Tag: Sean Clifford

How did Drew Allar’s first season as a starting QB compare to his predecessors?

Let’s compare Drew Allar’s firts year as a starting quarterback to his predecessors at Penn State, Sean Clifford and Trace McSorley.

Penn State head coach James Franklin has had the luxury of having pretty stable starting quarterback stability during his time as a head coach. Since Franklin came to Penn State, Franklin has had just four starting quarterbacks over the past decade, which is pretty rare in this day and age of college football. Three of those quarterbacks were named a first-time starting quarterback under Franklin’s watch; [autotag]Trace McSorley[/autotag], [autotag]Sean Clifford[/autotag], and [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag]. Christian Hackenberg was an incumbent starter when Franklin was hired.

Allar had his ups and downs throughout his first season as a starting quarterback for the Nittany Lions, and he most certainly took on the job with the highest ceiling compared to his predecessors in the role. But Allar also may have had the toughest first year as a starter compared to McSorley and Clifford.

Numbers often only tell a fraction of the overall story when it comes to quarterbacks, but how did Allar’s first year as a starter compare to Clifford and McSorley? Let’s take a quick look.

Comp. Att. Yards TD INT Rating
Trace Mcsorley (2016) 224 387 3,614 29 8 156.9
Sean Clifford (2019) 189 319 2,654 23 7 148.5
Drew Allar (2023) 233 389 2,631 25 2 136.9

Notice any trends here? Things seem to be trending downward. The first-year starting quarterback for Penn State has seen a decline in passing yards and passer rating during Franklin’s time as head coach, although the difference between Allar’s numbers and Clifford’s are not too far off from each other. But Allar completed more than 40 passes more than Clifford did and still had 23 fewer passing yards. Allar also attempted 70 more attempts than Clifford did in 2019.

McCorley seems like the reception to the rule for quarterbacks under Franklin at this point, but it is also fair to point out the kind of offensive weapons McSorley had around him on that 2016 team. For starters, having Saquon Barkley in the same backfield is pretty darn nice. But, more importantly, McSorley had the best crop of wide receivers any of these three quarterbacks have had. And that is reflected in the numbers.

McSorley also had the best offensive coordinator of these three quarterbacks with Joe Moorhead. That is a major factor as well.

The hope is that new offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki will come in and find ways to rejuvenate the entire offense in 2024 with Allar at quarterback. Allar’s season had far too many frustrating moments, most notably in the three losses to Ohio State, Michigan, and Ole Miss in the Peach Bowl. And it is fair to suggest Allar did not come close to matching the hype placed on him. That is one reason why the pressure in 2024 will be mounting. But spring will offer a chance to wipe the slate clean and get to work for the entire offense, including Allar.

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Top 10 Penn State bowl game passing performances

Top-10 Penn State bowl game passing performances

When looking at historic performances in Penn State bowl games, the quarterback performances are not as eye-popping compared to other yardage records but still offer some memorable moments.

Penn State’s bowl success seems more often than not centered around its defense and rushing attack rather than a dynamic passing game. Just take a look at the Nittany Lions’ top bowl game rushing performances and you can see how Penn State typically relies on a strong running game. Only twice as a Penn State quarterback completed more than 30 passes speaking to the typically run-dominant offense.

A general rule of thumb is that a 300+ yard day as a quarterback is a pretty good day at the office. Penn State has only had two players ever accomplish that feat in a bowl game. There are a few bowl game outings, including the two 300-yard games, from former Nittany Lion signal callers that most Penn State fans will undoubtedly remember.

With [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] being touted as one of the most talented quarterbacks in recent Penn State history, perhaps a new top-10 performance is on deck in this year’s Peach Bowl.

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.

Packers QB Sean Clifford fine after exiting game with arm injury

The Packers and rookie QB Sean Clifford have no concerns over a right arm injury suffered during the preseason finale.

Green Bay Packers rookie quarterback Sean Clifford is fine after exiting Saturday’s preseason finale against the Seattle Seahawks with a right arm injury.

Coach Matt LaFleur said Clifford, the primary backup behind Jordan Love entering the season, would have stayed in the game had the Packers not wanted to get third-stringer Alex McGough in to open the fourth quarter.

“He’s fine,” LaFleur said. “What happened, we ran the quarterback sneak, I think he got hit on the elbow, just hit his funny bone. If it wouldn’t have been the fourth quarter, he would have stayed in the game. We wanted to give Alex some time, he’s earned it.”

