Commentary: Drew Allar, Penn State look like title contenders

A partially renovated and revitalized Beaver Stadium welcomed 106,915 blue-and-white-clad fans on Saturday for Penn State's obliteration of poor Nevada by a Scorigami final of 46-11. In some ways, it was the No. 2 Nittany Lions taking care of business against a mid-to-bottom-tier Mountain West team, scoring on nine of 10 drives, amassing 438 yards while ceding just 203 and forcing three turnovers. You know, a blowout. But combined with how this one went down, as well as No. 1 Texas falling to third-ranked Ohio State and a few other results around college football, a should-be-special season for Penn State football has already arrived at its first notable inflection point. The Nittany Lions should ascend to the top spot in the country, and they look and sound like an outfit deserving of such recognition. It wasn't so much about Penn State racking up 25 first downs or Medina native Drew Allar completing 22-of-26 passes for 217 yards but more so the context those numbers included. The same for the defense limiting the Wolf Pack to just six first downs in the first half and 28 rushing yards prior to their final drive. "Overall, I was pleased," Penn State coach James Franklin said. "I thought we came out and played the way we were supposed to play." No arguments here. However, I'd like to take a closer look at a few key storylines from this one, a few of the reasons why I think Penn State can win its first national title since 1986. 'Gotta take a step' The last time Franklin's team took the field, no wide receivers caught a pass. Seriously. That's not a misprint. Much different Saturday. Franklin and Co. hit the transfer portal hard over the offseason, and it didn't take long to see results. Newcomers Kyron Hudson (USC), Trebor Pena (Syracuse) and Devonte Ross (Troy) combined for 184 yards and a touchdown on 14 catches. Overall, Penn State wide receivers caught 16 balls, which already surpassed the 2024 high (14 against Kent State on Sept. 21). Hudson, who showed his contested-catch ability with a fantastic grab along the sideline, led the way with six grabs for 89 yards and a touchdown. Pena (seven catches, 74 yards) showed he has speed to burn. Ross, who was hurt during camp, will surely be targeted more. "Really good Game 1," Franklin said. "But we've gotta take a step." I'd argue the Nittany Lions already have. We know about Allar — and nothing will change there until he plays better in big games. We also know about the backfield duo of Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen, who combined for 62 yards and three touchdowns on 16 carries, a ho-hum day for them. What Penn State has lacked involves the kind of receiving talent players like Hudson, Pena and Ross are seemingly capable of providing. 'Make my legacy' Along with more/any receivers, Penn State needed an answer for the loss of No. 3 overall NFL draft pick Abdul Carter. Yes, it was a season-opening drubbing of Nevada. But Dani Dennis-Sutton sure looked capable of providing that. Dennis-Sutton has been a starter and key contributor. But if there were lingering questions on whether he could become a star ... yeah, he's been pretty darn impressive. The 6-foot-5, 265-pound defensive end was everywhere, racking up five total tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, a pass breakup, a quarterback hurry and a sack. He may have even parked cars pregame or given a stadium tour at halftime. Franklin spoke on Dennis-Sutton and talked up his never-ending motor, as well as the senior playing the run and pass equally well, dropping 10 pounds and becoming the next great Penn State pass rusher. Dennis-Sutton isn't hiding from the expectations, and I love it. "That's why I came to Penn State, to follow the great pass rushers who came here," he said. "My job was to be the next one. Time for me to make my legacy." If that wasn't enough, defensive tackle Zane Durant picked off a pass, while North Carolina transfer linebacker Amare Campbell led the way with six total tackles. New(-ish) names, same elite results. Nitpick and move on Where things stand for Penn State can be spotted in how a lopsided win is processed. The result matters, obviously. Same time, nobody wearing blue and white struggled to identify areas to correct. The offensive line could've been better. Singleton and Allen only averaged 3.9 yards per carry. Neither Khalil Dinkins (North Allegheny) nor Luke Reynolds was used much, the two tight ends combining for 35 receiving yards on three grabs. Franklin bemoaned a lack of explosive plays, and the offensive line wasn't necessarily at its best. "I thought our run game, especially our outside-zone stuff, could have been better," Franklin said. The critiques, slight as they might be, show the height of the ceiling for Penn State. It's fun, too. We're seeing a group that can win myriad ways, an offensive line that rolls eight or nine deep, some actual pass-catching depth and a defense that seems to have copied and pasted last year's formula. There are also those sky-high standards. With three top-10 teams losing over the weekend, it's time for the Nittany Lions' closeup. They certainly look ready.