Penn State Football
Penn State Player Postgame Quotes (Offense)
vs. Ohio State – October 29, 2022
Sean Clifford | QB | Senior+
Q: Did your performance feel as wild as the game swung? Starting out the first a couple of turnovers and then ending the way it did and there was a lot of wild swings in the game...did it feel that way emotionally throughout the day?
A: I thought that we moved the ball pretty well throughout the day. They have really tall ends and they tried to do a lot of screen game. Just makes it tough when they are so long. Kudos to them, obviously a really good football team. I thought that they played really well. I thought we played well.
Q: How do you assess your own performance when you have a bunch of yards, touchdowns, but also the turnovers? How do you think about your performance, what do you think about?
A: The key stat is obviously the wins or losses. And we didn't take care of that so it's hard to assess how I played individually. All I know is you know, we didn't care of business, so it's definitely tough.
Q: Can you gauge where this team is emotionally right now?
A: Hurt for sure. It's tough. It really is. You put everything into this game, and when it doesn't go your way obviously it's going to be hard so it's just about feeling the hurt. There's nothing wrong with that, and then getting back tomorrow, watching film, and getting better.
Q: There's probably a feeling in your locker room from a lot of people that maybe we should have won this game and didn't. How much of the hurt comes from that?
A: We definitely know that we had our chances to win that game. It's tough but you can't really talk about the if's. What happened, happened. We just have to learn from it.
Hunter Nourzad | OL | RS Senior
Q: From an emotional standpoint, it felt at one-point you guys felt maybe you could pull it off. Did you feel that on the sidelines at all? Did you ever feel like, we can pull this thing out?
A: I mean, I think that no matter what the score is at the time, we're always just trying to continue to get more points. So, I don't think that anybody thought, oh, we have this, but we obviously had a confidence going in that we knew we could when we executed and played as hard as we can.
Q: So, Sean, obviously, throws those two early picks comes back and you guys are charging back. What's he like as a quarterback kind of in that pocket?
A: I mean, all of us are on the same page --- on mentality about mistakes on the field. If you make a mistake, you learn from it, and then try to move on as best you can and kind of forget about it. I think Sean's really good at that. He's a great leader on the sidelines, a great leader on the field and off the field. So, I hope that answers your question.
Q: Your time here with Sean, it has not been very long but what have you learned about him through tough situations?
A: Sean's a tough, tough guy. I think he handles all the pressure that's put on him as a Penn State starting quarterback. I think he handled it extraordinarily well. So, he has great composure whether that's off the field, in the locker room, in the film room or on the sidelines. I think he's just a great leader.
Parker Washington | WR | Sophomore
Q: How do you guys bounce back from this?
A: Just working hard and having the guys stick together. Don't fall apart and stick together and overcome this loss.
Q: What's been the difference in the scheme or something you're doing that has helped you spark for the last couple weeks?
A: Staying precedent, working on the pass is key and building upon that with the guys, and listening to coach.
Q: How were you able to spark the offense?
A: Staying in the moment, staying locked in, and understanding the opportunities. That's all I can do.
Theo Johnson | TE | So.
Q: What went right offensively?
A: We did a good job running the ball and we had to stretch the ball down the field. I think we had all the stuff that we can plan for, it was there, we just can't turn the ball over.
Q: What are the postgame emotions and conversations in the locker room?
A: It's tough. It's not easy. Guys are hurt. But the message was that you're going to take losses and you're going to get knocked down. That doesn't change the fact that you have got to get up the next day and do your business. Take advantage of the opportunities we have left. It hurts but if you got to put your best foot forward.
Q: How close is Penn State to teams like Michigan and Ohio State?
A: I think that we are right there. We have been this whole year and today it just came down to finishing plays, whether it's finishing blocks or finishing touches. It's hard to win the games when you're giving the ball to the other team. We need to keep watching the film and seeing the positives. There are more opportunities coming down the line. This is not going to define us.
Q: What adjustments will be needed to get Penn State over the hump?
A: It comes down to making big plays and making routine plays as well. People will get caught up in making the big-time plays but it's about staying on track on first down and doing the routine stuff that's not very glamorous. But that stuff needs to get done, whether it's blocking on the perimeter or getting your hat play side on midzone. We're going to go to the facility tomorrow and watch the film to make our corrections where they need to be corrected. We're going to pound those in hard and then Monday, a little bit of prep for the next team. Tuesday, continue focusing on the things that we need to correct from today.
