First impressions from Penn State’s 38-15 win over West Virginia

Penn State’s 38-15 win over West Virginia on Saturday evening in front of 110,747 at Beaver Stadium gave folks a first look at the 2023 Nittany Lions. Some of that was good, others left fans wanting more. As 23-point wins against non-conference Power Five opponents go, this was certainly one of them. 

The win featured Drew Allar’s first college start, and what a first impression he left. The expectations were high and outside a few misfires, he passed his first test with flying colors. Even better than the stat line — 21-of-29 for 325 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions — was the always reliable eye test.

Drew Allar is different. 

His second throw, a scramble in which he stepped up in the pocket and kept his eyes downfield to find KeAndre Lambert-Smith with the flick of a wrist that sent the ball 40-plus yards past an outstretched defender, is one that college quarterbacks simply don’t make. Sometimes you see throws and all you can do is laugh. Allar did that a few times on Saturday. His ability to get the ball out to the perimeter quick showed up a few times. It’s an advantage that not many offensive coordinators have in college football. 

The thing is, I was expecting a stat line like that. Penn State was the better team and Mountaineers play a defensive style that is susceptible to the big play. I thought Allar would have a big night with the numbers, but maybe the film would tell a different story. Sure, he wasn’t perfect — Allar should have been picked in the end zone late in the second quarter and a leading throw at the start of the third would have resulted in a second long touchdown for Lambert-Smith — but man, was he impressive. 

Link: Penn State passer Drew Allar passes first test in first start of career

Penn State threw a lot at him. From watching this game the first time through, there was a sense that the Nittany Lions were confident they could fall back on some other options if need be. The game, despite being close on the scoreboard at half, didn’t really feel in doubt. It was, in a way, similar to the Rose Bowl that capped the 2022 season. Instead of handing the ball to Nick Singleton or Kaytron Allen 35 times, Penn State’s coaches put a little more on Allar’s shoulders. That’s something that will benefit both player and team as the situations get a bit more sticky this season. 

Allar will have adjustments and improvements to make. That’s just common sense. His third-down passing numbers jumped off the page, as he was just 2-of-6 on the crucial down as the team went 4-of-14 on third-down conversions on the night. But on Saturday evening he showed the promise of what he can be for the Nittany Lions. That’s an exciting proposition for a team that can surround him with talent. 

Link: Penn State-West Virginia takeaways: Drew Allar answers the call, kicking woes, and more

Right up there with Allar, at least for me, was the play of his wide receivers. The Nittany Lions went with plenty of 12 personnel, as expected, but that group of wideouts behind Lambert-Smith and an emerging Tre Wallace really stepped up. Malik McClain surprised with four catches for 58 yards and a 25-yard score. Liam Clifford led him to the end zone on that scoring play and he had a solid night as well. Omari Evans was limited to mostly special teams duty with a pregame questionable designation. Dante Cephas picked up a big gain but dropped what could have been a touchdown on the next play. Consistency is what will get it done for that group, and in round one that win went to McClain and Clifford. 

Surprisingly, Penn State neglected to use its tight ends. Tyler Warren caught one pass for nine yards on a receiver screen and Theo Johnson was only targeted once. 

Penn State defense in a feeling-out period

The Nittany Lions spent the evening chasing around West Virginia quarterback Garrett Greene on the other side of the ball. The mobile signal-caller gave the Nittany Lions fits as he extended plays with his legs time and time again. He also didn’t turn the ball over, making things exceedingly frustrating for a defense that has a high standard. 

It’s tough to come out and face a Power Five opponent in week one. This team gave up 31 points to Purdue just a year ago. That doesn’t mean they were good enough on Saturday night, but there’s some perspective to be gleaned from the performance. Tackling, as we’ll cover in a bit, was abysmal at times. Gap assignments and backside pursuit were abandoned at times as well. But Penn State’s first defense gave up seven points. That’s a good thing.

Link: Highs & Lows: Penn State secures 38-15 win over West Virginia

Curtis Jacobs, playing both Will and Sam as Abdul Carter had a frustrating off night, was pretty darn good. He led the Nittany Lions with 10 tackles and a sack. In terms of those flying around and being active, Jacobs’ start to the 2023 season was promising. Safety Jaylen Reed also played a good game on first viewing. 

Conversely, the defensive front as a whole lacked something. Maybe the tape will be kinder to the group than the first viewing, but West Virginia’s offensive line and running game took at them to mixed results. A good cutback running team would have feasted on the Nittany Lions on Saturday night. On top of that, Penn State’s six tackles for loss were its fewest since the Northwestern slop-fest last year. For the record, the Nittany Lions only had three tackles for loss against Purdue to open the season last year, so maybe hold off on the scathing reviews for now. It’s a feeling-out period for the Nittany Lions. 

Penn State Special Teams as feared

There’s no much dressing up the Nittany Lions’ special teams against West Virginia. Outside of kickoff man Gabe Nwosu, who was 6-for-6 on touchbacks on the night, there weren’t many bright spots. Sander Sahaydak’s first public audition as Penn State’s starting kicker was dreadful. He missed from 38 and 34 and was replaced by Alex Felkins. Felkins, to his credit, hit his 25-yarder and his three extra points. 

