It appears Penn Remark has a quarterback competition for Saturday’s homecoming sport against Illinois.
While head coach James Franklin declined to supply any essential replace on injured starter Sean Clifford, he did allege that redshirt sophomore Ta’Quan Roberson and merely freshman Christian Veilleux will split first-team work in order this week.
That every however appears to make certain that Clifford is no longer going to play against the Combating Illini in Beaver Stadium (noon ET, ABC). His availability for Ohio Remark the following week is more paramount.
“It be repeatedly a contest, however it’s magnified rather bit, taking a seek at these guys very carefully in order and the scrimmage periods,” Franklin stated of Roberson and Veilleux.
Clifford became knocked out of the eventual loss to Iowa 10 days within the past after taking a substantial hit from linebacker Jack Campbell. Penn Remark became leading 17-3 on the time.
Franklin has refused to supply perception into Clifford’s harm or recovery beyond asserting he is tormented by a matter usually affecting quarterbacks. Accidents to his ribs or throwing shoulder are amongst the chances.
So it appears as if the No. 8 Nittany Lions will play no much less than one corpulent sport without their megastar QB. Franklin stated he’d put to plan a determination on a starter as rapidly as that you just may per chance additionally judge of however is no longer intelligent to realize that sooner than the week’s most intense practices Tuesday and Wednesday.
Despite his seniority, Roberson has no longer been ready to method again with that No. 2 method but, Franklin stated.
Roberson struggled mightily in a deafening Kinnick Stadium. He performed fully 7-of-21 passes for 34 yards with two interceptions. In 11 possessions, he moved the Lions into field function vary as soon as and to midfield trusty one different time.
The Lions suffered eight counterfeit launch penalties, having difficulty even snapping the ball.
“There’s enhance you are shopping for. A player who’s been within the program just a few years in actuality desires to be widening that gap …,” Franklin stated on Tuesday.
“It be no longer oranges to oranges, it’s no longer (exactly) even (with Roberson and Veilleux), however that additionally makes the argument that if it’s shut, it in actuality shouldn’t be, trusty? The man who’s been within the program a very very prolonged time and getting the most reps wants so that you just need to widen that gap and trusty now it’s considerably shut.”
Franklin stated he deliberate to satisfy with both Roberson and Veilleux Tuesday and difficulty each for the week of preparation forward.
“Each and every of them I’m very impressed with as young men and as opponents and as soccer gamers,” Franklin stated. “This could per chance no longer be any original data to them, however I tranquil judge it’s essential for me to sit down down down with them and talk face-to-face …”
Forward of Iowa, Roberson had performed fully sparingly in games with the already decided. Veilleux enrolled in Penn Remark in January and has been the team’s No. 3 quarterback, no much less than except now.
Meanwhile, the fully data Franklin would provide about Clifford became this: “Coming over to the press conference and seeing him within the (training facility), he more or much less lives in there, looking out at movie and now getting therapy and doing all the things he per chance can to assign him within the most bright articulate to select up motivate as rapidly as that you just may per chance additionally judge of, whenever that will per chance additionally be.”
The Lions may per chance additionally no longer desire a improbable quarterback effort to beat struggling Illinois, losers of 5 of its past six games.
That ought to drastically alter, though, with a street time out to No. 5 Ohio Remark on Halloween weekend.
Apply Frank Bodani on Twitter @YDRPennState.
This article originally regarded on York Each day File: Penn Remark’s Sean Clifford out? QB war brewing sooner than Illinois sport
