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Sean Clifford talks outlook for Penn State’s 2022 season
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The past two seasons for Penn State have been somewhat of a letdown. The Nittany Lions were thought to be challengers in the B1G East each of the past two years, only to fall well short of expectations.
Penn State ended 2020 with a 4-5 record, the first losing season under James Franklin. Last year, the Nittany Lions started off strong but finished with a 7-6 mark with no real signature wins on the resume.
Because of the returning talent, Penn State is thought to still be one of the better teams in the B1G East this season. The return of quarterback Sean Clifford is a big reason for the optimism in Happy Valley — though he has endured some struggles at times during his career.
This week, Clifford made an appearance on the Paul Finebaum Show on SEC Network to discuss the outlook for the season. Getting Penn State back on track is a big goal for the quarterback, but so is relishing his final season in Happy Valley.
“Oh, it’s just to enjoy every second of it,” Clifford said. “Everything about Penn State and everything that this school has brought me, I can’t repay the fans, the people, the relationships that I’ve built. It’s really — you can’t put a price tag on it and I can’t even really describe the experiences that I’ve had over my time at Penn State. It’s been absolutely fantastic. And to know entering this year that it’s my last, I just want to make the Penn State nation proud, my coaching staff, my teammates and my family as proud as possible so — just going out there wearing my heart on my shoulder every single week, and the results will come.”
Clifford ended last season with 3,107 passing yards and 21 touchdowns through the air on the way to a 7-6 season. He also rushed for 169 yards and a pair of scores.
Last season was the first for Penn State to operate in Mike Yurcich’s system. The passing game wasn’t a huge problem, but the inability to run the football was a major issue for the offense. It’s a focal point for Franklin and his staff in 2o22.
Once again, expectations will be high in State College for Penn State. Clifford is hoping to return the program back to the top of the B1G standings.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB