College Football

Is Penn State elite? Uneven showing vs. Illinois reveals there is still work to do

Updated Sep. 16, 2023 8:57 p.m. ET

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Michael Cohen

College Football and College Basketball Writer

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — It was slightly peculiar when Penn State tailback Kaytron Allen entered the visiting interview room at Memorial Stadium with a grin spread across his face, the beaming and laughing and joviality cutting against the events that preceded them. True, the Nittany Lions had disposed of Illinois, 30-13, in a game that never felt like it would go the home team's way. But for the better part of four quarters, Allen and his backfield partners had been slammed and slugged and slammed some more.

The Penn State rushing attack, which entered Saturday's game ranked 15th nationally with 230.5 yards per game, found itself encased by an Illinois rushing defense that was second-worst among Power 5 teams and 124th overall. Twelve times the Nittany Lions' runners were stopped for gains of 3 yards or fewer before starting quarterback Drew Allar was pulled with 13:13 remaining in the fourth quarter. And the only reason head coach James Franklin had the luxury was because of how ferociously his defense was playing: seven tackles for loss, five turnovers and three sacks to mask the inefficiency on the other side of the ball.

Highlights: All the best plays from Penn State vs. Illinois

"It was kind of frustrating," Allen said, "but them type of games, them type of gritty runs, down-and-dirty runs, I live for that. I love to play in them type of games, for real, because it shows who we is and how we react to things like that."

How Penn State's offense reacts to a performance like this one will clarify the long-term outlook for a program that dreams of winning the Big Ten Championship and advancing to the College Football Playoff for the first time. The errant throws and wayward timing that left Allar with a 48.5% completion rate were reminders that a true sophomore quarterback is unlikely to get the Nittany Lions to such heights alone. He'll need better blocking from a leaky offensive line that shuffled players in and out of Saturday's victory. He'll need more production from a running back tandem of Allen and Nicholas Singleton that combined to average 3.79 yards per carry on 24 gridlocked attempts.

For Penn State to upend Michigan's reign as the two-time defending Big Ten champs, for Franklin to quell his run of six straight losses to Ohio State, the elixir of choice will almost certainly derive from three ingredients: a run-heavy approach that can dominate time of possession; a timely passing attack built around high-percentage throws; a defense that can take the ball away and keep opponents out of the end zone. That just one of those things was present during Saturday's dismantling of Illinois says more about the self-immolation of quarterback Luke Altmyer, who finished 15-of-28 for 163 yards and four interceptions, than it does Penn State's championship credentials. 

"You're gonna go on the road, 11 a.m., Big Ten environment and find a way to grind it out," Franklin said. "And that's what the first half was. Never lost the lead. Never lost control of the game. We didn't take control, but we never lost control of the game and just kind of kept chipping away at it. So I was proud. That's kind of how the season is gonna go."

Penn State forces five turnovers in victory

How Penn State's coaches interpret the film from this game will offer a window into their perception of the offense following back-to-back drubbings of West Virginia and Delaware, overmatched opponents who never offered much resistance. Franklin was justified in his postgame mention of the hype attached to an Illinois defensive front that features a potential first-round pick in Jer'Zhan Newton (one tackle for loss, two pass breakups, one blocked field goal) and an edge rusher in Gabe Jacas who earned Freshman All-American honors last season (four tackles, one sack). He rightly noted the Illini's decision to implement five- and six-man fronts as a useful tactic in stopping the run. He referenced the handful of dropped passes that did Allar and offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich no favors.

Breaking down Penn State's win over Illinois

But he also failed to note that Illinois entered Saturday's game ranked 126th in total defense and 124th in rushing defense following the departures of three draft picks in the secondary and coordinator Ryan Walters, who is now the head coach at Purdue. He never referenced the Illini's opening games against Toledo and Kansas, in which both opponents produced more rushing and passing yards than what the Nittany Lions could muster. After all, there's a reason Illinois' new defensive coordinator, Aaron Henry, began his weekly news conference with a mea culpa before fielding a single question. 

"After two games, we definitely had to take an inventory of where we're at and what we're doing," head coach Bret Bielema said when asked about the defense following Saturday's loss. "I talked to players and their coaches. We all had meetings and [discussed] things we thought we had to stop giving up."

Which is why it was so surprising when four of Penn State's first five runs gained one or fewer yards after arriving in Champaign with an average of 4.9 yards per carry. Or when Allar was repeatedly pressured into off-schedule and inaccurate throws that resulted in the lowest single-game completion percentage of his career against Power 5 opposition. Or when Penn State turned all five of its red zone chances into points but settled for field goals 40% of the time.

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"By no means was it perfect," Allar said. "But at the end of the day we're going home with a ‘W' — and that's all that matters to us. We talk as an offense [about how] the only stat we want to lead in the nation is wins. So I think that's all that matters at the end of the day."

It's a truism that can't be argued; it explains the smile on Allen's face. But offense like this won't be good enough if Penn State wants to prove it's for real. 

Michael Cohen covers college football and basketball for FOX Sports with an emphasis on the Big Ten. Follow him on Twitter at @Michael_Cohen13.

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Nicholas Singleton

CFB - Penn State Nittany Lions vs. Illinois Fighting Illini - 09/16/2023

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Michael Cohen