Penn State’s Tommy Stevens to miss Citrus Bowl after surgery

Should something happen to Trace McSorley in the Citrus Bowl, it won’t be Tommy Time. Instead, Sean Clifford would fill in.

That’s because Tommy Stevens’ season is over. Stevens, Penn State’s backup quarterback and starting “Lion,” did not make the trip to Orlando and won’t be available against No. 14 Kentucky on Jan. 1 due to injury.

“Tommy had an injury at about the midway point of the season that (the media) weren’t aware of,” Penn State head coach James Franklin told reporters when his team arrived in Florida on Wednesday. “We had a lot of discussions about when’s the right time to have the surgery. Tommy’s family and the staff decided that the best time to have the surgery was once his academics were finished up and he got through the season.

“He was able to do that and this will allow him, hopefully, to be full go for spring ball.”

As expected, Franklin did not offer details of the injury or surgery.

Stevens missed most of the offseason and the first four games of 2018 due to an unspecified foot injury. The redshirt junior observed spring practice from a scooter and wore a walking boot back in August.

Stevens likely would not have had much of an impact in the Citrus Bowl. Stevens’ “Lion” package wasn’t nearly as useful as it was last season, and the Nittany Lions’ offense struggled to find consistency in the passing game for much of 2018. Stevens completed 8 of 11 passes for 110 yards and a touchdown this year. He also rushed for 118 yards on 28 carries and caught two passes for two yards.

While Franklin would have liked to have Stevens available for the Citrus Bowl, it’s more important that he’s healthy for spring camp. Stevens — who decided not to transfer after the 2017 season — is the expected frontrunner to replace McSorley. However, Clifford will push for time, as well.

Clifford, now the No. 2 quarterback, became a fan favorite in 2018 after completing 5 of 5 passes for 195 yards and two touchdowns in three appearances. He dropped a 34-yard dime to Mac Hippenhammer for a garbage time score at Pitt, connected with Daniel Georgie for a 95-yard touchdown against Kent State and found Mac Hippenhammer for 44 yards in Champaign, Ill.

This story was originally published December 26, 2018 at 4:26 PM.