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Penn State 35, Purdue 31: What We Learned From a Big Ten Thriller

Sean Clifford threw a pass that gets quarterbacks benched. Then he delivered an epic game-winning drive.

Mark Wogenrich

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Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford played his usual gritty, savvy, uneven game until midway through the fourth quarter against Purdue. Then he made one of those throws that gets quarterbacks benched, even sixth-year seniors.

After that, Clifford unfurled one of the best drives of his career.

Clifford went 6 for 7 for 72 yards and a touchdown, leading a perfectly executed 2-minute drill to lead Penn State over Purdue 35-31 in a wild Big Ten opener Thursday.

Clifford threw for 282 yards and four touchdowns, accounted for five scores and also threw the first pick-6 of his career. He targeted roommate Mitchell Tinsley as his new favorite receiver, putting together a huge play to set up the score. Then he floated a lovely ball to receiver Keyvone Lee for the game-winning touchdown.

All that and he got freshman quarterback Drew Allar a series, too.

What did we learn about Penn state? Here's a recap?

Sean Clifford's Game-Winning Drive

Clifford had two fourth-quarter game-winning drives before Thursday. But no one could have seen this one coming.

Clifford was outstanding on the final series, benefiting from some missed Purdue tackling and a veteran receiver. Tinsley caught seven passes for 84 yards and a score and made a huge play on the series. Tinsley dodged a tackle for 27 yards, getting Penn State into field-goal range.

The Lions didn't need it. Tight end Tyler Warren hung onto the ball after a huge hit, and then Clifford found Lee out of the backfield for the winning score with 57 seconds remaining.

It marked the seventh, and last, lead change of the game. It was an epic performance by Clifford.

Sean Clifford's Stunning Mistake

Clifford had completed four straight passes, including a touchdown to KeAndre Lambert-Smith, before getting too much air under the ball. He missed a wide-open Tinsley high, cradling the pass into Jefferson's pocket.

Jefferson then went 72 yards for a stunning touchdown, the first pick-6 Penn State had allowed since 2018 at Michigan. Concurrently, it was the first pick-6 of Clifford's career and came at a devastating moment.

Clifford threw three touchdown passes and ran for a score, but that play will define his game and perhaps season. But it wasn't the the most surprising lapse of Thursday night.

A Defense in Transition

Penn State lost a bunch of defensive talent to the NFL and its coordinator to Virginia Tech. So even with coach James Franklin praising the defensive depth he has compiled, it still is a group in transition under new coordinator Manny Diaz.

Though his completion percentage was just 50 percent 929 for 58), Purdue quarterback Aidan O'Connell threw for 356 yards and a touchdown against a Penn State secondary that is the team's best position group.

O'Connell and receiver Charlie Jones (12 catches, 153 yards) consistently beat Penn State's secondary on quick throws. The Lions committed three pass-interference penalties. Joey Porter Jr. dropped an interception that he might have turned into a touchdown. And yet the Lions also broke up 10 passes.

Penn State's defensive line generated very little pass rush until the end. The Lions delivered one of their two sacks on Purdue's final series, which ended with Maryland transfer Chop Robinson's final-play pressure to force an incompletion.

Ultimately, though, the defense closed the game with five defensive stops after Purdue scored an offensive touchdown late in the third quarter. In the end, that's what matters.

Penn State's Big Play Offense Resurfaces

Receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith had a rough go through three quarters. He dropped two of his first five targets, one that might have gone for some distance. But one of Penn State's big-play receivers of 2021 kept his poise and waited for his chance.

Early in the fourth quarter, Lambert-Smith ran a slant route cleared expertly by fellow receiver Mitchell Tinsley. He kept his feet through a tackle after making the catch and raced 29 yards for the go-ahead touchdown, giving the Lions a 28-24 lead. It marked the game's fifth lead change.

Earlier this week, Penn State receivers coach Taylor Stubblefield said that, when his number is called, Lambert-Smith "has to make sure that nothing stands in his way." On that play, he did."

Why Is Sean Clifford Jogging off the Field?

Clifford briefly but substantially changed the game's tenor early in the third quarter, jogging back to the locker room during Purdue's first drive of the half. Franklin cited cramps as the reason, while Clifford said had some minor "tweaks" that he called "controllable."

Clifford's brief absence led to the debut of true freshman Drew Allar, whom Penn State coach James Franklin publicly, and surprisingly, named the team's No. 2 quarterback three days before the game.

Allar, a 5-star prospect and the program's highest-ranked quarterback recruit since Christian Hackenberg, entered a high-stress situation: the second half of a one-possession Big Ten road game. But he entered smiling and looked pretty commanding on his first series.

Allar completed two of his four passes, though the best was dropped by tight end Tyler Warren. It was a lovely ball, floated with some power into a tight spot. Though it was just a glimpse, Allar demonstrated why he won the No. 2 role.

How the Lions Swung Momentum Before Halftime

Penn State's defense spent the entire preseason trumpeting the power of its turnover production. Defensive coordinator Manny Diaz didn't bring the Turnover chain from Miami but did instill the game-changing ethos, which the Lions used dramatically.

Late in the first half, with Purdue quarterback Aidan O'Connell leading a crisp 2-minute drive, safety Zakee Wheatley interrupted with a forced fumble. Wheatley led the team in takeaways during spring practice and training camp. As Franklin said, "he's one of the guys who, the ball just likes him."

Cornerback Joey Porter Jr. recovered the fumble, marking the 20th consecutive game in which Penn State has forced a turnover (the nation's second-longest streak, one behind Baylor). Franklin rightly responded aggressively with 30 seconds left. The Lions called a deep throw on first down, which resulted in a pass interference, and Clifford then found tight end Brenton Strange for a 67-yard touchdown.

Clifford made a veteran move, waving Strange downfield into open space, and the tight end turned that into the longest reception of his career. Instead of leading 14-13, or perhaps trailing, at halftime, Penn State led 21-10.

Brenton Strange's "Bush Push"

It was fitting that former USC running back Reggie Bush was at Ross-Ade Stadium on Thursday to see Strange plow Clifford into the end zone on a 2-yard quarterback sneak. This play, coupled with his touchdown, made Strange the MVP of the first half.

A Freshman freshman linebacker's one-play debut

Freshman linebacker Abdul Carter is poised for a huge career at Penn State. The defensive staff loves him, proving that by putting Carter on the field in the first quarter — even though Carter didn't arrive on campus until the summer. He also earned jersey No. 11, coveted among Penn State linebackers.

Carter's debut lasted one play. He was called for targeting, on a play in which he appeared to be concurrently going for the hit and a loose ball.

Up Next for Penn State

The Lions host Ohio in their home-opener Sept. 10. Kickoff is scheduled for noon.

AllPennState is the place for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, tracking three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on Twitter @MarkWogenrich. And consider subscribing (button's on the home page) for more great content across the SI.com network.

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Mark Wogenrich
MARK WOGENRICH

Mark Wogenrich is Editor and Publisher of AllPennState, the site for Penn State news on SI's FanNation Network. He has covered Penn State sports for more than two decades across three coaching staffs and three Rose Bowls.

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