UNIVERSITY PARK — Penn State finished singing its alma mater to the student section Saturday evening and most of the players and coaches headed toward the team’s victory bell on the left side of the south tunnel. Many of them rang the bell with cheers from fans cascading down as they were greeted by nearby cheerleaders whose supporting yells carried them from the rain soaked field into the tunnel.
Behind those cheerleaders, on the right side of the tunnel, offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich walked briskly as he headed toward the Penn State locker room. Yurcich did not have his head down and did not run in, but he walked with a pace that signaled urgency.
Penn State head coach James Franklin says his team celebrates its victories all the same, but Saturday’s 17-7 win over Northwestern did not feel like the others.
Yurcich’s haste is the manifestation of what he and his offense must be feeling — the urgency to play better with the team’s toughest stretch right around the corner.
The urgency starts at quarterback where Sean Clifford was not his best, and even Franklin will tell you that.
“10-of-20 with one interception and one touchdown,” Franklin said. “Obviously, that’s not up to the standards that he normally plays at. The one interception, and there could have been a couple of others. But overall, he did a great job in the run game and did a great job managing situations and did a great job managing the clock. … I don’t think this was one of Sean’s best games. And just like I am for the running backs, I’m not going to allow the weather to be an excuse.”
Clifford struggled against the Northwestern defense Saturday in a way that was all too familiar. His decision making was not on point and his accuracy was erratic at its best. But every once in a while he would remind you why he’s the starter, like when he dropped in a beautiful ball to Parker Washington for a 43 yard gain.
The problem is those plays are infrequent. They’re a brief spark rather than a sustained blaze. And just like he hit Washington in stride on that play, he missed him not long after. The wide receiver ran wide open across the middle of the field and Clifford had more than enough time to get the pass off. He pulled his arm back and unleashed a pass that sailed in front of a diving Washington — who didn’t hide his frustration after the play.
He said following the game that his reaction was because of what he thought a completed pass would have turned into.
“I just knew it probably would’ve been a big play,” Washington said. “I was just excited to make that play and be in that position I was. We came up a little short on that one, but there ain’t nothing wrong with that. Just be ready for the next play and attack it with a great mindset.”
Washington’s frustration may not represent how he feels about the quarterback or the offense, but it is emblematic of how the fans watching felt.
Clifford’s incompletion to the sophomore was far from his only mistake. He was off the mark on plenty of throws and made questionable decisions that compromised the unit — including a pass he threw directly at a Northwestern defensive back who seemed so surprised by the ball’s arrival that he dropped it.
Each time those mistakes occurred, they drew a reaction. Early on, they were groans. Then they were groans with a smattering of boos, and then a small chorus of boos that did not rain down quite as hard as the precipitation that soaked the field, but still got their point across.
Those reactions can not be easy for Clifford to hear as a fourth-year starter. He was more than willing to accept blame for his flaws following the game.
“My position, it’s tough sometimes when the weather is like that,” he said. “I thought that the first half I did some good things, the second half I was kind of inconsistent. I thought the pick was controllable. There was a second one that I thought he made a pretty good play. … Late in the game I wish I could have gotten the one to Parker back. It just took a little bit longer than I anticipated.”
Unlike years that have gone by, this Penn State team has an answer if Clifford doesn’t continue improving. Drew Allar is lurking as the future of the program. The former five-star recruit has impressed in limited action this season, but Franklin said neither he nor Yurcich mentioned the possibility of bringing him into the game.
Which raises the question — is it even possible for him to overtake Clifford this season? It seems the answer right now is a clear “no.” That means the redshirt senior must be better. He and his offensive coordinator have to do whatever it takes to have a positive impact on games rather than biding time while the defense dominates.
Shortly before Yurcich made his way down the tunnel, he stood with his arm around Clifford as the team sang the alma mater. There they stood, as close as can be, swaying back and forth before they parted ways.
Clifford disappeared into the crowd of players to the left — and Yurcich to the right, going their separate ways while remaining on the same journey to improve the offense.
