Dec 30, 2023; Atlanta, GA, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar (15) runs with the ball against the Mississippi Rebels during the second half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Final Penn State football thoughts after Indiana: The good and bad from a close call
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Penn State quarterback Drew Allar didn’t realize he threw his first career interception.
Allar jogged to the sideline late in the fourth quarter unaware he had just turned the ball over on third down at the most inopportune time at a far from ideal location. Indiana, trailing by three points, would take over at the Penn State 21-yard line with 5:02 left. Once Allar saw the Nittany Lions’ defense step on the field, he finally realized what happened.
“I got hit and usually you hear the crowd react, and honestly there was like no reaction to it,” Allar said. “I thought it was like an incomplete pass or something. Then I looked back and the defense is on the field and I’m like, ‘Oh, I really just threw an interception right there.’”
Allar chuckled and smiled as he recalled the moment afterward. This game will be remembered more for what he did next: After Indiana tied the score with a field goal, Allar threw a 57-yard touchdown to KeAndre Lambert-Smith.
Lambert-Smith said he’s glad Allar has the interception out of the way. James Franklin said for all the times this season he said he was done talking about all of Allar’s firsts — his first start, his first road game, handling his first loss — this first for a quarterback does matter.
“That is a legitimate first,” Franklin said. “You throw your first interception and how are you going to respond from it? I thought he handled it really well and delivered a big-time throw.”
Through eight games, Allar has 16 touchdown passes to one interception.
“To me, all that talk (of throwing an interception) was kind of weird,” Allar said. “I shouldn’t have thrown that ball at the end of the day, but I’m not going to not be aggressive so I don’t throw an interception. … I don’t think it relieved any pressure or anything.”
