Penn State will continue to work its running back room by committee, James Franklin said while speaking to the media Wednesday evening following the Nittany Lions’ second practice of the week.
“As of right now, we’re going to rotate those guys by series,” Franklin said.
Penn State opted to use three running backs against Purdue last Thursday. Returning stater Keyvone Lee led the way with nine carries for 30 yards while true freshmen Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton had eight and nine carries for for 31 and 22 yards, respectively. All in all, the Nittany Lions did not pose any significant threat to the Boilermakers on the ground, averaging just over 3 yards per carry. That said, all three backs posted 5+ yard runs that looked far more the part of a healthy running game than what Penn State has seen over the past two seasons. The highly touted Singleton in particular showed flashes, but even he struggled at times to find running room.
In turn, Franklin isn’t looking to change the rotation equation just yet, a ploy perhaps both pragmatic as Penn State tries to find its running game and as Franklin looks to keep a stable of backs happy in the locker room.
“However it plays out with touches just really depends on the drive and the series and what’s called,” Franklin said. “Like I’ve talked about in the past, if one of those guys get really hot, then obviously the rotation could change. But right now, it’s one-to-one.”
Penn State’s running woes have been well documented at this point with the Nittany Lions not posting a 100-yard rusher since Lee ran for 134 against on Nov. 28, 2020 against Michigan — 17 games ago. While 100 yard rushers may not be the mark for a successful running game in an offense more geared toward passing the ball, Penn State’s woeful yards-per-carry average over the past few years has hamstrung the Nittany Lions’ ability to run a balanced attack.
“Mainly at the end of the day we got to get better this week,” Franklin added. “That’s in every area, offense, defense, special teams, and also individually. If we do that each week as the season progresses, I think we’ll like where we’re at.”
The good news for Penn State is that a home opener against Ohio ought to prove a more palatable test for the Nittany Lions after opening on the road against a Big Ten opponent for the third-straight season. Then again, with a road test against Auburn lurking just around the corner, Penn State won’t have long to enjoy whatever success it manages to find in the friendly confines of Beaver Stadium, no matter how many running backs it uses.
