Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1490816
1 6 F E B R 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 "It means a lot. I actually posted a pic- ture on my social media of me as a kid [standing outside Rose Bowl Stadium]. I was in fifth grade or fourth grade, and my dad surprised me with the opportunity to fly out here with a really good friend of mine and his dad. I just remember really falling in love with football, specifically falling in love with the quarterback posi- tion. For it to come full circle and then to be able to just be a spoke in the wheel for this team in the Rose Bowl is such a blessing." — Quarterback Sean Clifford after guiding Penn State to a Rose Bowl victory over Utah in his final game with the Nittany Lions "There are so many good things about this game, but there are so many good young men like Tig and Sean and PJ, I can go on and on and on. I couldn't be more proud of these guys, how they conducted themselves, not just in this game but really throughout their entire careers. They've got great stories. I look forward to continuing to be a part of their life and watching them go on and do great things." — Coach James Franklin on Sean Clifford, Ji'Ayir "Tig" Brown and de- fensive lineman PJ Mustipher, three of Penn State's team leaders who bid their on-field farewells in the Rose Bowl "As quarterback Sean Clifford rides off into the sunset, the most pressing question about the program's future is if presumed starter Drew Allar can do even better. Or at the very least, reach the 11- win mark again. At best, the answer is a cautiously optimistic one. College foot- ball is full of randomness, and projecting Penn State to suddenly go from 11 wins to a national title simply because the quar- terback has changed is perhaps a bit pre- mature. Until Penn State starts beating Ohio State and Michigan on a semi-reg- ular basis, there's no reason to assume it will suddenly start happening. That said, there's no denying the sort of 'know it when you see it' factors that Allar brings to the table." — StateCollege.com columnist Ben Jones "Penn State won 11 games in 2022 and might be poised to challenge Michigan and Ohio State for a Big Ten title. Clifford departs at quarterback, but the coach- ing staff is excited about freshman Drew Allar, who was the No. 2 pocket passer in the 2022 ESPN 300. Many of Penn State's best players this past season were fresh- men or sophomores, including tailbacks Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton, receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith, cor- nerback Kalen King and linebacker Abdul Carter. The defense made tremendous strides under new coordinator Manny Diaz, finishing in the top 20 in the FBS in scoring defense, run defense and total defense." — Mark Schlabach, ESPN senior writer, assessing Penn State's 2023 outlook in his Way-Too-Early Top 25, in which he ranked the Lions sixth "We had to get back to guarding. We had to get back to being physical. It was now or never. They were coming in here hungry, we were coming in here hungry. We luckily came out on the right side. We guarded better. … That's who we've got to be. We've been playing through our offense. 'If I don't make shots, I feel bad.' No. Get a stop." — Head coach Micah Shrewsberry after the PSU men's basketball team bounced back from a loss to No. 1 Pur- due by routing Indiana 85-66 on Jan. 11 at the Bryce Jordan Center They Said It "Since Day 1, since Coach re- cruited me, he's been a bless- ing to me. He took me in. He's made me a part of this family. As a player, all you can ask for is for a coach to treat you just like how he treats his kids. The only way I could give back to Coach is to win him a Rose Bowl, win him a championship, period. I sacrificed everything I possi - bly could to make that happen for him, and I hope I made him smile." — Senior safety Ji'Ayir Brown, reflecting on his relationship with James Franklin Playing his final college game, senior safety Ji'Ayir Brown led Penn State with 8 tackles in the Rose Bowl. PHOTO BY MARK SELDERS/PENN STATE ATHLETICS