Penn State head coach [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] has never been one to get too deep into sharing news and updates related to player injuries, and he wasn’t about to reveal much about starting quarterback [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] following Penn State’s 27-6 victory over Rutgers on Saturday.
Allarv was removed from Penn State’s game against the AScarlet Knights in the third quarter after taking a hit from a Rutgers defender on a run up the middle. The contact occurred just before Allar was able to safely go down to the ground. Allar stayed in the game for one more play, which resulted in a wildly off-the-mark incompletion to the right side of the field. Allar did not return to the game and backup quarterback Beau Pribula ran the offense for the remainder of the afternoon.
Franklin addressed the Allar injury in his postgame press conference but did not provide any specifics. But he did seem to think, at least initially, the injury situation was not a serious one for his starting quarterback.
“It would not be appropriate for Drew, for his family, but I don’t see this being significant,” Franklin said about the Allar injury. “But, we will see.”
Franklin explained the play was nothing too different from anything Allar has done this season when running with the football. And upon multiple viewings of the play, that seems legitimate. But this time, a defender got to Allar just before he could go down safely.
“THE RISK-REWARD” of Penn State quarterback Drew Allar running the football, according to head coach James Franklin, after the Nittany Lions defeated Rutgers, 27-6, in Beaver Stadium. Allar left the game w/ an injury in the third-quarter and did not return. pic.twitter.com/u7hKqYKCLA
— Mike Poorman (@PSUPoorman) November 18, 2023
Franklin went on to praise Allar’s leadership on the sideline while watching Pribula take over for the rest of the game.
“He was really good as the game went on,” Franklin said. “His leadership was phenomenal.”
Allar’s status for next week’s regular-season finale at Michigan State is now one of the storylines to follow in the coming week. Penn State has a short week on tap as they will wrap up the regular season against Michigan State in Detroit’s Ford Field on Friday, Nov. 24.
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