Penn State honored 32 seniors prior to the game, including players like Clifford and Jahan Dotson, but Penn State was unable to watch the Clifford-Dotson connection get going one more time in Beaver Stadium. Instead, Veilleux completed his first career touchdown to Dotson late in the first half to put the first points on the scoreboard just before halftime.

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The good news for Penn State is the defense was dominant from start to finish, and punter Jordan Stout helped pin Rutgers deep in their end of the field all afternoon.

But it was once again tough sledding for the Nittany Lions offense for much of the afternoon, but Penn State began to get the big plays and Rutgers had no answers for the Nittany Lion defense in the second half. As a result, Penn State pulled away for what looked like a much easier win than it may have actually been.

Penn State will play one final game this regular season next weekend at Michigan State. The Spartans were in Columbus getting dismantled by Ohio State in what was a hyped Big Ten East showdown. What the mental state of Michigan State will be next week will be something to pay attention to, and it remains to be seen if Clifford will return to play quarterback for Penn State or if Veilleux will get his first start on the road in East Lansing next week.

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WATCH: Malick Meiga’s first career TD is a big one for Penn State

WATCH: Rutgers completely lost track of Malick Meiga and they paid for it on a long touchdown by PSU

Penn State slowly and methodically found a way to take control at home against Rutgers on Saturday afternoon despite having to ride with backup quarterback Christian Veilleux since late in the first quarter. But the Nittany Lions finally found a big explosive play through the air, and it came courtesy of a player you may not have been expecting.

Jahan Dotson and Parker Washignton each scored touchdowns for the Nittany Lions, but the longest touchdown of the game came from freshman Malick Meiga late in the third quarter. Meiga found a space in the field that was completely uncovered by Rutgers, and Meiga had absolutely nobody in his way of the endzone on a 67-yard touchdown play.

I mean, there was nobody in the same zip code.

Meiga just made a simple cross from the left side over to the right, and the Rutgers defenders seemed more focused on Parker running to the left side of the field or defending against a possible screen. Either way, Meiga still had to make the catch and go the distance, and he did just that.

The first touchdown for Meiga is also the third career touchdown pass for Veilleux, who replaced an injured Sean Clifford late in the first quarter.

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WATCH: Parker Washington comes up with clutch catch for Penn State

WATCH: Parker Washignton comes up with a big touchdown as Penn State takes 14-0 lead on Rutgers

Penn State quarterback Christian Veilleux threw his first career touchdown pass late in the first half to give Penn State a lead just before halftime. Then, late in the third quarter, he tossed his second.

Veilleux completed a touchdown pass to Parker Washinton, who made a nice adjustment in the end zone to come up with a big catch as Penn State capitalized on a rare red zone trip in a defensive game.

The catch was the fourth of the day for Washignton, who has been a nice compliment to Jahan Dotson all season long. Dotson caught the first touchdown of the game from Veilleux shortly before halftime.

After the Penn State defense made quick work of another Rutgers offensive series, Veilleux completed a pass to a wide-open Malick Meiga for a 67-yard touchdown, putting Penn State up 21-0.

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Christian Veilleux replaces injured Sean Clifford at QB vs. Rutgers

BREAKING: Sean Clifford leaves game vs. Rutgers with apparent arm injury, Christian Veilleux in at QB

Penn State’s offense got off to a sluggish start in the first quarter against Rutgers, and the health of quarterback Sean Clifford has been thrown back in the spotlight. Clifford was spotted leaving the field and heading to the Penn State locker room late in the first quarter after getting banged up by the Rutgers defense.

Clifford headed to the Penn State locker room with 3:06 remaining in the first quarter. At the time he left the field, Clifford had completed two of eight pass attempts for a total of 23 yards. Clifford was also credited with four rushing yards on two attempts, but he was tripped up on his last attempt before getting attended to on the sideline.

Clifford appeared to be clutching his arm as he walked off the field. Freshman Christian Veilleux took the field to lead the Penn State offense in Clifford’s absence.

We’ll monitor the situation as the game continues and update this post as necessary.

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