Penn State quarterback Drew Allar is known for his big arm, but it was his running power and quickness that were on display Saturday against West Virginia. Allar gained 44 yards on six carries, including four first-down runs, and energized the offense with his run game in the Nittany Lions’ 34-12 victory over the Mountaineers. The quarterback also moved well in the pocket, taking no sacks and few hits. 

“We call him Lamar Allar,” Penn State coach James Franklin said postgame, referring to Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson. “I thought he ran better than people probably expected last year. He dropped 10 pounds, I think he’s done a really good job in the weight room becoming more explosive.”

Allar, who said he actually lost 11 pounds, worked with strength coach Chuck Losey this offseason to get leaner and more agile on his feet. Penn State’s roster lists him at 6-5, 235 pounds, and Losey described Allar as a “body composition guy” in July. Losey said that the staff’s goal was to lower Allar’s body-fat percentage, increase his lean mass and improve his movement qualities. 

“You saw it during the spring; he’s moving around a lot more, and he’s going to have to be able to do that in the game, too,” Losey said of Allar this summer. “With any of our guys, we need them to be superior athletes. Movement has always been an area for Drew, when you look at our history and the types of guys we’ve had back there [at quarterback] with Trace [McSorley] and Sean [Clifford], we’ve always had some really good movement guys back there. And that’s always something that we’ve been trying to improve on with Drew.”

Three things we learned from Penn State’s win over West Virginia

Allar said Saturday that he has been “intentional” about improving that aspect of his game. The quarterback worked with Franklin, offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki and quarterbacks coach Danny O’Brien to become a more willing and aggressive runner. Most importantly Saturday, Allar converted consecutive 3rd-and-long runs on Penn State’s scoring drive to start the third quarter.  

“I think it’s just having more trust in myself when I feel the need to take off,” Allar said after the game. “It’s really more about making the defense respect me as a runner. … I’ve been intentional about it and I’m going to show it every week when I have the opportunity.” 

That manifested in a stiff arm Allar delivered to the face of West Virginia linebacker Josiah Trotter in the second half. Allar was fired up, too, jawing at Trotter right after the play.

Running back Nick Singleton said the play “got everybody hyped” on the Penn State sideline. He added that Allar’s willingness to run and put his head down has been exciting to see. 

“He showed a little bit last year, but even more this year. He’s been crazy,” Singleton said. “He put in a lot of effort getting bigger, faster, stronger. He still has more to do.” 

Allar ran for 206 yards and four touchdowns last season, gaining a career-high 49 yards against Michigan. It seems unlikely that Kotelnicki will call a significant number of designed runs for Allar, especially with gadget quarterback Beau Pribula playing an expanded role in the offense. But when the play breaks down, Allar’s willingness and ability to scramble to extend drives could be key for the Nittany Lions. It also will give opposing defenses one more thing to worry about. 

“If your quarterback can get you just two to three first downs a game with his legs, it changes everything,” Franklin said. “I thought that showed up today.”

Up next

Penn State hosts Bowling Green on Sept. 7 in its 2024 home opener at Beaver Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for noon ET on Big Ten Network.

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Sam Woloson has covered Penn State Athletics for the past three years and is currently the managing editor of The Daily Collegian. His work has also appeared in Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Huntingdon Daily News and Rivals. Follow him on X @sam_woloson