Minnesota coach PJ Fleck: Drew Allar processing at a higher level than ever

Penn State football is set to kick off its final road game of the 2024 regular season when it takes on Minnesota in Minneapolis on Saturday afternoon. The No. 4 Nittany Lions will look to secure a 10-win regular season for the 22nd time in program history and the sixth time in the James Franklin era.

To earn win No. 10, Penn State will need another solid outing under center from quarterback Drew Allar. Speaking to the media this week, Golden Gophers head coach PJ Fleck said he’s impressed with what he’s seen from the Nittany Lions signal caller.

“I think it’s just his growth over the years [that stands out]. You’ve been able to watch him in different games, and the fun thing about when you film study, you cross over so much with everybody who plays each other, and especially in the new league,” Fleck said, captured by 247Sports’ Gopher Illustrated. “He’s really, really poised in the pocket. He’s got a big, strong arm and understands the system. He can run.

“They’ve got three quarterbacks; one is a high school quarterback that’s really a tight end [Tyler Warren] who’s just [going] to do it all for them. They’ve got another quarterback who can throw it and run it really, really well [Beau Pribula]. And then Drew could do the exact same thing, but they all have different skills.  But he’s [Allar] really accurate. He’s big, he’s strong, he’s physical.

© Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

“I think he is processing at a higher level than he ever has. I think that’s a critical characteristic of being an elite quarterback is how you process and how you get through your reads. How you get through the decisions and how quickly you do that. I think even last night’s NFL game, showed a lot of that from [Justin] Herbert. If you were watching some of that game, and we get a chance to watch some of that in the background, and how fast things were happening.”

Through 10 games, Drew Allar is completing 72% of his passes for 2,253 yards, 16 touchdowns, and five interceptions. His ability to extend drives with his legs has also been critical in key spots for Penn State football this year; the junior has 194 yards and three scores on the ground.

Minnesota comes into Saturday ranked No. 11 in total defense nationally. The Golden Gophers are No. 17 in the country in passing defense, only allowing 176.6 yards per game, and rank tied for fourth with 16 interceptions on the season.

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