Penn State Football clinches 10-win season in 35-16 win over Michigan State
Behind Sean Clifford's four passing touchdowns, Penn State secured win No. 10 of the 2022 season on Saturday afternoon, defeating the Michigan State Spartans 35-16.
It was another slow start for the Penn State on offense on Saturday against the Spartans, taking most of the first quarter to get going. After being set up by a Tyler Elsdon fumble recovery following a Peyton Throne backward pass, Nitatany Lions' senior kicker Jake Pinegar would miss a 37-yard field goal attempt that would've given the Nittany Lions a 3-0 lead less than two minutes into the game.
The Nittany Lions' offense following the punt went just four yards on four plays while on their second drive managing just 20 yards across six plays before being forced to punt for the first time in the game.
Right before the end of the first quarter, however, the Nittany Lions would find some success. On that drive, the Nittany Lions went 90 yards on 11 replaces in under five minutes before Sean Clifford finished the drive off by finding a wide-open Theo Johnson for the touchdown, to go ahead 7-0. It was Clifford's 96th career touchdown as a Nittany Lion in a day in which he would finish with 99 career touchdowns.
The sixth-year senior playing in his final home game as a Nittany Lion wasn't asked to do much but put together a fine game when it came to passing the ball, completing 19-of-24 passes for 202 yards and four touchdowns.
In the first quarter, the Nittany Lions dominated on the ground totaling 82 rushing yards on 12 carries. What felt like a foreshadowing of what would come for the rest of the day, was in fact the opposite.
After the first quarter, the Nittany Lions offensive line failed to get any consistent push-up front, as the Penn State backfield totaled just 78 yards on 33 carries over the remainder of the day.
In the second quarter, looking to extend their lead, Penn State brought some trickeration out of the playbook. Sean Clifford threw a backward pass to wide receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith who then found a wide-open Theo Johnson down the sideline to extend the Nittany Lions lead to 14-0.
After Pinegar's second missed field goal of the day, Michigan State would go 46 yards on 11 plays setting up a 51-yard field goal attempt for freshman Jack Stone. Stone, entering the game 1-for-3 on the season in field goal attempts, made the 51-yarder to send the game to halftime with Penn State leading 14-3.
The second half would get off to a poor start for the Nittany Lions, going just 19 yards across six plays before being forced to punt. However, on Barney Amor's punt, Michigan State returner Jayden Reed would fumble the ball, giving the Nittany Lions possession at the Spartans' 17-yard line.
Two plays later, Sean Clifford found tight end Tyler Warren for the Nittany Lions' third touchdown of the day to give Penn State a 21-3 lead. Michigan State, however, would not go quietly as on their following drive, they drove 75 yards across 10 plays before Peyton Thorne found wide receiver Maliq Carr for a nine-yard touchdown, cutting Penn State's lead to 21-10.
After failing to respond to the punt, going just five yards as part of a three-and-out, Michigan State would put together another long scoring drive going 70 yards on 11 plays before Payton Thorne took it in himself to cut the lead to 21-16. The Spartans would go for a two-point conversion following the touchdown but would fail to convert, keeping Penn State's lead to just five points.
Needing a big drive following the Spartans' back-to-back scoring drives, Penn State's offense would resurface in the fourth quarter. After driving 63 yards on the first 10 plays of the drive, the Nittany Lions faced a crucial decision at the nine-yard on 4th and 1.
Opting to go for it, the Nittany Lions would go an empty-back field look, stacking the far side with four guys including running back Nick Singleton. Just a few seconds later, Singleton would be in the endzone after going nine yards on a screen pass to put Penn State back up two sores, 28-16 with less than five minutes remaining.
While Singleton's touchdown likely sealed the game for the Nittany Lions, it did not stop them from adding on. Penn State star cornerback Kalen King would pick off Payton Throne in Michigan State territory just three plays after Singleton's touchdown giving the Nittany Lions plus field position.
While the Nittany Lions offense could've opted to run the ball out and take time off the clock, they decided to air it out. Sean Clifford would find a streaking KeAndre Lambert-Smith albeit in double coverage in the endzone for a touchdown to put the Nittany Lions up 35-16, officially putting the game away.
With the win, Penn State improves to 10-2 on the season, the fourth of the James Franklin era and the first since 2019. With losses from Clemson and Oregon on Saturday afternoon, the Nittany Lions will almost undoubtedly play in a New Years Six bowl. James Franklin and his program will have to wait until next Sunday to find out their destination.
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