No. 7 Penn State began its much-anticipated 2023 season with a 38-15 win over West Virginia on Saturday as the Nittany Lions flexed on both sides of the football before 110,747 fans at Beaver Stadium. The fourth-largest home crowd in program history not only witnessed sophomore quarterback Drew Allar shine in his starting debut, but also Penn State's defense come up with numerous timely stops against a WVU offense that struggled to generate explosive plays.
Allar completed 21 of 29 passes for 325 yards and three touchdowns, finding KeAndre Lambert-Smith for two of the scores. After establishing a commanding lead, the Nittany Lions leaned on their running game as the talented sophomore duo of Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen combined for 121 yards on 23 carries.
After a 37-yard pass from Garrett Greene to Devin Carter in the first quarter that helped set up a WVU touchdown, the Mountaineers failed to generate another play of more than 20 yards until under seven minutes remained. The Mountaineers turned the football over on downs three times while seeking to sustain offensive drives against a stingy Penn State defense that surrendered just 310 total yards.
Penn State's margin of victory likely would have been greater if not for a pair of missed field goals in the first half that led coach James Franklin to make a kicker change in the second half. Sander Shadayak was replaced by Alex Felkins, who hit a 25-yard attempt on the first play of the fourth quarter. While special teams provided an area of concern for the Nittany Lions, they were sharp in most other facets en route to the season-opening win.
Allar ranked as the No. 1 quarterback and No. 3 overall prospect in the Class of 2022, according to 247Sports. He showed why in flashes while backing up Sean Clifford as a freshman last season. Still, the question remained how he would respond to the pressure of his first collegiate start for a program with such lofty aspirations. He wasted little time answering that question by finding Lambert-Smith for a 72-yard touchdown strike on Penn State'e fourth offensive play.
Allar completed 11 of his first 12 passes and rarely seemed flustered while distributing the football to nine different receivers. One of the few personnel question entering the season for Penn State centered on its receivers following the departures of last season's top targets Parker Washington and Mitchell Tinsley. But Allar's connection with Lambert-Smith appeared to be strong and redshirt sophomore Harrison Wallace III also appeared poised for a breakout role. Wallace entered with just 19 career receptions but made seven grabs for 72 yards against the Mountaineers.
WVU entered with even more questions at receiver than Penn State, and it showed. The Mountaineers relied heavily on the running of CJ Donaldson and Greene while rarely choosing to challenge Penn State's talented secondary downfield. Carter looked good in his WVU debut with six catches for 90 yards, but there was nothing explosive or threatening about West Virginia's passing game.
Greene finished 16 of 27 for 162 yards. He threw no interceptions and did a good job evading pressure against Penn State's relentless defensive pressure, but his eyes were rarely fixated downfield. With top targets such as Sam James, Bryce Ford-Wheaton and Kaden Prather departed from last season's squad, the Mountaineers will need someone other than Carter to step up as a receiving weapon if their offense is going to be considered a threat.
Penn State entered as a 21-point favorite and could have merely run the clock out while leading 31-15 in the final seconds. Instead, backup quarterback Beau Pribula kept the football on second-and-goal play and barreled into the end zone with six seconds remaining. A huge cheer erupted for the relatively meaningless touchdown, and it was easy to understand why. With the score, the Nittany Lions covered the spread and surely pleased contingent of their fans.
Penn State entered as a 21-point favorite and could have merely run the clock out while leading 31-15 in the final seconds. Instead, Beau Pribula rushed one in on second-and-goal with six seconds left to help the Nittany Lions cover. A huge cheer erupted for a relatively meaningless touchdown there, and it's not hard to figure out why.
Breau Pribula is in for Drew Allar, who can take off his helmet for the night after throwing for 325 yards and three touchdowns in his starting debut. Highly encouraging performance from the former five-star prospect. The Nittany Lions are in good hands with Allar, who showed tonight why some pundits believe he could ultimately be an upgrade at the position from Sean Clifford, who was a reliable and productive long-term starter for the program.
West Virginia gets on the board for the first time since early in the second quarter as Garrett Greene runs in from a yard out to cap a 75-yard drive. CJ Donaldson set thane up with a 10-yard gainer following a fourth-and-1 conversion. A successful two-point conversion means this is just a two-score game with 3:34 remaining. WVU has all three timeouts remaining.
After a timeout and facing a third-and-6, Sean Clifford hit Malik McClain for a 25-yard touchdown to make it 31-7. That was Allar's third touchdown pass of the game, and it showcased some of McClain's playmaking ability. The Florida State transfer appears to have some jets.
West Virginia is now 2 for 5 on fourth-down conversion attempts after Nicco Marchiol was sacked for a loss of 11 on a fourth-and-2 play. Marchiol is WVU's backup quarterback and came on for a trick formation. Penn State did not bite, and the Nittany Lions come up with another stop on a bend-but-don't-break series. Manny Diaz's unit has been impressive tonight.
Alex Felkins, a transfer from Columbia, gets the nod to kick a 25-yard field goal for the Nittany Lions after a pair of misses in the first half from Sander Sahaydak. He drills it, and that makes it a three-possession game with 14:57 remaining. If your a Penn State fan, the kicking situation is the most concerning question coming out of this game at the moment.
Faced with a fourth-and-7 at the Penn State 27-yard line, West Virginia rolled the dice and failed to convert. A field goal wouldn't have done much for the Mountaineers there, and it wouldn't have been an easy one from 44 yards out. But without any points to show for it, WVU is now on the ropes down 14 late in the third quarter and with Penn State in possession of the football.
The Mountaineers are in business after Garrett Greene picked up a huge third-down conversion with his legs in Penn State territory. This is a pivotal series for the Mountaineers. Give Greene credit. He hasn't been spectacular, but he's limited mistakes and shown some playmaking instincts against what may be among the nation's best defenses.
Allar just found Lambert-Smith for another touchdown connection. He was wide open in the back of the end zone, and Allar put the perfect amount of touch on the pass to find Lambert-Smith with enough space to get a foot down. That touchdown was a long time coming for the Nittany Lions, who have a two-possession lead now for the first time.
The second half begins with consecutive three-and-outs. Penn State will take over with 12:02 remaining in the third quarter at its own 44 yard line after a poor punt. The Mountaineers have given the Nittany Lions plenty of chances to build the lead. Let's see if they can finally take advantage of one.
The Nittany Lions get the football to start the second half, and you would think establishing the run may be a priority. Nick Singleton ran six times for 34 yards and a touchdown in the first half, and Kaytron Allen was also effective with five carries for 28 yards. But Penn State relied on the pass far more than it relied on the backs. They are one of the nation's top tandems, and they may be able to wear down this WVU defense in the second half.
