Penn State Football
Penn State Student-Athletes Postgame Press Conference
vs. Minnesota – October 22, 2022
Offense
Sean Clifford | QB | Senior+
Q: What did you see from the defense to allow the tight ends to get a little more active and also the running backs to catch a couple of balls?
A: Yeah, I thought that the o-line played a tremendous game. Played the whole game with them. You saw it throughout the whole game and I had so much time I was able to pretty much have my way sitting back there in the pocket. Maybe one or two pressures, maybe. So kudos to them. Love those guys up front. And then it was just awesome to see a bunch of guys make plays out of the backfield, tight ends getting heavily involved. Parker Washington tonight, Mitch Tinsley, the list goes on and on.
Q: What does your ideal rhythm look like and when do you feel like maybe you started to get into it tonight?
A: You know, I really do think that the game you can ask Mitch Tinsley I'm sure that he would agree. Like the game should've went right away. If he would have just knifed that and I know that he's mad at himself for not doing that, if he would've just knifed and gotten the first down, I don't know if we're even close. I thought that you know we had a rhythm. Like the first three drives were not really in my opinion stalled drives. It just didn't work out in a couple of the plays. So, I thought that we played a really clean game, to be honest.
Q: The touchdown to Parker, you were facing a bullet coming down right at you. What did you feel that way?
A: I saw that. You know it was gonna be one on one with Parker just giving him a chance. Throw a high ball, when it comes to Parker that's one of his best shots is if you could put it up in the air and let him jump for it. Definitely proved it with that one, but didn't see anything. I was actually flipped upside down, which was kind of funny.
Mitchell Tinsley | WR | Senior+
Q: Sean said that you're kind of beating yourself up a little bit about the long run play, but he thought you guys could have had a first down.
A: Yeah. It's just frustrating because I felt like, you know, my attention to detail. Just trying to be on point. That's something for me and you know, and that way when I didn't get the first letter, it was easy. It was an easy first down, I could have just, you know, fell for it. You know, I wasn't really aware of the stakes at the time. So, you know, that's really on me.
Q: What do you think, that first quarter, It just looked like the first few drives, looked pretty disjointed and the interception. I mean, why do you think that happened?
A: I mean, that's kind of just the nature of the game. You know, things happen sometimes, good and bad. I feel like we didn't execute from the start, we really wanted to but I think we really picked it up and started to really execute, in the run game in the pass game.
Q: From a confidence perspective, does this do anything for you and Parker [Washington]?
A: I was really happy for him when he got his first touchdown tonight for sure. But, at the end of the day, we're just gonna take advantage of our opportunities when we get, we have weapons, running back, tight ends. I feel like at the end of the day, we're Team players and, we understand that when we get an opportunity to make the most of it.
Q: It's not the first time you guys have had a tough start and sort of start to figure things out as an offense later on. Have you gotten any kind of rhythm of like, what to do, things to say when you get to those positions?
A: No, I mean, I feel like this is something we've been working on, really since I got here, all fall camp, I mean, there's gonna be adversity, but it's how you respond. So, I feel like that's the message, we're willing to fight and keep going.
Tyler Warren | TE | So.
Q: Anything different coming into this week with the way you guys practice just getting the tight ends more involved?
A: We had a great week of practice and opportunities involved themselves in the game and I think we capitalized as a group when we got our chances.
Q: What do you see on the one where you just got left wide open, what happened?
A: I mean that's the ideal look for that play. The safety split out so I just kind of got on the same page with Cliff, so it worked out.
Q: You and Theo both scored. What's it like for the whole tight end room when everyone's involved.
A: I mean yeah, we definitely like it, it's fun. Whether it's me scoring, [Brenton] Strange scoring, Theo [Johnson] scoring, doesn't really matter for the group we're all gonna be excited so it's good to see that.
Q: James said that the result of your guys' production tonight was the way the game was going. What was it about it?
A: They're a great defense. We have a lot of respect for them. I think we just kind of stuck to the coaches plan and they have a lot up their sleeve so just trust him and what he tells us and what he's calling and it worked out.
Theo Johnson | TE | So.
Q: Was the start of the season frustrating to you? Missing a couple of games and now just being able to breakthrough?
A: Always coming back from injury, you want to come back quicker than what you're able to, so that was a little frustrating. I just trusted the coaches and the process and knew things would come along the way they're supposed to.
Q: What does the ideal offensive rhythm look like to you? And do you think you guys hit that tonight?
A: For sure. I think that you gotta have a good first down just to set up second and third down. That's kind of where we struggled with last week, and I think that today we struggled a little bit at the beginning of the game but once we got into the groove our offense was looking really good today.
Q: How do you feel getting the whole tight end room involved tonight and getting the offensive momentum going?
A: I think it felt great. We've said for a while now that we're confident and we have one of the best tight end rooms in the country. Feels good to finally be able to show that to everybody else. So it felt good to see everybody out there making plays and doing big things.
Q: What did you guys do collectively just to attack the middle of the field, Washington and the tight ends as a whole and get those big plays?
A: That's just kind of what we've seen in film this week. And we knew when we got into the red zone, like the touchdown I had, that was probably gonna be scot free and it was, so I was really just kind of dissecting the film all weekend. Just dialing up the plays when we knew we're gonna get the looks that we wanted.
Q: Theo, I know just in terms of the tight end group, people ahead of time have said that you guys collectively went all healthy and you guys are one of the best groups in the country. Do you feel that way and how do you feel you guys can continue to make that happen on the field?
A: We've always felt that way since we were freshman. We had Pat [Friermuth] here. We've always felt that way. I think we did a good job at displaying that today. We all have guys that can do it. We always talk about that, next man mentality. Someone gets tired, the next man is gonna go on there and do the job just as good or better. Really confident with all the guys, it's great to see Tyler and Brennan, everybody to be able to make plays. And we're hoping to continue stacking games and just prove it.
Bryce Effner | OL | RS Sr.
Q: How do you feel you played as an offensive line, as a cohesive unit?
A: I think it was kind of a slow start, but offensive line is kind of a unit thing. Everyone's gotta click, and once we started clicking I think we played really well.
Q: When did you feel like you started clicking?
A: Maybe it isn't a feel thing or is it? Our first touchdown? Probably on that first touchdown drive.
Q: James [Franklin] referenced Ohio State, how much is Ohio State on your guys' mind?
A: Right now we're just enjoying the win and kind of that satisfaction of the work that we put in throughout the week. Then tomorrow, it is going to be 100 percent Ohio State.
Parker Washington | WR | So.
Q: What was your thought process through your touchdown play? Because that ball was up there for a minute.
A: Before the play, ball was snapped I just decided I was confident. I felt like I would make that play. Being able to do that for our team and get great momentum with that it was exciting, and I was grateful for that. I feel like it all falls back to preparation, hard work, and being confident in yourself.
Q: To come out here today after last week's performance and put up 45 points, and have that offensive explosion, what does that do for the confidence and mindset of this team moving forward?
A: I feel like it's great momentum. I felt like we were able to show that we can bounce back after a tough week last week. That was a big emphasis this week, and I felt like we did a great job with that. Even though we may have started slow, I felt like we kept building, stayed positive, and that was our biggest key to winning.
Q: Coach Franklin was saying that throw from Sean Clifford was one of the best completions of his career. So just from that vantage point, what pathway allowed you to go up and get it?
A: Just trusting eachother. I felt like our communication throughout the week, you know, he believed in me and I believed in him. I feel like without that, we wouldn't have made that throw in the first place, and that was big. It was a big confidence booster for both of us, and our connection we just want to continue to build on that.
