It was an offensive explosion for Penn State football against Kent State last Saturday.

The offense put up a program-record 718 yards of offense against the Golden Flashes, and the Nittany Lions will aim to keep the momentum going against No. 19 Illinois this Saturday.

Under coordinator Andy Kotelnicki, the offense has been firing on all cylinders this season. Through three games, Penn State has the 18th-best scoring offense, averaging 41 points per game, and ranks top-30 in passing offense and top-10 in rushing offense.

At the same time, Illinois’ pass defense has improved, too. Last season, the Fighting Illini’s secondary allowed 228.1 yards through the air per game, and this season, that mark is down to 188. The defense as a whole has allowed 12.5 points per game.

“I think their secondary is really going to be a challenge for us,” James Franklin said Monday. “I think our wide receivers have taken a really nice step and made some really good strides since last season, but we will be challenged.”

The receiver room has improved this year. Omari Evans has shown he can be a consistent deep threat, Trey Wallace was dominant against West Virginia, and Liam Clifford and Julian Fleming were impact players against Kent State.

Ten players had receptions, and eight different skill position players had touchdowns last Saturday against Kent State. Multiple threats at wide receiver, tight end, and out of the backfield made it difficult to slow down any offense.

Franklin said that’s the key against Illinois.

“You’ve got running backs touching the ball in a ton of different ways. You’ve got tight ends touching the ball in a ton of different ways and impacting the game. You’ve got multiple quarterbacks on the field,” Franklin said. “That makes it more difficult as a defensive coordinator to tell your team, ‘Look, we’ve got to stop these things.'”

Spreading the ball around all starts with the offensive line. Drew Allar can’t get the ball to his receivers if he doesn’t have time in the pocket, and the running backs can’t rush for over 300 yards like they did against Kent State if the line can’t create any movement either.

“I think we’ve been pleased with how the o-line is playing,” Franklin said. “I think they’re playing physical. [Especially] when you’re able to rush the ball for 300 yards, and you’re able to protect the
quarterback.”

As for the quarterback, Allar has started the season strong, too. The junior signal-caller has completed over 70% of his passes for 729 yards, eight touchdowns, and one interception. But it’s not just his accuracy that’s improved, Allar’s legs have improved as well.

After West Virginia, Franklin jokingly called him “Lamar Allar,” and although he might not have the same rushing numbers as Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, Allar has been effective in navigating the pocket, extending plays, and scrambling for extra yards. Allar is averaging 4.3 yards per rush attempt and found the end zone twice this season using his feet.

“I think last year he probably ran better than people thought he would, and I think he’s taken it to another level this year,” Franklin said. “Not necessarily just purely running, but getting a couple of first downs a game with his feet or just keeping plays alive.”

There’s no question Illinois will be the toughest opponent the Nittany Lions have faced this season, and the Fighting Illini are coming into Beaver Stadium red hot with two ranked wins under their belts already and looking to add another.

It’s the first true test to see if the offense, especially the wide receiver room, has taken the next step under Kotelnicki, and Franklin expects them to do just that Saturday.

“We’ve got to put them in the best position we possibly can to be successful, and they’ve got to continue to get better and compete and be aggressive,” Franklin said. “I think we’re at our best at that wide receiver position when those guys are being aggressive, and I’ve seen it more consistently in practice. I’m seeing it more consistently in games.”