It’s much less surprising now that Penn State is 0-4 to start the 2020 season when compared to just two weeks ago.

Once again, the Nittany Lions dug themselves another three-touchdown deficit early versus Nebraska, and despite the Cornhusker's insistence on letting Penn State back into the game, Penn State couldn't find their way into the end zone. The result is a seven-point loss and a quarterback change midway through the season. While turnovers ultimately led to Sean Clifford’s benching, they're not the only reason.

Today we’ll look at a key area of playing quarterback that both he and Will Levis struggle with, the Nittany Lions’ second half offense, and how Penn State’s defense turned the corner in the second half.

It’s very hard to watch Clifford devolve as a passer in front of our eyes. There is no great pleasure in pointing out the failures and mistakes of a player who has put his heart and soul into the program.

However, benching Clifford is the correct move. His first-quarter interception is a clear signal that he has slipped beyond struggling and into a tailspin as a passer.

The interception above is fairly damning evidence that Clifford cannot execute the basic tenants of the position in Penn State’s offense. He has a clean pocket, a clean read, and a great route by receiver Jahan Dotson. The ball is so strangely placed that it’s fair to question if Dotson ran the wrong route. If he’s supposed to run a hitch, the ball should have come out earlier, and near the hash, not the numbers. Running a corner route into zone coverage is illogical, so the only reasonable assumption left is that Clifford simply air-mailed a clean-pocket pass to the defender.

The worst part is that if he had thrown an accurate pass, it would have been a stellar play. There are times that Clifford throws the ball with touch and anticipation into coverage. When he does, the Penn State passing offense has life.