Penn State Nittany Lions football added another notch on its belt on Saturday night, claiming a big time win over Auburn inside Beaver Stadium.
With millions tuned into this prime time match up, and plenty of media onside, there is no shortage of opinions to dissect from the game.
Let's get into them.
Nate Bauer, BWI: Penn State QB Sean Clifford directs Lions to win behind nervy performance
Surrounded by reporters Wednesday following his Nittany Lions’ midweek practice, Penn State head coach James Franklin was asked about nerves.
His program, set to take on No. 22 Auburn in what would undoubtedly be a showcase game played in front of a packed, White Out Beaver Stadium and a national television audience, would surely have them. Looking to improve on a 2-0 start to the season and notch a win against one of the traditional powers of the SEC, Franklin offered that his Nittany Lions would have a choice to make in how they approached that natural energy.
“You can look at it as nerves. Or, you can look at it as my body pumping adrenaline into my system to get me ready for an adverse, challenging situation. It's just my body priming itself to get ready,” Franklin said. “They’re two very different, distinct ways of looking at it that I think really impact your approach and how successful and how you can use that energy in a positive way.”
Saturday night, Sean Clifford opted for the positive approach.
Returning for his fifth-year senior season, the starting quarterback produced what might have been his finest performance as a Nittany Lion in a thrilling, gritty, 28-20 win against the Tigers. Completing 28 of 32 passes for 280 yards and two touchdowns, offset only by one deep-ball interception at the end of the first half, Clifford’s steady play helped deliver the Nittany Lions to their third win in three tries to open the 2021 campaign, including two against Top 25-ranked opponents.
And, maybe more important, Clifford did so with a perspective unfamiliar in front of the most raucous environments in his career.
“It was probably the calmest I’ve ever been in a game, to be honest with you,” Clifford said. “From the first snap, I was seeing everything so clearly tonight and I think that kind of is also how Coach Yurcich has developed me and really pushed me every single day and not letting me slip through the cracks on anything.”
Greg Pickel, BWI: PSU football shows it belongs in CFP title talk after beating Auburn 28-20
Penn State officially belongs in the College Football Playoff conversation.
The No. 10 Nittany Lions took more than a few of No. 22 Auburn's best punches on Saturday night but ultimately threw more haymakers than the visitors could en route to a 28-20 victory in front of a raucous White Out game crowd at Beaver Stadium.
Fairly or unfairly, some doubted head coach James Franklin's team after a statement road win at Wisconsin to start the season. The argument at the time was that the Badgers did more to defeat themselves than Penn State did to win the contest. Then, beating up on MAC foe Ball State wasn't enough for all poll voters to put the Lions in the top-10, but there will be no excuse not to now after this performance.
"I thought we played really good, complementary football," Franklin said. Our offense scored enough points to win and created some explosive plays."
Franklin has frequently cautioned reporters against making comparisons between this year's improvement and last year's struggles, and he does so with good reason. Many wondered if 2020 really was just a fluke and not something that was the first sign of an incoming downward turn for a program that had won 56 games since 2014 before last year's 4-5 rollercoaster of a season, and we can now safely say that it was nothing more than a blip on the radar.
If the play on the field doesn't back that up, then the words from players should. This is not only a confident bunch but a talented one that has each other's backs and is seemingly as close as any group that's worn blue and white in recent memory, and that's fueling this perfect start as much as anything.
"This is a great win, especially playing an SEC opponent," safety Jaquan Brisker said.
"I don't think people expect us to win, but it's a great Penn State, especially coming out here in a White Out."
David Eckert, BWI: Officiating blunders don't faze Penn State in win over Auburn
In the second quarter of Saturday's victory over Auburn, Penn State was shorted by the referees. That is not an opinion, it is a statement of fact.
The Nittany Lions were forced to punt on what should have been third down due to an error made by the officiating crew after an intentional grounding penalty against Penn State. It was a mistake so egregious, it would have been more than understandable for the Nittany Lions to lose their rhythm — for the legs to wobble in this heavyweight bout between two storied college football programs in front of more than 109,000 fans.
