STATE COLLEGE — Sean Clifford had himself quite the start to the season.

Three touchdowns paved the way for a double-digit halftime lead at Purdue. Third-quarter cramping forced him to the locker room for an IV, letting Drew Allar give a glimpse of the future. Clifford’s pick-six made fans wonder what the present would look like with Allar before the sixth-year senior totally redeemed himself.

After guiding Penn State on a game-winning, two-minute drill touchdown drive, Clifford was named the Big Ten co-offensive player of the week and the Rose Bowl’s Big Ten player of the week. The recognition felt half-deserved, half-odd. Clifford accounted for five total touchdowns and won the game. He also almost lost it.

In a lot of ways, last Thursday embodied Clifford’s rollercoaster career, prompting plenty of opinions on Penn State’s starter. But how did Clifford feel about the opener? And what did he think of Allar’s debut? He answered a few questions from reporters about it after Wednesday night’s practice.

In the final two minutes, what’s that process like working with this offense?

“Realistically, it’s all about practice. It really felt like practice. I want to say at least 10 two-minute drills we did in the fall camp area. So when you do that over and over and over again, you get a hang of the flow, what (offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich is) going to call. I predicted pretty much half of the calls he was coming in with. I already knew the operation. It was going to be quick. That’s where that synergy was.”

When you went back and watched the film, what did you see in your self-scout?

“I thought for game one on the road against a really good Purdue team, we did a solid job. I thought we also left a lot of points on the board. I thought I could’ve played better in the third quarter specifically, also including that pick-six. Other than that, I thought the first half was pretty clean, which is definitely a difference from Wisconsin a year prior. There, the first half was awful, and we turned it around in the second half.

“We made strides. That Purdue team is good, guys. They have a very good football team. And I think you’re going to see them in the West winning a lot of games.”

What did you see that was specifically different between the third and fourth quarter? Was it a matter of comfort for you?

“I thought that we played the first half really well. And then I thought the cramping affected me a little bit, which is completely controllable. I got a little too excited after the Brenton (Strange) touchdown. After that, I started cramping a little bit. So in the third quarter, that affected me a little bit. But at the same time, there were a lot of throws that I just didn’t make. Purdue also came out and ran some new looks. They made some pretty solid halftime adjustments. … It’s a chess game.”

You were gone for 26 minutes. Do you try to keep up with the game?

“I was constantly asking, ‘What’s happening? What’s happening? What’s happening?’ I had someone at the door peeking out. I was like, ‘Let’s roll, let’s roll.’ But I was just trying to calm down and relax. I had someone telling me what was going on, that way I can keep up with everything.”

Did you feel pressure to get back in there?

“I just wanted to get back in for my own sake. It’s my last year. I don’t want to miss a down if I can. So as much as I can play, I’m going to play. That was the urge, to get back out there with my guys.”

How do you think Drew handled that series?

“Well, I didn’t get to see it. But on the film, I thought he handled it like a pro. Really excited for his progression. I thought there was a big jump. … I thought Drew handled the noise. I thought Drew handled the pressure. It just gives me a lot of comfort knowing we have guys behind me who want to play, who have an urge to play and can play. So it was exciting to watch on tape.”

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