Trending
UNIVERSITY PARK -- Penn State took a step backward Saturday.
The Nittany Lions were inept offensively, turning the ball over five times, but rode their defense to a 17-7 victory over Northwestern before 105,524 on a rainy day at Beaver Stadium.
"I understand the challenges the offense can face on a rainy day," defensive tackle and team leader P.J. Mustipher said. "That's why we have a defense. We have their backs, and they have ours."
Penn State's defense allowed just 31 rushing yards and drew seven punts. The Lions opened the game by forcing five straight three-and-outs. They also stopped three of the Wildcats' four attempts on fourth down and 11 of their 15 third-down plays.
The defense needed to be that good because the offense was that bad.
"We didn't do a good job with situational football," James Franklin said.
Penn State tailbacks lost four fumbles -- two by Nick Singleton and one each by Keyvone Lee and Kaytron Allen.
The Lions were among the nation's best at protecting the football, committing just one turnover in four games.
"We saved them all up for tonight," Franklin said, attempting humor. "Fortunately for most of the game, our defense got a turnover back or just played great."
Franklin refused to blame the weather, saying, "I'm never going to allow the weather to be an excuse. It doesn't matter. We have to be able to protect the football."
Quarterback Sean Clifford struggled. He completed 10 of 20 for 140 yards and a touchdown. He was intercepted once, and "there could have been a couple others," Franklin said.
Clifford missed several open receivers, drawing boos from the home crowd who didn't get to see freshman Drew Allar for the first time this season.
As well as Penn State's defense was playing against a Northwestern team that is offensively challenged, this would have been the perfect opportunity to test Allar in a meaningful situation not dictated out of necessity due to injury or in a mop-up role.
The Lions were desperately in need of a spark that Clifford was not providing.
Penn State was not going to lose this game because of its defense and punter Barney Amor.
Franklin could have started playing for the future while still dealing with the present.
"Obviously, we'd like to get him (Allar) in the game, but it's not something I brought up," Franklin said. "It's not something Mike (Yurcich) brought up."
Too bad.
No matter what Allar may have done or not done, the position could have gotten stronger for a challenging month ahead.
This is not meant to suggest the job should be open. Clifford is the quarterback. Everyone knows that by now. And certainly he still gives the Lions their best chance to win at Michigan.
But Franklin had no interest in fueling a quarterback controversy, which he probably will have soon enough.
If the Nittany Lions play like this in Ann Arbor, they'll lose -- maybe big again -- and then the impatience for a quarterback transition will begin Oct. 22 against a Minnesota team that in losing to Purdue also showed Saturday that it's not as good as its record.
Neither is Penn State. With the exception of their domination of Auburn, the Lions have not put together a solid four quarters in their other four games.
They were fortunate Purdue's coach blew a mental fuse with the game on the line by not milking the clock.
They have settled into these Clifford-fueled stretches of inconsistency -- in the second quarter vs. Ohio U., last week vs. Central Michigan and again Saturday.
Meanwhile, while he's protecting Clifford, Franklin now has a tailback problem on his hands.
None of them played well Saturday. Allen was the best, but he didn't play in the first half due to a decision that Franklin didn't specify but mentioned "behavior modification."
Devon Ford, finally, could have been an option, but he has left the team.
After he dried off and cooled off -- the fumbles understandably enraged him on the sidelines -- Franklin attempted to spin the narrative.
He thought the Lions controlled the line of scrimmage but "the turnovers skewed" negative perceptions.
"We've done what we needed to do up to this point to be 5-0," he said. "There's a ton of value of being able to win in less-than-ideal situations. But we have to get better."
On one side of the ball, that's for certain.
Rudel can be reached at nrudel@altoonamirror.com.