MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Tears welled in Drew Allar‘s eyes and started to fall down the Penn State quarterback’s face as he spoke a couple of sport that was in his grasp, till it wasn’t.
Allar, who confirmed clear enchancment throughout his second 12 months as Penn State’s beginning quarterback, struggled for a lot of Thursday’s 27-24 loss to Notre Dame within the College Football Playoff semifinal on the Capital One Orange Bowl. But after serving to Penn State take the lead halfway by the fourth quarter, he had an opportunity to steer a game-winning drive because the offense took possession with 47 seconds to play and the rating tied at 24-24.
Then, on first down from the Penn State 28-yard line, Allar appeared downfield for broad receiver Omari Evans however badly misfired, and Notre Dame’s Christian Gray dove to intercept the ball. The Irish then picked up a key first down, organising Mitch Jeter‘s 41-yard discipline aim try, which he transformed with seven seconds left.
“I used to be going by my development, obtained to the bottom, and truthfully, I used to be simply attempting to grime it at his ft,” Allar mentioned. “I ought to have simply thrown it away after I felt the primary two progressions not open, due to the state of affairs we have been in.”
Allar, who accomplished 71.6% of his passes through the common season and helped Penn State attain the Big Ten title sport, linked on solely 12 of 23 makes an attempt Thursday for 135 yards. Penn State transformed solely 3 of 11 third-down possibilities and did not full any passes to its broad receivers.
Notre Dame entered the sport fifth nationally in third-down conversion protection at a shade underneath 30%, whereas Penn State was fifteenth nationally in third-down conversions at 47%. On third-and-goal late within the first quarter, Allar’s move to operating again Nicholas Singleton went a bit behind him, bouncing off his palms to forestall a probable landing.
“I believed we had a extremely good plan,” Allar mentioned. “I believed [offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki] and the offensive workers had a extremely good plan for regular downs, third down and purple zone, however I missed a pair throws on it, so it comes down to only execution. Credit to Notre Dame for making it robust, for positive, however I believe if we simply execute these moments that we’d have been put ourselves in a greater place. It begins with me hitting a few of these throws.”
Despite profitable a team-record 13 video games, together with the primary two CFP victories at school historical past, Penn State squandered two results in fall simply wanting advancing to the nationwide title sport. Coach James Franklin, who dropped to 1-15 towards AP top-five opponents, pointed to Penn State’s third-down struggles on each side of the ball — Notre Dame transformed 11 of 17 alternatives — and the ultimate minutes of the primary half and begin of the second half as the largest elements within the end result.
“He’s hurting proper now, must be hurting, we’re all hurting, this ain’t straightforward,” Franklin mentioned of Allar. “He’ll deal with it nice. He’ll be hurting tonight and he’ll be hurting tomorrow and he’ll harm a little bit bit lower than the following day and so forth and so forth. But he is a dedicated man that is going to do it the suitable approach.”
Kotelnicki mentioned the group embraced a “enjoying to win” mindset and needed to stay aggressive within the remaining minute. After Singleton rushed for 13 yards on the primary play, Penn State tried to make use of tempo on the ill-fated move.
“He’s going to place that on himself, and he would not should,” Kotelnicki mentioned. “I’ve obtained to be higher for him and our offense to guarantee that no matter we’re doing, no matter play we’re calling, that our individuals have an opportunity to separate and put him ready the place he can really feel extra comfy. So I merely say to him, ‘That ain’t you. That’s not on you. You need not take that in your shoulders and really feel the blame for that.'”
Allar’s interception marked his first of the CFP and simply his eighth all season. He struggled with accuracy throughout 4 postseason video games — the Big Ten championship and three CFP contests — hitting on solely 58 of 109 (53.2%) of his makes an attempt, whereas throwing six landing passes and three interceptions.
The 6-foot-5, 238-pound junior introduced final month that he supposed to return to Penn State for the 2025 season slightly than enter the NFL draft.
“We did not win the sport, so it wasn’t adequate, I believe it is plain and easy,” Allar mentioned. “So I’ll study from it, simply do every part in my energy to get higher from it and simply develop from it.”
Franklin referred to as Allar’s progress “vital” from 2023, his first 12 months as Penn State’s starter.
“He mentioned it, and it might not really feel prefer it proper now, however he’ll study from this, and he’ll be higher for it, and so will we,” Franklin mentioned.
