Penn State 30, Illinois 13: Rapid Reaction to a Dogged Win

The Lions turn 5 turnovers, including 4 interceptions, into a Big Ten road victory over the Illini.

Penn State's defense turned five turnovers, including four interceptions, into 20 points, and the offense pushed through an erratic first half to outlast Illinois 30-13 in the team's Big Ten opener on the road Saturday.

The No. 7 Lions (3-0) scored two second-half touchdowns, including one on a gadget play, and held Illinois to just one score through three-and-a-half quarters to extend their win streak to eight games. They also withstood the first measure of adversity for starting quarterback Drew Allar, who still has yet to commit a turnover.

"It was a beautiful win," Penn State coach James Franklin said on the radio postgame show. "It was a pretty win. You're going to have to win games a ton of different ways throughout the season."

Rapid reaction after Penn State's win over Illinois.

Penn State quarterback Drew Allar got his first road win as the Nittany Lions defeated Illinois in their Big Ten opener :: Ron Johnson/USA Today Sports

The Turning Point

Running back Trey Potts transferred to Penn State from Minnesota to play for the program he wanted to out of high school (Williamsport, not far from State College), which didn't recruit him. On Saturday the redshirt senior delivered the critical play for an uneven offense, though not in a conventional sense.

Potts, who stands 5-9, threw a halfback option pass to Tyler Warren for an 11-yard touchdown, giving the Lions a 23-7 lead late in the third quarter. It provided some breathing room for an offense that struggled to run against the Illini, especially in red-zone situations, and had botched two early post-turnover opportunities. Potts is a unique player on the Lions' roster. He played behind Mo Ibrahim at Minnesota and transferred to Penn State, where he knew he'd play behind Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen. Still, he made the move and delivered a key play in this game.

"It speaks volumes to the kid’s maturity," Penn State running backs coach Ja'Juan Seider said before the season. "He's not holding a grudge, because he could have been. 'They didn’t recruit me out of high school, I don’t want to look at Penn State.' ... For me, I give the kid a lot of respect."

The Manny Diaz defense

In the third quarter, Penn State defensive coordinator Manny Diaz sent a blitz that Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer beat for a 32-yard completion, his longest of the day. The next play, from the Penn State 25-yard line, Diaz sent more pressure that Altmyer couldn't beat. He threw the third of his four interceptions (Johnny Dixon this time) to end a dangerous scoring threat.

That's the essence of Diaz's defense. It will give up some big plays, sure, and cause duress but always lasers on the big play. The Lions harassed Illinois into five turnovers, with four different players intercepting Altmyer. That included linebacker Abdul Carter, who dropped into coverage one pay after blitzing. Altmyer beat the blitz but never saw Carter release. Again, Diaz in action.

Drew Allar's underrated day

The Penn State quarterback's numbers weren't great: 16-for-33, 208 yards, no touchdowns. He had just 12 incompletions in his first two games. Furthermore, a third-string tailback threw more touchdown passes than he did. Yet Allar got exactly the type of game he needed in start No. 3.

Illinois, particularly defensive tackle Johnny Newton, hit and hassled him all game. The Illini took away his run game early (Penn State ran for 2 yards in the first quarter), forcing Allar into new situations. He missed two potential touchdown passes (to KeAndre Lambert-Smith and Theo Johnson), had another one dropped and two more potential first downs dropped. Then he also made one of the great throws of his starting career.

Ten seconds before halftime, Allar dropped an absolute dime to Liam Clifford for 33 yards, leading to a field goal. This is situationally phenomenal and a measure of the young quarterback's resilience.

What a pass by Allar and what a catch by Clifford 🔥@PennStateFball picks up a BIG gain with seconds left in the first half pic.twitter.com/5KviPuqjfq

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 16, 2023

Penn State's lost-opportunity first half

Behind a defense that forced three first-half turnovers, the Lions assuredly should have led by more than nine points at halftime. They started two drives inside the Illinois 45-yard line and scored six points. Credit Illinois' defense, notably Newton, for keeping the game in sight. But the Lions also missed some juicy chances. Namely:

• Kaytron Allen dropped a ball Allar floated perfectly into the end zone, leading to a field goal.
• Starting a drive at the Illinois 22-yard line, Penn State's line came unglued, allowing a tackle for loss and sack to force another field goal.
• Receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith's personal foul blunted a second-quarter drive, which Newton ended with a blocked field goal.

Penn State salvaged something at the end of the half, when Allar lofted a lovely ball to Liam Clifford in the red zone, leading to a field goal. Kudos to Kaden Saunders as well for a nice punt return setting up the last-minute scoring drive. But 16 points felt quite unfulfilling.

Welcome back, Daequan Hardy

Hardy, Penn State's fifth-year senior cornerback, did not play the first two games. He returned to make the first interception in the Lions' secondary this season (the first two were by linebacker Dom DeLuca and Abdul Carter). Hardy's first-quarter interception, the third Illinois turnover of the game, led to Penn State's first touchdown.

Up Next

Penn State returns home to host Iowa for the 2023 "White Out" game. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. ET on CBS.

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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.