Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1503568
A U G U S T 2 0 2 3 3 7 / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / R U N N I N G B A C K S / / / / / / / 30 or more yards on 280 attempts, with the longest covering 44 yards. Allen, meanwhile, provided the com- plement. Described by coach James Franklin as the kind of player admired by "true football guys," he routinely moved the chains and would occasionally burst free for a carry of 20 yards or more. His 10 touchdowns were second only to Sin- gleton in program history among fresh- men, and he finished with 867 yards on 167 carries in the process. He also reeled in 20 catches for 188 yards and another touchdown as an important player in Penn State's passing game. With at least two more seasons of col- lege football ahead of them, they're far from finished. Continual Improvement Penn State's coaches and players have said they are confident that both Single- ton and Allen have only improved physi- cally and mentally since last season. "Those guys had huge years," Franklin said. "So, what you're trying to do is do everything you possibly can so that they can take a step from Year 1. Those two guys, as productive as they were last year, you hope that they could take a significant step this year. And I think they can. "They've approached things the right way," he added. "They're bigger, stronger and faster than they were a year ago. Not only are they faster out here running 40s, but they're faster in terms of understand- ing the playbook, understanding college defenses and schemes. They won't be thinking as much this year. They've been in the same system now for two years. I think there will be value coming from that." Already, Singleton and Allen have pro- duced even when Penn State's opponents have been fixated on stopping them. With the benefit of experience and the faster recognition that comes with it, the mental side of the game is also expected to yield dividends this season. Running backs coach Ja'Juan Seider has taken particular delight in the duo's po- tential. Convinced that the physical talent demonstrated last year could be enhanced through a more thorough understanding of the game, Seider made that a priority in With his 1,061 yards rushing last season, Singleton became only the third player in Penn State history to top 1,000 yards as a true freshman. The others are D.J. Dozier (1,002 yards in 1983) and Saquon Barkley (1,076 in 2015). PHOTO BY DANIEL ALTHOUSE