Penn State-UCLA: Finishing drives key to Drew Allar, Nick Singleton & offense inspiring confidence?

North Shore Drive podcast - Pittsburgh Steelers, Pirates, Penguins and more

On their weekly Penn State football podcast, host Adam Bittner and Daily Collegian/Post-Gazette Nittany Lions insider Joel Haas react to the Nittany Lion's key win against No. 19 Illinois and look ahead to their next matchup Saturday against UCLA at Beaver Stadium. How much is the offense's inability to finish drives damaging perception of coach James Franklin's teams and OC Andy Kotelnicki's unit? Does Franklin have a real kicking issue on his hands after Sander Sahaydak missed two kicks against the Fighting Illini? And how will that impact Kotelnicki's playcalling moving forward.

Our duo answers those questions and more, including: How have Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen improves so much from last season? Are quiet nights from Drew Allar, Tyler Warren and the passing game part of the offense's identity? What will dominance for Abdul Carter look like at his DE spot going forward after two sacks at Illinois? What will the Bruins bring to the table in this week's game? How do hot starts by Rutgers and Indiana impact Penn State's potential College Football Playoff path? And does the exciting Alabama-Georgia game from over the weekend show the complexity of the new 12-team playoff format?