Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1518105
A P R I L 2 0 2 4 3 3 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M T he final image of Penn State's 2023 football season was one of shared disappointment. The Nittany Li- ons exited the field on the losing end of a 38-25 decision against Ole Miss in the Peach Bowl, leaving quarterback Drew Allar with much to process. Stung by a season in which his side had ample opportunity to achieve its loftiest goals, Allar landed on one overarching assessment: Even after winning 10 games, the Lions needed to execute at a higher level than they had done, particularly on the offensive side of the ball, and particu- larly himself personally. In the three months that have passed since then, Allar's belief in that assess- ment has only deepened. Describing a campaign in which Penn State "wasn't far off at all" from the performances it needed, the junior from Medina, Ohio, has been focused on understanding those shortcomings and working to correct them. "I think that was the most frustrating thing about it," Al- lar told BWI ahead of the start of Penn State's spring prac- tices. "We had the right things going, and for whatever rea- son, we didn't execute the play properly. Or, we could have been more sound in assignments and things of that nature. "I think that's honestly why it was so frustrating last year at times. Because, for me personally, I knew how close we were. We have all the talent in the world here. We've just got to go out and do the job." In practical terms, Allar and the Nit- tany Lions won't have their next op- portunity to do that job until an Aug. 31 visit to Morgantown. With more than five months to go until that rematch with West Virginia, Allar has been preoccu- pied with the job before the job. Seeking Consistency Regardless of how close or far Penn State might have been to its offensive ob- jectives last season, the lift this year is a heavy one. New to the program is offen- sive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki, having arrived in State College after a decade- long stint working under head coach Lance Leipold at Kansas and Buffalo. Tak- ing the reins in January, Kotelnicki has been charged with improving a Penn State offense that was wildly inconsistent. The Lions finished 12th nationally in scoring, averaging 36.2 points per game. Against opponents whose defenses were mediocre (Maryland, Northwestern, Rut- gers) or worse (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan State), Penn State thrived. But except for a 31-point outburst over Iowa in a shutout win in September, the Nittany Lions came up anemically short in matchups against the top opponents on their schedule. Facing an Ohio State team that finished second nationally in defensive efficiency, Penn State amassed 167 yards and six points until its final pos- session, by which time it was trailing by two scores. Against a Michigan team that finished first in the same category, the results were largely the same. The Lions notched 163 yards and nine points until a garbage-time touchdown in a 24-15 loss. Those performances prompted a change in offensive leadership in No- vember and led to Kotelnicki's hiring the following month. Since then, the new coordinator's influence has been marked. Taking over an offense that will feature a revamped line but a number of the same skill position players as in 2023, Kotelnicki has prioritized putting the best players in the most advanta- geous places. "With Coach K, one of his big things is eliminating vari- ables for us, just al- lowing us to go out and play fast," Allar said. "I think that will clear a lot of things up, with guys not being indecisive. Now, they'll be able to go out and play full speed. "I think that will be a big thing for us this spring — going out and just going 100 percent. Playing without the ball. Do whatever your job is and earn those op- portunities. Do your responsibility, and those big plays will come." Growing Season Driven by forces internal and external, junior quarterback Drew Allar is determined to continue making strides this spring NAT E BAU E R | N AT E . B A U E R @ O N 3 . C O M New offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki said Allar "embodies the idea of looking in the mirror, taking own- ership, good or bad, and growing and improving." PHOTO BY MARK SELDERS/PENN STATE ATHLETICS "Something that will never be in doubt about me is my work ethic and my work habits. I know I'll continue to stay on top of that. I want to be the best I can be. There's a lot more room to grow in my opinion." A L L A R