Drew Allar resilient as Penn State inches closer to postseason glory

MINNEAPOLIS — The junior quarterback helped the Nittany Lions pull off a road win that required leadership, toughness and moxie, as they kept their Playoff hopes alive in week 13.

Although Drew Allar didn’t generate huge stats against Minnesota, he delivered in the clutch, and didn’t turn the ball over. Now the No. 4 Nittany Lions are 5-0 on the road this year, and likely one win away from clinching their first-ever berth in the Playoffs, unless there’s chaos in the final week of the regular season.

Allar refuses to take anything for granted though, especially after Penn State’s narrow victory over Minnesota. Andy Kotelnicki’s offense didn’t produce a bunch of explosive plays against the opposition, but persevering away from home late in November is all that matters to Allar.

“It’s really a good feeling, anytime you’re able to win on the road in the Big Ten it’s a rewarding feeling for sure,” Allar said. “That was a tough Minnesota team, a tough environment to play in, a really cool environment to play in honestly, and it was my first time up here.”

There were some rough moments for the offense, like when the Nittany Lions went scoreless in the first quarter. The offensive line didn’t execute consistently at the point of attack in the first half, which led to non-stop pressure, and that frustrated Allar. At one point he appeared to be visibly upset on the sidelines. Coach Franklin even had to have a brief discussion with the signal-caller as he sat on the bench.

“I just gotta do a better job of staying more composed and poised, I kind of let my emotions flare a little bit, but once I got down on the bench I was fine, took a couple of breaths, and Coach Franklin came over and reminded me of that,” he said. “It’s an area I’m still learning about myself, and trying to grow.”

He overcame adversity, and led the Nittany Lions on five scoring drive in the contest. Allar’s most important possession didn’t come until under six minutes left in the fourth quarter. That’s when he went to work with star tight end Tyler Warren. Penn State (10-1) converted on three fourth down attempts, including a fake punt, plus Allar’s eight-yard completion to Warren that sealed the game.

“As for me and quarterbacks in general, we all live for those moments, two-minutes, no matter the situation, you always want to have the ball in your hands, and pushing the ball down the field,” the 20-year old said. “Then again, it goes back to how much we practice, and talk about situational football.”

Once the smoke cleared, Allar completed 21 of his 28 passes for 244 yards and a touchdown, to go along with a rushing score. Not to mention the Nittany led the Golden Gophers in total offense, plays, first downs and yards per play. Many fans expected the game to be a blowout on paper, but Allar and his teammates had to prove themselves on the gridiron against a scrappy bunch.

Regardless, at the end of the day Penn State still controls its’ own destiny. Allar feels the Nittany Lions made a statement, and will continue to grind until they get to the finish line.

“I think we are a resilient team, and we’re going to do our best to find ways to win every single week.”