Drew Allar dropped back nearly 10 yards away from the line of scrimmage. With time and space, he fired a 21-yard bullet pass squarely into the hands of Theo Johnson, who bodied a Spartan on his way into the end zone. The game was long over by that point, as Penn State took a 35-0 lead in the fourth quarter en route to a 42-0 obliteration of Michigan State.

Playing at Ford Field, the home of the Detroit Lions, Penn State’s offense played so well that it almost looked like that of an NFL team. The Nittany Lions finished with a season-high 586 offensive yards, as well as five total touchdowns. The team put up these numbers without an offensive coordinator, as Mike Yurcich was fired nearly two weeks ago.

“The offense as a whole has handled it really well,” Allar said about Yurcich’s firing. “There’s been no flinch with us… I think we just did a great job allowing our guys to play fast just for simplicity. We talked about how simplicity equals speed — you may not be running super simple stuff, but we made really easy rules for all of us. I think that’s why we’ve been clicking.”

One doesn’t need to look far and wide to figure out that Penn State’s offense has been much better without Yurcich. In both games he’s been absent, the Nittany Lions, as usual, started slow but eventually silenced any concerns, valid or not, that it couldn’t score.

Allar and the offense played with simplicity, as he put it, but its execution against a reeling Spartans team was so efficient that the plays were as explosive and flashy as any other game this season.

Penn State’s running back tandem of Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen had been underwhelming all season, contrary to what James Franklin has said about their performances this season in recent weeks. The duo was supposed to be one of the best backfields in America, but the results that would indicate that weren’t showing up. At Ford Field, though, Singleton went off for a season-high 53-yard rush in the first quarter, among other explosive plays. Allen, and even third-string tailback Trey Potts, had multiple explosive plays, a battle that Franklin said the team won.

Additionally, Allar had a strong outing with 292 passing yards and two touchdowns while he completed 17-for-26 pass attempts. His ability to chuck the ball downfield for big plays, which was praised by coaches and players throughout the offseason, didn’t fully show up until Friday, as he made several massive plays including a 60-yard dime to Omari Evans which brought Penn State from its own 40-yard line to the one-yard line in the second half.

Like Allar said, everything was in sync. There’s evidence that points to Yurcich’s firing being at least a reason, if not the reason for it. While Penn State put together several impressive performances throughout the season, it didn’t happen on a consistent enough basis for it to be considered a success.

While 10-2 is no easy feat and is certainly an accomplishment, that was the benchmark for this program heading into the campaign. Had Penn State’s offense played like this, or even just a little bit better than it did against Michigan and Ohio State, who knows what might’ve happened in those close games?

Friday’s execution was nearly perfect, and that’s the biggest takeaway from the game. Difficult passes were completed, and running backs made bursting through gaps look effortless. When looking at the bigger picture, it’s hard to see Penn State being 10-2 if the offense’s execution had been as good as it was in Detroit on a more consistent basis throughout the season.

Now, the Nittany Lions are likely heading to a New Year’s Six bowl game for the second consecutive season. For the players, the performances over the last two weeks are something to build on.

“It inspires us a lot, ending on a high note heading into bowl season with 10 wins — it’s super motivating,” quarterback Beau Pribula said.