“He’s Been Fantastic This Postseason” Penn State Football’s X-Factor vs. Notre Dame Revealed
Penn State Football’s 2024 season has seemed very different from years past, and this concerns how the offense is operating under second-year starting quarterback Drew Allar and first-year offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki.
When Kotelnicki came over from Kansas this past offseason, it was all about getting the passing game rolling and competing with the top offenses in the Big Ten, such as Oregon, Ohio State, and USC.
The Nittany Lions did a great job scoring with Oregon and USC this season, dropping 45 and 33 points in those contests, but they failed to score an offensive touchdown against the Buckeyes. Other than that, it has been nice to see the scoreboard light up in Happy Valley.
Penn State is also working with something it hasn’t had in a long time: a top-NFL quarterback prospect. Allar is rumored to be a first-round pick in either 2025 or 2026.
This year, Allar has 3,192 passing yards, 24 touchdowns, and seven interceptions, and the offense has more firepower because of the great quarterback play.
Penn State Football Getting Key Contributions From ‘X-Factor’
Even though the Nittany Lions have one of the best quarterbacks in the sport, they are still known for their running backs.
The best one in the NFL is Philadelphia Eagles Saquon Barkley.
Barkley recorded 2,005 rushing yards, 101 yards shy of breaking Eric Dickerson’s NFL single-season rushing record.
Penn State still has two great running backs, Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen, who have both rushed for 1,000 yards this season.
According to Fox Sports, Penn State must attack the Notre Dame defense on the ground. The Fighting Irish are ranked fifth in passing defense and not even in the Top 10 against the run.
Singleton and Allen will have to help Allar move the ball. Yahoo Sports writer Nick Bromberg published an article College Football Playoff players to watch, key to the Orange Bowl: Notre Dame vs. Penn State, and has Allen as the Nittany Lions Player to watch.
“Allen has been fantastic during the postseason,” Bromberg wrote. “He rushed 14 times for 124 yards in the Nittany Lions’ Big Ten title game loss to Oregon and had 11 carries for 70 yards and two touchdowns against SMU.
In the Fiesta Bowl, Allen rushed 17 times for 134 yards as the Broncos struggled to tackle him. He crossed the 1,000-yard mark in that game too and has 201 carries for 1,026 yards and eight touchdowns on the season. With Nick Singleton also healthy in the backfield, Penn State has a 1-2 punch at running back that can rival Ohio State’s TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins.”
Notre Dame got after the Georgia running game in the Sugar Bowl, holding them to 66 rushing yards on 29 carries. However, the Penn State running game is different from anything they have faced all season, and now Singleton and Allen will have to prove why they are the best running back duo in the country.
More Penn State Football News from NittanyCentral:
- There’s One New, Big Reason Drew Allar May Still Enter 2025 NFL Draft
- Notre Dame’s Biggest Threats Penn State Must Respect in Orange Bowl
- Encouraging Abdul Carter Injury Update as Orange Bowl Nears
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- “He’s Been Fantastic This Postseason” Penn State Football’s X-Factor vs. Notre Dame Revealed - January 7, 2025
- There’s One Big Reason Drew Allar Might Enter the 2025 NFL Draft, After All - January 6, 2025
- Penn State Football Shunned by National Analysts Ahead of Notre Dame College Football Playoff Semifinal - January 5, 2025