Defenders barreling toward him, all with the impending pressure of a loss becoming more likely with every second, Drew Allar wasn’t going to be denied. Not this time.
The Penn State quarterback stood behind center on fourth and 10 with the Nittany Lions trailing Oregon by 15 points with under four minutes to go in the Big Ten Championship. With his team about 15 yards away from the goal line, Allar caught a shotgun snap and dropped back while scanning the field.
He looked left. He didn’t have time to look right. A Ducks defensive lineman rushed past Penn State’s O-line and grabbed Allar’s shirt.
But the young signal caller kept his eyes glued downfield, and he found the gap in Oregon’s secondary he was looking for. He sidearmed a dart toward the end zone and found Harrison Wallace III, who was double covered, for a touchdown.
Allar hasn’t been perfect his whole career. But at 6-foot-5, 235 pounds, the junior quarterback is looking more like a pro with each and every start.
“His understanding, his mastery of the offense, has grown every week since I’ve been here,” Penn State offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki said. “… He knows what’s happening. He knows his reads. He knows what the defense is doing, and he’s just at a high level of understanding right now from where he was 13 months ago.”
Allar has responded well with exponentially increasing expectations that come with every Penn State victory. And even as he’s garnered NFL Draft buzz, he’s continued to thrive.
But he’ll have more pressure than ever the next time he takes the field, as No. 6-ranked Penn State will take on No. 3 Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl on New Year’s Eve.
“Drew Allar is a heck of a quarterback. I’m not an NFL GM, but I think he’s a first-round pick,” Boise State defensive coordinator Erik Chinander said. “He’s much bigger than I think people believe when you’re watching TV. I don’t think you realize how big he is. He can make every throw, and then obviously they used another couple guys to wildcat run.
“But he’s very efficient with his legs. When the pocket breaks down, he’s going to be able to make a first down. He’s going to make a lot of those plays. A lot of respect for him as a quarterback.”
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Fiesta Bowl Time, Date & TV Channel
Penn State (12-2) will play Boise State (12-1) in the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl on ESPN at 7:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Dec. 31.
The game, which is one of the College Football Playoff Quarterfinal matchups, will take place at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
“At the end of the day, that’s why you play football, and that’s why we come to a place like Penn State to play in games like that and have opportunities like that,” Allar said of the chance to play in significant games. “Obviously, it’s what we worked for.”
Drew Allar Stats And Highlights
Allar ranks in the top 35 in the FBS in both passing yards (3,021) and touchdowns (21).
He’s completed 68.5% of his passes with just seven interceptions. He’s also rushed for 289 yards and six touchdowns.
Allar played as a true freshman and has been efficient since the beginning. He threw 311 passes without a single interception to start his career, which broke Robert Griffin III’s FBS record of 209.
And he’s often been accurate and smart with the ball since then. He’s first at Penn State with career marks in completion percentage (63.6%) and interception percentage (1.16%). He’s already third in program record books with 50 touchdown passes and is in the top six in completions (505) and passing yards (5,996).
He’s also in the top 10 all-time among Penn State quarterbacks with 547 yards and 11 touchdowns rushing as well as 61 touchdowns responsible for.
“Their quarterback is an NFL-type kid,” Boise State head coach Spencer Danielson said. “He’s long and can run when the pocket breaks down. They do have designed runs we have to be ready for, and he can make the big-boy throw. Offensively, they put you in a lot of conflict, and we have our work cut out for us.”
Drew Allar’s NFL Draft Potential
Allar’s case to be a first-round NFL Draft pick – whenever his collegiate career is over – would be bolstered with a deep CFP run.
His development over the past couple seasons has put him in this position. And he believes that improvement’s been possible because of his mental approach.
Allar began watching Boise State film the Sunday after Penn State’s win over SMU in the first round of the CFP. He drove home for the holidays, and then he began watching film when he got there, too. And he studied film the next day. And that day after that.
That’s no different than many college football players. But even during the holidays, he isn’t afraid to dedicate time to learning as much as he can.
“I think just my confidence in general and the way I prepare,” Allar said. “I would just say that goes along with leadership at the end of the day. I feel like that’s where the most steps I’ve taken off the field are kind of mentally.”
And aside from his talent as a passer, Allar is mobile. He may not be one of the top rushing quarterbacks in the country, but he can escape pressure in the pocket while still looking to throw.
Boise State EDGE Jayden Virgin-Morgan, who’s in the top 15 in the FBS with 10 sacks, realized when watching film how hard Allar is to tackle.
According to Pro Football Focus, just 12% of plays where Allar has been pressured have turned into sacks. He’s been sacked just 15 times this season.
“He makes some of his best throws when he’s under duress, when he’s keeping the play alive, when he’s moving around in the pocket,” Chinander said. “He’s made some really unbelievable throws on the move and under stress. That causes an issue, too.”
Chinander noted Allar can make all the throws, which is a cliche used by coaches. But with Allar, his arm strength makes that possible.
Chinander pointed out, when making game plans, he can observe when quarterbacks don’t make effective passes from certain distances and can adjust accordingly by leaving those areas of the field open so his players can better defend other spaces.
But it’s difficult to do that against Allar.
“He has complete control over their offense,” Boise State safety Rodney Robinson said. “They pose a lot of different challenges with their shifts and motion. They got a lot of different key pieces that make the offense go as well. He’s definitely a great player.”
Penn State coaches and players have also pointed out how everything starts with Allar’s leadership. They say he’s been a positive presence for the rest of the program.
“Drew has been really good ever since he stepped on campus,” Penn State running back Nick Singleton said. “He’s always one of the first coming in looking at the film. He’s a film junky. He’s been really good. His process has been fantastic. Everybody looks up to him as a leader.”
Now the Nittany Lions will hope he leads them to another CFP win.
