UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – FOX's Big Noon Kickoff awaits in Champaign, Illinois, as Penn State is set to open the Big Ten slate on the road for the eighth consecutive year. Saturday's contest with Illinois marks the 13th time in the last 14 years the Nittany Lions will kick off Big Ten play on the road.
Penn State is coming off one of its most dominant performances in the James Franklin era as the Nittany Lions cruised past Delaware in a 63-7 win Saturday at Beaver Stadium. The Nittany Lions tied for third most points in a single-game in Franklin's 10-year tenure.
Penn State currently holds the country's longest streak with at least 30 points in nine-straight games and looks to continue its strong offensive stretch against Illinois. Just days away from the matchup, Franklin fielded questions from the media.
Drew Allar Stays Focused
Sophomore quarterback Drew Allar has dazzled in his first two starts in a Penn State uniform. The Medina, Ohio, product ranks sixth in the country with a 78.2 completion percentage and 16th nationally in passing efficiency.
Allar completed over 84% of his throws against Delaware and has orchestrated an offensive attack that's averaged 50.5 points through the opening two games. Despite the early success, Allar wants his teammates to get the spotlight.
Illinois will provide a difficult road environment for the Nittany Lions as Memorial Stadium will be a house of fans draped in Orange. Allar is set to make his first road start of his collegiate career and Franklin shared how Allar has remained locked with the mindset of being, "focused on preparing to be the best quarterback."
"He's doing all the right things in terms of preparation, in terms of watching film, in terms of nutrition, hydration, sleep," Franklin said. "He's getting more and more comfortable and confident in his leadership role on the team."
Finding a Way to Win
The Big Ten opener against the Fighting Illini presents a myriad of challenges with a defense that can effectively force turnovers and a dual-threat quarterback in Ole Miss transfer Luke Altmyer, who ranks fourth in the Big Ten in completion percentage.
Penn State and Illinois will battle in the Prairie State for the first time since 2018 when the Nittany Lions came away with a 63-24 win. However, Franklin recognized how conference play on the road will require the right attitude.
Being able to adapt to any environment and finding a way to win are things that Franklin put frankly. Franklin also indicated how challenging his players in practice will prepare his team for a difficult road environment and a tough Illinois squad.
"It's not just Saturday's that we're competing and dealing with situations, it's all the time," Franklin said. "It's all the time...We're going to learn more and more about our team every week. There are going to be different ways that we're going to have to find ways to win. Good teams will find different ways to win each week based on the opponent, the schemes, the matchups, the challenges, the weather, whatever."
Nick Dawkins Dawning as a Leader
2023 marks the fourth season for redshirt junior offensive lineman Nick Dawkins at Penn State and he's continued to have an impact on a veteran offensive line corps full of experience and talent.
The Allentown, Pennsylvania, product is a two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree and while he used his redshirt in 2022, he found the field in the Nittany Lions opening two contests at both guard and center.
Standing at a physically imposing 6-foot-4, 315 pounds, Dawkins brings a unique level of flexibility to the offensive line and has worked alongside center Hunter Nourzad to elevate his skills at the center spot. As outlined by Franklin, Dawkings brings "a really good attitude" and is a hard-worker in all facets of the game.
"Dawkins is a guy that, again, I think the staff and the players have a ton of respect for," Franklin said. "He's done things the right way since he got on campus. He's one of our more natural charismatic leaders. He's super smart, he's articulate. I think he's really a team-first guy, so he has kept working and waited for the opportunity to present itself and it has, and he's run with it."
