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S E P T E M B E R   2 6 ,   2 0 1 8 B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M 15 Backup running back Mark Allen will not return to action for Penn State aBer suffer- ing a leg injury prior to the Nittany Lions' trip to Illinois last week. Coach James Franklin confirmed Allen's status at his news conference on Tuesday. "I don't typically get into injuries a whole lot," Franklin said, "but with Mark being a senior and this being a season-ending in- jury... I wanted to mention that." Allen began his senior season as the top backup to Miles Sanders. In Penn State's first three games, he carried 24 times for 99 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He also had four receptions for 25 yards. In what would prove to be his final game with the Nittany Lions, Allen rushed for a career- high 62 yards on 11 carries against Kent State, including a 7-yard touchdown run. Allen had originally been a three-star recruit at DeMatha High in Hyattsville, Md., but he was down- graded to two stars aBer suffering a knee injury that cut short his junior season and also hindered him as a senior. He was the first player to join Penn State's Class of 2014, committing midway through his jun- ior season. Allen redshirted as a true freshman and played in eight games the following year, primarily as a backup running back but also as a punt returner. He made his only career start against Army that season, filling in for the injured Saquon Barkley. He appeared in 13 games as a sophomore and five as a jun- ior. For his career, Allen played in 30 games, gaining 350 yards and scoring four touch- downs on 89 carries. He also had 12 recep- tions for 93 yards and two touchdowns and averaged 7.2 yards on six punt returns. With Allen no longer available to spell Sanders, the Lions will turn to freshman Ricky Slade. Through four games, Slade has gained 53 yards on 15 attempts, with two touchdowns, including a 27-yard scor- ing burst against Appalachian State. He has also had some trouble with ball security, fumbling twice against Pitt, but Franklin said he's been pleased with what he's seen so far. "Ricky is doing some really nice things for us as a true freshman, is getting better every single practice," Franklin said. "His attitude, his work ethic and his demeanor have been really good. He's working hard in pass protection, which is typically a chal- lenge for young backs, but he's been really good in those areas as well. So yeah, we're excited about his future. I think obviously you have Miles and Ricky and Journey [Brown] and Johnathan Thomas. We're going to miss Mark, but we still feel really good about those four guys." Although Allen's injury has brought an end to his playing career at Penn State, Franklin said the Maryland native "has got a very bright future" off of the field. "He's going to be very successful in what- ever he chooses to do," Franklin said. "He's talking a little bit about getting into coach- ing, but we've got a lot of love and respect for Mark and what he's been able to do." M A T T   H E R B | M A T T @ B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M Injury brings end to Allen's Penn State career Allen fights for extra yards against Kent State. The senior running back rushed for 62 yards and a touch- down in what would turn out to be his final game for the Nittany Lions. Photo by Steve Manuel

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