No Reason To Believe Allar Can’t Handle Latest Level

Here’s a fun fact about me: I have never once beaten a Super Mario Bros. game. 

I have played and achieved plenty of accomplishments in various versions of Mario Tennis, Mario Kart and the Mario soccer games. I am a Backyard Baseball wizard, so-many-time national champion in NCAA Football that I’ve lost count, proud farmer in Farming Simulator 22 and even – and this is true – once held a top five title in a very obscure four-wheeler racing game called Pure. 

But there is something about the traditional left-to-right-jump-up-and-over Mario games that I absolutely struggle with. At some point there is just a level where I get stumped time and time again. I get frustrated. I get a little angry and by that point, I’m over it and on to the next video game. 

So what does this have to do with Penn State quarterback Drew Allar? 

Well, at some point, we’re going to find that level – or in his case that game – which challenges him. 

Right? 

Allar has been as steady as 13 year-old Darian controlling his Madden team on rookie difficulty. Eventually, there’s going to be a level that catches up to him or at the very least challenges him in a way we haven’t seen yet. But for now, Allar looks prepared to handle it.

It will only be then that we will be able to understand just how good Allar is. 

Do I think that level is coming Saturday at noon as Penn State makes the trip to Illinois for its conference opener? Before the season, I would have said yes. 

Illinois defense was supposed to be much better than it has been so far this year. While it sent three of its corners to the NFL including Devon Witherspoon, the drop off has been surprising.  Last season, Bret Bielema’s defense ranked second in passing yards per attempt. This year, they rank 95th. 

The Illini allowed 416 total yards in its opener against the MAC’s Toledo, sneaking by the Rockets with a last-second field goal to win it. Of those 416 yards, 230 came through the air while giving up two touchdowns.

A week later, Kansas put up 34 points and 539 yards, including 277 through the air. The Illini gave up four passing touchdowns in the loss. No team did that against the orange and blue all of last season. 

Penn State should do what it’s supposed to on Saturday, much like it did against West Virginia and Delaware to start the season.

But this is the Big Ten. This is Penn State’s Big Ten opener. This is an 11 a.m. local time game. This will also be Allar’s first start in a Big Ten stadium. If you know Penn State, you know that type of ju-ju can have that certain “oh crap” feeling to it like the one you get when you make a risky jump in a Mario video game. 

Last year, Allar appeared in 10 games, including the Big Ten and season opener against Purdue when Sean Clifford had to go to the bathroom locker room. That night, Allar looked poised in his freshman debut.

And Allar has looked more than poised in his first season as the starter. It was clear even on his first series how video game-like he can be, throwing a dart for a 72-yard touchdown pass to KeAndre Lambert-Smith. He led the offense against Delaware to one of its biggest scoring first halves under James Franklin, racking up 35 points before the break. 

He also showed patience as well as smarts particularly in that 63-7 win against Delaware where he led drives of 13, 10 and nine plays.

His early success has resulted in him owning the sixth-best completion percentage in the country. He ranks third in the conference at 9.6 yards per attempt, racking up 529 yards total in really six and a half quarters so far. He’s even been more physical, rushing the ball 18 times thus far, picking up a touchdown with his feet too.

There isn’t much wrong with how Allar, the former 5-star recruit, has played outside of one throw that probably should have been picked off in the endzone against the Mountaineers. He hasn’t thrown an interception yet, all while the Nittany Lions have done everything they’re supposed to, Allar included.

It’s evident he is the leader of the offense – both statistically and emotionally. At no point has the offense looked panicked this season. Neither has the quarterback. 

But how does that leader respond when the first blue shell sets him back? Can he put it back together in time when a drive falls off the Blue-White Road? How quickly can recharge his confidence after that first pick eventually comes? Can he handle things going sideways, something he didn’t have to do all of last season or yet this season? 

Right now, there’s no reason to believe he can’t. 

When that level comes, it sure seems like Allar is ready to get the job done, unlike me, who is still stuck on world two, level three of Super Mario Bros. Deluxe. 

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