Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford looked to be an asset heading into the 2020 season as a veteran with experience at the spot.

But through three weeks, Clifford has struggled and has left some Nittany Lion fans scratching their head wondering why head coach James Franklin continues to stick with Clifford.

“For me, with starting quarterbacks, you want to do everything you possibly can with your starting quarterback to give him a chance to be successful and to rally the team,” Franklin said after the game. “The guy is in that position obviously for a reason. In the second half, we still felt like we had an opportunity to go out and get this thing swung in the other direction. And at the time, we felt like it was the right decision.”

Clifford finished the game going 27 for 57 for 340 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. Much of that came once Penn State was behind and the game was out of reach.

“We’ve got to be able to get the running game going, and we’ve got to consistently protect our quarterback,” Franklin said postgame. “There are too many times where he’s under pressure and getting hit early in games. He’s been hit way too many times this season. He’s been sacked too many times this season. He’s been under pressure too many times.

“And does that have an effect? Yeah, it does. But obviously there are some throws that we need to make. It’s all of it. There are some catches that we need to make. We all own responsibility in this.”

With the Nittany Lions at 0-3, it appears fans of the program are looking at nearly every aspect of the team and wondering if it can get better. Clifford just appears to be the latest facet.