Penn State's Drew Allar Unleashes His 'Swagger' Against West Virginia

The Nittany Lions quarterback unveiled the animated side of his personality vs. the Mountaineers. Coaches and teammates loved it.

Penn State quarterback Drew Allar looks to throw in the first half against West Virginia / Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK

Barely four minutes into the 2024 Penn State football season, quarterback Drew Allar was hot. Allar clapped into an official's face, asserting that a West Virginia defensive player had clapped to mimic Penn State's snap cadence (not allowed) which led to his fumbling the ball. Sure, Allar gets angry. Rarely, though, had he he shown it to that extent on the field.

And while he winced at the turnover, Penn State coach James Franklin loved seeing this side of Allar surface — even bloom.

"I don’t know if I necessarily would have said that I knew that was coming," Franklin said Monday, "but I sure was glad it happened."

Allar, Penn State's second-year starting quarterback, brought a different energy to Penn State's 34-12 win at West Virginia to open the season. He clapped more, pointed more, talked more to the Mountaineers' defense, threw a stiff-arm and generally carried himself with more presence. A reporter used the word "demonstrative" Monday in asking Franklin about seeing this new side of Allar. Franklin smiled.

"The word you used is a really good word to describe it," Franklin said. The Penn State coach didn't want to suggest that Allar underwent some sort of metamorphisis following last season. The 20-year-old quarterback is a second-year starter and third-year player in Penn State's system. Of course Franklin expected growth and change. He just wasn't sure to what degree.

"He shouldn’t look the same, he shouldn’t behave the same," Franklin said at his weekly press conference. "There should be growth, there should be more confidence, there should be more swagger. Because he's earned that. Confidence is something you earn."

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Penn State players and coaches overwhelmingly voted Allar as a captain this season, and Franklin said before the opener that Allar commands "total respect" within the program. Still, Allar admits that he isn't the most vocal, or even "demonstrative," person.

So he challenged himself in that capacity, along with running the ball. Allar has described himself as being "intentional" about developing both traits. In fact, Allar led the offensive players in coordinator Andy Kotelnicki's post-practice public speaking initiative, calling it, "the best thing that we've done as an offense."

"There are situations where that’s OK to happen, just showing the guys I have emotion, that fire, like everybody else," Allar said after the game in Morgantown. "It’s something I’m always working on. You definitely have to pick your spots with that."

One of those spots arrived in the fourth quarter, with Penn State leading 27-12 and Allar taking a draw on 3rd-and-3. The quarterback stiff-armed Josiah Trotter, West Virginia's 238-pound linebacker, and eluded his tackle for a 3-yard gain and the first down. Afterward, Allar got up and shared some observations with the Mountaineers' defensive players. Penn State's sideline lit up, and Beau Pribula threw a touchdown pass to tight end Tyler Warren two plays later.

"That stiff-arm was crazy," running back Nicholas Singleton said. "I haven't seen a stiff-arm like that. It got everybody hyped."

"For that to happen on our sideline, and for our sideline to see that and see him make a play like that that he has not made in the past and to react the way he reacted, was really pretty cool," Franklin added.

RELATED: Drew Allar gets "intentional" about his run game

This isn't necessarily a new Allar. "I've always been that way," he said after the game. "I know my parents will tell you." But it was a more concentrated, more animated and, yes, more "demonstrative" version of the Penn State quarterback. More confident, even.

"I want to be the guy who sets the tone offensively," Allar said. "I want to show emotion and passon for the game, but I'm never going to dip down. I'm going to be steady but I’m definitely going to celebrate when things go our way."

𝘋𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦

James Franklin liked a reporter using the word so much that it led to a playful back and forth 😊#B1GFootball x @PennStateFball pic.twitter.com/aaoTLbmzAs

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) September 2, 2024

Noteworthy

Franklin said that receiver Kaden Saunders, handled punt returns last Saturday, could return to the offense this week. Saunders missed some training camp time with an injury but was cleared to handle punt returns, most of which Franklin expected to be fair caught.

Penn State safety KJ Winston was named the Big Ten's defensive player of the week. Winston made 12 tackles, seven solo, as the Nittany Lions' defense held West Virgina to 246 total yards and just 85 rushing. Winston made eight of his tackles in the first half and also was credited with a forced fumble. He is the first Penn State player to earn a Big Ten DPOW award since safety Ji'Ayir Brown in September 2022.

Franklin reiterated his confidence in kicker Sander Sahaydak, who missed a 47-yard field goal in the fourth quarter. "[We have] a ton of confidence in him based on what he did all training camp and spring ball," Franklin said. "I know he'll make the next one."

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Penn State on SI 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 X (or Twitter) @MarkWogenrich.