IOWA CITY, IOWA — Following his team’s unprecedented fall from grace, featuring a precipitous drop from No. 2 to unranked in the AP Top 25 and four consecutive one-score losses to open Big Ten play, Penn State running back Kaytron Allen remains undeterred.
It’s not because he doesn’t care — it’s because he cares too much. About Penn State and about football.
“Just my teammates, trying to get a win for my teammates, my coaches,” Allen said. “It’s been a long week, but you’ve gotta go through adversity; you’ve gotta try to get through that storm.”
It would’ve been easy to pack it in once the Nittany Lions lost to Oregon in the White Out as favorites, ruining the chance of a perfect season.
It would’ve been easier to pack it in after Penn State lost to unranked, 0-4 UCLA, likely ending the team’s chances of a Big Ten title.
And it would’ve been the easiest to pack it in after a third consecutive loss at the hands of Northwestern as a three-touchdown favorite, burying any chances at a College Football Playoff appearance and resulting in the firing of the head coach who recruited him.
But on Saturday night in Kinnick Stadium, Allen did anything but, taking 28 carries for a career-high 145 yards and two touchdowns.
“It was different. But this is my type of game,” Allen said. “I mean, I love to play games like this, back against the wall, adversity. I like to come out through the storm.”
Operating under interim head coach Terry Smith with backup quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer getting the start, it was clear Allen needed to be a focal point of the offense. He accounted for more than half of the team’s total yards, doing so at an efficient 5.2 yards per carry.
Despite his career day, Allen wasn’t satisfied with the end result. Above all else, he wants to win football games. Allen said there were things he could’ve done better to help the team win, singling out a specific play where he could’ve cut the run inside for more yards.
“It’s hard. I like to win,” Allen said. “I love to win, and I could have done something better for my team to get the dub … Just playing fast, sometimes you make mistakes. You got to look at it and try not to make the same mistake.”
After lackluster efforts the past couple weeks, Smith promised increased effort and energy against the Hawkeyes. Allen said the team was “having fun out there,” which wasn’t always true in prior weeks.
But for Allen, stepping onto the football field is always fun. When asked about his love for the game, Allen got choked up and struggled to answer.
“Football, I love football. I’m all about playing football for my team. I would never quit on my team. Never quit on anybody. That’s just who I am. Whatever I start I gotta finish.”
