No. 7 Penn State routs West Virginia, 38-15, in season opener

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Penn State entered Saturday with a talented roster and championship aspirations for one of the most highly anticipated season openers in recent history. The Nittany Lions got off to a good start following a 38-15 drubbing of West Virginia in packed Beaver Stadium.

In his first start as a Nittany Lion, sophomore quarterback Drew Allar shined. He threw for 325 yards and three touchdowns on 21-of-29 passing. Allar’s poise was highly impressive for a young quarterback, especially as West Virginia sent pressure at him — early and often.

Leading 14-7 after the break, Penn State forced a quick three-and-out on West Virginia’s first third-quarter drive. Allar and Co., after sputtering on a pair of drives, went 56 yards for a touchdown on seven plays to make it 21-7, a momentum-shifting score.

A crowd of 110,747 was good for the fourth-largest attendance in Beaver Stadium history.

Penn State’s success in the passing game was helped in large part by strong performances from wide receivers KeAndre Lambert-Smith and Harrison Wallace III. The pair combined for 195 yards on 11 receptions,including a pair of touchdowns from Lambert-Smith. Receiver Malik McClain, a transfer from Florida State, also scored, a positive sign after the room’s depth was uncertain heading into the season.

“More opportunity, that’s all I’ve been wanting since I was a freshman here,” Lambert-Smith said. “I’m the No. 1 guy here, and the opportunity is here. I’m gonna make the most of it every game.”

The offensive line allowed just one sack and minimal pressure on Allar all night. It also paved the way for a solid performance from sophomore running backs Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen. Singleton had 13 carries for 70 yards and a touchdown, while Allen added 51 yards on 10 carries.

Though the West Virginia offense was held quiet most of the night, it found traction on the ground on multiple drives. That’s a potential point of concern for the Nittany Lions, whose defensive tackle depth has been a question mark. West Virginia’s abandonment of the run game killed a handful of strong drives.

Junior linebacker Curtis Jacobs led the way for the Penn State defense with 10 tackles, a sack, and a tackle for loss. The Nittany Lions’ pass rush forced West Virginia quarterback Garrett Greene to run on multiple occasions.

Special teams were a low point for Penn State after losing last year’s starters at kicker, punter, and long snapper. Kicker Sander Sahaydak missed two short field goals (34- and 38-yarders) in the first half and was replaced by Columbia transfer Alex Felkins, who converted a 24-yarder. Riley Thompson shanked a 29-yard punt on his first attempt.

“It’s still very close,” Franklin said of the battle between Sahaydak and Felkins. “Close enough that after you miss two field goals — that I do not think were long, challenging field goals — close enough during camp to go to the other guy.”

In the first quarter, Allar stepped up in a collapsing pocket and, on the run, delivered a laser in the middle of the field to Lambert-Smith for a 72-yard touchdown pass. Lambert-Smith caught the ball on his back shoulder and walked into the end zone after his defender fell down.

The play opened the scoring on Penn State’s first offensive drive in what was just the second pass of the game.

Penn State is at home again on Saturday against Delaware (noon). It will be streamed on NBC’s Peacock, making the game the first exclusive streaming broadcast in Penn State football history.