Penn State 38, West Virginia 15: What We Learned About the Lions in Week 1

Quarterback Drew Allar threw for 325 yards and three touchdowns in a rousing debut at Beaver Stadium.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. | Penn State quarterback Drew Allar threw for 325 yards and three touchdowns in his first career start, as the No. 7 Nittany Lions defeated West Virginia 38-15 in their 2023 opener at Beaver Stadium. Allar completed 21 of 29 passes and finished with a quarterback rating of 200.7. It was among the most prolific debuts in Penn State history, surpassing that of a College Football Hall of Famer 31 years ago.

In 1992, a sophomore named Kerry Collins went 15 of 30 for 249 yards and two touchdowns in his first career start. Allar surpassed that in a game in which he had completion streaks of seven and six passes. He also made a breathtaking throw to receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith (two touchdowns), who turned it into a 72-yard score.

The crowd 110,747, the fourth-largest in Penn State history, included about 200 lettermen and former defensive coordinator Tom Bradley, who was an honorary co-captain. What stood out about the Lions' opening win? Here's a look.

The Turning Point

After the first three-and-out of his starting career, Allar led a composed touchdown drive in the third quarter that effectively sealed the game. He did so by methodically taking everything West Virginia allowed: the receiver screens, the quick curls and a free release near the goal line

KeAndre Lambert-Smith, who is developing a catalog of big plays, was the last receiver West Virginia wanted to forget about in the end zone. But the Mountaineers' secondary did, leaving Lambert-Smith alone for a 12-yard touchdown. That gave Penn State a comfortable 21-7 lead.

Lambert-Smith, whose 72-yard touchdown on the opening series electrified the crowd, is growing into the No. 1 role. Meanwhile, Wallace caught all of his first seven targets and set up the touchdown. Receiver was a preseason question, but Lambert-Smith and Wallace answered it nicely.

'I was very pleased'

Penn State coach James Franklin graded Allar highly, though he clearly is going to replay one piece of film this week. In the first half, Allar tried to thread a ball to Lambert-Smith in the end zone but didn't get it high-and-away enough. Franklin thought it should have been intercepted (Lambert-Smith made a nice play to break up the pick, actually), and the in-house grade might be a de facto interception.

"So, we were fortunate," Franklin said. "To me, you got to make that throw in the red zone. You want to put it up high where our guys are going to catch it, catch it in the back of the end zone or nobody does. But besides that, I thought he did a really good job of managing the game from a decision-making standpoint. He's extremely poised. Like we've talked about in the past, he's mobile for a big guy who does a great job of climbing a pocket and keeping his eyes up. I was very pleased."

What We Learned About the Nittany Lions

Allar has enormous talent and room to grow. His opening-drive touchdown throw to Lambert-Smith was a gem, underscored by his decision to climb the pocket while following the receiver. He moves well while keeping his eyes downfield, throws well across his body and has quite a toolbox. Both touchdown throws to Lambert-Smith were effortless for different reasons: one a 40-yard flip on the run, the other a beautifully lofted ball to the end-zone corner. There's plenty to clean up, but Allar's debut was more than fine.

Kudos to West Virginia for the run-based gameplan, designed to shorten the game and sideline Penn State's pass-rushers. And it worked to some degree against the Lions' defensive front. But quarterback Garrett Greene faced a bunch of second-half duress, as Abdul Carter, Adisa Isaac and Dani Deni Dennis-Sutton began shortening his throwing times. The emphatic statement came on the fourth quarter, when Carter sacked backup quarterback Nicco Marchiol on fourth down.

The running backs had a relatively quiet night, though they remained superbly effective. Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen each averaged above 5 yards per carry, and Singleton scored from short yardage.

Quarterback Beau Pribula made his debut, punctuating the game with a rushing touchdowns with 6 seconds remaining. That drew a wave of helmet taps from teammates on the sideline. Pribula's going to draw a bunch of comparisons to Trace McSorley.

Kicking: an issue. Sander Sahaydak missed 38- and 34-yard field-goal attempts in the first half, pulling both right (he's left-footed). Transfer kicker Alex Felkins (Columbia) entered in the second half and made a 24-yarder.

Center Hunter Nourzad might need to loosen his grip on the football. Nourzad, who played guard last season, made a few high snaps that upended some plays' early rhythms.

Three Stars

Drew Allar: He threw for 325 yards in his first career start, something done just twice before by a Penn State quarterback (Michael Robinson in 2003 and Mike McQueary in 1997). 

The receivers: Franklin was right about Lambert-Smith and Wallace being the top two receivers. But North Carolina transfer Malik McClain (four catches, one TD) shined in his debut. 

West Virginia's offensive line: The group asserted itself, particularly early, in a well-constructed run game. Why the Mountaineers got away from it down 7 points was a mystery.

Up Next

Penn State hosts Delaware on Sept. 9 at Beaver Stadium. It's the first meeting between the programs. The game will be streamed exclusively on Peacock.

More on Penn State

Penn State Football on SI.com

Penn State's Landon Tengwall announces retirement from football

The Penn State 2023 forecast: College Football Playoff or bust?

Tom Bradley returns to Penn State for ceremonial coin toss

Meet Drew Allar, Penn State's 'low-key, level-headed' quarterback

How James Franklin could have become a pretzel mogul

AllPennState is the place for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, tracking three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on Twitter @MarkWogenrich. And consider subscribing (button's on the home page) for more great content across the SI.com network.