Penn State's Drew Allar Looks for More Consistent Production in the Fiesta Bowl

The Nittany Lions' quarterback, who has been uneven in the postseason, seeks a breakout game vs. Boise State.

Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar (15) looks to pass during the first half against the Southern Methodist Mustangs at Beaver Stadium. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Drew Allar’s College Football Playoff debut wasn’t the best game of his Penn State football career. It also wasn’t his worst But in the end, the Nittany Lions’ punishing run game, combined with a pair of pick-sixes, was more than enough for Penn State to defeat SMU 38-10 and take its first step toward a National Championship.

Last Saturday marked just the third time this season that Allar didn’t throw a touchdown pass. Though his relatively mistake-free play was key against SMU, Penn State will surely need more from its junior quarterback moving forward. As the lights get even brighter heading into a Fiesta Bowl matchup vs. Boise State, the Nittany Lions will be relying on an experienced Allar to turn the page to their next opponent. 

RELATED: How Penn State's offense is preparing for the Fiesta Bowl

Drew Allar's impact vs. SMU 

With Beaver Stadium buzzing Saturday for Penn State’s first-ever playoff game, SMU’s defense momentarily shut down any juice coming from the home crowd. Quickly facing a 3rd-and-short against the Mustangs, Allar struggled to find an open receiver despite strong protection, scrambled to his left, avoided a sack and then attempted an awkward shovel pass to Liam Clifford that fell incomplete.

Drew, you do realize you can throw the ball buddy pic.twitter.com/2uJdwAIxd6

— Mr Matthew CFB (@MrMatthew_CFB) December 21, 2024

From the moment he began to scramble, Allar had running back Kaytron Allen open for a first down. Penn State won the game elsewhere, but the Mustangs’ defense did successfully neutralize Allar’s arm. He finished the matchup 13-for-22 with 127 passing yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions. After the game, Penn State offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki still praised Allar for his leadership.

“Weather conditions [weren’t] great, … [but] there's no excuses to really not execute in any capacity,” Kotelnicki said. “But I will tell you one thing that's not going to show up in the stats is how many times [Allar] is our leader in the straw that stirs the drink, how many times he puts us in the right play. We had a lot of run checks in the game plan for him to put us in the right play and get us in situations that will allow our guys to execute. That's a big part of being a quarterback as well.”

Ultimately, Allar kept his play clean against a Mustangs defense that came in with 15 interceptions. Running backs Allen and Nick Singleton, who Allar called “the best backfield in America,” continued to hit new peaks as a duo. Allar didn’t even have to play the full 60 minutes, as true freshman Ethan Grunkemeyer saw his first collegiate snaps in the fourth quarter thanks to the blowout. 

Allar’s arm wasn’t the focal point of the game plan against the Mustangs. But as playoff competition toughens, Penn State’s air attack will only grow more important, making week-to-week preparation — an area Allar said Thursday he believes he’s grown the most this season — more essential. 

“My confidence in general, and the way I prepare, and I would just say that goes along with leadership … I feel like that's where the most steps I've taken off the field are, mentally,” Allar said. “Obviously it's Coach [Kotelnicki’s] first year here and [my] first year with him. So I think our confidence and relationship has grown a lot from me telling him what I need throughout the week in practice, and what rep plays I want to get and why.”

Eyeing Boise State 

Allar has made some phenomenal throws in two postseason games but also has been inconsistent. He has a combined 54.1 percent completion rate vs. Oregon and SMU and finished both games with season-lows in passing yards per attempt (5.8). Allar now goes from facing an ACC defense in cold Pennsylvania weather to facing a Mountain West defense in an Arizona dome. Boise State racked up 51 sacks in 13 games this season, and like SMU could present challenges in running the football (112.5 rushing yards allowed per game). Entering a matchup where his arm could make a more significant impact, Allar highlighted the strengths of Boise State’s defense.

"They're a really sound unit,” Allar said. “You don't see many mistakes in the run game, like guys in the same gap. Not many blown coverages. So I think they're a very sound and disciplined group, and that starts with the coaching staff. They do a great job in getting those guys aligned in the right spots. I think the biggest thing that sticks out about the players is just how hard they play to the whistle. They're playing through the whistle every single snap there is. So a lot of respect for these guys. They've had a great season. So it's going to be a fun matchup.

Preparation is key at this point in the season. Allar gave himself a bit of time off over Penn State’s brief Christmas break but still watched film at home Monday and Tuesday morning. He arrived at the football building at 6 a.m. Thursday to continue his film study. Singleton reflected that confidence in Allar’s off-field work, calling him a “film junkie.”

“As much as it might be weird to say, I enjoy watching film,” Allar said. “When I'm home, I'm always watching it anyway, so it's kind of part of my routine now.”

Tight end Tyler Warren said Thursday that, as the Nittany Lions use their limited time to scout opponents, Allar “being the player he has been” and being a leader makes it easier for Penn State’s offense to stick to what it does best. Even with the holiday interrupting the playoff grind, Allar is sticking to his routine, turning the page from one playoff win and looking for the next. The quarterback’s steadiness and growing experience are only making things easier for Kotelnicki in weekly game-planning.

“His understanding, his [mastery] of the offense, obviously, has just grown every week since I've been here, and then you get into the season and that continues,” Kotelnicki said Thursday. “He knows what's happening. He knows his reads. He knows what the defense is doing. And he's just at a high level of understanding it right now from where he was 13 months ago.”

Penn State will take on Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl on Tuesday, Dec. 31. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.

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Daniel Mader, a May 2024 graduate of Penn State, is an Editorial Intern with The Sporting News. As a student journalist with The Daily Collegian, he served as a sports editor and covered Nittany Lions women’s basketball, men’s volleyball and more. He has also covered Penn State football for NBC Sports and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, with additional work in the Centre Daily Times, Lancaster Online and more. Follow him on X @DanielMader_    or Instagram @dmadersports.