Penn State Quarterback Sean Clifford Expected to Start vs. Ohio State

Penn State will have its starting quarterback under center as it looks to pull off an upset in Columbus

Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

Penn State head coach James Franklin said Tuesday he expects starting quarterback Sean Clifford to play Saturday vs. Ohio State.

Clifford suffered a hard hit from Iowa linebacker Jack Campbell in a 23-20 loss to Iowa on Oct. 9, exiting the game in the first half. He returned to the field in last week's loss to Illinois, though he threw for just 165 yards as he completed 55.9% of passes.

"Last week, we weren't sure," Franklin said Tuesday regarding Clifford's status vs. Illinois. "Sean's much further ahead now to be in back to 100 percent, so that's a positive." 

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Clifford is in his third year as Penn State's starting quarterback. He has thrown 51 touchdowns and 21 interceptions since 2021, including 12 TD passes in 2021. Penn State enters Saturday's matchup at Ohio State sitting at 5–2, 2–2 Big Ten.

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