The Boilermakers dominated the third quarter, stringing together two touchdown drives and holding Penn State to 33 yards of offense to take a 24-21 lead. Penn State took the lead early in the fourth quarter when Clifford found KeAndre Lambert-Smith for a 29-yard touchdown pass, but the game wasn’t over. Two minutes later after Purdue went three and out. Clifford tipped a pass over the head of target Mitchell Tinsley and into the hands of Purdue’s Chris Jefferson. Jefferson took the ball 72 yards to the house to give Purdue back the lead and it looked like Penn State’s night was over. The Nittany Lions only managed 14 yards on their next two possessions and forced a punt, but the Boilermakers couldn’t put the final nail in the coffin, costing them. Penn State got the ball again with 2:22 left to play and the Nittany Lions put together an eight-play, 80-yard touchdown drive in 1:25, with Clifford throwing his fourth touchdown of the night, this time for to KeyVone Lee, who scored from 12 yards out.
1. Sean Clifford is a player
Clifford has been flat almost all of the 2021 season and seems to have dealt with some sort of injury throughout his career. He started the game with a brace on his left knee and tried to aggravate the injury when he took a hit in the second quarter. Clifford stayed in and finished the half, throwing a 67-yard touchdown pass to Strange, but didn’t take the field on Penn State’s opening possession of the second half. He left the locker room with the team but was seen returning to it when Purdue opened the half with the ball. Five-star freshman Drew Allar filled a row before Clifford returned. After the game, James Franklin said Clifford was dealing with cramps. When interviewed by Fox’s Jenny Taft, Clifford said he was dealing with “minor injuries and stings.” Whatever the case, Clifford didn’t look at full strength for most of the second half and I thought it would cost Penn State the game. I even wondered if the Nittany Lions would be better off going back to Allar, as Clifford seemed to lack mobility, and the fact that so many of his throws were high made me wonder if he was planting on the left foot. In the end it didn’t matter. As he has done many times in the past, Clifford broke it down and helped lead his team to a comeback victory. His four touchdown passes tied a career high.
2. People will question Purdue’s late game
Purdue took a 31-28 lead on Chris Jefferson’s layup with 8:29 left in the game. The Boilermakers had two more possessions and chances to burn the clock, but they ran 11 plays for 26 yards and, more importantly, only 3:43 off the clock. The Boilermakers called for 13 passing plays on just one rush (two were called back on penalties), and the lapses allowed Penn State to hold timeouts. Obviously, Purdue coach Jeff Brohm will be second and I can see why. That said, I also understand Brohm’s thought process. Purdue’s rushing attack averaged a team-worst 2.79 yards per carry last season. Against Penn State he improved to 4.1 per carry (not including sacks). Brohm probably thought running the ball would burn up more time, but lead to three-and-outs. He chose to be aggressive and rely on what his team does best: throw the ball. It didn’t work, so he’ll have to live with the consequences, but I didn’t hate the decision, even if I didn’t completely agree.
3. Penn State got the win, but serious concerns remain
Wins are wins and Penn State won’t give them back, but I wouldn’t get too excited. First of all, Penn State’s offensive line didn’t play well for the 50th year in a row. The Nittany Lions spread the ball in the running game, but averaged only 3.4 yards per carry (not including sacks) and no one on the team averaged more than 3.9 yards per carry. On the defensive side of the ball, the game ended in a sack, and Penn State got two on the night, but they struggled to generate pressure all night. When they did, it came from new defensive coordinator Manny Diaz bringing in a blitz. Arnold Ebikitie had 9.5 sacks to lead this defense last season, but there were questions about who could fill his shoes this season. In one game, this question has not been answered. The good news is that Penn State still has a great secondary, but the secondary can only do so much if the front four aren’t creating pressure on their own.
4. Charlie Jones has already paid off for Purdue
Iowa fans could be heard cursing all night as the Iowa transfer had a fantastic debut for the Boilermakers. He finished with 12 catches for 153 yards and a touchdown. Jones caught just 21 passes for 323 yards all of last season with the Hawkeyes.
