Watch Penn State quarterback Drew Allar's postgame press conference following 21-7 win over Illinois
Penn State got its first Top 25 win of the season Saturday night, defeating Illinois in front of nearly 110,000 fans at Beaver Stadium. Quarterback Drew Allar has done a lot for the offense through the first four games of the season, but their success in this game was primarily built around the ground game, as Penn State totaled 239 yards rushing on 44 carries, good for 5.4 yards per rush.
After the game, Allar immediately pointed to the offensive line and their play in both the run and passing game for their success so far this season.
“We had 240 on the ground and that’s a big credit to the O-line and everybody that carried the ball today,” Allar said. “[The offensive line has] done a great job through the first four games of the season, both in the run and pass game. I’ve told the O-line numerous times we go as they go. If they’re giving me enough time, and with Coach [Andy Kotelnicki’s] schematic philosophy, we’re going to get guys open. They’ve done a great job throughout the whole offseason, working really hard and building their chemistry together. We’re all on the same page.”
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The majority of that yardage came from Penn State’s lead backs, as Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen totaled 196 yards between them. Neither had a big breakaway run on the evening, as both had a long of just 14 yards. Instead, it was more about their physicality that led to Penn State’s success. That was especially true in the second half, as the Nittany Lions rushed the ball 28 times compared to just seven pass attempts.
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“They ran hard. There was a lot of guys that they were running over today,” Allar said when asked about Singleton and Allen. “I think that sets the tone for us as an offense when we see them being super physical runners. We obviously know their ability to break longer runs, but when they’re running people over [and making those extra three or four yards], that’s a big help to our offense. It helps us stay ahead of the sticks, too, which is the biggest thing. We’re able to be more aggressive when we’re ahead of the sticks.”
Through four games, Allar is now up to 864 yards passing, eight touchdowns and just one interception. He’s completing 70.9 percent of his passes, which was what he averaged Saturday night, completing 15 of 21 attempts (71.4%) for 135 yards.
“Just winning can never be taken for granted, especially in a conference like this,” Allar said. “Illinois is going to do a lot of good things this year. They’re a really good team, a very physical group. It’s definitely big for us because we’re going to need to find ways to win games in different types of facets throughout the year.”