Clifford completed 8-of-12 passes for 46 yards and rushed four times for nine yards before exiting the game to start the fourth quarter. McGough played the final quarter and eventually led the Packers on a game-winning drive.

In the locker room following the Packers’ 19-15 win, Clifford said tests on his arm showed no injury and he’s good to go moving forward.

From Matt Schneidman of The Athletic:

Clifford said his elbow and forearm started swelling a little after the hit. Ice was applied and imaging post-game revealed no damage.

The fifth-round pick out of Penn State will be the No. 2 quarterback in Green Bay to start the season. It’s unclear if the Packers will bring back McGough on the practice squad as the No. 3 quarterback or if an outside addition will be found.

 

Matt LaFleur confirms rookie Sean Clifford will be Packers’ backup QB

Matt LaFleur stated the obvious: Rookie Sean Clifford will be the Packers’ backup quarterback behind Jordan Love.

Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur stated the obvious on Thursday: Rookie Sean Clifford, a fifth-round pick out of Penn State, will be the team’s backup quarterback behind Jordan Love in 2023.

“I think it’s safe to say Sean is our No. 2 quarterback,” LaFleur said. “A lot of it is just his mental makeup. You saw it in the Cincinnati game in terms of his ability to rebound. The game’s not too big for him.”

LaFleur said Clifford has been “calm, cool and collected” in tough situations, especially recent two-minute drills in games and practice. Last week, the rookie quarterback led a drive for a field goal before the half against the New England Patriots.

Overall, Clifford has completed 33 of 45 passes for 345 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions during two preseason games.

The only question now is the Packers’ No. 3 quarterback, which will likely be stashed on the practice squad to start 2023. Alex McGough is the only other quarterback on the roster, but he was a late addition this offseason after winnng MVP of the USFL and has played a limited number of snaps in preseason games. Clifford has handled almost all the snaps behind Love during the exhibition schedule.

LaFleur said it was “extremely difficult” situation for McGough, who signed in late July and jumped right into installs of the offense without the benefit of the offseason workout program.

“He’s worked extremely hard and done a really nice job of picking it up. He hasn’t gotten as many reps as we’d like to give him,” LaFleur said.

LaFleur said the Packers needed to give Clifford the reps as a rookie learning the NFL game.

Best photos of Penn Staters in the NFL preseason

Check out some of the best photos from the NFL preseason of these former Penn State players.

While the college football season is about to get started, the NFL preseason is nearly in the books for 2023. And it has been a busy one for former Penn State Nittany Lions with a mix of veterans in new locations and rookies getting started has been the theme of the preseason, it seems.

Most teams have played at least two games in the preseason at this point, and Penn State fans have not had to look too far to find some of their former fan favorites around the league.

Here is a look at some of the best photos from the NFL preseason so far of some of the former Penn State players around the league.

How did Sean Clifford play in the Packers’ second preseason game?

Sean Clifford was looking for a fourth-quarter comeback in his second Packers preseason game before the game was suspended.

Former Penn State quarterbacks [autotag]Sean Clifford[/autotag] and [autotag]Trace McSorley[/autotag] had some time to catch up a bit this week as their two NFL teams, the Green Bay Packers and New England Patriots (respectively), joined up for joint practices leading up to their preseason matchup Saturday night. McSorley did not record any stats in the preseason matchup, but Clifford continued to be the top backup to the Packers’ starter Jordan Love.

Clifford completed 13 of 19 pass attempts for 137 yards but had no touchdowns to show for it. But he also did not turn the football over, and his chance to lead the Packers to a victory was cut short due to a severe injury to Patriots cornerback Isaiah Bolden. Bolden was injured after colliding with a teammate and was taken to a hospital from the field for medical attention. The two teams agreed to end the game at that time.

At the time of the suspension of the game, Clifford had just completed a 3rd-and-7 pass for a gain of 7 yards to the New England 18-yard line with the Packers down 21-17. Who knows how the drive may have ended if the severe injury had not occurred.

Clifford is not anywhere near threatening for the starting job as the Packers fully believe in Jordan Love as their franchise quarterback, but Clifford has done nothing to suggest he is not worthy of being the team’s top backup option as we inch closer to the start of the regular season.

Clifford and the Packers have one final preseason game to play before the start of the season, and Clifford should be expected to get another good amount of playing time. The Packers close out the preseason this Saturday afternoon with a home game against the Seattle Seahawks.

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Where every Penn State opponent ranks on the AP Top 25 preseason poll

See where all of Penn State’s opponents for the 2023 season rank in the AP Top 25 Poll

It seems like Penn State sits as a consensus top-10 team in the country coming into the 2023 season.

