What We Learned From Penn State's Week 3 Win Over Villanova

The Nittany Lions had another challenging day throwing the ball but emerged with a 52-6 win.

Penn State Nittany Lions running back Nicholas Singleton (10) runs with the ball during the second quarter against the Villanova Wildcats at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

STATE COLLEGE | No. 2 Penn State concluded its non-conference schedule against Villanova on Saturday, cruising to a 52-6 win. The Nittany Lions picked up some much-needed steam heading into their bye week and a likely top-five matchup with Oregon on Sept. 27. Here’s what we learned from Penn State’s Week 3 victory over the Wildcats. 

Another inconsistent passing game

Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar (15) drops back in the pocket while looking to throw a pass during the second quarter against the Villanova Wildcats at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

On Penn State’s first drive of the second half, quarterback Drew Allar lined up under center Nick Dawkins on 3rd-and-6 at Villanova’s 27-yard line. Allar handed off the ball to running back Nicholas Singleton, who gained 2 yards. And then Penn State coach James Franklin sent out the kicking unit. 

It’s rare that a coordinator with confidence in his quarterback calls a run play on 3rd-and-medium in plus territory. However, that’s exactly what Penn State’s Andy Kotelnicki did Saturday, which begs the question: Does Kotelnicki have faith in his starter? 

In Kotelnicki’s defense, Allar hasn’t quite performed to his standards the past two weeks. He’s averaging just 208.7 yards per game and has had trouble with accuracy. Allar has completed just 56.4 percent of his passes the past two weeks and recorded a season-low completion rate of 55.2 percent (16-for-29) against Villanova.

“We’ve got to help him get into a rhythm,” Penn State coach James Franklin said. “… He was getting good protection, but [Villanova was] dropping eight guys in the coverage. You’ve got to find windows and you’ve got to find lanes.” 

Most importantly, Allar was 0-for-5 on third down, and Penn State did not convert a third down through the air. It’s something he finds fixable. 

“I think we just didn't execute [on third down],” Allar said. “I thought there were opportunities that we had, whether I missed the throw or not, but there wasn't anything crazy. We just didn't execute. Unfortunately sometimes, it just falls that way. But I have confidence that will bounce back.”

Allar also said he isn't having an issue with his progressions through the receivers.

"I think I’m getting through my reads pretty good," Allar said. "I think Coach K does a great job for me getting the ball out on the first read just because the first read is designed to be open. ... I think I'm going through my progressions just fine."

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Nicholas Singleton gets extended work, but Kaytron Allen still outperforms

Penn State Nittany Lions running back Nicholas Singleton (10) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Villanova Wildcats at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

After two uneven weeks, Penn State running back Nicholas Singleton took the lead in the run game. Singleton got 20 carries, 10 more than Kaytron Allen, and was the offense's primary back. However, he finished with 86 yards rushing, just two more than Allen, who averaged 8.6 yards per carry.

Franklin said last week that Singleton was overthinking and trying to “play perfect,” so Penn State’s response appeared to address that. However,  Franklin shut down that idea postgame, saying it wasn’t in Penn State’s gameplan.

“It really just has to do with who's in the game,” Franklin said “It's not like Andy [Kotelnicki], when he's calling the game, he's looking to see who the running back is. We’ve got two running backs that we feel really good about, and we just call the game. Sometimes you kind of get into a situation where one running back is in and you've thrown the ball more, and you’ve got another running back in where you run the ball more. … Sometimes those numbers are going to get a little bit out of whack.”

Through three games Singleton has seven more carries than Allen, but 94 fewer yards. It’s been an eye-catching start for Penn State’s tandem, and specifically for Singleton, who were ranked as the best in the country by Pro Football Focus before the season. 

Linebacker Tony Rojas is a playmaker

Penn State Nittany Lions linebacker Tony Rojas (13) sacks Villanova Wildcats quarterback Tanner Maddocks (3) during the second quarter at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Linebacker ony Rojas played through a lingering shoulder injury in 2024 that limited his production. Rojas underwent a procedure in the offseason and has looked like a completely different player through three games. 

On Saturday against Villanova, Rojas totaled three tackles and two sacks in the first half alone. He finished the game with five tackles (two for loss) and was one of Penn State’s most productive players on defense.

Rojas was evidently the fastest player on defense and, aside from one missed tackle, had a strong day. He punctuated the impressive with a sack on Villanova quarterback Pat McQuaide, using his speed to chase down McQuaide on the sideline. 

The third-year linebacker said postgame that his position group as a whole is playing faster and the defensive communication is improving every week, which has been beneficial for Rojas.

Penn State in rhythm when it’s a run-first team

Penn State Nittany Lions running back Kaytron Allen (13) runs with the ball which would result in a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Villanova Wildcats at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

The Nittany Lions’ first drive against Villanova consisted of eight runs via Singleton. The senior totaled 34 yards and a touchdown in those opportunities, leading a 13-play, 78-yard scoring drive. 

The next three drives, Penn State’s offense stalled and looked out of rhythm after running the ball only two times. The Nittany Lions scored just three points on those series, which included a drive that started on Villanova’s 32-yard line. 

As Penn State continued to shy away from the run game, Allar’s accuracy faltered, and the offense failed to score touchdowns. It’s becoming clear that, when the Nittany Lions don’t run the ball or struggle with their ground game, they’re unable to find success in the red zone.