WATCH: Drew Allar throws first touchdown pass for Penn State
Penn State survived its Week 1 contest against Purdue thanks to a clutch late-game drive from starting quarterback Sean Clifford, but even that wasn’t enough to stop questions about whether the Nittany Lions might turn to Drew Allar as the starter at some point.
Nonetheless, coach James Franklin stuck with Clifford for Week 2’s contest against Ohio, and Clifford got the Nittany Lions out to a comfortable lead, allowing Allar to work in at his own pace.
It didn’t take long for the five-star prospect from the 2022 recruiting class to make his mark, though.
Early in the third quarter with Penn State leading 26-7, Drew Allar’s first touchdown pass in college found its target, right in stride to Omari Evans for a 32-yard score. You can view a highlight of the play below.
Sean Clifford retains starting job for Nittany Lions
Though excitement is high about Allar’s potential at Penn State going forward, Clifford brings some veteran experience to the table that Franklin is reluctant to give up on despite his history of up-and-down play.
The final drive against the Boilermakers was solid evidence of what Clifford is capable of when he’s executing at a high level, even with Drew Allar’s first touchdown now in the books.
In fact, Franklin has even been hesitant to simply hand the backup job to Allar full time.
“It’s a competition, week in and week out,” Franklin said this week when asked directly whether Allar would be QB2 against Ohio. “But I don’t have that answer for you right now.”
Clifford ended up starting the Ohio game and, as of the time of this writing, had recorded a 19-of-27 passing for 213 yards stat line, while throwing one touchdown pass and no interceptions. He had also rushed eight times for 14 yards and a touchdown.
Allar was a former five-star prospect in the 2022 recruiting class. He ranked as the No. 28 overall player in the nation in the 2022 On3 Consensus Top Football Player Rankings.