Rapid reaction: Clifford carries otherwise less-than-impressive Penn State past Villanova 38-17

The 86-year drought is over.

At long last, Penn State has ended its long football drought against Villanova, snapping the Wildcats’ 3-game winning streak in the series with Saturday’s 38-17 victory at Beaver Stadium.

Okay, sure, the last meeting of the Pennsylvania schools occurred 70 years ago and was played on a high school field. That was long before Penn State became a football powerhouse and Villanova carved its niche as a men’s basketball juggernaut.

Still, the No. 6 Nittany Lions (4-0) needed a solid victory against Villanova, which entered the game 3-0 and ranked No. 7 in the FCS coaches’ poll.

Penn State earned that solid victory behind its Sean Clifford-led passing game, but looked less than impressive in several areas that were worrisome through the team’s first 3 games. Still, the victory was never in doubt as PSU scored on its first play and led 38-3 before surrendering a couple late TDs.

Clifford threw 4 touchdowns and racked up a career-best 401 yards on 19-of-26 passing to make up for a running game that couldn’t get going until late in the game. The top 2 receivers, Jahan Dotson and Parker Washington, both had 100-plus-yard days and combined for 3 TD catches. Washington had 5 catches for 148 yards and 2 TDs. Dotson went 7-117-1.

Clifford threw 52-yard TD passes to Dotson (PSU’s first offensive play) and Washington (early second quarter), then set up a field goal with a 67-yard connection to Washington. By the end of the first half, Clifford was 10-of-14 for 226 yards and 2 TDs. And he was just getting started. An 83-yard connection with KeAndre Lambert-Smith gave Clifford his 3rd TD pass of the day and pushed his yardage above 300.

With the run game stymied, Clifford kept chucking, hitting Washington for 23 yards and another TD as PSU ended any remaining suspense, taking a 31-3 lead late in the third quarter.

The run game finally gained some traction late, and tight end Tyler Warren scored for the 2nd straight week off a direct snap in the power package that new OC Mike Yurcich unveiled last week against Auburn.

In the fourth quarter, backup QB Ta’Quan Roberson got some work, connecting on 3 of 5 passes for 28 yards.

Though there was plenty to feel good about after the Lions wore down the Wildcats after halftime, things looked a bit shaky early.

Many of Penn State’s 2021 bugaboos were evident in the first 30 minutes. To wit:

• The Lions couldn’t run the ball at all (18 yards on 17 carries) against the 2nd-best run defense in the FCS, as the offensive line again failed to get much push. Keyvone Lee couldn’t pick up a first down on a 3rd-and-2 run, and Noah Cain barely converted the ensuing 4th-and-1. Later, Penn State couldn’t move the ball at all after earning a 1st-and-goal on Washington’s 67-yard catch and run. The line also gave up 2 sacks in the first half and 3 for the game. The Lions converted only 2 of 7 third downs before the break.
• Jordan Stout pushed a 53-yard field goal attempt wide right. He is struggling from distance — what used to be his specialty prior to his taking over all kicking duties this season.
• The defense played solid, but couldn’t corral a couple of possible pick-6 interceptions and didn’t get a whole lot of pressure on Nova QB Daniel Smith. PJ Mustipher did end PSU’s sack drought, getting the Lions off the field on a third down in the second quarter. It was the Lions’ first sack since the Ball State game and just their 4th of the season. They added 2 more in the second half.

The good stuff remained good:

• Stout pinned Nova on its 2-yard line with a punt late in the second quarter, ensuring the Lions would go into the locker room with a 17-3 lead. He also extended his season-long touchback streak on kickoffs to 22.
• The defense held the Wildcats to 52 first-half yards.
• The Lions had no turnovers in the first half and only 1 for the game, an interception that was Lambert-Smith’s fault. He juggled a ball he should have caught before tipping in the air to a defender. Late in the game, the turnover battle was tied 1-1, keeping PSU at +5 on the season.

Wrapping up the first third of the regular season, Penn State did nothing to hurt its national standing as a serious CFP contender despite its uneven performance. Starting next Saturday against Indiana, the Lions will begin a run of 8 straight Big Ten games. The remaining schedule includes a visit to No. 5 Iowa and games against all the other teams in the B1G East, which entered the weekend with a 15-3 combined record.
Villanova’s effort in front of the biggest crowd its probably ever been in front of didn’t come out of the blue for those in the know.

Yes, Villanova entered the game as a huge underdog (+30.5), but with enough FCS props to get James Franklin’s attention. The Wildcats won a national championship in 2009 and have sent a number of players to the NFL, most notably Howie Long (Raiders 1981-93) and Brian Westbrook (Eagles 2002-10). They’ve had 2 second-round NFL Draft picks in the past 10 years. Franklin, in a mid-week media session, covered a long list of FCS teams that have pulled upsets already this year, highlighted by Montana’s 13-7 victory over then-No. 20 Washington in Week 1. Villanova has a recent history of playing lower-level FBS teams tough, including a victory over Temple in 2018.

Villanova had its moments on warm, sunny afternoon in State College, but without Jay Wright drawing up plays, it didn’t have enough answers. Speaking of basketball, the Wildcats are 7-1 all-time against the Nittany Lions in a series that has been dormant since 1999. With new PSU hoops coach Micah Shrewsberry putting together a solid recruiting class, perhaps it’s time for these programs to get together again on the hardwood.

Luke Glusco

Luke Glusco is a Penn State graduate and veteran journalist. He covers Penn State and occasionally writes about other Big Ten programs and topics. He also serves as the primary copy editor for Saturday Tradition.