Three takeaways from Penn State football’s 34-0 win over FIU at Beaver Stadium
Penn State allowed FIU to hang around but ultimately took care of business Saturday in its 34-0 win over the Panthers in Beaver Stadium. The Nittany Lions improved to 2-0 on the season with the victory.
PSU led at halftime just 10-0. Here are three takeaways from the Nittany Lions’ win:
QB Drew Allar struggles early
The Penn State offense should have had no issue moving the ball up and down the field against a poor FIU defense, and to some extent, that was the case. The Nittany Lions were able to move the ball when they were in between the 20-yard-lines, but struggled to finish drives, largely because of Drew Allar’s play at quarterback. Allar was consistently missing easy throws, which either put the team behind the sticks or stalled out drives completely. And even his completions weren’t always on the money. There were multiple situations where he could lead his receiver and allow them to create yards after the catch, but instead was off-target, forcing them to adjust to make the reception.
Allar played well in Week 1 against Nevada, but his issues against FIU will be worth monitoring as the team has only one more game before its biggest home matchup of the year — against Oregon on Sept. 27.
RB Nick Singleton missing opportunities
Penn State’s star running backs, Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen, had much better statistical performances against FIU than they did against Nevada — with a caveat for Singleton. The Nittany Lion senior had multiple opportunities to pick up additional yards in the first half if he made the right read, but instead was brought down because he hit the wrong hole. There have been times where his vision with the ball has been an issue in the past, but it was glaringly obvious against FIU.
There are few backs in the country with the combination of power and speed that Singleton has, but too often he’s leaving meat on the bone for the offense. That doesn’t mean he’s not a star or can’t be one of the best in the country at the position this season — but it is something he’ll need to improve on if he wants to reach his ceiling as a Nittany Lion.
DC Jim Knowles’ defense remains elite
There remains some questions about the offense, especially after a slow first half Saturday, but there aren’t many about the defense at this point. Defensive coordinator Jim Knowles helped make this group the most impressive unit on the field Saturday, consistently wreaking havoc and allowing just 2-of-11 third-down conversions through three quarters. The group prevented explosive plays, and came up big on important plays to stall out any momentum FIU built. And while there is plenty of star talent on that side of the ball — and players like defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton and safety Zakee Wheatley made their presence felt — it was the play of the collective that impressed most.
The Nittany Lions excelled at executing their jobs and making the play in front of them, not allowing FIU to make the kind of big plays that are necessary to pull off an upset as a 40-plus point underdog. While the true test of Knowles and the defense will come in two weeks against Oregon, this week is still a good indicator that the group should be elite this season.
This story was originally published September 6, 2025 at 3:11 PM.
