Penn State receiver Harrison “Trey” Wallace was a welcome sight for the Nittany Lions on Saturday afternoon in his return to action after missing the previous three games following an undisclosed injury suffered in Week 2 against Delaware.
Wallace may have been responsible for Penn State’s first offensive turnover of the season — fumbling his first touch early in the opening quarter — but his bounce-back efforts were good enough for a three catch, 44-yard outing that showcased why Wallace was seen as legitimate 1a/1b talent alongside fellow receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith prior to the start of the season.
The turnover not withstanding, Wallace made his three catches on four targets and provided Penn State with another legitimate and consistent threat as well as the increased potential for a deep ball prowess for an offense desperately looking for more explosive production in the passing game. While UMass may not have provided any true resistance against Penn State en route to a 63-0 defeat, Wallace’s competency was on full display each time he was targeted.
“I think getting Trey back is a huge piece of that puzzle,” Penn State coach James Franklin said earlier in the week. “I think it helps KeAndre, I think it helps Drew [Allar], I think it helps our team, I think it helps our offense, I think it helps Coach [Mike] Yurcich in calling the game. But I think that will really help us having those two guys both on the field at the same time.”
In total this season Wallace has now accounted for eight receptions that have totaled 10 or more yards in just 2.5 games of the action [all three of his receptions on Saturday hitting this mark], second on the team among wide receivers behind Lambert-Smith who has totaled 14 such plays to his name this year. Overall Penn State’s receivers [not including tight ends] have caught 33 passes, amounting to 10+ yards by the play’s conclusion. Lambert-Smith and Wallace account for 66% of those plays while Kent State transfer Dante Cephas has shown flashes in Wallace’s absence with five such receptions to his name. The rest of Penn State’s receivers’ room totals the final six.
Wallace’s limited action this season accounts for some degree of the high-yield ratio, but framed a different way following his second full game appearance of the year, eight of his 13 receptions have hit the 10+ yard mark. Lambert-Smith for his part has 14 of his 31 receptions at the 10+ yard mark. All told exactly half of Lambert-Smith and Wallace’s combined receptions have gone for 10+ yards. It’s a noteworthy addition to Penn State’s offensive competency for the Nittany Lions to go from Lambert-Smith’s do-it-all role ahead of a hodgepodge of competent but not terribly threatening receivers to adding Wallace who arguably has the potential to be just as productive as Lambert-Smith if not even more productive. If nothing else it takes considerable amount of pressure and attention off of Lambert-Smith who is continuing to look to find the form he had in the final three games of last season and Penn State’s season opener against West Virginia.
It’s perhaps no coincidence that Penn State’s most dynamic and threatening passing game of the year came that night, the last time prior to Saturday that both Wallace and Lambert-Smith were on the field at the same time. With the Buckeyes on deck, the Nittany Lions will hope that trend continues into next week.
