Blue White Illustrated

T H E 2 0 1 8 S E A S O N fewer yards than Saquon Barkley gained in his first four games last year. After a couple of big runs against Michigan State, Sanders was second in the Big Ten in rushing yards with an average of 116.7 per game. He's benefitted from an im- proved offensive line, of course, but he's also done a great job of churning for extra yards after contact. At 5-foot-11, 215 pounds, he's a hard man to bring down. THE BAD Sanders only had 43 yards on 16 carries against Ohio State, as the Buckeyes were the first opponent of the season to really shut down the junior running back. He also had a fumble that helped Ohio State rally after a first half that Penn State had mostly dominated. Backup Ricky Slade has had some ball- security issues, as well, fumbling twice against Pitt. But the most disappointing aspect of the season's first half was the loss of fifth-year senior Mark Allen to a season-ending (and thus career-end- ing) injury. Allen had been playing a bigger role this year as Sanders' primary backup, and while the Lions appear to have sufficient depth in the backfield to make up for his loss, it would have been nice to see his patience and selflessness rewarded during his final college sea- son. FRANKLIN SAYS "I think there have been a few times when Miles has tried to make some yards that weren't there, but for the most part he's doing a really good job. Miles is getting a lot of credit, and he should. But I also think our offensive line is playing at a higher level. I also think Ricky [Rahne] is doing a nice job of getting us into the right call as well. So Miles deserves credit. Ricky and our offensive coaches, Coach [Matt] Limegrover, all that stuff is a factor in this. But I do think it's a pretty good mentality that Coach [Ja'Juan] Seider has been teaching and Miles and the rest of the backs have embraced." SUMMARY Sanders has looked very im- pressive so far, fulfilling all the hype that greeted his arrival out of Woodland Hills High in 2016. But there's still potential for growth. He had been the No. 1 all- purpose running back as a senior ac- cording to Rivals.com, but the Lions haven't had much success getting him involved in the passing game. Through six games, he had caught nine passes for 58 yards. The Lions did try to use him on a wheel route against Ohio State, a play that often worked for Saquon Barkley, but Sanders and McSorley couldn't con- nect. If the Lions are able to incorporate him into the passing game, it will make an already-dangerous player that much scarier................................ GRADE B+ RECEIVER THE GOOD K.J. Hamler and Juwan Johnson have made the miraculous look PROGRESS REPORT Franklin said the Nittany Lions made strides in the first half of their season, includ- ing in their loss to Ohio State. Photo by Steve Manuel

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