Blue White Illustrated

y the time referee Ron Snodgrass walked over to the replay camera, Indiana's potentially game-winning two-point conversion under a lengthy review, Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford had already moved on. His Nittany Lions, ranked No. 8 prior to their season-opening visit to Bloom- ington, hadn't played well. The redshirt junior quarterback had thrown two first-half interceptions, and Penn State had needed some fourth-quarter magic just to put itself in position to steal a win from a Hoosiers program that hadn't beaten a top-10 team since 1987. The game was certain to be decided at the end of the first overtime period thanks to Tom Allen's choice to go for two. But Clifford instinctively under- stood that his time would be better spent focusing on something more pro- ductive than awaiting the officials' deci- sion. "It's one of those things where I'm not going to sit here and hold my breath. Whatever the call is, the call is," Clifford said. "Since that was the last play and there wasn't really anything else to think about other than who won the game or not, I just couldn't help but start think- ing about corrections I could make and how I could be better. It didn't go our way, but there were a lot of plays that could have changed that." Penn State finished on the losing end of a dramatic 36-35 decision at a largely Lions' fortunes ride on the arm (and legs) of their hardworking QB B JUDGMENT CALL tremely incredible, in my opinion. I've seen him go from a running back who had the speed to take off every single time he touched the ball, to really transitioning to a top-five back in the nation. Every time he touches the ball, he can take it 70 yards and make it look easy. That transition has shown his attention to detail, his prepara- tion, his work ethic and just how hun- gry he is to be a better version of himself." Cain, too, has come to appreciate how Brown contributes to the team's chemistry. He said that when he got to Penn State last year, Brown was one of the players who made him feel wel- come on a team full of unfamiliar faces. "He's been much more than a big brother," Cain said. "He's been helping me out with everything I need. If I've got a question about the team, or the school, whatever, he's always there. We became real close this past off-season. The relationship is only getting stronger." ■ Penn State added a graduate transfer on Oct. 23 when former Shippensburg University wide receiver Winston Eu- banks announced on Twitter that he'll finish his collegiate career with the Nit- tany Lions. Listed at 6-foot-0, 185 pounds, Eubanks is set to walk-on at Penn State with one-year of eligibil- ity remaining. He was a two-time team captain for the Red Raiders, totaling 148 receptions for 2,853 yards and 28 touchdowns during the past three seasons. "I chose Penn State because I wanted a school that would put me in the best position to succeed, on and off the field," Eubanks said. "It doesn't get much better than Penn State when it comes to that. I talked to some former PSU football players during my re- cruiting process and they had nothing but great things to say about Coach [James] Franklin. I really like the cul- ture that has been built there and I'm honored to become a part of it. The fact that Coach Franklin played in the PSAC, too, and worked his way up to where he is now gave me extra motiva- tion to chase my dreams!" After redshirting his first year on campus, Eubanks burst onto the scene in 2017, racking up 45 receptions for 1,202 yards and 12 touchdowns. That performance earned him PSAC East- ern Division Freshman of the Year honors. He was also named first-team All-PSAC East and second-team All- Region by Football Gazette. His aver- age of 26.7 yards per reception was second in the nation for all of Division II. Eubanks also didn't miss a game from 2017 to 2019, playing in all 34 games for Shippensburg. In high school, he was a very good track and field prospect, making the PIAA Track and Field Championships his senior year at La Salle College High in Wyndmoor. Eubanks ran both the 100- and 200-meter races that year, posting personal bests of 22.01 seconds in the 200 and 11.00 seconds in the 100. He was also part of a 4x100-meter relay team that finished second at the Penn Relays. In football, he was a three-year starter for the Explorers, although he missed most of his senior season with a dislocated elbow. Eubanks will arrive in University Park at the start of the spring semester in January. In addition to the Nittany Lions, he was also pursued by Pitt, Virginia Tech, Indiana, Rice and Louisiana-Monroe. –RYAN SNYDER F O O T B A L L Grad transfer WR commits to Lions EUBANKS

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