STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Penn State quarterback Drew Allar, who left the Nittany Lions’ stunning 22-21 loss to Northwestern on Saturday, is out for the season, coach James Franklin said in his postgame media availability.
Allar hobbled off the field after a third down play in the fourth quarter, and was eventually carted off to the locker room. He was replaced by Ethan Grunkemeyer.
“Drew will be done for the year,” Franklin said.
Penn State (3-3) has now lost three straight games, with two of those coming in Happy Valley. The reeling Nittany Lions will take on Iowa next Saturday.
It’s a different story for the Wildcats. They surged to 4-2 as Caleb Komolafe ran for 72 yards and a touchdown to stun the Beaver Stadium crowd. Preston Stone threw for 163 yards with a touchdown pass to Griffin Wilde, and Jack Olsen kicked three field goals for the Wildcats, who won their third straight and moved to 2-1 in the Big Ten.
The Wildcats, who hadn’t won in Beaver Stadium since 2014, took the lead for good with 4:51 when Komolafe bulled his way through Penn State’s defense to cap a 75-yard drive late in the fourth quarter.
The Nittany Lions, who fell to 0-3 in the league, got the ball back, but that’s when Allar suffered his injury. Grunkemeyer was immediately stopped on a fourth-down run and the Wildcats ran the clock out from there.
Allar, Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen ran for touchdowns for the Nittany Lions. It was the fifth time a James Franklin coached Penn State team has lost at least three consecutive games in a season.
The Nittany Lions, who committed six penalties for 71 yards in the first half, could never get out of their way. Meanwhile, the Wildcats played steady, almost mistake-free football in front of a flat Penn State crowd that chanted “Fire James Franklin!” early.
Allar was intercepted on Penn State’s opening drive when he threw the ball right to defensive back Ore Adeyi in the end zone. Adeyi returned it to the Northwestern 33 and the Wildcats turned it into three points 12 plays later with Jack Olsen’s a 27-yard field goal with 2:51 left in the first quarter.
The Nittany Lions finally got their offense moving with Allen. He carried five times on Penn State’s next possession and gave his team a 7-3 lead when he muscled in from 11 yards out early in the second.
Northwestern marched into Penn State’s territory on its next possession where Stone found a wide open Wilde for a go-ahead 28-yard touchdown pass.
The Wildcats appeared to get a stop on defense but fumbled away the ensuing punt. The Nittany Lions needed nine plays from Northwestern’s 26, but finally broke through on a fourth-and-goal when Singleton slashed around the Wildcats’ left flank for a 2-yard touchdown.
Olsen made a 34-yarder with three seconds left to cut Penn State’s lead to 14-13 at halftime.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
