Penn State quarterback Drew Allar threw a costly interception late in the fourth quarter of the College Football Playoff semifinal to set up Notre Dame’s game-winning field goal, capping a dramatic comeback in the Orange Bowl on Thursday night. The Nittany Lions blew an early double-digit lead in the eventual 27-24 loss, leading to harsh criticism on social media.
Penn State was outscored 24-14 in the second half, squandering a 10-3 halftime lead after a dominant first-half performance. Allar completed just 12 of 23 passes for 135 yards and the interception. None of his completions were to a wide receiver with tight ends or running backs accounting for all dozen catches.
James Franklin is once again facing scrutiny after failing to secure a win in another high-stakes game. Since becoming the head coach of the Nittany Lions in 2014, Franklin has a disappointing 1-15 record against teams ranked in the top five of the AP poll.
Below is some of the social media reaction to Penn State blowing its early lead in the Orange Bowl and the subsequent fourth-quarter collapse to Notre Dame
After forcing Notre Dame to punt in the closing minute of the fourth quarter with the score tied 24-24, Penn State took possession at its own 15 with 38 seconds left on the clock. A big 13-yard chunk gain by running back Nicholas Singleton gave the Nittany Lions the green light to be aggressive and push for a potential game-winning field goal. However, on the next play, Allar threw a pass intended for wide receiver Omari Evans that was picked off by Notre Dame cornerback Christian Gray at the Penn State 42.
«I was going through my progression, got to the backside, and honestly I was just trying to throw it at his feet but I should have just thrown it away,» Allar said postgame. «I felt the first two progressions not open just because of the situation we were in, but I was just trying to throw it at Omari’s feet, but just didn’t execute what I was trying to do.»
While Allar has already informed the coaching staff of his intention to return to college for the 2025 season, there was interest about the possibility of him declaring for the 2025 NFL Draft, according to recent reports. Allar is often complimented for his decision making with just 10 career interceptions on 843 pass attempts. However, the costly mistake in a high-pressure situation with a spot in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game on the line has raised questions.
«He’s got a chance to take another step next year,» Franklin said postgame. «But he’ll handle it the right way. He’s hurting right now. Should be hurting. We’re all hurting. This ain’t easy to get in here right after the game and have a conversation after you just poured your guts out on that field and really did it all year long. He’ll handle it great. He’ll be hurting tonight and he’ll be hurting tomorrow and he’ll hurt a little bit less the next day and so on and so forth. But he’s a committed guy that’s going to do it the right way, and he said it. It may not feel like it right now, but he’ll learn from this and he’ll be better for it, and so will we.»
Allar did show significant strides forward in his second season as the Penn State starter. He completed 262 of 394 passes (66.5%) for 3,327 yards and 24 touchdowns to eight interceptions, and rushed 96 times for 302 yards and six touchdowns. Allar improved his completion percentage, yards per attempt, yards per completion, yards per game and passer rating. His elevated completion percentage — which was above 70% for most of the season before dipping below that mark following the Big Ten title game — rose from 59.9% and stood out over the course of the season.
Penn State could not fully seize the game despite taking a 10-0 lead in the second quarter. Notre Dame got off to a disastrous start, falling behind with a stagnant offense and a defense that was unable to slow down the Nittany Lions rushing attack. Penn State was getting push up front on the offensive line, opening up holes for 141 yards on the ground in the first half. Meanwhile, the Fighting Irish had just 15 yards rushing and gave up three sacks in the opening two quarters. The opportunity was there for Penn State to take full control, but allowed Notre Dame to get back in it before a shootout took place in the fourth quarter.
Franklin is no stranger to harsh criticism with an inability to get over the hump at Penn State despite a Big Ten title in 2016. The main knock on Franklin during his time at Penn State is his 4-17 combined record against Michigan and Ohio State, as well as a 1-15 mark against top-five ranked opponents.
This is not the first time Penn State squandered an early 10-0 lead in a big game this season. The Nittany Lions jumped out to a two-score advantage against Ohio State back in early November before being outscored 20-3 the rest of the way, continuing an eight-game losing streak to the rival Buckeyes.
«I wanted it for the guys,» Franklin said postgame. «I wanted it for our players. I wanted it for the staff. I wanted it for Pat Kraft and Neeli Bendapudi who have been awesome, and I’ve been doing this long enough to know when we have the support from our athletic director and president. That’s been phenomenal, so I wanted it for them. But most importantly, I wanted it for the guys in the locker room and the staff. As you can imagine, there’s a thousand different emotions going on and feelings, but as the head coach, I’ve got to put on the right face for the guys in the locker room for what they need right now and for my family.
«And the sun will come up tomorrow, and the one thing I want to make sure that all those guys do is walk out of that locker room with their heads high and their chests out because they have a ton to be proud of,» Franklin continued. «There’s about 128 teams that would give their right arm to have the season that we just had this year. It doesn’t feel that way right now, but there’s a ton to be proud of.»