Penn State freshmen Drew Allar, Omari Evans connect for first TDs
The afternoon of firsts continued for the Penn State football program into the third quarter on Saturday. Leading Ohio at Beaver Stadium thanks to a 70-yard touchdown run from Nick Singleton late in the first quarter, the Nittany Lions’ freshman contingent continued the theme in the second half.
And for the debut home performances of Drew Allar at quarterback and receiver Omari Evans, that meant a shared touchdown experience.
Coming out of a roughing the passer penalty levied against Ohio linebacker Keye Thompson, Penn State found itself at the Bobcats’ 32-yard line. Though a review for targeting was dismissed, the break helped set up the Nittany Lions’ plan of attack toward the end zone.
Running play action out of the shotgun, Allar floated a pass perfectly toward the goal line as Evans made his break. First beating his man, Evans created the separation to slide under the pass, catch it, and fall into the end zone.
The play built Penn State’s lead to 33-7 with 9:25 remaining in the third quarter. It also helped build upon the start of the former five-star quarterback’s career as a Nittany Lion that began last week at Purdue.
Penn State freshmen continue to impress
An On3 Consensus five-star quarterback ranked No. 3 at the position and No. 28 overall nationally, the 6-foot-5, 242-pounder completed 2 of 4 passes in Penn State’s 35-31 win over the Boilermakers to open the season. He came in to spell Sean Clifford, who’d cramped up coming out of the half.
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Settling in with an easy handoff to classmate Kaytron Allen, the next play offered a similarly simple opportunity. Standing in the shotgun, Allar distributed a pitch-and-catch to KeAndre Lambert-Smith behind the line of scrimmage, letting the veteran receiver weave his way upfield for an 11-yard gain and a first down.
The performance ended with a punt, eventually leading to Clifford’s return, but according to the Nittany Lions’ veteran quarterback, it set the table for what was to come.
“I heard he played well when I went out,” Clifford said. “It gives me a lot of confidence as a quarterback. All three of them, they’re talented. And for me, if you have a ding or something happens, it’s nice to know that a guy’s gonna come in and execute.
“I didn’t get to see Drew play that drive, but I’m sure they all said it looked good. I’m happy that he got his first drive at Penn State. I thought it was good for him, kept us on the field, moved the ball I heard, so I’m excited for him.”
