I could not watch the game live. After watching the recording I have just a few thoughts:
- Our offense is a bad fit for Allar, but it was pretty clear (to me) that the Rutgers receivers were better against our defensive backs than were our receivers against their defensive backs. Think about that. This is the reason Drew has been ineffective and often goes through streaks of inaccuracy in frustration. Our receivers look small, slow, and don't seem to go after the ball with much effort compared to some we have had in the past. Either the coaching is poor or the players are relatively poor. Perhaps both. Once again, there was little separation. I'd be willing to bet that a lot of the patterns being run are not what was called. Our tight ends are serviceable but not superstars. They are not big targets. Our QBs have no targets downfield.
- Our defensive strength is obviously at defensive end and linebacker. A few freak athletes are making the unit elite. Huge concerns when those guys move on.
- The only boneheaded calls (to me) were the successive Beau sneaks on 3rd and 4th down. There were no big tight-ends in the backfield for the push, and Beau isn't particularly big. Have no idea what they were thinking. We did not play to our own strengths -- quickness -- and instead played to our weakness (size).
- I wanted to see Beau drop back and pass just to see what he's got, even though there would have been no logical reason for it, and likely would have been incomplete given our receivers. The big boys will find a way to stop him if he is our #1 and we don't have some downfield passing. We don't have receivers, nor tight ends, that are going to win on jump balls. We could become like the service academies.
- The injury to Drew Allar -- how it occurred -- is exactly why I don't like running the quarterback. Same thing could happen to a quarterback like Beau Pribula. In fact I would say that it is likely to happen during the course of a season or two. Then what? Do you split the position expecting one to go down?
- Beau's mobility allows the roll out run-pass option. That is really tough to defend. Imagine that with a downfield receiver threat.
Watching Beau run reminded me of what a true spread offense can do to a defense. Rutgers had to defend the running back and the quarterback for the width of the field. They could not do it. That is what a spread passing attack is supposed to do. All it took was a little bit of space, a good athlete, and the results were huge.
Can't tell how much is scheme and how much is player, but to my eye
the WR group is a mess. Needs a major portal cleanup, including coaching. If the group isn't revamped then Drew would be foolish to stay. Half of the offense is impaired. A six-star quarterback isn't going to have success. It's such a waste. For years I wanted to see a quarterback like Drew Allar at Penn State, and now the coaches have screwed it up.