Penn State quarterback Daryll Clark is his own harshest critic.
Clark, who's wrapping his first season as starter, has been particularly hard on himself in recent weeks leading up to Saturday's game with Michigan State (3:30 p.m., ABC).
But he believes his confidence has returned at the most critical juncture of the season. The winner of Saturday's game in Happy Valley gets at least a share of the Big Ten championship. Clark knows his best performance is needed with a trip to the Rose Bowl on the line.
"I'm a perfectionist," Clark said. "I believe the people around me deserve the best I can give."
The last three games have been a struggle for him. He sustained a concussion against Ohio State and had to sit out while his teammates rallied for the win.
Two weeks later, his late interception set up Iowa's game-winning field goal that ended the Nittany Lions' national title hopes.
And even in Penn State's 34-7 win over Indiana last Saturday, Clark wasn't soft in his evaluation of his play after accounting for three turnovers.
"Last week I had to do a little soul searching," Clark said. "My mom and dad have been in my corner. They realized something was bothering me.
"All the players have been behind me when I started to get battered by some fans and the media. They told me, 'We know what you're capable of doing, just relax.' "
This week's practices have been considerably better, and Clark has noticed the change.
"I feel like the swagger is back," Clark said. "My mother said she hasn't seen that shine in my eye. I play a lot better when I've got it."
Clark has demanded the best from himself since his first college practice.
"I had the mindset that if you want to play here you have to play flawless," he said. "When I made a mistake in practice, I really got on myself."
Those around him say he's often too demanding.
"He's being too tough on himself," Penn State coach Joe Paterno said. "(The media is) being too tough on him, to be frank with you, at times.
"Daryll's played really well. This is a guy that came in here and started for the first time, and we're 10-1. We've lost one football game, which was not his fault. He keeps thinking it was his fault and that he could have won it. Yeah, he could have won it. I could have won it. Fifteen other guys could have won it."
Clark ranks sixth in the Big Ten in passing, averaging 179.8 yards a game, right behind Michigan State's Brian Hoyer.
He ranks fifth in the conference in total offense, averaging 203.5 yards a game, just ahead of Hoyer.
"I'm pretty happy with the way I've played," Clark said. "There have been some spots here or there where I could have played better."
Clark was particularly dejected following the Iowa loss when his late interception helped the Hawkeyes boot a 31-yard field goal with one second remaining.
His teammates haven't lost faith in his skills.
"He's done a great job," wide receiver Derrick Williams said. "Some people don't know that he's still new to this.
"He's taking it to a different level. He's a great leader. To me he's one of the best in the country the way he leads the team, and he's maturing as a quarterback."
