Penn State's Drew Allar Plays an Underrated Game Vs. Illinois

Facing duress for the first time, the Lions' QB 'kept his cool,' protected the ball and made some timely plays.

One play after his finest throw of Saturday's game, Penn State quarterback Drew Allar might have made his best decision. The sophomore quarterback, making the first road start of his career, quickly recognized no one was open in the end zone and threw the ball out of bounds. That preserved 5 seconds for kicker Alex Felkins to make a 28-yard field goal and give the Lions a 16-7 lead over Illinois entering halftime.

Penn State ultimately beat Illinois 30-13 despite Allar's statistically uneven afternoon in Champaign. He completed 16 of 33 passes for 203 yards and no touchdowns. Allar threw more incompletions in this game than in his first two combined. He also threw fewer touchdown passes than Trey Potts, the Lions' No. 3 running back. Yet Saturday proved to be exactly what Allar needed from his third career start. And really, he played a very underrated game.

"He kind of kept his cool, he's pretty steady Eddie and poised," Penn State coach James Franklin told reporters in Champaign. "We did have drops that made it harder than it needed to be. ... He'll learn from this, we'll learn from this and it will be great tape to evaluate."

Penn State quarterback Drew Allar improved to 3-0 as a starter after the Nittany Lions defeated Illinois 30-13 in their Big Ten opener :: Ron Johnson/USA Today Sports

In his first two starts against West Virginia and Delaware, Allar faced little hardship. His receivers got open, his run game averaged 230.5 yards per outing and his offensive line largely kept him clean. Against Illinois, Allar's backs gained 2 first-quarter yards, the Illini defensive front generated pressure, his offensive committed some drive-killing penaitles, his receivers lacked separation and dropped three passes and one starting receiver, Tre Wallace, didn't play. Yes, Allar sailed a few passes, overthrew Theo Johnson in the end zone and didn't identify a wide-open KeAndre Lambert-Smith for a potential big-play touchdown. That's all part of the growing-pains model.

But even with those lapses, Allar was smart, economical, decisive and trustworthy. He played his third consecutive start without a turnover. Allar has thrown 148 career passes without an interception. He tucked the ball to run six times for 24 yards, converting three first downs in the process. One of those was on the field-goal drive to close the first half. Most of all, Allar processed the defense well and moved on after mistakes.

For instance, on the same second-quarter series, Allar missed Lambert-Smith, overthrew Liam Clifford on a short pass and didn't get enough air under a pass to Johnson in the end zone. But he also converted two first-downs running, threw a sharp first-down conversion pass to tight end Tyler Warren and identified a screen to Kaytron Allen that gained 9 yards. Allen finished the drive with a touchdown run.

Then, given 42 seconds and good field position just before halftime, Allar converted a 3rd-and-2 run before dropping his dime to Clifford in the red zone. This was a gorgeous throw.

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

Beyond the physics of that throw, Allar showcased the clutch gene that Penn State knows he has. It was a perfect play, and throw, for the situation. A play later, Allar made the wise choice to throw out of bounds. The program is learning more and more that Allar doesn't rely on the hero-ball gene some other Penn State quarterbacks (including his predecessor) have shown. Saturday's game presented a perfect storm for a young quarterback to press and make a mistake: a blunted run game, red-zone stalls and an opponent hanging around. Allar could have become impatient, grown erratic in his footwork and made some poor decisions. Overall, he really didn't. That's proof of growth.

Every moment matters for Allar, whom FOX analyst Joel Klatt called perhaps the most talented young quarterback in the country. "God turned this guy's right arm into a thunderbolt," Klatt said, which Allar confirmed with the stunning throw to Clifford. But that very next play demonstrated in real time how Allar is becoming a complete quarterback. Franklin has said that Allar knows the offense intuitively, a level of preparation that gives him confidence to be situationally aggressive or reserved. He also has grown in understanding the grace notes of the offense.

"To me, the hardest part of the offense was the signals," Allar said before the game. "I felt like I was pretty good with all the Xs and Os and knowing the plays, but then seeing the signals and having to think through everything was definitely the hardest part for me."

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. 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.

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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.