‘We got to get better’: Why Penn State football knows its 34-0 win isn’t good enough
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Penn State shut out FIU 34-0 but showed offensive inconsistency and miscues.
- Quarterback Drew Allar cited mental errors and overthinking as key struggles.
- Coaches emphasized improved execution before top-ranked matchups starting with Oregon.
When Kaytron Allen stretched his late fourth quarter run to the outside, and eventually broke free for a touchdown, the Penn State sideline was relatively quiet. There were some celebrations and yelling, but it felt more like an inevitably than anything — and like a realization that the job was done.
But on Saturday, that did not mean it was a job done well.
The Nittany Lions pulled away in a 34-0 win over FIU but left the fielding wanting — and needing — more with much bigger games lying ahead.
The team’s offense was sluggish from the start, moving the ball relatively well but struggling to finish drives — turning the ball over on downs (twice) more often than they scored touchdowns (once) in the first half. A theme that carried over from last week’s season opening win against Nevada.
“We got to get better,” coach James Franklin said postgame. “We got to get better this week. We got to be better on third down. We got to be more explosive. ... And those things are going to stall out drives. I have the same concerns that you do, but that’s what they are — they’re concerns. And they’re things we’re gonna emphasize and focus this week. And we’ll get better.”
That side of the ball was always the biggest question mark for the team heading into a season with national title aspirations. And, to this point, offense remains the more likely unit to hold the program back this year — with the passing game being the primary culprit.
And Saturday was not a banner day for that aspect of the game. QB Drew Allar played well against Nevada but came back with a subpar performance against the Panthers. There were incomplete passes that he flat-out missed, but there were also plenty of off-target receptions that were hauled in by his receivers despite him not putting them in the best position.
Allar attributed some of that to the mental aspect of the game.
“I caught myself overthinking a couple times, not just going out there and playing,” Allar said. “I was just overthinking. Like we had the bubble [screen] to Nick [Singleton] that I completely missed on third down. Just overthinking it. In reality I’ve made that throw all week in practice. ... As frustrating as it is, I know it’s really easily correctable. I just need to go out there and fix it now.”
That’s to be expected from a player with more on the line than anyone on the team. The entire roster is chasing the same goal, but Allar isn’t just the starting quarterback — he’s a potential No. 1 overall pick. That comes with enormous expectations and a microscope that is zoomed in on every pass he attempts.
Everything he does on the field and says off it will be scrutinized endlessly between now and when he hears his name called in April. Like how he took responsibility for the offense’s lackluster performance early.
“I just don’t think it was good enough in general,” Allar said. “Just go back to the drawing board.”
Still, there were positives to take. The team ran for 209 yards despite the slow start, and Allen has been playing at the highest level through two weeks. But even in the running game, there’s more to be done. His backfield mate, Nick Singleton, was much better statistically this week than he was last, but still left plenty to be desired — missing open holes and leaving opportunities out on the field.
But it’s not as if he’s the only one who isn’t performing at his full potential just yet. Franklin said the offensive line was doing the same.
“I haven’t watched this tape yet,” Franklin said. “But based on last week and what I saw today out on the field, I think there’s a lot of meat left on the bone. I think we have a chance to be a dominant front, and I wouldn’t necessarily say we’ve played like that up to this point. We’ve got to get that figured out. And playing up to our potential is going to be important for us moving forward.”
The good news is Penn State has another three weeks until it plays a game that really matters. The Nittany Lions will be massive favorites against Villanova next week and then go into a bye week as they begin preparation for an Oregon team they lost to in a shootout in the Big Ten title game last season. The Ducks entered this weekend ranked No. 6 in the country.
There’s a very strong chance that is the first of two top-5 matchups Penn State has this regular season — with Ohio State being the second in November.
Those games will be the ones that decide Penn State’s fate. Because, for as ugly as Saturday was, the team still won. For now these types of performances are workable. Allar and his teammates can go back to the drawing board and figure out why things didn’t work.
But in three weeks, working on it won’t be enough.
By then, they’ll need to have answers.
This story was originally published September 6, 2025 at 6:46 PM.
