Analysis: Penn State’s offense waited too long to show up in White Out loss to Oregon

UNIVERSITY PARK — The Beaver Stadium crowd was tuned up for the biggest White Out in recent memory. Before No. 3 Penn State and No. 6 Oregon kicked off, fans were erupting during something as mundane as pregame player intros.

Drew Allar drew a massive cheer. So did Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen. Those creating a sea of white were amped and eager. They were hopeful those star players and Andy Kotelnicki’s offense would rise to the occasion and thrive under the brightest of lights.

What followed later were boos, boos and more boos. And the thing is, all of them were justified. Penn State’s offense earned every last one.

Kotelnicki, Allar and Co. looked lost for the vast majority of the biggest home game of the season. In a tilt between two national title contenders, Penn State’s offense looked anything but. Through three quarters, they were out of sync, timid and mind-numbingly bad.

It was a frustrating and ugly watch that ended in a stunning interception by Allar — a mistake and an overall display that kept the Lions from a signature White Out win.

Penn State lost 30-24 in double overtime to Oregon thanks to a largely inept offensive display.

Through three quarters, the Nittany Lions had 109 total yards. Allar had completed 8 of 16 passes for 62 yards. Allen and Singleton combined for 32 yards on 14 carries. Everything that happened after was when Penn State was down 17-3 a few minutes into the fourth quarter.

And make no mistake, the Nittany Lions made a furious comeback. Penn State traveled 142 yards on its final two drives of regulation to tie the score and send it to overtime. Allar’s 35-yard connection with Devonte Ross was beautiful. Kotelnicki’s play-call — a jet sweep to Ross to tie it — was magnificent. It was a commendable bounce back.

But it wasn’t enough to overcome what happened for most of the night. Where was that ingenuity in the first, second and third quarters? Where was that urgency?

If Penn State played like it did down the stretch, this game wouldn’t have gone to overtime. If the offense rewarded the defense’s valiant, energy-sapping effort, Penn State could have won this thing in regulation.

The monkey would have been off James Franklin’s back. The burden of last year’s interception against Notre Dame in the CFP semifinal would have been lifted from Allar’s shoulders. Franklin, Allar and the Nittany Lions would have finally quieted some noise around winning against a top opponent.

Instead, Penn State was lucky to be in overtime in the first place. Instead, it was the same old story.

The Nittany Lions came close under Franklin but failed to capitalize on a massive opportunity and a massive crowd that was hoping, praying, that the result would end differently than it had in the past.

Penn State failed because it’s offense failed. Kotelnicki failed for most of the night. The offensive line — a group that had preseason aspirations of being recognized as college football’s best — failed for most of the night. Allar and his receivers failed for most of the night.

In the end, Allar failed to see Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman in the game’s defining moment — and the offense failed to hold up its end of the bargain on the biggest stage.