Ole Miss Peach Bowl Preview: Penn State Offensive Playmakers
The No. 11 Ole Miss Rebels and No. 10 Penn State Nittany Lions are preparing for the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl on Dec. 30 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, and part of that preparation involves scouting.
The Rebels and Nittany Lions have never faced one another on the gridiron, so many Ole Miss fans may be unfamiliar with the Penn State program under James Franklin. It never hurts to familiarize yourself with the next opponent on the schedule, so why not start now?
That's where The Grove Report comes in. We have taken a look at the Nittany Lions' individual position groups, and this week, we look at the team as a whole. This is a New Year's Six bowl game after all, so the stakes are rather high.
We took an overarching look at Penn State on Monday, and now, we dive into its offensive playmakers.
© Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK
QB Drew Allar (Sophomore)
High School: Medina (Ohio)
Height: 6-5
Weight: 242
2023 Passing Stats: 214-for-350, 2,336 yards, 23 touchdowns, one interception
2023 Rushing Stats: 69 carries, 170 yards, four touchdowns
In an offense that puts up 37.17 PPG, Allar has been an efficient signal caller in 2023, only throwing one pick after starting all 12 regular season games. His biggest performances of the season came against the West Virginia Mountaineers (325 passing yards, three TDs) and the Maryland Terrapins (240 passing yards, four TDs).
RB Nick Singleton
High School: Governor Mifflin (Pennsylvania)
Height: 6-0
Weight: 222
2023 Rushing Stats: 163 carries for 702 yards and eight touchdowns while averaging 4.2 yards per carry
2023 Receiving Stats: 22 receptions for 222 yards and one touchdown.
Penn State's offense consists of a balanced attack, but it primarily relies on its rushing attack to win games. Singleton and Kaytron Allen are the co-stars of the ground game, and they helped the Nittany Lions average 186.7 rushing yards per game in 2023.
WR KeAndre Lambert-Smith
High School: Maury (Virginia)
Height: 6-1
Weight: 188
2023 Receiving Stats: 53 receptions for 673 yards and four touchdowns while averaging 12.7 yards per catch
Three players make up the bread and butter of Penn State's aerial attack: receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith and tight ends Theo Johnson and Tyler Warren.
Lambert-Smith, a former four-star recruit, led the Nittany Lions in receptions (53) and receiving yards (673). The Norfolk, Va., native was Drew Allard's favorite target, but only finished third on the team in touchdowns.