The AP Top 25 poll was released with the Nittany Lions coming in at number seven. That comes on the heels of Penn State also being ranked seventh in the preseason USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll.

There has been a lot of hype surrounding the team throughout the spring and summer coming off of their Rose Bowl victory. [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] is expected to be the new starting quarterback after [autotag]Sean Clifford[/autotag]’s graduation to usher in a new era.

The biggest question college football fans have about Penn State is if they can finally beat Ohio State and Michigan in the same season. Those are the headliner games on the schedule that will ultimately make or break their CFP hopes.

The rest of the schedule lines up nicely for them. Here’s where the rest of Penn State’s opponents rank in the AP Top 25 poll headed into the 2023 season.

Sean Clifford has more ups than downs in NFL preseason debut for Packers

Former Penn State QB Sean Clifford overcomes rookie mistakes for solid NFL preseason debut with Packers

Former Penn State quarterback [autotag]Sean Clifford[/autotag] experienced his fair share of highs and lows in his first taste of the NFL preseason on Friday evening. Clifford led the Green Bay Packers on four scoring drives in his preseason debut but he was also intercepted twice in the game, one of which was returned for a touchdown by Cincinnati Bengals defensive back Tycen Anderson.

The Packers started their first preseason game with starting quarterback Jordan Love getting some time on the field. After completing seven of his 10 pass attempts for 46 yards with a  touchdown, the Packers pulled their franchise quarterback and rode with Clifford for the majority of the game. And aside from his two biggest mistakes, which rookies will tend to make, Clifford performed quite admirably in his NFL preseason debut.

Clifford ended the game with 20 completions on 26 pass attempts for 208 yards and a touchdown. He was intercepted twice by the same player but he was not sacked once and he rushed two times for 27 yards. Not a bad preseason debut by any stretch of the imagination, and perhaps an encouraging sign for the Packers when it comes to figuring out who the top backup option will be behind Love.

Clifford appeared to already have the inside track to the team’s top backup job on the roster. The Packers used a fifth-round draft pick on Clifford, who ended his Penn State career as the offensive MVP of the Rose Bowl. And leading up to the first preseason game of the year, the Packers released veteran quarterback Danny Etling. Clifford was expected to compete with Etling for the top backup job on the roster. Clifford has been listed second on the team’s first unofficial depth chart and his performance in the preseason opener against the Bengals did not seem to do anything to suggest he should be bumped down just yet.

Clifford and the Packers still have two more preseason games to play, of course, and he should get plenty of playing time as the Packers keep Love off the field as much as they can afford. The Packers will host the New Gnaldn Patriots, home to former Penn State tight end Mike Gesicki and quarterback Trace McSorley, next Saturday, Sept. 19.

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Sean Clifford with inside track to top backup QB job with Packers?

The first depth chart from the Packers shows Sean Clifford could be locking down the top backup QB job.

It appears as though former Penn State quarterback [autotag]Sean Clifford[/autotag] is putting himself in a good position on the Green Bay Packers depth chart as the NFL preseason gets started. An unofficial depth chart released by the Packers this week listed Clifford as the second-string option behind starter Jordan Love.

The Packers make sure to emphasize that this is not a concrete depth chart at this point, but seeing Clifford listed second on the quarterback list behind the team’s franchise quarterback has to be an encouraging sign for the former Nittany Lion. This look at the roster comes after the Packers made a roster move earlier this week to release another potential backup quarterback option, Danny Etling.

When the Packers used a fifth-round draft pick on Clifford in the 2023 NFL draft, it was expected to be a move to add to the franchise’s quarterback depth in a way that figures to have Clifford involved. And as he continues to have a solid showing in Packers training camp, the franchise obviously felt comfortable with parting ways with the veteran Etling this week to make room on the roster for other needs.

Clifford passed for 10,661 career yards at Penn State with 86 career touchdown passes. He capped his lengthy six-year stint at Penn State by leading the Nittany Lions to a victory in the Rose Bowl and earning Rose Bowl offensive MVP honors in his final game with the program.

Clifford was a bit of a surprise draft pick by the Packers, but it does seem as though he is taking advantage of the opportunity so far. Clifford and the Packers open their preseason on Friday night in Cincinnati, where they are having joint practices with the Bengals leading up to the first preseason game of the year.

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Follow Nittany Lions Wire on X and like us on Facebook for continuing Penn State coverage and discussion. Let us know your thoughts by leaving a comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

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