ALTOONA, Pa. -- The play of Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford has been a microcosm of 2020 as a whole. When it's going well and things seem to be turning around, it immediately goes awry.
On Saturday that didn't happen for Clifford and the Nittany Lions as they walked away with a victory for the first time all season, snapping a five game losing streak and winning for the first time at Michigan since 2009.
To do so, Clifford played with a confidence fans and those around the program hadn't yet seen this year. The confidence that toed the line of arrogance much like those who watched him play last season saw. When he crosses the line is when the Penn State offense has to worry as he tries to do too much resulting in back-breaking turnovers.
That aforementioned confidence resulted Clifford going 17 of 28 for 163 yards while adding 73 yards on the ground, including a 28-yard touchdown run in the first half. Clifford gashed the Michigan defense with ease on the ground much like the rest of the offense did against the Wolverines, including the run below.
The Clifford Keeper has been a big weapon today. @seancliff14 | @PennStateFball. pic.twitter.com/RqnUDbVEtV
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) November 28, 2020
It was more than a struggle to finally end up victorious in 2020 for Clifford and company as the second-year starter was benched against Nebraska and didn't start against Iowa racking up more turnovers in five games than he did in 13 games last year.
Did he ever doubt himself?
"No," Clifford said following the game. "I haven't and I will never doubt myself."
Despite the trials and tribulations and inability to protect the football, why didn't Clifford doubt himself when he was at his worst?
"Because i know how hard this team works and i know how hard I work so there's not one person or anybody who can tell me different," Clifford said. "I know the talent we have and I don't really care what anybody else has to say about it."
The talent for the Nittany Lions has been there, it's just young and underdeveloped due to a lack of spring ball and a normal training camp. Clifford has been the constant though for the the last two years leading Penn State to an 11-win season last year and then an 0-4 start while the starter.
Clifford at multiple points just didn't look comfortable or confident on the field for that matter. And without many of the weapons at his disposal from last year it's easy to see why as well as easy to see why he'd press and try to do too much.
Saturday that was all different as Clifford managed the game flawlessly and avoided turnovers for first time all season. And all it took was Clifford finding his flow state.
"I'm actually minoring in psychology and one of the things we've talked about is when an athlete gets in their state of flow," Clifford said. "It's definitely a game-changer and it's fun when you can just play loose. After a couple of losses this year, I feel like it's been tough to find that. But today I just kind of let loose and had fun with my teammates and was back to the Sean that I used to be."
That Sean he's talking about threw for 2,654 yards and 23 touchdowns last year while running for 402 yards and adding five more touchdowns. Keeping that flow date is going to be important for Clifford and Penn State as the season winds down.
Clifford hasn't been alone in believing in himself as his teammates still believe even despite the early struggles.
Sean is a true warrior," defensive tackle PJ Mustipher said. "He's faced adversity this season but he's never quit. He's never given up. He's led this team through the ups and downs, and that's a testament to a true leader."
On a team laden with freshmen and inexperienced players, that leadership is key to cultivating success and embracing what it takes to win at the college level, something many of the play makers on Saturday had yet to experience. Now, not only do the Nittany Lions know what winning feels like, they also have a quarterback who's playing with a ton of confidence and that goes a long way in the game of college football.
"I've never stopped trusting him, I've never lost faith in him whatsoever, nobody has," center Michal Menet said. "I think the biggest difference for him is that he's been playing confidently."
The glimpse into the Clifford of old against the Wolverines that featured a confident quarterback and one able to make smart decisions while leading the offense give Penn State as good of a chance as any to end the season on a strong note.
It starts with Rutgers this Saturday as the Scarlet Knights enter the contest at 2-4 fresh off a win against Purdue. When playing with poise and confidence, the Nittany Lions are a tough team to beat and that was proven against Michigan.The win against the Wolverines has the potential to be much like 2004 was for Penn State, a win to catapult the Nittany Lions into the remainder of the season and into next year.
All it's going to take is Penn State and Clifford finding their flow and if they can do that, it's going to be dangerous to play the Nittany Lions once again.