For a moment, it looked like it could’ve been intercepted. Instead, quarterback Beau Pribula rifled a pass through two defenders and perfectly into the gloves of wide receiver Harrison Wallace III, setting up a fourth-quarter touchdown drive in Penn State’s 28-13 win at Wisconsin.
Pribula’s threat to run has long been documented, but against the Badgers, he added another element to his game that could cause Ohio State head coach Ryan Day and defensive coordinator Jim Knowles game planning headaches ahead of Saturday’s clash.
The Buckeyes can’t solely prepare to face starter Drew Allar because an injury could leave him inactive ahead of kickoff. Day will be tasked with game planning for Pribula at the same time. And not just Pribula the runner, but Pribula the complete quarterback, who tore the Badgers apart for a comeback win this past Saturday.
“I think as a defense, it’s difficult, because I think when you’re preparing for Drew, and Beau will have his few plays that we sprinkle in there per quarter, that’s difficult,” Franklin said. “But when the game plan flips and Beau’s in there, it changes it dramatically for the defense and that is difficult. Most people aren’t built like that, right? Your quarterbacks are all similar type guys and ours are very different in a lot of ways.”
All it took was a quick reminder from Franklin to offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki that the plan against Wisconsin would need to be strategically adjusted with Pribula in at quarterback. It was no problem for Kotelnicki, who has used his backup quarterback in a plethora of sets and opportunities in practices. The offense adjusted and Pribula excelled.
In the same fashion of improving Allar’s ability to run, Pribula’s focus was set on becoming a better passer this offseason. The play styles of Penn State’s two quarterbacks vary drastically — Allar being more pro style and the mobile Pribula viewed as more dual-threat — but the coaching staff hardly views their differences as drop-offs. They’re just different players.
“Obviously, the threat of the quarterback run impacts the defense. The spike of more quarterback runs and scrambles affects the defense. And then obviously the strength in the passing games. Beau still can do all those things, as well,” Franklin said. “So it’s just another kind of level of concern that I think it creates for the defense and things that they may have to deal with.”
Pribula may not have the same big-play passing potential that Allar has, but the film against the Badgers doesn’t lie. He’s confident throwing the ball. It’s just a matter of how confident Day is in his passing ability that could dictate his defensive gameplan, if Pribula were to start in place of Allar.
“I think probably the thing that everybody talks about is his ability to make plays with his legs. But I don’t think there’s anybody within our program that also doesn’t believe that he can do it with his arm too,” Franklin said. “He’s got a different throwing style and mechanics than what Drew does, but he gets a ton of reps and a ton of opportunities.”
Day and Knowles have some decisions to make. They’ll need to balance the reps used in preparation for Allar and Pribula, first and foremost. But they’ll also need to decide how much they trust the arm of Pribula, who sure looked complete en route to connecting on 11-of-13 pass attempts for 98 yards and a touchdown while adding 28 yards on the ground.
If Pribula were just a rushing threat, Ohio State’s crisis could be averted. But he’s obviously more than that, and could make the Buckeyes pay the price if they game plan incorrectly.
“Beau’s threat as a runner, just like the play-action pass, creates some opportunities,” Franklin said. “People may feel like they have to spy him, so now you’re leaving somebody that you’re not dropping into coverage, which creates more opportunities to throw the ball down the field. So it’s another weapon, it’s another thing that they have to deal with.”
