Why Penn State football’s running game has taken a step forward in the 2022 season
Penn State has begun running the ball much more this season and have done so much more effectively. The question is — why? Well, there are a lot of factors at play here. The offensive line is definitely better. The team is definitely focused on running more. The running backs are without a doubt more talented.
So how much credit does each of those things get? Let’s break it down ahead of the running game’s biggest test of the season against the Michigan Wolverines.
Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen
Let’s start with the area of the rushing attack with the most obvious difference from last year. Penn State relied heavily on Noah Cain and Keyvone Lee last year but the two focal points this season are making a significantly greater impact. Singleton and Allen have arrived on campus and quickly established themselves as the two players who should be getting the ball the most for the Nittany Lions on the ground. Both bring different styles of running and have a dimension to their game that wasn’t apparent on the team last season.
Allen is one of the most patient players you’ll find, especially for playing in his first year of college football. He dissects the play as it happens, moving his feet to keep his momentum but making sure he’s always looking for the opening in the defense. He hits those holes quickly when he sees them and gets upfield — rarely deterred by contact from defenders thanks to his balance. Singleton is more explosive, looking to bounce runs to the outside and make the big play. He has the size and strength to work between the tackles but right now his tendency to try and get outside doesn’t allow him to take advantage of that. Both freshmen have big play ability and both are already high-level starters at the Power-5 level.
Offensive line
Penn State had experience last season in the trenches but this year its talent is more apparent even with less experience. Olu Fashanu has quickly established himself as one of the best left tackles in the country. No, not the conference, the country. He’s excellent on the move and rarely gives defenders room to breathe once he gets his hands on them in the running game. The team’s interior has been excellent as well, with Sal Wormley and Landon Tengwall showing they can be high impact players at guard.
Juice Scruggs continues to show off his athleticism and movement at center, but has the size to win one-on-one matchups with defenders too. Right tackle has been a bit more of an adventure for Penn State, but Caedan Wallace has been similar to the player he was last season and Bryce Effner has done enough to be productive when called upon for reps. The bottom line for this group is that it’s more mobile, more synced up and more powerful in the running game. To be blunt, it’s just flat out better than last year’s group and that has opened things up for the freshmen running backs.
Play calling
There has been a stronger emphasis on the running game this season for Penn State but it’s hard to say it’s had much of an impact on the actual improvement. The increased running has freed things up more for starting quarterback Sean Clifford and the passing game, but there hasn’t been much impact for the running game. The Nittany Lions are still calling for runs in situations that are a little too obvious and have lined up in formations that make their goal clear.
Now, as head coach James Franklin has said, there is an advantage to being able to run the ball even in the most obvious scenarios. However, it stands to reason that making the intent less obvious would help out the running game. That being said, offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich has not strayed away from the running game when things aren’t going perfectly. You can argue whether that’s because he trusts his running backs and offensive line more, or if he’s just sticking with it for other reasons — but the bottom line is that it’s happening.
Verdict
As Franklin likes to say, it’s all of it. I would give more credit to the running backs and the offensive line, but the ability to stick with the running game when it isn’t going perfectly is also helping things out. Although, the Nittany Lions could insist on running the ball all they want and if they didn’t have the improved offensive line play or dynamic running backs in the backfield then it wouldn’t matter. The personnel improvement will always take precedent and that’s largely the case here.
