Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1430714
D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 1 13 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M JOE KRENTZMAN & SON, INC. • Buyers and Brokers of Steel, Iron and Nonferrous Metals • Industrial Scrap Buyers • Container Service Available • Large Service Territory Since 1903 Lewistown, PA • Hollidaysburg, PA • DuBois, PA (800) 543-2000 • www.krentzman.net F irst i n S cra p Lions Lack Breakaway Threat In Backfield PHIL GROSZ: All the signs point to that not being the case. Almost every aspect of Penn State's running game this season has been a major disappointment. Back in August, the Nittany Lions were projected to have the best and most complete offensive line in James Franklin's eight years as head coach. But three months later, that hasn't come close to being the case. Coming out of their game against Michigan on Nov. 13, the Lions ranked 13th in the Big Ten in rushing yards per game, averaging just 106.7. They were also 11th in the league with only 10 rushing touchdowns. The leader of Penn State's offensive line, redshirt junior tackle Rasheed Walker, hasn't played like a projected late-first-round 2022 NFL Draft pick this season, and the unit as a whole hasn't played up to all those lofty preseason expectations. Making mat- ters worse, the Nittany Lions' three underclassmen tight ends have been inconsistent with their blocking assignments. But most disappointing of all has been the play of the running backs: junior Noah Cain, sophomore Keyvone Lee and senior John Lovett. There is no Journey Brown, Miles Sanders or Saquon Barkley in this group. Cain appears to be playing with some sort of nagging injury, Lee doesn't possess 4.5-second 40-yard speed, and Lovett seems to lack the ability to make tacklers miss in space. In its first 10 games this season, Penn State only had 13 running plays of 12 or more yards, with the longest being a 44-yard run by Lee against Indiana. It's hard to imagine Penn State having the potential for an explosive running game until recruits Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen arrive on campus, hope- fully in January. Offensive Line Holds Key To Turnaround MATT HERB: I warned Phil before we agreed to write this piece that I was going to explain in great detail why he was wrong about everything. But then I read his segment and … I actually agree with a lot of it. The offensive line has obviously struggled. After earning praise from James Franklin in the preseason, this unit has not gotten much push in any game this year. That includes a non-conference game against Villanova on Sept. 25. Not to disparage the Wildcats, who have an outstanding program, but when the Nit- tany Lions averaged 2.4 yards on 34 carries against an FCS opponent, you knew they were in for some tough sledding in the Big Ten. I also think it's possible Penn State won't get this issue resolved in the near future — not against Michi- gan State and perhaps not in the bowl game. At this point in the season, what you see is what you get. Where I disagree, though, is with Phil's contention that PSU doesn't have the explosive potential in the backfield to make big plays. Four of the five scholar- ship players in Ja'Juan Seider's running backs room received four-star ratings coming out of high school. Recruiting ratings obviously don't guarantee colle- giate success, but you don't have to go back to high school to see these guys thriving. While he was still at Baylor, for example, transfer John Lovett had carries of 75, 74, 46, 34 and 31 yards. When everybody is struggling, there's got to be a common denominator. So, while the arrival of Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen will undoubtedly help, the real key is going to be for Penn State's offensive line to become a more dominant force at the line of scrimmage. Will Penn State Be Able To Get Its Ground Attack Going In The Last Few Games Of The 2021 Season? Point - Counterpoint Senior running back John Lovett rushed for 160 yards on 48 carries in Penn State's first nine games, averaging 3.3 yards per attempt. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL