Rebels' Lane Kiffin Evaluates Penn State's 'Phenomenal' QB Play
We have finally reached the eve of the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl, as the No. 11 Ole Miss Rebels are set to take on the No. 10 Penn State Nittany Lions in Mercedez-Benz Stadium on Saturday.
This is shaping up to be one of the better New Year's Six matchups this year, as Ole Miss possesses a high-powered offense, while Penn State houses one of the best defenses in college football.
Penn State is no slacker on offense either, and that is thanks in part to quarterback Drew Allar. The sophomore signal-caller only threw one interception this regular season while also tossing 23 touchdowns, prompting Ole Miss' Lane Kiffin to speak highly of Allar's efficiency during his Friday press conference.
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"He does a phenomenal job of taking care of the ball, first off, and commanding the offense, getting the ball in the right place," Kiffin told reporters. "When it is not there, breaks it down, does a great job of vertical scrambling and making plays and moving the sticks.
"Those guys are always challenging because they're going to win a lot of games by the style that they play. They complete with the ball. They don't turn the ball over, and they don't make negative plays."
Allar does not wow you with his legs or flash his arm all that often, but he is an efficient game manager who puts his offense in a good position to succeed. If he and the Nittany Lions can find a rhythm on offense, the Rebels could be in trouble - especially if their defense has a bad day versus Penn State.
Fortunately for the Rebels, they also have a talented quarterback who knows how to take care of the football in Jaxson Dart. In 2023, Dart threw five interceptions while recording 27 total touchdowns. Penn State coach James Franklin also gave high remarks when asked about Dart.
"I think [Dart] has done a really good job of being able to make plays with his feet, being able to make plays with his mind, and being able to make plays with his arm and distribute the ball to multiple playmakers that Lane and their offensive coordinator have done a really good job of putting in really good positions to make plays."
Kickoff between Ole Miss and Penn State is set for 11 a.m. CT on Saturday, and the game will be televised on ESPN.
