Clifford passes for 4 TDs, No. 16 Penn State beats Minnesota

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- , A week after the worst game of his six-year career, a smattering of boos rang out from the 107,000 fans clad all in white when Sean Clifford was announced as Penn State’s starting quarterback. Some wanted to see coveted freshman Drew Allar take over a struggling offense. By halftime, the Happy Valley crowd had changed its tone. Clifford threw four touchdown passes in his 40th career start, Penn State’s defense forced seven punts and the No. 16 Nittany Lions beat Minnesota 45-17 on Saturday night. “He’s a battler, he’s resilient and he’s tough,” Penn State coach James Franklin said. “I think if you look around the country, there’s a lot of programs that would be super excited and happy about Sean Clifford being the quarterback.” The “white out” crowd cheered Clifford as he found his rhythm.