Penn State’s Drew Allar Injured at Wisconsin, Adding Drama to Ohio State Game

As he stood on the sideline Saturday night, rubbing his eyes and hugging his coaches, quarterback Drew Allar carried Penn State’s playoff hopes in his knee brace. Then fellow quarterback Beau Pribula led the Nittany Lions on a second-half tour of Camp Randall Stadium, producing a 28-13 victory over Wisconsin that brought the College Football Playoff ever closer to State College. But now, quarterback becomes an even more compelling story line when Penn State hosts Ohio State on Nov. 2 at Beaver Stadium.

Allar, who left Saturday’s game at Wisconsin before halftime with an apparent knee injury, will carry the week-long conversation regarding Penn State’s offense. Don’t expect Penn State coach James Franklin to say much, however, particularly considering how Pribula played in the second half against the Badgers. The redshirt sophomore completed 11 of 13 passes, one for a touchdown, and made some nervy throws that spun Wisconsin around. Franklin will want Ohio State coach Ryan Day to be every bit as reluctant to see Pribula as Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell was on Saturday.

“Give them credit. They did a really good job with [Pribula] in the second half and caused us some issues,” Fickell said. “As much as they make you prepare for so many things, when he actually goes in the game, it becomes a little bit of a different game that caused us some issues. You give them credit for having a plan for when he is in there, and I don’t think we did a good enough job at making sure we understood what he was going to do. He also threw the football pretty darn well, too. He made some plays in the second half that were really, really big.”

Allar made some plays in the first half, too, completing 14 of 16 passes before taking a sack late in the second quarter. Allar clearly was limping when he threw two incompletions and went to the locker room before the half ended. He emerged to warm up but eventually stood on the sideline, wearing a knee brace, and getting a pep talk from quarterbacks coach Danny O’Brien. Franklin said he told NBC that Allar would return for the third quarter, but that plan changed during warmups.

“[The decision] was, is he going to be mobile enough to give us a chance to run the offense the way we need to run the offense? It really came down to Drew,” Franklin told reporters after the game. “… After we got out there and they got loosened up, Drew told me he couldn’t go. … I asked [Drew] to be very, very honest with me. He just didn’t feel like he was going to be able to move well enough to go. Even at the end of the half there, you saw even throwing was challenging.”

Allar, a team captain, spent the second half with O’Brien and an iPad, communicating in-game information with Pribula. He cheered more than anyone as Pribula completed 10 consecutive passes during a second-half stretch. Franklin had praised Pribula for being unselfish during his three seasons at Penn State and extended that description to Allar.

“I think that’s the impprtant thing. That goes back to the unselfishness,” Franklin said. “‘Drew, you’re a leader for us, and although you’re not having the role you imagined having, we need you. How you carry yourself, how you conduct yourself, how you help Beau, all that is going to be critical. We’re not going to be able to do this without you.’ That was something we discussed in the locker room even before going out [for the second half].”

Now, however, Penn State shifts its attention to Ohio State, a game for which Allar certainly is anticipating. Last season the Ohio native labored in the Nittany Lions’ 20-12 loss to the Buckeyes, a game in which Allar 18-for-42 for 191 yards and was 10-for-30 at one point. After the game, an emotional Allar said he “sucked.”

“We talk about everything as blessings and lessons in life,” Allar said through tears after the game. “Obviously we lost the game, but this is a lesson for us, and we have to learn from it, because I never want to feel like this again.”

Meanwhile in Columbus, Ohio State quarterback Will Howard was explaining Saturday how much he’s looking forward to the Buckeyes’ trip to Penn State. Howard, who played high school football at Pennsylvania’s Downingtown West High, said he’s “stoked” for the game.

“I grew up a Penn State fan,” Howard said after the Buckeyes’ win over Nebraska. “I wanted to go there my whole life. They didn’t think I was good enough, but I guess we’ll see next week if I was.”

More Penn State Football

Without Drew Allar, Penn State rallies to beat Wisconsin

What they said after the Penn State-Wisconsin game

The Penn State vs. Wisconsin report card