This is an issue. Stacy Collins can chart all the kicks he wants, but he can’t make them for his guys in game situations. Riley Thompson punted twice for a 37.5 yard average. That’s not going to do it, either. 

Penn State’s only penalty of the night came on special teams. Yes, it was a forgettable evening for the whole group. 

Gauging Penn State’s issues from Saturday

Week one is often clunky and on Saturday evening the Nittany Lions were not immune. Penn State played much of the contest with some of the usual maladies. Some issues, as they usually do, should work themselves out with live reps. Others may be rooted a bit deeper and take some time to work out. Keep in mind that the Nittany Lions host Delaware next weekend and it’s a great time to work out some of the kinks before heading to Illinois in week three.

So how much of this is typical week one symptoms and what should Penn State fans be worried about in the long term? Let’s take a look.

– Penn State’s tackling woes kept West Virginia on the field. Missed tackles aren’t an official stat, at least in the first run, but Penn State’s numbers when the tapes come out won’t be kind. Too often did the Nittany Lions guess wrong angles or just flat-out miss (Abdul Carter will want to scrub one in particular for the record. It was not pretty. The good news, however, is that this is a yearly occurrence, not just in Happy Valley but nationwide. We’ll find ourselves in the news cycle next week talking about extra tackling drills, but the fact is that college teams get dropped into the season cold and it’s a whole different animal against a live opponent who doesn’t wear your colors.

Link: Everything James Franklin had to say following Penn State’s 38-15 win over West Virginia

The verdict: Week One issue 

– Penn State’s field goal kicking left points on the field. Penn State should have won by more in ways that aren’t really debatable. Twice in the second quarter the Nittany Lions stalled out in field goal range. Twice Sander Sahaydak pulled his attempts — a 38-yarder from the right hash and a 34-yarder from the middle of the field — to the right. Sahaydak was yanked for Columbia transfer Alex Felkins in the second half. Felkins hit his kicks and left the job open for at least another week. Penn State’s special teams issues are real, though. 

The verdict: Long-Term concern

– Hunter Nourzad’s debut at center made Drew Allar work. From the Nittany Lions’ first drive, Allar had to stretch for a few juiced-up snaps from his first-year center. To his credit, he was able to come down with them all, but any beat that could put a play off schedule is best avoided. Nourzad will have to adjust and go away from the fastball at times. He’s capable of doing that as the game slows down, however. 

The verdict: Week One issue

Link: Early recruit reactions from Penn State’s win over West Virginia

– Penn State ran its two-minute drill in the first half without a timeout in their back pocket. The Nittany Lions had to burn a timeout on their first play of a drive in the second quarter. That happens with a first-time starter at quarterback. It’s not ideal, but it happens. Penn State used two timeouts as West Virginia tried to get something together in the second quarter. They didn’t have one when Allar took over with 1:17 remaining in the half and they could have used it. Still, in the grand scheme of things, for a first-time quarterback and an offensive coordinator who made the move to the booth this offseason, it could have been worse. On that note, Penn State had just one penalty all night and that was a false start on special teams. 

The verdict: Week One issue (but keep an eye on it just in case)

– Penn State’s run defense was tested. West Virginia did exactly what it wanted to do offensively. The Mountaineers deflated the ball by running it 40 times on the night. They were able to break off some timely chunks, thanks mostly to quarterback Garrett Greene, who finished with 71 yards on 15 carries, many of which were not designed runs. Greene played the Cam Rising role well if you recall Utah’s quarterback effort in the first half of the Rose Bowl. Penn State’s run defense, which did end up surrendering just 3.7 yards per carry, struggled to close gaps on the back end and as a result the Mountaineers were able to break off six runs of 10 yards or more. Was it a disaster? No. Was it short of high expectations? It was. Penn State’s front seven often got up the field and left teammates hanging in the run game. Gap soundness was the drum beaten after the Michigan debacle last season and, while the tape of this game should help the Nittany Lions iron some things out, it’s worth revisiting those same warts. Penn State’s defensive unit, starting with that front four but not excluding the rest of the group, needs to lock down some assignments. 

The verdict: Long-term concern

Link: Three reactions: Penn State win shows potential, necessary next steps

– Penn State was 3-of-5 scoring touchdowns in the red zone in the win. Last year, the Nittany Lions were able to score touchdowns on 39-of-51 trips to the red area. When the T-formation got clicking as the 2022 season went on, the Nittany Lions were nearly automatic at times. On Saturday, the missed field goals were salt in the wound, but Penn State was inconsistent in the red zone. Sometimes it was play-calling, others it was execution. When breaking down the red zone even more, Penn State is fine inside the 5 as things get tight. The Nittany Lions didn’t hesitate to go to the T-formation when the popped up in short yardage. From outside the five to the 20, there’s more space, which means more decisions to be made. That’s something that should come in time for Allar, but it will be a work in progress. They’ll learn a lot in film this week. 

The verdict: Week One issue

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