Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1528325
2 4 N O V E M B E R 2 0 2 4 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M P enn State followers were told to ex- pect a more adventurous offense under first-year coordinator Andy Kotelnicki. Through six games, the Nittany Lions had not disappointed. There have been some flights of wild creativity this year, most notably a 32- yard touchdown against USC in which senior tight end Tyler Warren snapped the ball and caught the ensuing pass in the end zone. It may look like backyard football sometimes, but the Lions went into their visit to Wisconsin on Oct. 26 ranked third in the Big Ten in total offense (471.2 yards per game) and fourth in scor- ing (34.1 points per game). Here's a look at how Penn State graded out in the season's first half. Quarterback At USC, junior Drew Allar enjoyed one of his best games as a Nittany Lion. While his 3 interceptions equaled the total he had thrown in his first 28 game appear- ances, he also made two huge fourth- down throws to Julian Fleming late in the fourth quarter to help set up Nicholas Singleton's tying touchdown reception. Allar finished the game with 30 com- pletions in 43 attempts for 391 yards and 2 touchdowns. Through Penn State's first six games, he had hit 103 of 146 attempts (70.5 percent) for 1,492 yards, 11 touch- downs and 4 interceptions. His 175.77 quarterback rating was seventh nation- ally, and his completion percentage was 11th in the FBS. Kotelnicki has unlocked Allar's poten- tial this season. The quarterback is taking more risks, fitting passes into tighter win- dows, and is a threat with his feet. Redshirt sophomore backup Beau Pribula has a more sustained role in the offense compared to last year's oft-dis- cussed but little-used "Pribula package." And, despite third-string quarterback Jaxon Smolik dealing with a long-term injury, the Lions have not had to turn to freshman Ethan Grunkemeyer at any point. Under the direction of position coach Danny O'Brien, this group is play- ing at a very high level. Grade: B+ Running Back At one point, Singleton was averaging a gaudy 7.7 yards per carry. Then he suf- fered an undisclosed health problem and missed the UCLA game. The junior run- ning back returned to action against USC the following week but was not as explo- sive as he'd been earlier in the year. He was down to 6.9 yards per carry through six games. That figure still ranked an im- pressive 30th nationally, but a return to big plays in the run game will be needed going forward. On the season, Singleton had 63 carries for 434 yards and 3 rushing touchdowns prior to PSU's visit to Wisconsin, while junior Kaytron Allen had 90 carries for 423 yards and 3 scores. Both have been used in the passing game as promised, with Singleton catching 10 passes for 113 yards and 3 touchdowns and Allen adding 30 yards and a score on 3 catches. The Lions also appear poised to burn Quinton Martin Jr.'s redshirt. The four- star true freshman played in three of Penn Midseason Grades: Midseason Grades: OFFENSE OFFENSE An imaginative new approach keeps the Nittany Lions' opponents on their heels G R E G P I C K E L | G R E G . P I C K E L @ O N 3 . C O M Junior quarterback Drew Allar has been much more accurate this season than he was a year ago, ranking 11th in the FBS with a 70.5 percent completion rate. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL