Sean Clifford splitting Penn State QB practice reps; status unclear for Illinois
By Audrey Snyder
October 20, 2021Updated 7:17 PM EDT
Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford is splitting practice reps with backups Ta'Quan Roberson and Christian Veilleux ahead of the No. 7 Nittany Lions' game Saturday against Illinois, head coach James Franklin said Wednesday night. Clifford's playing status remains unclear after an undisclosed injury knocked him out of the Oct. 9 loss at Iowa.
Penn State was idle last Saturday, and Clifford was seen throwing during a media viewing window of practice on Wednesday.
"Yeah, not sure at this stage, all three of them took reps — a third, a third, a third," Franklin said. "We'll see. I don't know at this stage. But we'll see where he's at by Saturday. Hopefully, obviously, we'll have an idea before that. But it was good to see him be able to get some reps today at practice, all three of them."
Franklin added that Wednesday was not the first time Clifford had thrown at practice this week.
In his third year as starter, Clifford ranks fifth in the Big Ten in passing efficiency, completing 66.3 percent of his attempts for 1,482 yards, 11 touchdowns and five interceptions.
"With Sean, he has shown his toughness over the years both physically and mentally," Franklin said Tuesday. "Doing everything he possibly can to put him in the best position to get back as soon as possible, whenever that may be."
Roberson, a redshirt sophomore with little game experience, was viewed as the clear frontrunner for the backup quarterback job at the end of preseason practice, ahead of the freshman Veilleux. Roberson replaced Clifford during the Iowa game but struggled, as he threw two interceptions and the offensive line had repeated false-start penalties. He completed just 7 of 21 passes for 34 yards as the Nittany Lions (5-1, 2-1 Big Ten) blew a 14-point lead in their first loss of the season. Penn State's linemen weren't able to hear Roberson's cadence, a detail that hadn't emerged at practice, Franklin said.
Franklin said he planned to sit down with both Roberson and Veilleux on Tuesday to reiterate that everything will be charted and analyzed this week. Roberson's first meaningful game reps came at Iowa, while Veilleux has not thrown a collegiate pass. Though Clifford's status for Saturday against the Illini remains a pressing issue, whether or not he can play in Penn State's Oct. 30 prime-time game at Ohio State could be an especially key question.
(Photo: Audrey Snyder / The Athletic)
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