Advertisement
Published Nov 14, 2024
Behind Enemy Lines: Penn State Nittany Lions
circle avatar
Dub Jellison  •  BoilerUpload
Staff Writer
Twitter
@DubJellison

Another week, another marquee team on the slate. Purdue will finish off its home slate on Saturday afternoon, when James Franklin and the Penn State Nittany Lions come to Ross-Ade Stadium.

In advance of the matchup, Boiler Upload chats with Happy Valley Insider's Marty Leap to discuss Penn State's expectations, Drew Allar, the Nittany Lions' defense and more.

Q: Penn State is poised to make the College Football Playoff this season. Would that appearance alone meet the expectations from the start of the year?

With the College Football Playoff field expanding to 12 teams I think fans and staff alike expected the Nittany Lions to finally get over that hump this season. If there had been a 12 team playoff the past 10 years, the Nittany Lions would have been in the field 9 of the past 11 seasons. So reaching the CFP is meeting the preseason expectations from the fanbase, as well as internally within the program. The real test will be how far can this team go in the 12 team College Football Playoff.

Q: Drew Allar has been one of the top quarterbacks in the conference the last two years. How has he grown in year two as a starter this season?

The biggest change for Drew Allar in year two as a starter has been an increased confidence and showing a much greater command of the offense. These two things have led to Allar trusting his arm more to push the ball down the field more (his 6.5 yards per attempt last season is up to 9.8 yards per attempt this season, as well as utilizing his legs more. Utilizing his legs more has not just improved the rushing attack, but has also improved the passing attack as he has used his legs more to move around in the pocket and keep plays alive.

Additionally, Allar has shown some real cockiness and swagger this season. Two things he really seemed to lack last year. This year Allar has not been afraid to show emotion/fire on the field, while getting the face of defenders and not being afraid to chirp back at opposing players. You did not see any of that from Allar last season.

Q: The world knows about Tyler Warren’s versatility. Who outside of Warren will the Boilermaker defense have to be weary of?

Well, a lot of this will depend on the health of running back Nicholas Singleton. He has been banged up much of the season, which included leaving last week's victory early in the 3rd quarter and not returning. When he is healthy, Singleton is one of the most explosive running backs in the country. Before exiting the game last week Singleton looked the best, most explosive he has since initially getting banged up in the 4th quarter against Illinois in late September.

Outside of Singleton, there is also fellow running back Kaytron Allen. While Allen does not possess the speed and athleticism of Singleton, he has averaged 5 yards per carry during his three years in Happy Valley and is a very good running back in his own accord. Trey Wallace has emerged as the team's top wide receiver this season who is coming off a 5 reception for 84 yards performance against Washington. Wallace leads the team's wide receivers in receptions (29) and yards (479) this season.

Q: Which Penn State defenders will Purdue have to game plan for?

Penn State once again has a deep, talented defense. But the three key names to know are EDGE rusher Abdul Carter, safety Jaylen Reed, and defensive tackle Zane Durant. Carter and Reed are both playing at an All-American level. Carter will be a first-round pick come April and could easily play/test himself into being a top 10 pick. Carter has 40 tackles, a Big Ten leading 16 tackles for a loss, 8 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles this season. He has played even better than those stats indicate, demanding constant double teams while still regularly blowing up plays.

Reed is arguably the most important player on the defense, especially with the loss of KJ Winston for the season. He has excelled this season both in pass coverage, as well as playing closer to the line of scrimmage in run support. To go along with 57 tackles and 4 tackles for a loss, the senior also has 1.5 sacks, 3 interceptions, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery this season. His trio of interceptions includes one on USC's final drive in regulation which prevented the Trojans from getting into field goal range, helping to set up overtime where the Nittany Lions went on to win 33-30.

As for Durant, he has not garnered the national recognition that Carter and Reed have, but he's been just about as disruptive as any defensive tackle in the country this season. Despite being undersized at just 6'1", 288 pounds Durant has been a true game wrecker on the interior of the defensive line. At worst, Durant has played himself into a top 100 draft pick in April and should garner plenty of All-Big Ten recognition.

Q: How do you see Saturday playing out?

To be honest, there is no reason for this game to be close. If all goes according to plan, Penn State builds a big early lead and can then give players further down the depth chart plenty of playing time in the second half as starters rest ahead of next weekend's trip to Minnesota. Give me the Nittany Lions in a blowout.

Penn State 45, Purdue 7

Advertisement