Beau Pribula had the game of his life for Penn State Saturday night, and it was a far cry from the last time a QB got hurt for PSU during a Big Ten road game.
At the beginning of Penn State’s game at Wisconsin under the Camp Randall Stadium lights, Pribula was where he was for the first 33 games Penn State had played since he got on campus— on the bench.
Then, starter Drew Allar got hurt, and with Penn State down by three entering the second half, Pribula was the team’s starting QB. For plenty of Penn State fans, two words came to mind: Ta’Quan Roberson.
Beau Pribula just trying to pass the Ta'Quan Roberson situation.
— Ben Jones (@Ben_Jones88) October 27, 2024
But Pribula not only held down the fort, he flat out played well— 11-for-13, 98 yards and a touchdown— and No. 3 Penn State stayed unbeaten with a 28-13 win.
THE NIGHTMARE AT IOWA CITY
Photo by Penn State Athletics: Ta’Quan Roberson
Roberson ended his Penn State career with 29 passing attempts. 21 of those came in what was a miserable performance in Iowa City that, unfortunately, is all most Penn State fans remember about him. It happened in October 2021. Penn State was 5-0 and ranked No. 4. Iowa was 5-0 and ranked No. 3. Penn State had a 17-3 lead late in the first half before Sean Clifford went down and Roberson had to come in.
Simply put, he wasn’t ready.
Roberson completed 7 of 21 passes for 34 yards, no touchdowns and two INTs, and it was even worse beneath the surface.
Penn State got called for eight false starts. Eight.
In short, Penn State lost that game, lost five of the next seven (with Clifford back in the fold) and went from a national title contender to 7-6.
Things are different now, and Pribula proved it.
‘THE BRO WALK’
Beau Pribula warms-up ahead of Penn State’s matchup against Kent State.
Pribula entered the game with the full confidence of his offensive coordinator, Andy Kotelnicki. Penn State fans shouldn’t be surprised by this. After all, Kotelnicki called Pribula “one of our best players” over the summer. But Penn State fans might be surprised to learn that Pribula and his OC shared a “bro walk” on the Tuesday before the Wisconsin game.
What’s a “bro walk?”
Pribula explained.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.“It was a nice day, so we both had our shirts off,” he said. “Kinda soaking, getting some Vitamin D.
“We were both out there at the same time. I had my shirt off, and he was like ‘should I take my shirt off, too?’ I was like ‘yeah.’ We were just both walking around the practice field with our shirts off.”
I asked Penn State QB Beau Pribula about how his bond with OC Andy Kotelnicki helped him to have success in relief of Drew Allar last night.
Pribula talked about a “Bro Walk” the two went on days before the Wisconsin game.
You’re gonna wanna hear this. pic.twitter.com/kaSzyXyjPe
— Joe Smeltzer (@joesmeltzer775) October 27, 2024
When it came time for Pribula to do the “Beau Walk” at Wisconsin, he knew his offensive coordinator trusted him.
“I don’t think Coach K flinched when I had to take over, and that gave me a lot of confidence,” Pribula said.
Kotelnicki wasn’t the only guy who believed in Pribula.
“I have a ton of confidence in Beau, he’s a character kid,” James Franklin said afterward.
Something Franklin emphasizes is that his backups need to prepare like they’re starting.
Pribula has been doing that for a while but apply it during a game is different than the practice field.
“I actually said I’ve been preparing as the starter, but I have to put myself in the starter’s shoes,” Pribula said. “It’s one thing to prepare like the starter, but it’s another thing to put yourself in the mindset of, ‘I am a starter.’ I have to be ready for that moment. We actually talked about that a little bit. So it’s just kind of ironic.”
That night in Iowa City three years ago was the beginning of the end for what started as a promising Penn State season.
The 2024 team left Madison feeling like all things were possible, and they currently are.
“Just walking off this field with a ‘W,’ Pribula said. “I didn’t want to let my teammates down,” he’d say on the field after it was over. “We worked too hard to give up something like that.”
