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T H E 2 0 1 8 S E A S O N R yan Bates did not mince words when asked recently about the season-end- ing injury that teammate Mark Allen su9ered last month. "It sucks," Bates said. "It's terrible, es- pecially for someone like Mark Allen, someone who's so positive." Allen, a 8:h-year senior who had been serving as Miles Sanders' primary backup at running back, su9ered an un- speci8ed injury prior to Penn State's visit to Illinois. Having redshirted as a true freshman, he won't have an opportunity to return next season, so the injury has brought an end to his college career. To honor his teammate, Sanders wore Allen's No. 8 jersey in the Nittany Lions' game against Ohio State. Bates said players want Allen to remain as involved with the team as possible as he recovers from his injury. "He's still so positive. He's taking it very well," Bates said. "We all have his back, of course. We all have his back no matter what, and obviously he's still part of the team. He's going to be with us every day. I don't think it will change much. He'll still be around. It will still be the same hype- up, high-energy Mark. But obviously it's a terrible thing what happened." During Penn State's 8rst three games, Allen carried 24 times for 99 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He also had four re- ceptions for 25 yards. In what would prove to be his 8nal game with the Nit- tany Lions, he 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 downgraded to two stars a:er su9ering a knee injury that cut short his junior season and also hindered him as a senior. He was the 8rst player to join Penn State's Class of 2014, commit- ting midway through his junior year. 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 sea- son, 8lling in for the injured Saquon Barkley. He appeared in 13 games as a sophomore and 8ve as a junior. For his career, Allen played in 30 games, gaining 350 yards and scoring four touchdowns on 89 carries. He also had 12 receptions 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 have turned to fresh- man Ricky Slade. Through 8ve games, Slade gained 53 yards on 15 attempts, with two touchdowns, including a 27- yard scoring 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 bet- ter every single practice," Franklin said. "His attitude, his work ethic and his de- meanor have been really good. He's working hard in pass protection, which is typically a challenge 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 with the Nit- tany Lions, Franklin said the Maryland native "has got a very bright future" o9 of the 8eld. "He's going to be very successful in whatever he chooses to do," Franklin said. "He's talking a little bit about get- ting into coaching, but we've got a lot of love and respect for Mark and what he's been able to do." ■ Injury brings premature end to Allen's Penn State career | WRAPPED UP Allen fights for extra yardage against Kent State. The vet- eran running back gained 62 yards in what would turn out to be his final game for the Nittany Lions. Photo by Steve Manuel

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