In three games last year against OSU, Oregon and Notre Dame, Drew Allar completed 54 percent of his passes for 507 with three touchdowns and four interceptions. The Nittany Lions lost all three.
Allar, 6-5, 234 from Medina, Ohio, is a third-year starter and a former five-star prospect. He's projected to be picked in the first round of the 2026 NFL draft.
That's not conclusive. The NFL is notorious for falling in love with tall, big-armed guys who play erratically. There's a long list. While Allar has the look and the measurables, Dante Moore is the quarterback in this game with elite arm talent and the makeup to thrive in a pressure atmosphere.
Allar is a fourth-year senior playing at home. Moore is a redshirt sophomore. In Moore's first four games as the Oregon starter he's completing 75 percent of his passes for 962 yards and 11 touchdowns with just one interception.
Only rarely has Allar performed with that kind of accuracy and consistency, never in four games in a row. Moore shares one important quality with Marcus Mariota, Justin Herbert, Bo Nix and Dillon Gabriel.
Asked about the 5-star from Detroit, Michigan in a mid-week press conference, Kenyon Sadiq said, “I would just say his mentality and his composure. I think he's one of the calm, if not the calmest quarterback I've ever played with."
"I don't think I've ever seen him panic. No, he just does a great job of keeping the vibe and that energy in the huddle very just where it needs to be. And I think he's very professional.”
Admittedly, Moore hasn't faced an environment like the White Out in a night game in Beaver Stadium, or a defense like Penn State's, loaded with experience and athleticism, a high-pressure outfit that's produced nine sacks and 26 tackles for loss. It will be fascinating to see how he responds to it.
Over the winter in the transfer portal, the Nittany Lions tried to attack Allar's consistency problem by getting him an upgrade at wide receiver. They brought in Trebor Pena, Devonte Ross and Kyron Hudson, from Syracuse, Troy and USC.
Hudson is a senior, 6-1, 215, a physical receiver who excels at contested catches. Ross and Pena are jitterbugs, and that could be a problem for the Ducks: In Week One, FCS star Taco Dowler of Montana State scorched them for 12 catches for 107 yards.
So far the talent infusion hasn't clicked. In his last two starts the senior QB completed 58 and 55 percent of his passes, and thus far this season he's thrown just four touchdowns against one interception.
PSU fans keep hoping this is the game where Allar puts it together and unleashes his awesome foundation as a quarterback, becomes the confident leader who just lets it rip.
That could happen. He's got a great running game, an experienced offensive line and another capable tight end in Luke Reynolds. The Oregon defense has shown some vulnerability while playing a deep rotation.
This is a close matchup, one that could come down to which side has more strength in the trenches (advantage PSU) or which side does a better job of protecting and featuring their quarterback, the most important position in the game.
If the quarterbacks assert themselves and become the deciding factor, Moore is a better passer. But the environment, the offensive line and his defense give Allar a significant opportunity for vindication.
Bruce Feldman reported this morning that Allar gets to the building every morning at 5:30 a.m. In spite of being a hard worker, he's been subject to some brutal evaluations.
Drew Allar is another quarterback that is just completely overrated. pic.twitter.com/1GbDfLB3R1
— The Scarlet and Gray Podcast (@TheSG_Podcast) September 13, 2025