Penn State Labored on Third Down Against FIU. Here's What Needs to Be Fixed

The Nittany Lions converted just 25 percent of their third-down attempts vs. the Panthers. They rank near the bottom of the Big Ten on third down.

Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar (15) lines up behind center Nick Dawkins (53) vs. the FIU Panthers at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

STATE COLLEGE | FIU players were jumping up and down on their sideline. The Panthers didn’t score, but they stopped one of the best teams in the nation from doing so. That was a big win for the Conference USA Team and a surprise for Penn State, the nation's second-ranked team.

Penn State defeated FIU 34-0 on Saturday at Beaver Stadium, but the game was closer than the final score. The Lions led 10-0 at halftime and looked sloppy offensively.  Third down was a deciding factor.

Most importantly, Penn State converted just three of 12 third-down attempts. That 25-percent conversion rate was lower than FIU’s (33 percent) and hindered the Nittany Lions’ ability to sustain long drives and put itself in scoring position. 

“The third-down battle was not good. We lost that,” Penn State coach James Franklin said candidly after the game. “We were not good on third down. That was the reason we struggled offensively and could not get into a rhythm.” 

Penn State quarterback Drew Allar didn’t play with the accuracy he had against Nevada last week and struggled to hit his targets in the right spots. 

“I mean, I just don’t think it was good enough in general, so just go back to the drawing board,” Allar said. He finished the game 19-for-33 for 200 yards and two passing touchdowns. 

RELATED: Drew Allar gets real about his performance vs. FIU

An issue through two games

Penn State Nittany Lions wide receiver Trebor Peña (8) pushes through the Florida International Panthers defense during the third quarter at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Through two games, Penn State ranks 14th in the Big Ten in third-down conversions at 36 percent. Oregon, its first conference opponent, is converting at a rate of 63.6 percent. Of Penn State’s nine failed third-down attempts Saturday, four were incomplete passes.

Allar was sacked twice, and the others were rushing attempts that FIU anticipated and stopped. Penn State went 1-for-5 on third-down attempts of 4 yards or fewer. The run game gained just seven yards on third down and did not convert one attempt.

“We did not execute the way we needed to early on for a number of reasons,” Franklin said. “Obviously, third down was a factor in that we missed some throws or dropped some passes. We allowed [FIU] on defense to stay on schedule too often. … I would have liked to see us start stronger and faster.” 

In particular, Allar's missed pass to running back Nicholas Singleton in the second quarter drew boos from the crowd, and Allar threw his arms up in frustrated disbelief.  The fix, Allar said, is to shut his brain off and trust his instincts. Those mistakes allowed FIU to hang in contention into halftime, longer than most anticipated. 

“I caught myself just overthinking a couple times and just not going out there and playing like I was overthinking,” Allar said, displeased with his performance. “We had the bubble to Nick that I just completely missed on third down. … In reality, I made that throw all week in practice.”

RELATED: What we learned from the Nittany Lions' win over FIU

Getting aggressive on fourth down

Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin during the second quarter against the FIU Panthers at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

The Panthers’ confidence only grew when Penn State also failed to convert twice on fourth down. Franklin wants Penn State to be aggressive, which led him to call for the offense four times on fourth down. The Nittany Lions went 2-for-4.

“He puts a lot of trust and faith in us, but it’s our job to go out there and convert,” Allar said. “We can go for it all we want, but if we’re not going out there and converting on third-and-shorts or fourth-and-shorts, whatever the case is, then there’s no point in calling it. We have to back it up.”

In some third-down situations, Penn State is looking for a manageable fourth down if it doesn’t convert. On the opening drive, Allar missed receiver Trebor Pena, and the Nittany Lions turned over the ball on downs. In the second quarter, running back Kaytron Allen rushed up the middle needing two yards but managed just one.  

“[Franklin] wants to be the most aggressive coach in college football,” said Singleton, who converted one of Penn State’s two fourth downs. “Obviously as an offense too, we want that too. We like how he said that. We always want to be aggressive, but, you know, we obviously have got to pick it up.”

Against Nevada, Penn State scored on every drive in a 46-11 Week 1 win. But on Saturday against the Panthers, Gabriel Nwosu punted three times. In the second half, Franklin didn’t elect to go for it on fourth-and-short as much and either punted or had Ryan Barker attempt a field goal. 

Third down contributes to slow start

Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar (15) runs with the ball during the fourth quarter against the FIU Panthers at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Penn State’s sluggish start perhaps was understandable, as the team played a non-conference opponent for the second consecutive week. But a slow start against a team like Oregon or Ohio State will be harder to overcome. Converting third downs at a higher rate is imperative to the offense’s success and ability to be explosive. 

Playing accurately through the red zone is something else Penn State needs to improve on. Last week, the Nittany Lions settled for three field goals from inside the 20-yard line. Points are always good, but in upcoming conference games, the difference between touchdowns and field goals will define games.

Franklin said that Allar wasn’t in “his normal rhythm” and missed throws that he normally doesn’t. Allar admitted as much as well, understanding that Penn State needs to get better in scoring situations. He wants the offense to be more explosive and said it still did not meet its mark. Penn State converted just two passes of 15+ yards, including a 42-yard touchdown from Allar to Devonte Ross. The run game generated four plays of 12+ yards.

“I do think things are magnified because we rotate more early in the season than we will late in the season,” Franklin said. 

Penn State Nittany Lions running back Kaytron Allen (13) looks for running room vs. the FIU Panthers at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Franklin also has high expectations for Penn State’s offensive line. Before the season started, Franklin said there are seven linemen he views as starters, but the unit hasn’t played to that standard quite yet. 

“Based on last week and what I saw today out on the field, I think there’s a lot of meat left on the bone,” Franklin said. “I think we have a chance to be a dominant front, and I wouldn’t necessarily say we’ve played like that up to this point.” 

Penn State’s run game was more successful in game two, but those third- and fourth-down struggles against FIU magnified a need for improvement. 

“Obviously it wasn't perfect today, you know, but obviously we won the game which matters most,” Singleton said. “We got to look at ourselves in the mirror and see the stuff we have got to fix, then come together as a group tomorrow to see the whole picture and then move on from there.”

Penn State has one more non-conference game against Villanova on Sept. 13. Then the Nittany Lions host Oregon for the White Out, and their first real test of the season, on Sept. 27.