Penn State-Kent State: Drew Allar and Tyler Warren are the stars in the Nittany Lions' overwhelming victory

STATE UNIVERSITY — Penn State was expected to defeat Kent State. The Nittany Lions were 49-point favorites, the highest betting odds for Penn State since at least 1995. And despite starting slower than expected, Drew Allar and the Nittany Lions did well.

Penn State defeated Kent State 56-0 on Saturday afternoon at Beaver Stadium. The Nittany Lions rushed for a program-record 718 yards. The previous record was 711 yards against Susquehanna in 1926.

The 10th-ranked Nittany Lions trail 3-0 heading into a ranked game against Illinois next Saturday night in Happy Valley. But before we get to the Illini, let's take a look at Allar and the other standouts from Penn State's dominant win over Kent State.

Offensive ball: Drew Allar

You have to consider the competition. Kent State has the worst defense in the FBS. Through three weeks, the Golden Flashes have allowed the most yards (570.5) and points (49.7) per game in the country. It would have been concerning if Allar hadn't ripped them apart.

But it's hard to look at both the numbers and the throws and not give him credit. Allar's final stats after the first half and the first drive of the third quarter were impressive. The second-year starter completed 17 of 21 passes for 309 yards and three touchdowns. He also rushed for 26 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Allar was once again confident in and out of the pocket, keeping his eyes on the field and throwing darts.

Through three games, Allar has completed 70.7% of his passes for 729 yards, eight touchdowns, and one interception. Pretty good, aside from the difficulty level.

Unsung Hero: Tyler Warren

Warren proved again why he is the best option in the passing game and one of the best tight ends in college football. Warren, who set a record for most receiving yards in a game for a Penn State tight end two weeks ago, caught five balls for 50 yards in the first half. He scored a touchdown, rebounded off tackles, turned a potential TFL into a five-yard gain and caught an incredible one-handed catch.

Warren also showed off his versatility. The former high school quarterback was featured twice in the Wildcat. Warren ran for 16 yards. He then threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to Nicholas Singleton. Warren is left-handed, for those who didn't know. And now defensive coordinators know they'll have to come up with a plan for a Warren package in the future.

Defensive ball: Abdul Carter

Statistically, Carter got off to a slow start when he moved from linebacker to defensive end. Carter, a projected first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, had no sacks and recorded just one TFL in Penn State's first two games. But after attracting attention from West Virginia and Bowling Green and giving others the opportunity to make plays, Carter finally did his thing.

As expected, Carter was too much for Kent State. The junior used his combination of size, speed and strength to secure his first sack of the season and was involved in another TFL.

It was no surprise that Carter made life difficult for Kent State in the first half. Penn State fans will want to see him again next week like he did against the Golden Flashes when the Nittany Lions host Illinois. But there were always going to be teething issues when switching positions. Seeing Carter perform is a positive sign, no matter the opponent.

Game ball for special teams: Sander Sahaydak

The Nittany Lions didn't have much going on in terms of special teams. But Sahaydak did his job and sank all of his extra point attempts – and there were a lot of them.

Sahaydak, who lost his starting spot to transfer Alex Felkins last year, has fended off some competition so far this season. He will be under more pressure at some point later this year and Penn State will need his performance. But so far, things are going well for the left-hander.

Turning point: Allar with a big lead

In reality, this game was over before it even began. It started slowly for Penn State. But no one expected it to be a game at any point. And it certainly wasn't when Allar aired it one last time.

Allar's last throw of the game was a 59-yard touchdown pass to Omari Evans. Less than two minutes into the third quarter, the Nittany Lions were leading 35-0. James Franklin could confidently begin taking Allar and his regular players out of the game. The “buy game” victory was secured.