Drew Allar's clutch pass can be tipping point for him, Penn State offense [opinion]

Oct. 29—Drew Allar didn't even realize he had thrown an interception, the first of his college career.

He was under pressure and committed a quarterback's cardinal sin of throwing late over the middle. Making matters worse, it came Saturday inside the Penn State 30 late in the fourth quarter of a close game.

"I didn't even know I threw an interception until I got to the sideline," Allar said. "I got hit. Usually you hear the crowd react, but there was no reaction."

The less-than-capacity crowd at Beaver Stadium was silent because it was stunned. Could 32-point underdog Indiana upset the Nittany Lions?

Allar didn't let that happen.

"When we were about to go on the field (after Indiana made a game-tying field goal), he said the time is now," tight end Theo Johnson said. "He really showed up. I've talked a lot about how impressed I've been with how he's grown week by week. He showed up big for us today."

Allar delivered a strike to KeAndre Lambert-Smith for a 57-yard touchdown, which enabled Penn State to beat the Hoosiers 33-24 and avoid a monumental upset loss.

"You have to flush it (the interception) and move on," Allar said.

The relief in the stadium, on the Penn State sideline and in his face was palpable.

He's carried the pressure of being coach James Franklin's highest-rated quarterback recruit well. He's thrown for 16 touchdown passes against the one pick in his first eight games as the starter.

But he also has looked tentative at times, appearing to avoid throwing an interception at all costs. Maybe it's ingrained in him. Maybe Franklin and offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich have stressed protecting the football so much to him because of how well the Lions' defense had played before Saturday.

With the game on the line, Penn State needed Allar to be aggressive and to be an elite quarterback and he was.

"You throw your first interception, how are you going to respond?" Franklin said. "I thought he handled it really well and delivered a big-time throw. Big time. So, yeah, I think that's a positive and something we can build on."

The lack of chunk plays has been a problem for the Lions all season. They entered Saturday's game ranked 116th nationally in explosive play percentage. Allar's game-winning TD pass to Lambert-Smith was only his fourth completion of more than 30 yards to a wide receiver.

Allar has received criticism, but the receivers' inability to create separation has held back the passing game more than anything else.

"We've got to continue to work at creating separation," Franklin said, "and getting open at tight end and wide receiver to help with those things."

That has become magnified because Penn State's running game hasn't had many explosive plays either. Neither Nick Singleton or Kaytron Allen, who combined for more than 1,900 yards last season, has a run longer than 20 yards.

The Lions averaged just 3.5 yards per carry against Illinois, Northwestern and Indiana, the three worst rushing defenses in the Big Ten.

That puts even more responsibility on the shoulders of Allar, who might feel unburdened by the end of his NCAA-record streak of 311 pass attempts without an interception.

"It might sound a little weird," Lambert-Smith said, "but I'm happy he got that pick out of the way."

Maybe Franklin and Yurcich will allow Allar to take more chances downfield after his clutch throw against Indiana. Maybe that one pass will be a tipping point for the offense in general and for Allar in particular.

"He's a human being," Johnson said. "He's going to make mistakes. It's just about how you respond to it. He showed everybody that he can respond from adversity, whether it's from the interception or from last week (Penn State's loss at Ohio State). He responded. He proved himself today."