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Sean Clifford, James Franklin react to emotional Rose Bowl win in QBs final game

Paul Harvey

By Paul Harvey

Published:

Sean Clifford capped his Penn State career Monday night with a Rose Bowl appearance. For one of the all-time leaders for the Nittany Lions, that game could not have gone much better.

Clifford was named the offensive MVP of the Rose Bowl while going 16-for-22 with 279 yards and 2 touchdowns. His second touchdown of the game created some separation against Utah, finding KeAndre Lambert-Smith for an 88-yard score to put Penn State up 14 to open the fourth quarter.

After the game, Clifford said he “cherished (every) minute of” his Penn State journey. He also said he has “brothers” in the locker room he’ll carry with him throughout life.

Head coach James Franklin also addressed the moment for Clifford and Penn State’s seniors. Franklin admitted he “wanted this for them” while pointing out he “couldn’t have wrote the script any better” for Clifford.

Clifford leaves Penn State with a number of program records to his credit. Though the program struggled through 2020-21, Clifford leaves the program with its first Rose Bowl win since 1994.

Paul Harvey

Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.