As I sat in the stands underneath the press box, waited around for two and a half hours at halftime for play to resume and drove back to Pittsburgh following a 34-12 Penn State win against West Virginia, I kept coming to the same conclusion. This season-opening victory is more about how well the Penn State played and could be this season rather than the idea that West Virginia isn’t a good team.
WVU significantly fell flat on the hype surrounding the game, some of it self-imposed, but this is about Penn State.
Sitting at Milan Puskar Stadium, three things most stood out to me:
- Drew Allar is becoming the player we all thought he could be
- Andy Kotelnicki’s offense brings a significantly new dynamic
- Penn State’s secondary is vastly improved from the Peach Bowl, thanks in part to budding stars Jaylen Reed and KJ Winston.
ALL IN FOR ALLAR
The number one takeaway is Allar. He looked every bit of what a five-star prospect should represent for one of the best teams in the country.
Allar completed 11 of 17 passes for 216 yards and three touchdowns. His 229.7 quarterback rating ranks seventh out of 128 qualifiers. He earned PSU Offensive Players of the Game honors with Trey Wallace after the duo connected for two touchdowns and sprung hope that Wallace could become the big-play receiver Penn State desperately needs.
Allar said at Penn State football media day that he trimmed down 10 pounds in preparation for the season. Whatever he lost, he gained obvious muscle in the weight room.
It’s not easy holding the weight of being a top 10 team in the country, the largest alumni base in the country, expectations and pressure to make the expanded playoff, and prove big games can be won with you at the helm. Allar took the first step forward to answering many of the biggest questions in front of him.
In a world congested with stats, numbers, analytics, and data to explain almost everything, trust your eyes. What did your eyes tell you on Saturday?
Allar delivered accurate throws deep down the field and to the sideline, which were placed in near-perfect spots. He didn’t take a sack.
Instead, Allar looked quick in the pocket, elusive in avoiding defenders, and scrambled for 44 yards on six carries, including multiple first-down runs on third down. As a cherry on top, James Franklin dubbed him “Lamar Allar” as a phrase circulating the locker room. Allar’s stiff arm of Josiah Trotter was the final exclamation point.
😳😳 @AllarDrew pic.twitter.com/X6itH4hfgR
— Penn State Football (@PennStateFball) August 31, 2024
This is the sign of a confident quarterback. Poised and comfortable. Allar looks tremendous.
KOTELNICKI ISN’T AFRAID TO TAKE SHOTS
Good things can happen when you throw the ball down the field. New offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki ran a dynamic offense at Kansas that kept defenses guessing. He’s brought a similar blueprint to Penn State.
Sure, it’s one game. Sure, it wasn’t against a Big Ten team, and maybe West Virginia was a tad overhyped. Regardless, Kotelnicki showed everyone this isn’t last year’s offensive scheme.
Allar missed a few throws in the first quarter, but Kotelnicki’s balanced attack eased him into the season and helped roll out the kinks of not playing a real game in eight months. Both teams dealt with those issues with sloppy play and fumbles galore in the first quarter.
Everything changed in the second. Penn State scored five total touchdowns. Every score was by 18 yards or more, including a 40 and 50-yard touchdown. Once Allar completed a few passes over the middle and found a rhythm, Kotelnicki dialed up multiple shot plays to Wallace and opened up the running game for Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton.
Late in the field half, Penn State took over at its 27-yard line. 37 seconds remained. I expected to see one or two runs and an offense content going to the locker room ahead 13-6. Kotelnicki had other plans.
Instead, Allar delivered a strike about 65 yards in the air, and Omari Evans caught the jump ball at the WVU 18. The building went silent… other than the good showing of Penn State fans. One older WVU fan told me was the most opposing fans he’s ever seen at Mountaineer Field.
Drew Allar DEEEEEP to Omari Evans 🎯@PennStateFball pic.twitter.com/G2ZJf2fqQq
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) August 31, 2024
Allar threw a strike to Wallace one play later. 20-6 Penn State. Game changer. The Nittany Lions scored to open the second half, too.
They were aggressive and took chances. Penn State’s offense certainly proved they’re capable. Kotelnicki trusts Beau Pribula in certain packages to carry the football in option plays and two-quarterback sets. I was skeptical of the formula at first, wondering if it was being overused. While that might be the case, the design played out effectively. Pribula eventually batted the defense into thinking run and threw a strike to Tyler Warren for a knock-out punch TD. The offense even made the great Pat McAfee’s head spin.
You’re welcome in Happy Valley anytime 😉 @PatMcAfeeShow https://t.co/amGjPiHb1j
— Penn State Football (@PennStateFball) September 1, 2024
This was probably McAfee licking his wounds to an extent after hyping up WVU all week and turning the focus to an “Allar for Heisman” candidacy, but builds considerable attention to a team looking to take the next step and embark on a program-altering season.
Secondary Stealing the Show
Allar is the story. Penn State’s team performance as a whole is the story. But almost as much as anything, Jaylen Reed and KJ Winston were the story.
Reed took home Defensive Player of the Game honors, while Winston earned the recognition of Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week. West Virginia looked to exploit PSU’s secondary early, but Reed and Winston slammed the door on all opportunities. Reed did well in the passing game deflecting away passes and chasing down Garrett Greene, while Winston performed swimmingly in run defense.
B1G Defensive Player of the Week 🦾@B1GFootball x @KevinWinstonJr1 pic.twitter.com/wtNZn2RJOs
— Penn State Football (@PennStateFball) September 2, 2024
Winston recorded 12 tackles and a forced fumble. Winston’s 12 tackles tied a career-high set against Michigan last season. He reached a new career-best with seven solo tackles. Reed registered nine tackles and a fumble recovery. Winston stripped WVU quarterback Garrett Greene on a QB scramble in the first quarter, but the Mountaineers recovered. A few plays later, Winston stopped Greene short of the sticks on 4th and 1 inside the 20 and forced a turnover on downs. It set the tone. Winston and fellow safety Jaylen Reed combined for 21 tackles.
Penn State forced three turnovers and is now 12-0 since creating multiple turnovers in the same game since 2022.
Don’t forget about Tony Rojas, who has a coming-out party with seven tackles and is around the ball in almost every play. The sophom*ore linebacker’s physically at the point of attack caught my attention as PSU looks to replace Curtis Jacobs, now in the NFL playing for the Patriots.
One Other Note…
Sander Sahaydak kicking-off and place-kicking came as a small surprise. He battled Tulsa transfer Chase Meyer redshirt freshman Ryan Barker for the job in camp. Meyer, a Lou Garza Award watch list member as the nation’s top place-kicker, watched from the sidelines as Sahaydak converted four extra points but missed a 47-yard field goal late in the fourth quarter.
James Franklin said Monday it wasn’t an ideal situation to put Sahaydak in to attempt his first kick of the year, but he has confidence in the junior going forward.
Sahaydak is now 1-5 kicking field goals as a Nittany Lion, dating back to last season before losing his job to Alex Felkins.
Penn State hosts Bowling Green on Saturday in the 2024 home opener at noon.
