Penn State 41, Auburn 12: 20 Quick Hitters (But Not as Hard as the Hit on Sean Clifford)

AUBURN, Ala. — Penn State’s 41-12 resounding victory over Auburn here in Jordan-Hare Stadium was the first appearance — and win — by a Big Ten Conference team. Ever.

And, it could have both short- and long-term ramifications.

Like the confidence gained that will help down the 2022 road against Michigan and Ohio State to impressing the College Football Playoff, if comes to that, and to bolstering the program and its young players.

That’s what James Franklin shared after the game, as we use his thoughts on the matter to kick off 20 quick thoughts on Penn State’s big win, Auburn and more.

1. “There’s a reason that this is like one of the only games that’s been scheduled (in an SEC home stadium) in the history of the Big Ten. All the data, all the analytics shows it,” Franklin said. “You gotta do whatever you can to win your conference. This is going to help us. We’re going to build on it. It’s a great experience, not only for this year for us to go forward but also for the freshmen.”

2. Penn State’s last trip to the state of Alabama? Sept. 11, 2010 — a 24-3 loss to Nick Saban and No. 1 Alabama.

3. Nicholas Singleton. Oh my. He had just four carries for 10 yards in the first half. The second half was much better: six carries for 114 yards, with TD runs of 1 and 54 yards, plus a 53-yarder. He finished with 124 yards on 10 carries.

4. The comp for Singleton, who has had 10 carries in each of Penn State’s first three game? Could it be Saquon Barkley?

Here are the first three games of their Penn State careers:

5. What does Saquon think of the latest running back phenom? Near the end of the game, here’s what @saquon had to say via Twitter:

6. Auburn’s running game. Tank Bigsby gained just 39 yards on nine carries — after rushing for 102 yards and two TDs on 23 carries at Beaver Stadium last year. With poor and inexperienced QB play, Auburn needed a big game on the ground.

“We got behind and we had to throw the football,” Auburn head coach Bryan Harsin said after the game. “Sometimes the team you’re playing knows what you’re trying to do, and they take that away.”

7. The crowd. It was orange and it was real and yes, Penn State was well-represented. But it looked to be 90% Auburn. It was louder than what you heard on TV. Not quite at the White-Out-making-Michigan-call-timeout level, but louder than anything I’ve ever heard on the road in the Big Ten. At least at the start.

8. Penn State was 5 of 5 in the red zone, scoring four touchdowns. Auburn was 2 of 4, without a TD.

9. All five of Penn State’s TDs came on the ground, as Harsin hastened to point out in his post-game press conference.

10. This may have been second-year offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich’s best game with Penn State. The Nittany Lions gained 245 yards on the ground and 232 through the air, without turning the ball over. And the KeAndre Lambert-Smith flea-flicker to quarterback Sean Clifford was brilliant.

11. The Nittany Lions came close to losing the ball in the first quarter, when Clifford was nearly assaulted in the open field by Auburn linebacker Owen Pappoe. Clifford lost the ball — understandably — as it trinkled out of bounds and PSU maintained possession.

12. When asked about the hit, Franklin: “Sean is a tough kid. Been through a lot, both physically and mentally. And I’m proud of him. I’m just really proud for Sean right now.”

13. After forcing just one turnover in its first two games, Penn State’s defense came up with four vs. Auburn: interceptions by Zakee Wheatley and Ji’Ayir Brown and fumble recoveries by Jonathan Sutherland and Chop Robinson. The picks were not a surprise; at least who made them. Brown had a team-high six last season for PSU, while Wheartley was Penn State’s turnover king in both spring and summer drills.

14. Speaking of turnovers:

Manny Diaz is the guy who invented the turnover chain at Miami (Fla.), where the Hurricanes had a nation-leading 31 turnovers in 2017, when was D-coordinator. But, in 2021, when Diaz was in his third and final season as a head coach, the Hurricanes had just 11.

15. Diaz has made a difference with the Nittany Lion defense. “Manny is the fiery guy in the room,” linebacker Curtis Jacobs said after the game. “The turnovers are the first thing we put up there when we watch another team (on film) — who can help us and who can hurt us. So, it’s seeing that and envisioning that, and then coming out and doing that.”

Robinson elaborated: “We knew coming in, from watching film, that Auburn carried the ball loose.”

16. The game was a reunion of sorts for Harsin and Diaz. The two were on the University of Texas football staff in 2011-12, as OC and DC, respectively. On Saturday, Harsin and his wife Kes spent a considerable amount of time chatting with Diaz on the field during pre-game warm-ups.

17. Harsin is on the hot seat. On the field after the game, I watched Harsin as he left the scrum of Penn State and Auburn players shaking hands after the game. No one said a word to him from there as he walked the 60 yards to the stadium tunnel, except his family, who he huddled with a bit on the 35.

18. Penn State is off to a 3-0 start, with two of its first three games —including the Big Ten and season opener against Purdue — on the road. Franklin noticed and said so after the game: “Two of our first three were on the road. Auburn starts its year with five at home.”

19. Penn State’s student media traveled exceedingly well the game, not an easy 865-mile trip. Onward State had five reporters and photographers; The Daily Collegian had two reporters and a photographer; and the student radio student station, CommRadio, had broadcasters Jake Starr and Andre Magaro in the stadium, calling the game.

Sports broadcaster Hannah Mears, a Penn State alumna, made her Big Ten Network debut Saturday at Jordan-Hare, handling game day, pre- and post-game duties for BTN.

20. Best thing I drank this weekend: Hand-squeezed lemonade at Toomer’s Drugs at Toomer’s Corner, where College Street meets Magnolia Avenue in Auburn. And the best thing I ate? The chicken breakfast platter, with mac ’n cheese, fried pickles and Brussels sprouts while sitting at the counter of the very first Chick-fil-A restaurant, located in Hapeville, Georgia, and founded in 1946 by S. Truett Cathy. An historic weekend, indeed.