Drew Allar threw another costly late game INT as Penn State falls to Oregon.
In a battle between top-10 teams, No. 3 Penn State fell 30-24 to No. 6 Oregon in double overtime in Week 5 of college football. This was a game that Nittany Lions coach James Franklin desperately needed — and so did his quarterback, Drew Allar.
Franklin’s record against top-10 teams took another hit, falling to 4-21 lifetime. Meanwhile, Allar, who was being considered a top pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, threw another game-altering interception in the loss to the Ducks.
The pick came just after Oregon took the lead in the second overtime. The Nittany Lions ran just one play, which was Allar’s interception.
Social media immediately became ablaze with insults, all pointed toward Allar. That included former Minnesota Vikings wide receiver and NFL Hall of Famer Cris Carter.
“Drew Allar of Penn State is overrated,” Carter posted on X.
This was another big blemish on the Penn State signal-caller’s résumé, just as it was for Franklin. After the loss to Oregon, Allar is now 0-6 against AP top-6 ranked opponents, according to ESPN Insights.
“It’s going to be a really long night for Drew Allar. I feel for the kid,” On3’s Ari Wasserman said.
Drew Allar Led Penn State to Fourth Quarter Comeback
The Ducks took a 17-3 lead to start the fourth quarter, making it seem like all hope was lost. However, on the ensuing drive, Allar drove the Nittany Lions 75 yards down the field in four plays, connecting with Devonte Ross on a 35-yard touchdown pass.
Forcing a Ducks punt, Penn State got the ball back with just over seven minutes remaining. Allar once again led his team down the field, this time 62 yards in 15 plays, taking 6:37 off the clock.
On the drive, Allar ran for 33 yards and capped it off by connecting with Ross again for seven yards to tie it at 17-all.
For the evening, Allar was 14 of 25 for 137 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. He also had 42 yards on nine carries, averaging 4.7 yards per carry.
Drew Allar’s Game-Ending Interception Against Oregon Felt Like Déjà Vu
What will become the narrative out of Penn State’s loss to Oregon — besides Franklin once again suffering another loss to a top-10 team — will be how Allar lost the game for the Nittany Lions.
Unfortunately, this is all too familiar for Penn State fans.
In last year’s College Football Playoff semifinal game against Notre Dame, Allar threw a costly interception. It wasn’t a walk-off like the one against Oregon, but it was just as bad.
Tied at 24 with 38 seconds to go, on the second play of the drive, Allar threw an interception to the Fighting Irish’s Christian Grey. That put Notre Dame at the Nittany Lions’ 42-yard line. Seven plays later, Mitch Jeter nailed a 41-yard field goal to put the Irish up 27-24, which ended up being the final score.
Overcoming all of this will be nothing short of challenging for Allar. If he really is going to be one of the top quarterbacks taken in the 2026 draft, he’s going to have to prove he has the mettle to win big games, especially at the greatest pressure points.
Shane Shoemaker Shane Shoemaker is a sports journalist covering college football and the NFL for Heavy.com. His work has also appeared in The Sporting News, Athlon Sports, USA TODAY, and ClutchPoints, along with high school sports coverage for the Marion Tribune. More about Shane Shoemaker
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