Penn State QB Drew Allar played an underrated game against Illinois, and more of what they're saying
No. 7 Penn State is back in the news after knocking off Illinois 30-13 on Saturday in both team’s Big Ten opener. The Nittany Lions did not play their best game in Champaign, Ill. But, they did enough to control the game and leave Memorial Stadium victorious.
“That was a pretty Big Ten win on the road,” Lions head coach James Franklin said. “You gotta appreciate winning. It’s hard to do. You watch college football, each week there’s games that there are upsets and things you gotta grind it out. That was a big time win for us on the road. It was beautiful to me, especially when you kind of take all the factors that we look at into it.”
Here’s what is being said about the win locally and nationally.
Drew Allar in the spotlight
Many postgame columns and stories focused on Lions quarterback Drew Allar, who was 16 of 33 for 208 yards. It was an underrated performance, Mark Wogenrich writes for Sports Illustrated.
“Sometimes, it’s difficult to remember that Allar has started three games and still is processing the “why behind the what,” as he describes it,” Wogenrich writes. “Afterward, Franklin made a key point by noting that the Lions never lost the lead or control of the game. Five turnovers certainly mattered. But the Lions also didn’t commit a turnover and bounced back from their offensive mistakes, thanks largely to Allar. That’s what made Saturday’s game so beneficial. It’s also why the quarterback’s performance, numbers aside, was a success, and exactly what he needed.”
Frank Bodani of the York Daily Record also covered Allar in his Penn State postgame report card.
“Among the most glaring issues is a sudden penchant for penalties (14 for 125 yards past two games) and mental miscues,” Bodani writes. “The Lions are not known for wiping away momentum like this, but that’s exactly what happened on KeAndre Lambert-Smith’s first-half personal foul penalty.
“Some Allar hiccups on the road are expected. The running game problems are a surprising, unacceptable issue at this point and must be fixed quickly.”
Penn State cannot be upset with winning
That’s the take from PennLive’s David Jones, who also notes that Penn State has plenty of room to grow coming out of its third win of the year.
“You never sneer at a road win, especially one with a nice 3-score cushion at the end that makes the final quarter a relaxed scrimmage,” Jones writes. “Then again, if the target is the pinnacle of the Big Ten and a shot at the mountaintop, you’d better keep eyes on the prize – and what’s necessary to grab it.
“So, Penn State’s win at Illinois on Saturday was good enough for what it was, but not good enough for what they want to be.”
The Lions still have time to find themselves
That is the direction Ben Jones of Statecollege.com goes with his postgame column. He also notes that Penn State has 34 days until it plays Ohio State and 55 until it sees Michigan.
“The good news for Penn State is that the Nittany Lions didn’t need to be a finished product on Saturday,” Jones writes. “Penn State has 34 days until it faces Ohio State and 55 until it faces Michigan. A clash with Iowa this upcoming weekend stands to be interesting, but the Hawkeyes’ perpetual inability to put up points on a consistent basis makes it hard to pick Iowa to actually win that game, no matter how challenging that defense might makes things on Allar and company.”
How should you feel about this Penn State win?
We wrap up here with this question. BWI publisher Sean Fitz answered it in his first impressions piece.
“Truthfully, I’m not sure,” Fitz writes. “Defensive confidence should be up heading into the White Out, while there’s a ton to work on offensively both on the roster and in the coaching box. The big play has not been a part of the repertoire for the Nittany Lions so far this season and that’s curious. Yes, Penn State has not taken the shots and teams have schemed to keep everything in front of them, but the Nittany Lions are going to need that pop at some point. Where it comes from is still a bit of a mystery.
“Like everyone else, Penn State has plenty to work on.”
