Penn State wide receivers fail to record a catch in Orange Bowl

In a big game, Penn State once again came up short Thursday.

Against Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl, Nittany Lions receivers failed to record a single catch, with Drew Allar’s 12 completions going to tight ends Tyler Warren, Khalil Dinkins and Luke Reynolds, and running backs Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen.

Warren was the only player who felt like a consistent threat throughout the game, something the Irish keyed in on, as they were able to stymie the star tight end/whatever offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki wants him to be in the fourth quarter. Warren didn’t log a catch after the 13:59 mark in the fourth quarter until Penn State’s attempt at a miracle with four seconds on the clock.

REQUIRED READING:Penn State football loses in CFP: Why it was close. Heartbreaking. And still the norm …

Wide receiver – specifically separation at wide receiver – has been a Penn State issue all season. Harrison Wallace III and Omari Evans, the team’s top pass-catching duo, combined for 67 catches on the year for 1,135 yards and nine touchdowns. To pit Penn State up against a fellow Big Ten semifinalist, Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith hauled in 70 catches for 1,224 yards and 14 touchdowns by himself this season.

Wallace and Evans logged eight catches between them (seven of them from Wallace) during the College Football Playoffs, with Evans not catching a pass against either SMU or Notre Dame.

While Allar will inevitably catch the brunt of the criticism for his interception at the end of the game on a would-be game-winning drive, this is a problem that extends past 2024 for the Nittany Lions. In 2023 their leading receiver was KeAndre Lambert-Smith, who transferred to Auburn, with 673 yards. In 2022 it was Parker Washington at 611 yards, and he promptly declared for the NFL draft. The last time it felt like Penn State had an elite wide receiver was 2021, when Jahan Dotson hauled in 91 catches for 1,182 yards (and Washington complemented that number with 820 yards of his own).

The Allar-receiver problem feels like an ouroboros for Penn State. Kotelnicki was praised for his pre-snap motions and quirky looks for the Penn State offense, but against better opponents it became clear that was to hide a glaring hole at wide receiver. By hiding Warren in the formation, Warren could stay part of the offense. Allar’s receivers can’t find separation, and Allar doesn’t have the accuracy or decision-making (yet) to find them that room.

REQUIRED READING:What happened on Drew Allar’s interception? Penn State football QB talks crushing mistake

Even so, Allar’s interception came at an inauspicious time. The QB looked off all night, with two interceptions that were wiped out by flags. And Penn State, after a 13-yard run from Singleton to start what it hoped would be a game-winning drive, went to the air on Play 2 despite having a pair of timeouts left. Even as Greg McElroy sung the praises of Allar’s decision-making to start the drive, watchers were left scratching their heads and pondering which version of the game the ESPN commentator had been watching.

Penn State is behind the curve at wide receiver, and if it wants to compete with top-five teams, the Nittany Lions will have to catch up quickly. PSU isn’t known as a wide receiver factory – this is a school that has churned out LaVar Arrington, NaVorro Bowman, Micah Parsons and soon to be Abdul Carter at linebacker, and Larry Johnson and Saquon Barkley at running back – but there is legacy to uphold there. Bobby Engram, Allen Robinson, Chris Godwin and Dotson have all donned the white helmet at some time or another. In the modern era, the position needs to be a priority again.

This article was originally published by a www.usatoday.com . Read the Original article here. .

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