Penn State vs. West Virginia score, takeaways: No. 7 Nittany Lions roll as Drew Allar lives up to hype

Penn State was impressive in all facets on Saturday as the Nittany Lions routed the Mountaineers in Happy Valley

By David Cobb

Sep 3, 2023 • 1 min read

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.

Drew Allar shines

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.

West Virginia's hesitancy

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.

For the boosters

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.

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For the boosters

Final: Penn State 38, West Virginia 15

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.

Halftime thoughts

Drew Allar was as good as advertised in the first half, completing 11 of his first 12 passes. Penn State racked up 277 yards in the first half but struggled with execution in some clutch moments. Ultimately, the biggest concern coming out of the first half is the kicking game. Sander Sahaydak's two misses have opened the door for West Virginia to stay in this game in the second half. The Mountaineers have shown just enough life offensively for a packed Beaver Stadium to be a little bit nervous when the third quarter begins.

Another missed field goal

Penn State may have a kicking problem. Sander Sahaydak just missed his second attempt of the first half — this one from 34 yards out — as the West Virginia defense comes up with another huge stop to keep the score 14-7. Penn State has 277 yard in the half but just 14 points to show for it. Sahaydak is a redshirt sophomore who is the first-string kicker for the first time in his career.

Penn State gets it back

West Virginia goes three-and-out offensively after its big defensive stand, and the football will return to Penn State at the PSU 29 with 1:17 remaining in the first half. PSU also gets the football to begin the second half, so points here would go a long way toward helping the Nittany Lions gain some space in what has been a closely contested game so far.

Huge stand for WVU

Penn State bit off a few quick chunks after taking over in good field position, but the drive stalled out with consecutive incompletions. Sander Sahaydak came on for a 38-yard field goal and missed it wide right. Huge momentum swing for the Mountaineers after their failed fourth-down conversion attempt.

Busted trick play

A failed double-reverse pass set West Virginia behind the chains and put the Mountaineers into a fourth-and-5 on the Penn State 43. Neal Brown gambled by going for it, but it backfired as Greene threw incomplete. Penn State takes over in great field position leading 14-7 with 5:01 remaining in the half.

WVU in business

Coming out of a timeout, Garrett Greene hits Jaylen Anderson for a first down near midfield. The Mountaineers are in business as Greene appears to be getting more comfortable throwing the football as this half progresses.

Allar impressive on TD drive

Nick Singleton just punched it in from two yards out to put Penn State ahead 14-7, capping an impressive 81-yard drive for Drew Allar and the Penn State offense. Allar bounced back nicely from getting sacked by hitting Harrison Wallace III for an 18-yard gain to midfield on the following play. Then, on a third-and-6, he rolled right and found Lambert-Smith for a 30-yard gain to help set up the touchdown.

Mountaineers punch it in

CJ Donaldson punches it in from a yard out to tie the game at 7-7. West Virginia went 69 yards on nine plays on that scoring drive. The running game has been steady for WVU thus far with Donaldson and Garrett Greene picking up good yardage when they take off. Nice response from the Mountaineers after taking a punch from Penn State early.

WVU in business

Garrett Greene found Devin Carter for a 37-yard gain down the right sideline late in the first quarter to set the Mountaineers up inside Penn State's 10-yard line. That was the first explosive passing play of the game for WVU, and it came on what appeared to be busted coverage from the Nittany Lions. Big sequence to start the second quarter coming up.

Penn State stalls

The Nittany Lions picked up a couple of first downs on their second series but stalled out prior to reaching midfield. Penn State was fortunate to avoid an interception on third down as Davoan Hawkins broke up a Drew Allar pass intended for Theo Johnson. West Virginia will take over at its own 31 after a poor punt.

Tough start for WVU

West Virginia picked up another quick first down but then stalled on its second possession as the Mountaineers look hesitant to challenge Penn State's defensive backs on the perimeter. CJ Donaldson has run five times for 22 yards, and Jaylen Anderson has a 7-yard carry to his credit. But the passing game is off to a slow start for WVU. Penn State taking over on its own 18.

Starting fast

Boom. On Penn State's fourth offensive play, Drew Allar finds Keandre Lambert-Smith for a 72-yard touchdown to put the Nittany Lions ahead 7-0. It was a play action look, Allar stepped up to avoid pressure and found Lambert-Smith in one-on-one coverage. The defender laid out for an attempted deflection but missed, allowing Lambert-Smith to run untouched into the end zone. That will do nothing to subdue the crowd or the hype surrounding Allar.

Penn State stands

West Virginia picked up an early first down with its running game, but the Nittany Lions stood strong on third-and-3 from near midfield by stuffing CJ Donaldson for a loss of two. Nice punt from Oliver Straw pins back Penn State on its own 6-yard line, which is where the Drew Allar quarterback era will begin. West Virginia attempted just one pass on its opening series, and it was an incomplete bubble screen.

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