Medina's Drew Allar shows progress in Penn State opener

It felt a little too easy to make No. 8 Penn State's 34-12 victory over West Virginia on Saturday about the weather, the result of a 2-hour, 19-minute lightning delay that created a lengthier halftime than any of the 62,084 at Milan Puskar Field wanted. But as the Nittany Lions opened their 2024 season with a flurry, handling a nine-win Big 12 team with a physical defense and a greater percentage of explosive plays, coach James Franklin's team could've gazed off in the distance and saw some bright days ahead. The performance of quarterback Drew Allar, honestly, felt a little like Penn State's own rainbow: bright and shining and ebullient but also in some ways unexpected. "He's put a lot of effort into getting bigger, faster and strong," wide receiver Harrison Wallace III said of Allar. "Obviously, it showed." Sure, Allar delivering a 50-yard touchdown pass to Wallace on the first play of the second quarter was something Penn State probably expected in the Medin native's second season as a starter. It showcased a downfield passing game that should be different with Andy Kotelnicki now coordinating Penn State's offense, a theme that held up throughout the day. But what really grabbed me was not only Allar's arm strength and poise in the pocket but what he did when things weren't there or broke down. He took off. West Virginia's Garrett Greene was supposed to be the more dynamic rushing quarterback in this one, his 13 rushing touchdowns leading the Mountaineers last season, his 722 yards on the ground ranking eighth nationally among quarterbacks. But starting with a second-and-10 play from Penn State's 45-yard line on its fourth drive of the game, when Allar audibled at the line, he smartly sensed pressure, tucked the ball and knifed through the middle of the field for the first of three runs totaling 35 yards, each netting a first down. "We call him Lamar Allar," Franklin quipped. "He kinda looks like (Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson), right?" Two plays later, Allar showed why there's so much optimism surrounding his game, what he can do and where he might be capable of leading Penn State. On a lengthier sideline route more akin to something you'd see in an NFL game, Allar showcased his arm strength by whizzing a pass to Wallace, fitting it into a tight window. Allar talked after this one about adding weight in the offseason. Franklin praised his work in the weight room, but defensive tackle Zane Durant chose something else: Allar's clothes. "He's starting to wear swaggier clothes," Durant said. "He's stepping up his dressing game this year. That showed me a lot before the season started that he was ready." The dominant performance was enough for Penn State (1-0) to win for the 20th time in its past 23 season-opening contests. The Nittany Lions are now 50-9-2 in the all-time series and have six consecutive victories over the Mountaineers. Similar to last year, when Allar finished with 325 yards and three touchdowns, the quarterback had a game to remember. This time around, Allar completed 11-of-17 passes for 216 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. Five of those completions went to Wallace, totaling 117 yards. Allar added 44 rushing yards, while running back Nick Singleton led Penn State with 114 yards and a 40-yard touchdown on 13 carries. When you think about what Franklin might've wanted to see out of his team, it's hard to imagine him feeling better about the Nittany Lions' performance, especially when it came to the all-around effort turned in by Allar. "Obviously, mobility at the quarterback position is important," Franklin said. "But if your quarterback can get you two to three first downs a game with his legs, it changes everything. I thought that showed up (Saturday)." It was a teamwide effort, but it was keyed by Allar, who early in the final quarter broke a tackle and picked up more important yards on third-and-3, setting up Warren's putaway score. On an afternoon when lightning and plenty of rain could've dampened the mood, the evolution of Allar and Penn State taking some important steps out of the gate had the Nittany Lions shining brightly on their trip home. "We really prepared well throughout the week," Allar said. "We had a good week-and-a-half of preparation and did a really good job of executing."