Close Losses
- Thread starter nittanyacacia
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Wandering Spectator
Well-Known Member
How about Nebraska? In the B1G, they scored 239 and gave up 239 - and were 1-8 in the conference!
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First team ever to lose 9 games by single digits I think. Someone can correct me if wrong but I thought that’s what the stat showed during their game with Iowa.
Clifford is a game manager, not a leader who will win the close games. Glad to see him go. If coach allows him to come back, it sends a terrible message to players and recruits. How many Penn State QBs have lost more games than Clifford, and he did it with mostly 4 and 5 star talent. Still going ahead and getting season tickets next year. I am always a Lion fan.
I think you are being unfair to Clifford. Over his three years as a starter he has provided the best QB play we have had since Darryl Clark. He was a major upgrade once taking over in 2019. The problem this year is coaching. The third radically different offense in as many years and one that a large number of players on the roster are not well suited to play in. For as well as the defense has played, it has a couple of major weaknesses as well with no easy fix unless they would have moved to an odd front.
It was painful but entirely predictable. When you play Iowa mistake prone and undisciplined teams tend to make more and bigger mistakes during crunch time.
I remember when the general thinking was JoePa alone was worth + 3 pts per game. I miss those days.
I think that Sean represents us well in all facets of what we think PSU football is. Unfortunately due to 3 offensive coordinators, injuries, some just plain bad decisions- especially while pressing- he has not won enough here. Watching live during the Michigan game I was amazed by his grit. In the end we lost to two qbs who are worse than him (Iowa/Ill). One that is better (OSU) And two that are similar but made the plays (UM and MSU).
As much as I'd like to see him get some redemption and play with his brother, it probably is better for OSU to rebuild.
Hack couldn’t run for his life, McSorley and Clifford could but it eventually caught up with them. Why would any top QB recruit want to be running for his life. PSU QBs were sacked 32 times this year!
Franklin has to change or die. It’s been 8 yrs now. It starts up front. Always has and always will. On both sides of the ball. Especially in the B1G. And yet we get caught up in big plays which get fewer and fewer as each season wears on.
Franklin has to change or die. It’s been 8 yrs now. It starts up front. Always has and always will. On both sides of the ball. Especially in the B1G. And yet we get caught up in big plays which get fewer and fewer as each season wears on.
There were two problems. Our Oline was "suspect at best" and Clifford getting banged up didn't help. I like the freshman kid, but it all falls back on coaching. How can a program like Penn St. not have a capable back up in the Iowa game?
I think she was very fair on Clifford.
You also raise some valid points as well.
And honesty Franklin is worth -7 pts per game. Any other Div-1 coach in the county and we would have been 9-3 AT A MINIMUM.
I agree. He is a gamer and gave his best including playing hurt. However, he will be 24 this off-season; time to turn over the reins to someone else IMO.
Ah yes more drivel from the delusional haters. Maybe you could explain to me what specific coaching decisions Franklin made yesterday and against Michigan that cost the team 7 points each game. He makes the right call by punting on 4th and inches down 7-0 yesterday. Stout’s punt is downed on the 1 and boom, first play 33 yard run off right tackle MSU then proceeds to go 99 yards against Pry’s defense to make the score 14-0. Stout again missed a makeable FG and PAT in a game PSU lost by 3 points. Offense finally gets the lead against Michigan (in another game where Stout had a bad missed FG) and the defense gives up the game losing TD late in the game on a 47 yard TD to a TE on a simple crossing pattern thrown 5 yards beyond the LOS. Defense also gave up a long game losing TD late in the Iowa game also to a TE. Ever occur to you that the players on the field make plays that win close games (such as the TD on 4th and 15 yesterday) and the teams that lose close games don’t make those plays. Nah that couldn’t possibly be the problem.
Clifford is a microcosm of the team. Does not know how to win in the clutch. Does enough to keep us in games but not enough when it counts. Yes we need better coaching too!
Until we get a truly elite QB we ain't making the playoffs. Then we have to pray James and company don't wreck that car.
Until we get a truly elite QB we ain't making the playoffs. Then we have to pray James and company don't wreck that car.
That's a ridiculous stat.... unreal.
What was Clifford supposed to do while he was carving up the defense when they call a slow developing run play with a slow ass rb on 3rd and 4th and one?
Its been a very common thread with Franklin and PSU since the Rose Bowl.
Its something he (Franklin and staff) need to take a very, very hard look at to figure out whats going wrong.
IMO it is stubbornness that causes these close losses:
Iowa: To proud to try something new when it was obvious Roberson was in over his head. Hell even if they line up under center and run straight they at least get the snap and don't change the field by as much as they did with the penalties.
