Storylines leading up to Penn State's home opener against Ohio

Penn State was looking at an 0-1 start until Sean Clifford and the offense got its act together in the final minutes to score the game-winning touchdown at Purdue. Now James Franklin’s 1-0 Lions face a much easier assignment in their home opener vs. Ohio on Saturday.

Here are some early storylines:

Theo Johnson’s status

Penn State’s talented tight end room was a player short vs. Purdue. Theo Johnson, a 260-pounder who runs 4.51, didn’t play for an unspecified reason. But Brenton Strange (67-yard touchdown catch) and Tyler Warren made some key contributions against the Boilermakers. When Johnson is good to go, he gives veteran quarterback Sean Clifford another dangerous option in the passing game.

Drew Allar’s debut

Clifford, who threw four touchdown passes and ran for another, missed some time in the third quarter while recovering from cramps. The Lions turned to Drew Allar, the true freshman five-star signee, and the 6-5, 242-pounder didn’t look out of place at all. Allar showed off a big-time arm, completing 2 of 4 passes for 26 yards. He just missed connecting with Warren on a long throw, too. Franklin said before the game that PSU’s backup quarterback situation was fluid, meaning Christian Veilleux and freshman Beau Pribula were still in play. But they don’t have Allar’s arm talent.

Lions’ run game sputters

PSU did show a commitment to the run vs. the Boilermakers, especially in the first half. But at the end of the day, the Lions averaged just 3.1 yards on 31 attempts against a Purdue defense that isn’t exactly stifling. Three runners handled the bulk of the carries — Keyvone Lee (nine carries), Nick Singleton (nine) and Kaytron Allen (eight). Singleton and Allen can get to the second level in a hurry if given some room, but there wasn’t a ton of it. The search for that elusive 100-yard rushing performance continues.

Penn State’s YAC effort vs. Purdue

Yards after catch can be a game-changer and it was vs. the Boilermakers. Penn State racked up 308 receiving yards and 193 of them came after the catch. Strange’s long touchdown reception occurred after he broke a Purdue tackle near the Boilermakers’ 40 and rumbled the rest of the way. Penn State wideout KeAndre Lambert-Smith turned a short catch into a 29-yard score in the fourth quarter by breaking loose from a Purdue defender. Will the Lions’ skill players continue to pile up the YAC against Ohio?

That’s Amor(e)

What, too soon? Penn State’s new punter was a big field-position weapon in the opener, averaging 46.9 yards on eight attempts. Barney Amor had a long of 52 yards and he pinned Purdue’s offense inside the 20 three times. Maybe, just maybe, Jordan Stout won’t be such a big loss.