Penn State QB Drew Allar ‘super excited’ for ranked matchup vs. Illinois at Beaver Stadium

It’s not Ohio State. It’s not Michigan. But this game week feels different than the previous three. With the nonconference slate in the books, Penn State is poised to open Big Ten play on the big stage: a nationally televised night game at Beaver Stadium against a ranked opponent.

When No. 9 Penn State hosts No. 19 Illinois on Saturday, Happy Valley will be buzzing. It’s a game with College Football Playoff implications. And thanks to the current media rights landscape, it’s the first primetime matchup under the lights at Beaver Stadium in over a year.

Penn State fans are champing at the bit and so is Drew Allar.

“The environment is super special,” Allar said. “Every home game we get is an opportunity to cherish and take in all the moments that we get in Beaver Stadium. It’s unmatched in college football. There’s a lot of great experiences and environments in college football. But I have to put Beaver Stadium up there as the best from my experience. I’m super excited for this weekend. It’s a really good team we’re going against.”

Allar is entering the Big Ten slate flying high. The second-year starting quarterback has played with confidence and freedom through three games, generating explosive plays, taking care of the ball and thriving under new offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki.

Statistically speaking, Allar has been effective. He has completed 71% of his passes for 729 yards, eight touchdowns and only one interception. Allar has attempted only 58 passes: 17 at West Virginia, 20 against Bowling Green and 21 against Kent State. But when called upon, the junior quarterback is driving the ball downfield and taking advantage of Kotelnicki’s offense.

Allar is averaging 12.6 yards per attempt with a 218.3 passer rating. Both those figures rank second in the FBS behind Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart. Allar also has 13 completions of 20-plus yards, the third most among FBS QBs who have played only three games. Of course, Allar could have had three or four more if he played the entire second half against Kent State.

But this weekend promises to be a tougher test than Kent State.

Illinois has been impressive, notching what was, at the time, a ranked win over Kansas in Week 2 and beating a ranked Nebraska in Lincoln last Friday. Bret Bielema’s team is well-coached. The offense, with quarterback Luke Altmyer at the helm, has been efficient. And the defense has been opportunistic. Illinois has snared seven interceptions, tied for the most in the Big Ten.

Penn State, despite being a double-digit betting favorite, is likely to be challenged in all facets. After dissecting the tape, Allar knows what he’s up against.

“It’s a lot of man coverage across the board. They have really good DBs in general,” Allar said.

He pointed out cornerback Xavier Scott, who has three interceptions, including a pick-six against Kansas.

“There’s not much separation on film,” Allar said. “So we’re gonna have to do a good job this week. When we get our opportunities to throw it in the pass game, we have to create separation. … They do a really good job of disguising a lot of Cover 2 with their man coverage and things like that. So they’ve got a good scheme. Pair that with good players, and it’s definitely going to be a challenge for us this Saturday.”