Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1476228
1 4 S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 2 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M Yes, Penn State Is Overdue For A Breakthrough GREG PICKEL: Penn State has not had a 1,000-yard rusher since Miles Sanders ran for 1,274 in 2018. In 2022, that three-year drought will finally end for the Nit- tany Lions. It's a stance that is not terribly easy to take given how last season went for Penn State. Running backs coach Ja'Juan Seider dealt with some injuries and lots of inconsistency over the course of a 13-game slate that never featured an individual game with a 100-yard rusher. Since then, the players and coaching staff have spent considerable time in practice and meetings working to ensure that it doesn't happen again. If all that hard work pays off, it's not hard to imagine third-year sophomore Keyvone Lee or perhaps true freshman Nick Singleton crossing the 1,000-yard plateau this fall. "I think the biggest [change from last year] is the potential for big plays in the running game," head coach James Franklin said in August. "That's going to be really important for us." Lee is the Nittany Lions' returning starter after carrying 108 times for 530 yards last season. It must be noted that a likely split between Lee, Singleton, freshman Kaytron Allen and perhaps even fourth-year junior Devyn Ford could keep any of those running backs from breaking the 1,000-yard mark, even if the rushing attack is better. But, we've heard too much this offseason about the talented youngsters and an improved offensive line to think that this part of coordinator Mike Yurcich's game plan is going to be stuck in neutral for a second consecutive season. Book Penn State to add someone's name next to Sanders in the 1,000-yards department in 2022. No, There Are Too Many Deserving Ball Carriers MATT HERB: Greg, you got it exactly right when you pointed out that PSU could have a better ground attack in 2022 and still finish without a 1,000-yard rusher. The Lions will be better on the ground this fall. They may not be leaps and bounds better, like they were when Larry Johnson upped his team-high rushing total from 337 yards in 2001 to 2,087 in 2002. But it's hard to imagine that months of intense practice and the addition to two elite freshman run- ning backs won't pay off in some tangible way. Whether the Lions have a 1,000-yard rusher in this year's backfield is a different matter. Consider this: Keyvone Lee averaged 4.8 yards per carry in his first two seasons. Even if you assume he averages 5.0 yards playing behind an improved line this fall, he would need 200 carries to get to 1,000 yards. Is that going to happen in a backfield with two other scholarship returnees and a couple of potential impact freshmen? Doubtful. People have been talking up newcomer Nick Singleton, but only two runners in school history have surpassed 1,000 yards as true freshmen: D.J. Dozier in 1983 and Saquon Barkley in 2015. Could it happen again in 2022? Sure. Will it happen? It's a big ask. The most likely scenario is that the running backs rotate until someone emerges as the clear favorite. If that happens in Week 3 or 4, all bets are off. But it might not happen until Week 6 or 7, and there's a chance it doesn't happen at all. In that case, it'll be tough for any single runner to top 1,000 yards, even if the ground game as a whole is better. Point - Counterpoint Third-year sophomore running back Keyvone Lee has been the Nittany Lions' leading rusher each of the past two seasons, but he's being pushed this summer by returnees Devyn Ford and Caziah Holmes and true fresh- men Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen. PHOTO BY MARK SELDERS/PENN STATE ATHLETICS Will The Nittany Lions Have A 1,000-Yard Rusher In 2022?