There’s positive news for Penn State regarding Drew Allar’s leg injury ahead of Saturday’s significant matchup with Ohio State.
According to Pete Nakos from On3.com, the junior quarterback is expected to start for the Nittany Lions after sitting out the second half of last week’s win over Wisconsin. Nakos mentioned that Allar has been preparing to play all week, although he was sharing practice reps with Beau Pribula just in case.
Allar sustained the injury during Penn State’s final offensive drive of the first half, returning to the locker room before his teammates and later appearing on the sidelines with a knee brace.
At the time of the injury, Penn State was trailing 10-7. After both teams exchanged punts at the start of the second half, the Nittany Lions gained momentum when Jaylen Reed intercepted Wisconsin quarterback Braedyn Locke and returned it 19 yards for a touchdown.
Pribula then led the team on two consecutive touchdown drives, securing a 28-13 victory.
Allar participated in practice on Wednesday during the media-accessible portion.
Head coach James Franklin was reserved when addressing Allar’s condition after practice, saying, “At this stage, no new information for you guys. But so far, so good. Getting both Beau and Drew a ton of reps in practice.”
Allar is enjoying the best season of his career, having thrown for 1,640 yards, 12 touchdowns, and maintaining a 71.3% completion rate over seven games.
Saturday’s game is set to be the biggest challenge yet for the Nittany Lions. Ohio State, currently ranked fourth nationally, has faced difficulties recently, suffering a one-point loss to Oregon and narrowly defeating Nebraska 21-17 last week.
Penn State (7-0) holds the No. 3 spot in the AP Top 25, its highest ranking since October 2017 when it was No. 2. That year, the Nittany Lions also started 7-0 but lost two straight to Ohio State and Michigan State.
Franklin has a challenging history against Ohio State, with a 1-9 record overall, including 0-5 since Ryan Day became head coach in 2018. His only win came in October 2016 during the memorable Block Six game, when Grant Haley returned a blocked field goal for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter, leading to a 24-21 victory.
The game between Ohio State and Penn State will kick off at Beaver Stadium at 12 p.m. ET on Saturday.
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