Todd Blackledge has called several Penn State and Oregon football games over the last two seasons in his role as NBC Sports game analyst.
He’s expecting to call an epic showdown when the third-ranked Nittany Lions (0-0 Big Ten, 3-0) and the No. 6 Ducks (1-0, 4-0) meet Saturday night at 7:30 (TV-NBC) at Beaver Stadium.
“You have two elite programs,” Blackledge said Wednesday in an exclusive interview with the Reading Eagle. “It’s not a season-defining game for either team, but I think it’s an opportunity to make a very loud statement.
“I’m anticipating a really good football game. I’m anticipating it being a four-quarter game. It’s going to be really fun.”
The 64-year-old Blackledge has called college football games for 31 years for ABC, ESPN, CBS and NBC, since 2022. He was the quarterback who led Penn State to its first national championship in 1982.
He’s followed both teams closely because he works mostly Big Ten games with Noah Eagle.
The Lions averaged 44 points in their non-conference games against Nevada, Florida International and Villanova, but they were inconsistent finishing drives.
“Offensively, I don’t think they’ve played their best football,” Blackledge said. “I don’t know if maybe they’ve held stuff back in the first three games. Maybe they’ll bring out different things against Oregon.
“I think they’ve run the ball pretty well. They’ve attacked the perimeter running the ball really well. I think Drew (quarterback Drew Allar) has been good, but not great.”
Allar has completed 64.8% of his passes for 626 yards and four touchdowns with one interception. Last year against Oregon in the Big Ten title game, he was 20-for-39 for 226 yards and three TDs with two interceptions and rushed for 54 yards and a score.
Allar is working with three wide receivers from the transfer portal: Kyron Hudson, Trebor Pena and Devonte Ross.
“I’m sure Drew spent a lot of time with those guys as they got on campus,” Blackledge said. “In the games, though, it’s still a little bit different. Everything is moving a little bit faster.
“I think so far, all three of them have shown on the film that I’ve watched and have made some plays. They look like they’re going to continue to get better and better in the offense.”
Blackledge said it appears that Penn State has adjusted to life without All-American tight end Tyler Warren, who’s a rookie with the Indianapolis Colts. He likes what he has seen from tight end Luke Reynolds and believes the Lions are more balanced in the passing game than they were last year.
“Tyler was a great player who was so valuable, could do so many things and was such a matchup problem for defenses,” Blackledge said. “Sometimes maybe you leaned on him too much. Drew had so much confidence in him getting open and maybe not as much confidence in the wideouts.
“I think eventually and for their sake this weekend, it’ll make them more diverse and he’ll have a better feel and confidence in different places rather than just one.”
Blackledge has worked games involving Penn State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles since his days at Oklahoma State. Even though the Lions defense has allowed just 17 points in three games, he believes it will improve as time goes on.
“His defenses got better with age,” he said. “The third year is when everything clicked as far as them all being on the same page. In that regard it’s still kind of a work in progress, but I do think for Year One, they’ve been pretty impressive. They seem to be in the right spots and on the same page. He’s a guy who has a brilliant defensive mind.”
Blackledge traveled to Oregon in August to watch a Ducks intrasquad scrimmage and was impressed with how quarterback Dante Moore threw and how much bigger the defense line was than last year.
“They brought in some guys who gave them size on the inside,” he said. “(Defensive end Matayo) Uiagalelei is an elite player. I think their linebackers are very good. They brought in some new guys in the back end as well. I loved (safety) Dillon Thieneman when he was at Purdue.
“Their point of emphasis coming into the year was to be better in their run defense. Certainly Penn State had its way running the football on them in the Big Ten championship game.”
Blackledge said his three keys to the game are line play, turnovers and explosive plays.
“Which team can have the better of it at the line of scrimmage?” he said. “That shows up in running the ball, defending the run, protecting the quarterback and affecting the quarterback.
“Then there are turnovers and explosive plays in a game like this. Who has the upper hand in those two areas? I think that’s what the game will come down to.”
Originally Published: September 24, 2025 at 2:48 PM EDT
