James Franklin: Calls for Drew Allar to start over Sean Clifford send 'the wrong message'

James Franklin, as he is wont to do, didn’t indulge in an inquiry regarding the health of Sean Clifford during his weekly Tuesday press conference. Penn State’s starting quarterback exited last Saturday’s loss to Michigan in the fourth quarter with an unspecified injury, prompting freshman Drew Allar to enter the fray.

“As you guys know, unless it’s a season-ending injury, I typically don’t announce that,” Franklin said, asked about Clifford’s availability and if Allar will appear this weekend against Minnesota. “Nothing has changed with the plan or the model at this stage.”

However, Franklin did entertain a question about Allar, Clifford and the debate that has persisted within Penn State’s fan base for weeks and months, one that has intensified in the aftermath of the Nittany Lions’ blowout defeat at The Big House.

Some supporters want Clifford to continue to start with the idea that the sixth-year senior gives Penn State — a 5-1 team with a possible New Year’s Six bowl on the horizon — the best chance to win right now. Others want Franklin to pull the plug on Clifford and start Allar with an eye to the future.

Franklin doesn’t agree with the forward-focused sentiment surrounding the latter.

“Number one, that’s the wrong message. That’s the wrong signal,” Franklin said, asked what he would say to fans who want a quarterback change. “Sean has earned the right to be on the field. That doesn’t mean that Drew hasn’t done some good things. We’d love to get him an opportunity and to continue to grow him and to continue to develop him for his future. No doubt about it.”

Franklin continued, referencing Penn State’s 2016 season in which the Nittany Lions persevered and won the Big Ten title after a 2-2 start.

“It’s just interesting, and we’ve kind of talked about the whole dynamics of college football and how it’s changed and specifically at Penn State. But I got a text from Mike Gesicki on Sunday when I was breaking down film. In 2016, we lost to Michigan and played Minnesota the following week and found a way to get that win, and the rest of the season went pretty well.

“So, you know, there are tons of examples not only at Penn State but across the country, where you do everything you possibly can to win the next week. And I think some of those approaches aren’t necessarily about winning this week, in my opinion.”

In other words, Franklin — if he believes Clifford is the better option over Allar to win right now — doesn’t want to throw the season away for the sake of what lies ahead in 2023 and 2024.

This year, Clifford’s play has been up and down. He nearly lost the season opener at Purdue with a pick-6 but saved face with a marvelous two-minute drill, capped by his fifth total touchdown of the evening. He was in command at Auburn, taking shots when needed and directing the offense to a 41-12 win.

But Clifford took bad sacks and missed open receivers against Ohio, Central Michigan and Northwestern. At Michigan, he wasn’t the lone problem but completed only 7 of 19 passes for 120 yards with a 62-yard rush. Through six starts, Clifford has completed 59% of his passes for 1,150 yards, nine touchdowns and two interceptions.

Allar, meanwhile, has shown flashes of why he was a five-star recruit. The freshman stepped in for a series and looked unnerved at Purdue, dropping a dime downfield that wasn’t hauled in by Tyler Warren. He led a field goal drive at Auburn and completed 6 of 8 passes for 88 yards and two touchdowns against Ohio.

He also looked uncomfortable at Michigan, taking a pair of sacks under immense pressure. Allar, after playing at The Big House, made his fifth appearance of the season and cannot redshirt this fall.