Illinois: Continuing to try to run the ball (common theme of losses) when it was obvious they couldn't.
Ohio State: I honestly don't expect much when we play OSU any longer so I am not sure where I would go here.
Michigan: Thinking he could outsmart UM with the fake FG and some of the other decisions.
Michigan State: Keep trying to run slow developing plays with a slow Florida running back in blizzard conditions.
I love Franklin but he is a lot like my kids....I beg for them to make different mistakes so I can teach them. Stop making the same mistakes over and over again.
Pretty much agree with all of that.
I'm not faulting Franklin for playing Roberson over Veilleux at Iowa but I think after the 3rd false start I would have gone wildcat with either Dotson or Warren. And oh BTW why was it every time MSU had a false start we had a great defensive play wiped out and then they got a do over and did it really well.
I do question though why Veilleux couldn't have been used against Illinois.
The second half "adjustments" by the staff (on Sat.) were horrible. Its like Mel Tucker and his DC laid the bait to have PSU run more and Franklin and company took it hook line and sinker. I've never seen a more meaningless 5.1 YPC than Lee's.
I am not sure if other teams have it for their back ups, especially when it comes to qb, but we should have had a worst case scenario back up plan at Iowa, especially without an experienced QB in the back up roll.Pretty much agree with all of that.
I'm not faulting Franklin for playing Roberson over Veilleux at Iowa but I think after the 3rd false start I would have gone wildcat with either Dotson or Warren. And oh BTW why was it every time MSU had a false start we had a great defensive play wiped out and then they got a do over and did it really well.
I do question though why Veilleux couldn't have been used against Illinois.
The second half "adjustments" by the staff (on Sat.) were horrible. Its like Mel Tucker and his DC laid the bait to have PSU run more and Franklin and company took it hook line and sinker. I've never seen a more meaningless 5.1 YPC than Lee's.
I like the Dotson or Warren Wildcat Funny thing is my sons freshman team this year lost their qb for a half because he acted up in school. They didn't have a capable back up so they ran wildcat for a half with their RB.
I think back and wonder about that Iowa game. Why not have a 10 play play book that featured a qb under center. Runs were runs and passes were passes. No RPO and take the decision out of a young kids hands. I think this was my biggest complaint all year. We ran Roberson out there as if he was McSorley.
What? bad qbs can win close games. Go check out the thread bashing Lamar Jackson. Ravens have wins by 1, 2, 6, 3, 3 (w Huntley), and 6 and Jackson isn’t even really a QB if I’m reading things correctly.
Stubbornness is absolutely a big problem. Stout taking FGs is a perfect example of it. Every kick felt like a toss up yet somehow we didnt see Pinegar once until literally the last kick of the season? It took that long?
Jake had a rough season last year but was 91% in 2019.
Exactly. We brag about what a great recruiter JF is and yet nobody else seems to get a shot. Fashanu is the next great OT, but he can't see the field over Effner? The Sahaydek kid has videos of 60 year FG, yet he can't give it a whirl.
Being stubborn with analytics is also mind boggling. We take every opportunity for game changer on special teams out of the equation. Sure a poor return doesn't put you at the 25....but damn, remember when Hamler took the ball out against App State and returned it to the 50. It is a risk reward that we don't take advantage of.
We are stubborn and play not to lose.
Coming from the same people who praise Kirk Ferentz’s coaching style.
Never understood this change in approach, especially once Cliff got injured and the offense needed some spark. We had saquon returning kicks yet with one of the most electric playmakers in the country all he’s allowed to do is call for a fair catch?
I agree wholeheartedly and have said that in other posts. Hopefully PSU finally gets one in Allar or maybe even Pribula. Time will tell.
Who are you referring to? Dotson? He had returned several punts when there was an opportunity and wisely fair caught punts when there wasn’t.
The Wildcat is a gimmick which gets figured out right after you run it one time. Roberson did not play well against Iowa but the false starts and dropped passes didn’t help bPretty much agree with all of that.
I'm not faulting Franklin for playing Roberson over Veilleux at Iowa but I think after the 3rd false start I would have gone wildcat with either Dotson or Warren. And oh BTW why was it every time MSU had a false start we had a great defensive play wiped out and then they got a do over and did it really well.
I do question though why Veilleux couldn't have been used against Illinois.
The second half "adjustments" by the staff (on Sat.) were horrible. Its like Mel Tucker and his DC laid the bait to have PSU run more and Franklin and company took it hook line and sinker. I've never seen a more meaningless 5.1 YPC than Lee's.
