Blue White Illustrated

RUNNING BACK | LETTERMEN RETURNING RB: Bill Belton*, Deron Thompson, Zach Zwinak*; FB: Pat Zerbe LETTERMEN LOST RB: Derek Day, Curtis Dukes; FB: Michael Zordich RISING STAR Do we even have to say his name? Coming off a redshirt season in 2012, freshman Akeel Lynch is set to bring the Nittany Lions the breakaway running threat that they lacked last year. A Canadian expatriate – his Bill O'Brien-bestowed nickname is Big Maple – Lynch was the New York Gatorate Player of the Year after rushing for 2,131 yards as a senior at St. Francis High. His performance in the Blue-White Game – 83 yards on 13 carries – only served to whet fans' appetite for the coming season. BIGGEST LOSS Zordich was not only the team's second-leading rusher last year with 301 yards and four touchdowns on 80 carries, but was an emotional leader as well. It was Zordich, along with fellow seniors Michael Mauti and Matt McGloin, who spearheaded efforts to hold the team together following the announcement of major NCAA sanctions against Penn State last July. NUMBERS GAME Zwinak finished with exactly 1,000 yards last season, giving Penn State a 1,000-yard rusher for the eighth consecutive season. The last season in which the Nittany Lions didn't have a 1,000-yard rusher was 2004, when Tony Hunt led the team with 777 yards. OUTLOOK If Zwinak is able to return to practice in August as expected, the Nittany Lions should have a more versatile backfield than they did a year ago. Zwinak, who had surgery on his wrist after being hurt in the Blue-White Game, showed impressive between-the-tackles power last year after emerging as the team's top running back following a string of injuries at the position. Meanwhile, second-teamer Belton, a converted wideout, gives the Lions a dash of speed. As for Lynch, he should give them both. He's listed at 6-foot-0, 214 pounds and is reported to have run a 4.48-second 40-yard dash. He appears to possess the kind of breakaway potential that the backfield lost when Silas Redd transferred to USC last summer, and the coaches are no doubt eager to put his skills to good use as they work on improving a ground game that was only intermittently successful in 2012. Penn State finished ninth in the Big Ten in rushing last year, averaging 144.3 yards per game. That statistic wasn't simply a byproduct of the Lions' supposed preoccupation with the passing game. For all the hype its revamped aerial attack received, the team's run-pass ratio was actually close to 50-50 last year: 475 rushing attempts, 456 passing attempts. But because the backfield featured a couple of bruising power runners in Zwinak and Zordich, the Lions didn't break a lot of long-gainers. Their average of 3.6 yards per carry ranked 11th in the league; only Illinois was worse. But that's almost certain to change this NO 28 1 22 36 NAME Zach Zwinak Bill Belton Akeel Lynch Deron Thompson YR Jr. Jr. Fr. So. HT 6-1 5-10 6-0 5-10 WT 240 205 214 198 Sr. Fr. 6-1 231 5-10 230 FULLBACK 35 34 Pat Zerbe Dominic Salomone fall. For one thing, the fullback position has all but disappeared from Penn State's offense following Zordich's departure. Senior Pat Zerbe is the only returning letterman at the position, and he didn't have a single carry last year. Then there's Lynch, who is going to get his share of carries even if Zwinak is healthy. With three starting linemen returning, the Lions appear to have the makings of an improved ground game. * Starting experience in 2012 IN A RUSH Zwinak averaged 4.9 yards per carry last year, best among the team's running backs. Steve Manuel

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