Penn State's Drew Allar Gets Real About His Performance Vs. FIU

STATE COLLEGE | Penn State's Drew Allar felt the flush of frustration when he missed a simple pass to Nicholas Singleton in the second quarter. It was merely a bubble throw to a running back, something the quarterback executed all week in practice.

Yet this time, Allar's pass landed beyond Singleton's stretched arms and incomplete. Allar tugged at his jersey collar and walked slowly to the sideline, not reacting to the sprinkling of boos at Beaver Stadium. He didn't need to. Allar's internal sun was burning.

"I caught myself just overthinking a couple times, not just going out there and playing," Allar said after the game. "... Just overthinking it. In reality, I made that throw all week in practice, so it's just going out there and shutting my brain off and going and playing."

Allar has put together an uneven start to the 2025 season, underscored by his play in Penn State's 34-0 win over FIU on Saturday. He has looked by turn elite and ordinary, sometimes from play to play.

On Saturday, Allar fought through a grim start in which he completed just one of his first five passes. He missed an open Trebor Pena at one point, had another pass dropped, met a miscommunicated route with another receiver and got away with an air-ball deep shot to Devonte Ross on which FIU was called for pass interference.

And he also made an effortless 42-yard touchdown pass to Ross that the receiver caught one-armed while being held. Allar turned out of his play-action to follow only Ross to the end zone, making the loosest throw imaginable. In that moment, Allar did what he often does — make the difficult throw look routine.

HOW DID DEVONTE ROSS CATCH THIS?! 🤯@PennStateFball adds on another TD pic.twitter.com/PqUgcESi1z
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 6, 2025

The problem Saturday was that Allar also made the routine look difficult. Like that missed throw to Singleton from out of the backfield. Or several other access throws he usually makes effortlessly. After the game, the quarterback assessed him game pretty transparently.

"I just don't think it was good enough in general," he said. "Just go back to the drawing board."

Asked specifically where he struggled, Allar said, "Make all the throws. It's kind of simple."

Early comparisons to his former teammate

Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar throws a pass during the third quarter against the FIU Panthers. — Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar (15) throws a pass during the third quarter against the FIU Panthers at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Both Allar and former Penn State quarterback Beau Pribula are 2-0 as starters this season, though the Missouri quarterback's number certainly stand out. Pribula went 30-for-39 for 334 yards and three touchdowns in the Tigers' 42-31 win over Kansas on Saturday. In two games for Missouri, Pribula has thrown for 617 yards and five touchdowns. He's averaging 9.2 yards per attempt.

Allar, meanwhile, has thrown for 417 yards and three touchdowns in two games against non-Power 4 opponents. He's averaging 7.1 yards per attempt. Penn State coach James Franklin conceded that Allar wasn't at his best Saturday vs. FIU.

"I didn't think he was in his normal rhythm," Franklin said. "We had some drops, he had some throws that he normally makes that he didn't. That was a major factor for us on third down. But we just couldn't seem to get into the rhythm on offense, and that was part of it."

Allar searches for rhythm

Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar looks to throw a pass during the first quarter against the FIU Panthers. — Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar looks to throw a pass during the first quarter against the Florida International Panthers at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Allar's progression chart was erratic. He threw four straight incompletions in the first quarter, followed by five straight completions. He went 10-for-18 in the first half but just 2-for-4 on third down.

"I knew coming off the field that I didn’t play as well as I wanted to play [in the first half]," Allar said. "I just knew I had to come in [to halftime], reset and flush it. I think we did a good job on the first two drives of the second half in putting up points. I just have to be more consistent throughout the game. That really starts with me. I kind of killed our momentum at times throughout the first half."

Then he made that throw to Ross for their first touchdown connection of the season, giving the Nittany Lions a 20-0 lead. Outside of Tyler Warren last year, Allar hasn't had a consistently trustworthy pass-catcher who could deliver him the contested catch. The play energized Penn State's sideline and, most importantly, Allar.

"I think overall the offense played really well," Allar said. "I left stuff out on the field that I would love to have back. ... Our receivers made plays when I gave them chances. Now, it's just about me going out there and playing better. The first half I felt was really on me for killing our momentum a couple times. But I'll fix that. I'm not worried about that. It's just more frustating.

"For me, it’s just about making the easy things easy."

Early comparisons to his former teammate

Allar searches for rhythm

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