Penn State postgame updates vs. Indiana: Freshmen win the day, and maybe more ...

Penn State rookies lead the day: Drew Allar, Kaytron Allen, Kobe King

The Nittany Lions rebounded from two bitter defeats with resounding positivity − particularly from its youngest stars.

Penn State rolled off 38 straight points today in Bloomington with much of the damage done by freshmen, from running backs Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton to defenders Kobe King and Dani Dennis-Sutton to, of course, QB Drew Allar.

Did a quarterback debate even really matter against the forlorn Indiana Hoosiers? It was 45-14 at the end, IU's sixth straight defeat.

No, it probably didn't matter at all. Penn State's defense racked up a stunning 16 tackles behind scrimmage and those rookie tailbacks, especially Allen, blew big holes in the IU defense from beginning to end to carve out the win.

And yet the noise around Allar has been so big that it almost seemed like forever until the rookie got his own field time. The Lions led 31-7 midway through the third quarter when the former 5-star prospect got his shot behind Sean Clifford, who recovered from yet another bumpy beginning.

Allar quickly made his presence known with two short touchdown passes, including a rope to fellow freshman Tre Wallace on a third-down play from the 1 yard line.

The effort maybe bodes even better for the future than the presence. Consider that rookie left tackle Drew Shelton played admirably in his first college start. Defenders like King, who led the Lions with eight tackles and 2.5 TFLs, and Dennis-Sutton (3 tackles, INT) showed how this young, elite talent is growing by the week.

Drew Allar brings it. Rips short TD pass

It came down to third down on the 1 yard line.

Run the ball with your stud freshman running backs?

Nah, rookie QB Drew Allar ran a play-action pass play. He rolled right, looked and waited. Then ripped a laser in the back of the end zone that fellow rookie Tre Wallace held on to as he slid in the end zone.

Want more?

After a quick Daequan Hardy interception on the following possession, Allar did it again. This time it was a short toss to tight end Theo Johnson.

Penn State led 45-7 with most of the fourth quarter still to play. Yes, two Penn State touchdowns over just 18 seconds of game clock.

Allar's early numbers: 5-of-7 passing for 34 yards, 2 TDs, no INTs.

Sure, Sean Clifford should get the all-time passing yards record at Penn State next week against Maryland. But the calls for Allar will only grow stronger now.

Clifford's stats today: 15-of-23 passing for 229 yards with no touchdowns and one interception.

Drew Allar is in at QB!

Finally, rookie Drew Allar has some real football time to work himself − even though his team is hopelessly ahead at Indiana.

Garbage time? Sure, but at least he found the field by the middle of the third quarter, his team up 31-7.

He stalled on his first drive but is moving the Lions well on his second, including a bullet throw and great catch from Sean Clifford's younger brother, Liam.

Meanwhile, yet another Penn State freshman made his mark. Promising defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton alertly hauled in his first college interception off a tipped pass at scrimmage and returned in 20 yards.

Brenton Strange: The Catch

Sean Clifford and the Lions were backed up against their own goal line on third down.

So he fired a bullet in the direction of tight end Brenton Strange. Somehow, Strange wrapped his arms around the defender and the ball as he fell to the turf to make possibly the top catch of the year.

That kept the drive going long enough for Kaytron Allen to dominate once more.

First, the freshman zig-zagged across the field with a dump off pass for 45 yards. A few plays later he just about walked into the end zone with his third score of the day.

He and Nick Singleton now have tied for the school record for freshman touchdowns with eight each.

Jake Pinegar hits career-long kick

Penn State blew a couple of chances at burying the Hoosiers before halftime.

A dropped pass by Theo Johnson near the goal line. Sean Clifford's errant third-down throw with Mitch Tinsley streaking open down the sideline.

But how good are things still going in windy Memorial Stadium?

Jake Pinegar came on to clean up the mess and snuck a career-long 50 yard field goal through the uprights to extend the lead.

Penn State and their running game and defense are in control at the break, 24-7.

He's punishing Hoosiers: Kaytron Allen keeps rolling

The Nittany Lions may not need much else today. One-half of their fabulous freshmen running back combination may lead this road victory after all.

So far, Indiana's defense looks as if it almost doesn't even want to deal with trying to bring down Kaytron Allen.

The rookie already is softening up a limited resistance with one tackle-breaking run after another. He's carried 14 times for 74 yards and two scores and ran a short pass play for another 27.

He's patient at the line of scrimmage before finding a lane and then bullying through arm tackles, time after time.

His second-straight score pushes Penn State into a 21-7 lead with less than five minutes to play in the first half.

Kaytron Allen punishes Hoosiers inside and out

The rookie runner from the IMG Academy in Florida has won the starting spot and looks like one of the top freshman in the country.

Kaytron Allen is doing it again today in Indiana, pulling the Lions into the lead in the second quarter. He looks better each week running between the tackles.

Two quick Allen plays covered all 38 yards on this short second quarter drive, which was set up by a nice punt return from Parker Washington. On the first, Allen took a quick flip from Sean Clifford and rolled for 27 yards down the left sideline. On the very next play he took the handoff and found a seam, again on the left side, and rumbled into the end zone.

He's got 9 carries for 40 yards so far and did much of the work on both scoring drives.

Penn State leads, 14-7, with nine minutes left in the second quarter.

