Three takeaways from Penn State football’s 28-13 win over Wisconsin on the road in Madison
Penn State left Madison with a win after defeating the Wisconsin Badgers, 28-13, on Saturday night. The Nittany Lions remain undefeated on the season at 7-0.
Here are three takeaways from the matchup:
Nittany Lions struggle to finish early drives
Penn State’s offense was moving the ball well in the first half of Saturday’s game but struggled to score points for the most part. The Nittany Lions’ first drive of the game stalled out after they waltzed down the field against the Badgers. A Julian Fleming drop on third down and a failed quarterback sneak brought it to an end and gave the ball away.
While the decision to go for it was a good decision on the drive, the execution was lacking on those two plays. Pair that with the team’s last drive of the first half, when it looked as if PSU might have a chance to take the lead. Instead, Drew Allar took a sack, seemed to get hurt and airmailed a third-down pass attempt where it looked like he struggled to put his weight into the throw. Penn State trailed 10-7 at halftime.
Allar’s health is paramount
There is nothing that matters more for the program the rest of the year than Allar’s health moving forward. The Nittany Lion offense was not the same without the star quarterback and that’s the side of the ball the team needs most down the stretch.
That’s because Penn State will be facing a few high-level defenses still — like Ohio State and Minnesota — and will have to score points. With Beau Pribula in at quarterback, the group becomes predictable and is a much more run-oriented offense with a limited threat of throwing the ball. If Allar’s injury is long-term, it could spell doom for the Nittany Lion offense this season, putting even more pressure on the defense to be nearly perfect. However, that doesn’t mean the playoff is off the table.
Everything is still ahead of Penn State
Getting a win in difficult circumstances will only help the Nittany Lions’ case when it comes to the College Football Playoff. They’re still a very good team with a very good chance of dropping only one more game from here on out in the regular season.
While next week’s task would be much more daunting without Allar and with Ohio State making the trip to Happy Valley, the last four games would still be winnable regardless. Matchups at home against Washington and Maryland and road games against Purdue and Maryland are still games the Nittany Lions should win — as long as the offense can be average. Saturday’s win gives them leeway to potentially even lose one of those games and still make it. Either way, all hope is not lost for James Franklin and his team’s quest to make the playoff.
This story was originally published October 26, 2024 at 10:52 PM.
