Penn State Football: Clifford Set to Start Against Michigan State in Regular Season Finale

According to coach James Franklin there is no quarterback controversy for Penn State football this coming weekend as the Nittany Lions travel to East Lansing to face Michigan State in the final regular season game of the year.

“We’ll go back to the rotation that we’ve had,” Franklin said. “Obviously it’s a good feeling knowing that you have a [No. 2 QB] who has played and played at a high level in actual game reps, which is something we hadn’t had up to that point.”

In turn, quarterback Sean Clifford, who left Penn State’s eventual win over Rutgers this past weekend due to the flu, will once again hit the field as the Nittany Lions’ starter.

While this was largely a forgone conclusion, this week’s news comes on the heels of backup quarterback Christian Veilleux putting together a solid 271-yard, three touchdown performance against the Scarlet Knights in Clifford’s stead.

Clifford left the game having completed just two passes through one quarter of play but was part of a large swath of Nittany Lions battling the flu.

“I’m telling you guys between throw up and IVs, it was an interesting week,” Franklin said after the game. “Literally I’ve never been through something like this, especially at this point in the season when you’re already banged up. So just a ton of respect for our guys and how they handled it. They never flinched and never panicked.”

As for Veilleux, the freshman quarterback eventually beat out former backup Ta’Quan Roberson for the job behind Clifford and was poised in his Nittany Lion debut. Roberson struggled mightily – albeit perhaps inevitably – against then No. 2 Iowa on the road following Clifford leaving that game in the first half due to injury.

It remains to be seen how Veilleux might do against stiffer competition, but he certainly looked the part, even against lowly Rutgers.

“He just keeps getting better and I was proud of him,” Franklin said of Veilleux after the game. “He was very poised today, made some plays with his legs, made some big-time throws, made some checks. Obviously, it’s something to build on.”