Who’s to Blame for Penn State’s Whiteout Loss to Oregon? Ranking James Franklin, Drew Allar, and More
If Penn State Football had pulled this one out under the white hot lights in Beaver Stadium, the conversation would be different.
We’d be talking about a statement win, about Drew Allar stepping into his moment, and about James Franklin finally changing the narrative.
But they didn’t, so we’re not.
Saturday night was yet another top-10 loss for Franklin, for Allar, for the Nittany Lions, whose frenetic comeback came up short in a 30-24 double-overtime loss to the Oregon Ducks.
Penn State looked dead most of the night, booed by their own fans before the fourth quarter, chants of “Fire Franklin” exploding from the student section, until they finally woke up.
The Nittany Lions muscled their way back into it, scoring two fourth-quarter touchdowns to force overtime and then punching in a third to take the lead in the first extra frame.
For a moment, Beaver Stadium shook like the old days, and it looked like Franklin’s team had finally found its breakthrough.
But Penn State didn’t quite have the gumption to finish.
Oregon, on the road, in the White Out, unfazed by it all, showed the guts of a champion.
Freshman quarterback Dante Moore, who has pretty much made everyone forget about six year senior Dillon Gabriel’s epic performance in his final act last season, led a fearless game-tying drive in the first overtime, converting a critical fourth down after taking a massive blow to the head, and in double OT, the Ducks made the one big play they couldn’t find earlier in the fourth, intercepting Allar to seal the win.
Here’s who takes the blame after another White Out disappointment.
Penn State Football Blame Meter for Oregon Loss
James Franklin – 40% of the blame
Franklin’s big-game failures are etched in stone.
He is now 4–21 against Top 10 teams. A White Out should tilt the field. Instead, it’s turned into a national stage for heartbreak.
This program never seems to be able to finish under Franklin, despite returning many players from last year’s final four College Football Playoff run and spending a boatload of NIL money to load up some of the glaring holes left by last year’s team.
Drew Allar – 30% of the blame
This was supposed to be his legacy-defining game.
Instead, it looked like Miami all over again. He was 12/23 for 135 yards and no touchdowns in that one and went just 14-of-25 for 137 yards, 2 TDs, and 1 INT Saturday night.. Too many throws died in the turf or sailed wide.
And just like the CFP semifinal against Notre Dame last January, his final act was a game-ending interception, forcing a ball into triple coverage when the moment demanded calm, cool, and a smarter decision.
Offensive Line & Run Game – 30% of the blame
For all the fourth-quarter juice, the numbers don’t lie.
Oregon ran for 176 yards on 37 carries (4.8 per rush). Penn State rushed for 139 yards on 35 carries (4.0 per rush).
But those PSU numbers are skewed a bit by Allar’s 42 yards on nine carries. Most glaring was the lackluster production of perhaps the top running back duo in the country.
Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen combined for just 72 yards on 22 carries, a paltry 3.3 yards per attempt. When your elite backs can’t crack four yards per pop and the line can’t move bodies, you’re not controlling elite opponents, they’re controlling you.
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Dante Moore – The Outlier
Moore was everything Allar wasn’t. He played at a white hot level but with a body temperature of about 0 Kelvin (-459.67 Fahrenheit if you’re keeping score at home).
The freshman phenom went 29-of-39 for 248 yards and 3 TDs, shook off a brutal shot to the coconut in overtime, then calmly converted a clutch fourth-and-one that led to the game-tying touchdown shovel pass in the first OT, before putting the Nittany Lions back on their heels with a dagger TD in double OT on Oregon’s first play.
The Ducks didn’t flinch. Moore thrived in the very moment that his counterpart shrank.
Far From A Requiem
Penn State had momentum, the crowd, and the chance to flip the narrative with a fourth-quarter comeback for the ages and an overtime lead.
Instead, Franklin’s 4–21 record vs. Top 10 opponents held true.
Allar was inaccurate, his final throw echoed Miami with another interception, and the run game never delivered.
Different stage, same ending – from Miami to Beaver Stadium, the story hasn’t changed.
The good news for Penn State is that it’s still September. If you recall, Notre Dame lost to NIU at home last year in September only to run the table to the National Title game last January.
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It was at PRISM where Staszak produced live games and began his career as an on-air reporter.
After a couple of brief stints with CBS-3, WB-17 and WGAL-8 in Lancaster, PA, Staszak began a 12 year stretch at FOX 29 where he became the lead sportscaster in 2007. It was there that Staszak found himself in the middle of Philadelphia Phillies World Series Championship coverage that earned him an Emmy nomination for best sports reporter in 2008.It was one of five Emmy nominations that Staszak earned over the course of his career.
All told Staszak covered three World Series, two Stanley Cup Finals, an NBA Finals and one Super Bowl during his television run.
Staszak left the TV business for 97.5 The Fanatic in 2013, where he enjoyed eight years bloviating his beliefs on how a professional football team should be run.In 2018 when he fortunate enough to be the first sports talk host in the city, along with cohort Zach Gelb, to provide post-game coverage of the first Super Bowl Championship for the city’s beloved Philadelphia Eagles.
Staszak was also a writer for 97.5 The Fanatic along with 4 Philly Sports and now covers Penn State athletics for NittanyCentral.com.
- Who’s to Blame for Penn State’s Whiteout Loss to Oregon? Ranking James Franklin, Drew Allar, and More - September 28, 2025
- Drew Allar’s Legacy on the Line vs Oregon Under the White Out Lights - September 26, 2025
- James Franklin’s Big Challenge for Penn State’s Offense Ahead of Big Clash vs. Oregon - September 18, 2025