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Sean Clifford is having fun playing football, and Penn State is reaping the benefits

He threw for 398 yards –– the third-most in school history –– and three touchdowns while leading his team in rushing and adding another score on the ground.

Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford passes during the first half against Maryland.
Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford passes during the first half against Maryland.Read moreNick Wass / AP

COLLEGE PARK, Md. –– Sean Clifford took Penn State’s bye week personal. He watched more film than he usually does, even during a game week.

Looking specifically at his 14-for-30, 222-yard performance against Pitt, he was able to pinpoint specific things he wanted to correct. Coach James Franklin said Clifford handled the bye week the right way, and that carried over to Clifford and the offense’s preparation for Friday night’s Big Ten opener at Maryland, a 59-0 Penn State win.

It was the first road start of Clifford’s career. It was going to be a hostile environment. How he handled it would tell the rest of the country what kind of quarterback Clifford was and what type of team the Nittany Lions can be.

As the field at Maryland Stadium cleared and the lights shut off afterward, it was clear that Clifford had aced his first real test –– and he did so in style. He threw for 398 yards –– the third-most in school history –– and three touchdowns while leading his team in rushing (7 carries, 54 yards) and adding another score on the ground. It was the type of performance Clifford visualizes for himself -- and his team.

“These are the type of games that I’d like to keep having,” Clifford said. “When I’m visualizing the day before how games go, I’m visualizing success. I’m visualizing each play working in our game plan. Overall, our offense did a great job executing [tonight].”

They executed from the start.

A Jan Johnson interception set the offense up inside the Maryland 10-yard line, and as Clifford took the first snap of the game, he faked the handoff to Journey Brown and rolled out to the right. All that was in front of him was green grass and the blacked-out Terrapins student section.

“Just score a touchdown. That’s what was going through my mind,” he said of the play.

And he did.

On Penn State’s next drive, Clifford attempted his first pass with his team facing a third-and-9 from their own 42-yard line. He found KJ Hamler over the middle at the first-down marker. Hamler did the rest.

“When you throw your first pass, and it’s a little bit high, and he takes it 60 [yards] for a touchdown, that’s pretty sweet,” Clifford said. “We talked about getting him the ball more, getting him more involved. I think we did a good job.”

When players like Hamler are making those types of plays and when Clifford’s offensive line is giving him time to sit back and complete nearly 84 percent of his passes, Clifford’s job is a whole lot easier, and it allows the game to slow down for him.

“This is probably my most well-put-together game,” Clifford said. “Offensively, I thought we executed a lot better ... all the way through.”

But because he’s a self-described “film junkie,” he’ll surely pick apart the game tape on the bus ride back to State College because Clifford doesn’t know what he’d do without football.

“Football is my passion,” he said. “That’s the truth. I am having a blast out here. This is the most fun I’ve ever had playing football.”

After celebrating with the Penn State fans and giving his mom a big hug, Clifford dodged every opportunity to talk about his personal accomplishments (including a school-record 287 passing yards in a half) and gave praise to his offensive line, coaching staff and skill players around him. He’s a lot like his predecessor, Trace McSorley (who just so happened to be on the sideline Friday night) in that way.

“I’m humbled to be in the position that I am, but when I say it’s 1-0, it’s 1-0,” Clifford said. “That’s the only thing that matters to me.”