PSU defense brings the hammer

The Nittany Lion defense suffered from a lapse of discipline and production on one drive so far in the first half.

Other than that, they have been lights-out.

Especially in this category: They've registered eight tackles for loss in the first half so far. All in the first quarter, incredibly enough.

Defensive ends Adisa Isaac and Nick Tarburton each have two TFLs and the Lions have sacked new starting quarterback Jack Tuttle three times.

The Hoosiers just don't have much of any running game. Unless Tuttle keeps it and goes.

Jack Tuttle runs, throws Hoosiers into a tie

The Indiana quarterback, strangely enough, won't be a Hoosier next season. He's already announced that he's leaving via transfer.

But he still got the starting job today against Penn State. He had not started a game previously this season.

And the move has paid dividends early.

After a rough first drive, Tuttle led Indiana quickly down the field with a couple of big catch-and-run plays − and two of his own nice scrambles.

He fired a strike into the end zone to tie it up with less than five minutes left in the first quarter.

Immediately after, a Sean Clifford pass is tipped and intercepted. It's the senior's sixth turnover in the past three games.

Mitch Tinsley sets it up, Nick Singleton cashes in

No matter about the gusty winds for senior receiver Mitch Tinsley.

The transfer gave Penn State a huge lift on its second drive with two highlight catches to set up a short touchdown run. His first was a stretching grab along the sideline on third down.

The second was even better. He pulled in a deep thrown down the middle with a defensive back draped on him. Tinsley cradled the ball as he rolled to the ground inside the 5 yard line.

A couple of plays later, freshman Nick Singleton scooted around the left edge for a touchdown.

Lions leads, 7-0, middle of the first.

He's making his first college start

Penn State's offensive line has been sliced apart by injuries recently, which has opened the door for a most promising true freshman.

Drew Shelton is expected to make his first college start at tackle today against the Hoosiers.

Star left tackle Olu Fashanu and guard Landon Tengwall did not make the trip to Indiana with injuries. Injured Caedan Wallace may not play, as well. That leaves an expected starting line of Shelton and backup Bryce Effner as the tackles, Hunter Nourzad and Saleem Wormley at guard and Juice Scruggs at center.

Running back Keyvone Lee reportedly didn't make the trip as well because of injury. Rookies Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton are the only scholarship tailbacks active yet again.

And here's one for Indiana: The Hoosiers benched their starting quarterback and will be led by Jack Tuttle − who has already announced that he will transfer out after the season.

Wind, rain ... and throwing the football in Indiana

Who knows exactly what James Franklin and staff had in mind for their questionable quarterback situation in Bloomington, Indiana today.

But could an uncooperative weather situation change anything?

Though temperatures will hold in the mid-60s in Memorial Stadium this afternoon, winds are expected to sustain at 20 20 mph with gusts pushing 30 mph and stronger.

Rain showers may add to the excitement early on.

Though Franklin admitted that he had discussions with his staff this week about the continued roles of starter Sean Clifford and rookie Drew Allar, the unusual weather conditions may do more than make it difficult to throw the football. It could possibly alter whatever plans they had on using a true freshman who's only played a meaningful series of downs here and there so far this fall.

Clifford's job appeared in question after turning over the ball five times in the past two games, including four in losing to Ohio State.

Will banged-up Penn State blockers lead today?

The numbers and previous experience show that Penn State should be in store for an offensive revelation today in Bloomington, Indiana.

A perfect type of remedy after losing two of its three past games to Big Ten heavyweights.

And yet ... who will be blocking for those running backs and quarterback(s) Saturday afternoon? That could be an issue, even against the five-game losing streak Hoosiers.

The Nittany Lions ended their bitter loss to Ohio State down three starting offensive linemen: guard Landon Tengwall and tackles Caedan Wallace and Olu Fashanu were all on the sideline as the Buckeyes finished their fourth-quarter fireworks in Beaver Stadium.

Tengwall has missed three straight games after apparently being injured during pregame warm-ups at Michigan. Wallace missed Ohio State after suffering an undisclosed injury the previous week. And Fashanu, one of the quickest-rising stars in all of college football, left late last week, hobbling to the sideline.

Coach James Franklin offered no details during his weekly press conferences but the Lions' blocking front could be quite thin and inexperienced, especially in terms of depth. Do-it-all backup Bryce Effner figures to hold down one of the tackle spots, if needed today. Senior transfer Hunter Nourzad may start again at guard after recovering from his own injury issues earlier.

QB debate at PSU: Change coming at Penn State? James Franklin's quarterback talk is different now

But things truly get dicey if both Wallace and Fashanu can't go at tackle or someone else gets hurt. No one behind them offers any significant game experience or immediate stability.

It provides uncertainty for an offense expected to take advantage of an opponent struggling to defend any kind passing attack, along with a penchant for giving up big runs. PSU receiver Parker Washington is coming off back-to-back huge games and rookie tailbacks Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton continue to make strides as they gain experience.

Follow beat Frank Bodani here all afternoon and evening for updates, analysis and opinion on the Nittany Lions' Big Ten action against Indiana. Contact him at  fbodani@ydr.com and follow him on Twitter @YDRPennState.

This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: Penn State football: Drew Allar, Kaytron Allen lead win at Indiana