Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1488968
3 4 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M fering a significant boost to Penn State's defense. Game Of The Year It might not have seemed so at the time, but Penn State's 35-31 comeback victory at Purdue to open the season was undoubtedly the team's most criti- cal win this past fall. It very nearly didn't turn out that way. After scoring 3 touchdowns in the second quarter to take a 21-10 advantage into halftime, Penn State appeared to be in control. Even after a back-and-forth start to the second half, the Nittany Li- ons held a 28-24 lead with less than 10 minutes to play. An overthrow from super senior quarterback Sean Clifford into the hands of Purdue safety Chris Jefferson changed all that, though. Jefferson re- turned the interception 72 yards for a touchdown, and in a matter of seconds Penn State's four-point lead had be- come a three-point deficit. Two subsequent punts made the Nit- tany Lions' predicament that much more perilous, setting up a last-ditch opportunity with 2:22 to play and the ball resting at their 20-yard line. C l i f fo rd m a d e t h a t o p p o r t u n i ty count. Completions to senior receiver Mitchell Tinsley and sophomore re- ceiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith, com- bined with an 8-yard carry by Allen, quickly moved the Nittany Lions to midfield. Hitting Tinsley again, this time for a 27-yard pickup, Clifford turned what had been an uphill climb into a scor- ing opportunity. On first-and-goal, he rolled out and found sophomore run- ning back Keyvone Lee in the end zone for an uncontested 10-yard touchdown catch. In a game that could have derailed their bounce-back season before it be- gan, the Nittany Lions set a critical tone from which they wouldn't look back. Individual Offensive Performance Of The Year Before he had even taken his first snap of the game against Minnesota, Clifford was the target of a smattering of boos from the Beaver Stadium crowd. Then he went out and completed 23 of 31 passes for 295 yards and 4 touch- downs in a 45-17 demolition of the vis- iting Gophers. The performance earned Clifford his second Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week nod of the season and righted a ship that had taken on water in a blow- out loss at then-No. 5 Michigan the pre- vious week. Individual Defensive Performance Of The Year Brown was Penn State's only Big Ten Player of the Week winner on defense during the regular season, earning the honor after totaling 5 tackles and add- ing a forced fumble and an interception in a dominant 41-12 win at Auburn in Week 3. Impressive as the effort was, however, it didn't match Abdul Carter's flash against Maryland. The true freshman linebacker was all over the field in the 30-0 victory over the visiting Terrapins. Carter finished with a team-high 7 tackles including a sack, and he added a forced fumble, a pass breakup and 2 quarterback hur- ries. The effort offered a tantalizing glimpse at what Penn State coaches, teammates and fans are hoping to see in seasons to come from the dynamic playmaker. Top Three Offensive Plays Of The Year 1. Singleton announces his arrival on a national stage at Auburn. Penn State's offense wasn't exactly stagnant in the first half of the team's trip to the heart of SEC country, but its 14-6 half- time lead was precarious. Less than two minutes into the third quarter, Singleton changed everything. Bursting into the open field, he raced 53 yards down the sideline to set up a 1-yard touchdown run and a 21-6 lead. The play took the air out of Jordan-Hare Stadium and delivered to Penn State a critical jolt of momentum in what would turn into a 41-12 romp. 2. The T-formation cashes in at a key moment against Michigan State. Franklin had a decision to make with Penn State clinging to a five-point lead late in its regular-season finale against the Spartans. The Lions were facing fourth-and-2 at Michigan State's 12-yard line. A field goal would deepen the Spartans' hole, but a