But that is not the standard this program strives to set.
"Sudden changes, we're always ready," Penn State defensive end Arnold Ebiketie said afterward. "Whenever we step on the field, we're ready as a defense. That's our mindset. Every time we step on the field we attack and strike."
On the drive in the immediate aftermath of the mistake — one that could have seen Auburn go up two scores with a touchdown — the expectation Penn State sets for these moments was met. The Nittany Lions forced a punt, and the Penn State offense went down the field and scored a touchdown.
But how could a mistake like that happen in the year 2021, on a game that was nationally televised and watched by millions? How could no one spot the blunder and correct it before it was too late?
James Franklin doesn't know.
"I talked to all of them," he said. "They all agreed on the call, and so did the replay [official]. They all agreed. I kept bringing them over and saying it's not accurate. I don't know what else I can tell you."
Bob Flounders, PennLive: Penn State’s big guys on offense shine, a veteran wideout shines again, more standouts vs. Auburn
"The whole [offensive line] deserves mention – tackles Rasheed Walker and Caedan Wallace, guards Eric Wilson and Juice Scruggs and center Mike Miranda. Quarterback Sean Clifford was not sacked and PSU scored four touchdowns on four red zone possessions."
David M. Hale, ESPN: College football Week 3 highlights: Alabama is vulnerable, Penn State is rising and Cincinnati is looking to make a move
"There's a chance this season could be defined by the next wave of contenders. Oregon, Texas A&M, Georgia, and Iowa all won easily. Penn State smothered Iowa in a sea of white, so confident in its dominance that it could afford to punt on third down. James Franklin can now rightly ask USC to put another zero on that contract offer. It helped that Auburn used an old Gus Malzahn playbook on that final goal-to-go drive."
Marty Leap, Black Shoe Diaries: Four Takeaways From Penn State’s Win Over Auburn
"Y’all... SEC officials freaking suck. From the get go the officials played a huge role in the game. Any time the officiating crew plays a big role in any sporting event it is not a good thing, and that was the case on Saturday night."
Ben Jones, StateCollege.com: As Penn State Rolls Yet Again Under Franklin, What If Penn State Already Is His USC?
"As Franklin stormed on the field on Saturday night following the Nittany Lions’ win over Auburn with emotions flowing off his sleeve, he did so one step closer to an inflection point in Penn State football’s history. Because when the dust settles, USC will almost certainty call Franklin during its upcoming coaching search, and given the opportunity to make such a decision he will have to decide between Southern California or Central Pennsylvania. If he opts to stay in State College, one gets the feeling he may not leave for quite some time."
Mark Wogenrich, SI Penn State: Sean Clifford Delivers the Goods against Auburn
"Ultimately, Clifford stood for his postgame interview session (at the polite request of a communications staffer), which he was good with, too. Saturday was Clifford's best night in a Penn State uniform (even if he wouldn't say it), and the third-year starter could spend a few more minutes on his feet to chat."
Tom Fornelli, CBS Sports: Penn State vs. Auburn score, takeaways: No. 10 Nittany Lions show mettle in huge win over No. 22 Tigers
"While the Nittany Lions offensive line did a good job in pass protection and gave Clifford time, it isn't getting much push up front when it comes to the run game. While Penn State has been able to get away with it through three games, I can't help but believe there's going to be a time when it needs but will be unable to run, and it'll cost PSU a game."
Tom Green, AL.com: Instant analysis: No. 22 Auburn squanders chances in loss to No. 10 Penn State
"The Tigers’ defense in Beaver Stadium didn’t look anywhere near as effective as the unit was through the first two weeks. Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford, outside of an interception at the end of the first half, picked apart Auburn’s secondary. He completed 28-of-32 passes for 280 yards and two touchdowns. The Nittany Lions had receivers streaking open down the field on several occasions, as Auburn’s defense gave up seven passing plays of at least 15 yards."
Tweets about Penn State's win
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