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Drew Allar has an opportunity to shut many people up in Glendale, Ariz. in the Fiesta Bowl for the No. 6 Penn State Nittany Lions.
Drew Allar Struggles in Big Games
Allar earns the unfortunate tag of being labeled as a “game manager” quarterback. He’s taken care of the football all year, throwing just 7 interceptions and averaging 8.7 yards per attempt. That second number is not anything to scoff at one bit.
In “big games” this season, Allar's yards per attempt have gone down to 6.3 against then-No. 2 Ohio State, the No. 1 Oregon Ducks in the Big Ten Championship game, and No. 11 SMU at Beaver Stadium in the first round of the College Football Playoff. The No. 6 Nittany Lions (12-2) go up against Ashton Jeanty and the No. 3 Boise State Broncos (12-1) in a CFP matchup at 7:30 p.m. Eastern on Dec. 31, 2024 in the Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.
Allar’s yards also went down in those three games. He's averaged 216 yards per game this season. But, against those three teams, that number dipped to 166 yards. In terms of his touchdowns to interceptions for the season, Allar has 21 TDs passing and 7 INTs. Out of those 7 picks, about half of them have come in the “big games” this season.
Boise State Struggles Against the Pass
Why can this be a breakout game for Allar? Let's look at Boise State’s pass defense. The Broncos are the 109th-ranked team against the pass, allowing 247 yards per game this season. Allar’s season game average is 216, so if he can hit his open guys, then it could be a good game for Penn State’s passing attack.
It’s not just Allar, though, that can impress many people this week. Penn State's receiving core has struggled and that’s putting it nicely. The Nittany Lions' passing attack has been glued together thanks to tight end Tyler Warren proving that he’s the most talented TE in the country. But the rest of the wide receivers haven’t been good.
Harrison “Trey” Wallace III has put together a decent season with 43 catches for 686 yards and 4 TDs. Those numbers are a bit skewed, however, when you consider he had 5 catches for 117 yards and 2 TDs against West Virginia, Penn State's first game of the year. If Wallace was a freshman or sophomore, then people may say that it’s a good building season. But he was expected to take a leap heading into this season.
A few others to watch include Julian Fleming (14 catches, 176 receiving yards, 1 TD) and Liam Clifford (18 catches, 286 receiving yards, 1 TD). Then there's Omari Evans who, out of these three receivers, seemed to be the one that could be a breakout player. His numbers, though, don't reflect that with 19 catches for 360 receiving yards and 4 TDs. Opportunities are there for the Penn State passing attack to show up. In order to win, it will be needed for Penn State against a passable Boise State defense.
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