What Penn State Learned About Itself in a Win Over Bowling Green

"It's a dogfight," defensive coordinator Tom Allen told the Nittany Lions at halftime. They responded.

The Penn State Nittany Lions run onto the field prior to the game against the Bowling Green Falcons at Beaver Stadium. / Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

STATE COLLEGE | Tom Allen's voice already was raspy in August, even before his Penn State's defense took a real snap in a live game. The Nittany Lions' first-year defensive coordinator often sounds like he's just finished clearing his throat of every last decible, even though a few complaints still get stuck in there.

But after halftime Saturday, Allen didn't have to raise his voice to make his point. He walked into the locker room after Penn State's defense gave up 24 first-half points to Bowling Green, circled his players and told them, "It's a dogfight." And then he calmly reset how the Nittany Lions would cover the Falcons.

"I learned that he's built for these situations," Penn State defensive end Abdul Carter said after the game.

Penn State's 34-27 win over Bowling Green left a sweet and salty aftertaste, to be sure, and it stemmed largely from the defense. Allowing 24 first-half points is an anomaly for any Penn State defense against any team, much less this one against a MAC opponent. Sure, Bowling Green was gritty, prepared, physical and poised. As Falcons head coach Scot Loeffler said, "I think we played fairly well against this unbelievable defense, best defense in the country. ... We just ran out of bullets."

However, that wasn't Penn State's defense, at least not in the first half. The Nittany Lions' response was vital, too, particularly for Allen and his defense. Observations from a unique day in State College.

'That's not us'

Allen's first home game as Penn State's defensive coordinator could not have started much worse. The group gave up a shocking 286 first-half yards and an even more shocking 24 points. No team scored 24 against Penn State in the first half of any game last season. And no team had scored against Penn State on its first offensive possession since 2021. The Falcons did both.

Loeffler and Bowling Green quarterback Connor Bazelak successfully attacked Penn State's occasional man coverages with routes to beat those packages. The Nittany Lions' defensive front tackled wearily (Bowling Green averaged 7.9 rushing yards per play in the first half) and generated no four-man pressure on Bazelak. Bowling Green's receivers had a stunning 120 yards after the catch.

"It definitely didn't go how we expected," safety Jaylen Reed said. "We had to come to our senses."

"The urgency wasn’t where it was supposed to be, and guys weren’t on the same wavelength," linebacker Kobe King added.

Allen cut through the issues at halftime directly but rather casually. "He wasn't screaming or anything," linebacker Tony Rojas said. "He just told us, 'That's not us.'"

Penn State's defensive line pressed reset at halftime and played much better in the second. The back end shifted into some different coverage looks that frustrated Bazelak. He was 16-for-20 in the first half and 9-for-19 in the second. And Rojas and Zakee Wheatley each picked up fourth-quarter interceptions.

"How we respond speaks more volumes than what happened, you know what I mean?" defensive tackle Dvon J-Thomas said. "So that was probably the biggest message that we had. We’ve been here before, let’s be exactly who we are. We know who we are, we know what we came here to do. And let’s execute."

An important missing piece on defense

Penn State starting safety KJ Winston, the Big Ten defensive player of the week, left the game in the first half and did not return. His departure certainly impacted how that first half unfolded. Penn State lost its best tackler in the secondary and had to reconfigure the defense. Jaylen Reed played deep safety instead of the "Lion" position that gives him more room to roam. Cam Miller then moved into a nickel role. Bowling Green exploited the impromptu change.

"We did a good job manipulating their coverages and giving ourselves a chance," Loeffler said.

The Nittany Lions can't afford to be without Winston long-term. A bye week, followed by a home game against Kent State, should help sort his situation.

An important missing piece on offense

Tight end Andrew Rappleyea was a "very, very late" scratch, according to Penn State coach James Franklin, and spent the game walking the sideline with crutches. His absence thinned a position group that has run into early health issues.

The Nittany Lions did not have tight ends Khalil Dinkins and Jerry Cross available at West Virginia, leading to Rappleyea's first start. Dinkins returned against Bowling Green, but then Rappleyea was out. That also meant a first start for true freshman Luke Reynolds.

Thankfully for Penn State, tight end Tyler Warren is healthy and dominant. He set a program record for receiving yards among tight ends (146).

Drew Allar's underrated day

Quarterback Drew Allar was really good against Bowling Green. With a little more help (one key drop, a penalty on a deep shot), and Allar's stat line would have been elite. He finished 13-for-20 for 204 yards and two touchdowns while running for a score as well.

His interception stood out, because it occurred in the end zone on a preventable decision. Allar loaded that onto his shoulders, saying he misread a disguised Bowling Green coverage. But as he did at West Virginia, Allar looks so much more confident and committed to taking deep shots. And his dart to Nicholas Singleton in the end zone was a gem.

The bottom line

Penn State improved to 25-0 at home against non-conference opponents under Franklin, which means they continue to care for their business. That Franklin, king of the home-favorite covers, didn't pay off Saturday will resonate more outside the program than within it. However, this win should not have required this much strain.

And yet, as J-Thomas said, Penn State's in-game response was just as important as the lapses that required it.

"This was a challenge," he said. "It didn’t necessarily need to be, but I respect Bowling Green a lot. They’re a good team, they came out swinging. I appreciated this moment because it taught us how to come together and go harder than ever."

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