STATE COLLEGE — The dreary November afternoon went as well as Penn State could have expected.
The 14th-ranked Nittany Lions took command early and pounded Maryland 30-0 Saturday at Beaver Stadium behind the running of freshman Nick Singleton and the dominance of the defensive line.
But there was a moment in the second quarter when Penn State coach James Franklin lost his temper and drew an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. He responded by going to the wet ground and doing 15 push-ups.
Quarterback Sean Clifford, who had just thrown an incomplete pass, didn’t see his coach discipline himself.
“I saw him yelling at me, though,” Clifford said. “I was the cause of that. Yeah, I was. I’ll leave that for him to describe (why).”
It was an otherwise cheerful day for the Lions (5-2 Big Ten, 7-2), who posted their first shutout since a 28-0 win over Rutgers last year and beat Maryland (3-4, 6-4) for the 42nd time in 46 meetings.
Clifford broke the school record for career passing yards with his 16-yard completion to tight end Brenton Strange during the first series. He eclipsed Trace McSorley and has 10,023 yards, the seventh Big Ten passer to reach 10,000.
“It’s cool, it definitely is cool,” Clifford said. “It’s a lot of hard work with a lot of guys. That’s the cool part about it. It’s about the journey. It’s about the guys I came in contact with.
“When I was told about it at the end of the game because I honestly forgot, it was more thinking about all the teams I’ve been on and appreciating everybody who has had my back.”
Singleton, the former Gov. Mifflin star, carried 11 times for 122 yards and two touchdowns and broke the school record for rushing TDs in a season by a freshman. Both of his touchdowns came on fourth-and-1 plays, from 45 and 27 yards.
“I can’t say he’s running with more physicality or anger,” Strange said. “That’s his style. I would describe it as very explosive. Everything he does is very explosive, whether it’s breaking tackles or going to the next level and taking it 90.
“I’m definitely proud of that kid and excited for what his future holds.”
Penn State sacked the Terrapins’ Taulia Tagovailoa seven times and held him to 11-of-22 passing for 74 yards. He had thrown for 653 yards against the Lions in 2020-21, including 371 last year.
Chop Robinson, who transferred earlier this year from Maryland to Penn State, had two sacks as the defensive line set the tone from the start by harassing Tagovailoa.
“I was excited to play against the guys I used to be with,” Robinson said. “Once we were getting pressure often, you can see the (Maryland) guys turning against each other and pointing fingers at each other.
“Once their offense started doing that, that’s when you know you have them. And then you just take control of the game.”
Freshman linebacker Abdul Carter had seven tackles, two quarterback pressures, one pass break-up and one forced fumble. Kaytron Allen, another member of Penn State’s talented freshman class, carried 16 times for 73 yards as the Lions rushed for a season-high 249 yards.
It was an impressive victory for the Lions, who played without left tackle Olu Fashanu, linebacker Curtis Jacobs and cornerback Joey Porter Jr. Franklin said afterwards that Porter had a “non-football injury.”
Penn State outgained Maryland by a whopping 413-134 margin, the second straight game that the Lions have held an opponent to less than 200 yards.
It was another complete performance on the heels of their 45-14 rout at Indiana. With wins over Rutgers and Michigan State, they’ll finish with their first 10-win season in three years and put themselves in strong position for a New Year’s Six bowl.
The victory, though, had one blotch — Franklin’s first unsportsmanlike conduct penalty in 12 seasons as a head coach.
“I did 15 push-ups because everybody is held accountable around here,” he said. “I think they thought I was yelling at the officials. I wasn’t. I was yelling at one of our players. I was embarrassed by it.”
