Secret of Penn State football success? 'Drop the ball, you cheating everybody's dreams'

Maybe this Penn State football team has found something in itself and has mined a driving force few could have anticipated.

How many are even buying it, just yet?

Because the best thing about a Penn State offense that's supposed to be fueled by a former 5-star quarterback's big arm and one of the best pair of tailbacks in the nation and a generational left tackle and stud tight ends ...

The best thing, remarkably, has become its prudence and patience and very un-sexy efficiency.

The Nittany Lions clubbed the Iowa Hawkeyes Saturday night running an exhausting 97 plays − but averaging just 4 yards on each. They won 31-0, dominated in all means, with having just one offensive play producing more than 14 yards with the game in doubt.

They held onto the football for an obscene 45 minutes, 27 seconds without golden-armed Drew Allar even attempting a shot downfield. Without Nick Singleton or Kaytron Allen breaking any kind of run into the secondary until the third quarter.

This not-so-typical James Franklin kind of Penn State is thriving, nonetheless.

An increasingly suffocating defense, of course, is part of it all. But there's more to it. The Nittany Lions, for all of their offensive swagger and flashy athletes (See that touchdown catch from the third-string tight end Saturday?), are living by playing small ball.

Their revving racecar athletes have appeared content enough to run in short sprints − never fully unlocking engines like they seemed destined to do, certainly by now.

Penn State: Only team with zero turnovers

Look at it like this:

Penn State is the only team in the nation that still has not turned the ball over.

They are one of the only to have allowed just two sacks so far.

They are thriving off not giving away the football or taking big losses.

Take it from Allen, one of the most punishing players on a team seemingly developing more of that by the week. He's lost only 9 yards on his 63 total carries this season.

But no turnovers ... by anyone?

Kaytron Allen 'getting down and dirty'

“The ball is the program. You drop the ball you cheating everybody’s dreams ...," he said. "It’s our dream, we don’t want to lose it."

As for he and Singleton being controlled, so to speak, by a fourth-straight defense? (No 20-yard run-or-longer between them).

"We're not used to it, but we got to stay the course, for real," Allen said. "We're just getting down and dirty and getting on physical runs, and when one (big-run opportunity) comes we got to take advantage of it.

"It’s going to come, we got to just keep pounding the ball, stay the course. It's going to come, though."

Nick Singleton still can't break free

He said all of that and kept smiling. Maybe he knows. He carried 21 times against Iowa for 72 yards (a modest 3.4 average) and never really broke through, though he seemed so close.

Same for Singleton, known for his explosive, breakaway runs last year. He ran 17 times vs. Iowa for a surprisingly meager 49 yards (2.9 average).

But those guys and Allar are looking increasingly comfortable with this style. (None of Allar's four TD passes vs. Iowa traveled more than 9 yards).

He still hasn't thrown an interception during his relatively young college career. When chased and pressured, when all pass avenues are unavailable, he's willing to throw the ball away or put his head down and pick up a few yards.

Penn State is steadily becoming a team willing to grind you to death rather than outrun you.

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That just may serve it best when the season begins wearing on opponents with less depth and desire.

This team, still undefeated, should now find itself at 6-0 when it travels to fellow Top 10 Ohio State in a month. The Lions' next three weeks feature ill-equipped Northwestern, a bye week and non-Power 5 Massachusetts.

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They might as well keep embracing their new-found ability to conquer by gradually draining the life from an opponent.

They may well be growing another layer to their success.

"I do think we’re doing a really good job of respecting the ball in general," Franklin said. "We talk about the ball being the program.

"When you're carrying the ball, whoever it is, you're carrying the entire program ... in your hands."

He knows what is most important now − how these Lions are equipped to do things they never really were in his decade at Penn State: wearing down opponents with their depth, converting short-yardage situations with their tough runners and 240-pound quarterback. Taking what opponents give them − and adjusting to control the game.

What an enlightening kind of change it is turning out to be.

Frank Bodani covers Penn State football for the York Daily Record and USA Today Network. Contact him at  fbodani@ydr.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @YDRPennState.

This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: Penn State football: Drew Allar vs. Iowa Hawkeyes in Big Ten