Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1529598
D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 4 3 3 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M credit, and I know why," Franklin said. "But I'm very, very proud of the young man and how he plays and how he goes about his business. His humility is phe- nomenal at that position in today's day and age. I'm very, very proud of him and his development and how he's handled it all. It's impressive." Running Back Juniors Nicholas Singleton and Kay- tron Allen endured challenges of their own over the past month. For Singleton, that included an injury against Illinois on Sept. 28 that lingered through October, compounded by an unspecified problem against Washington that kept him out for most of the second half. As for Allen, the Buckeyes again proved vexing. He carried 18 times for 42 yards against Ohio State and wasn't able to push the ball across the goal line on three con- secutive tries from the 3-yard line in the fourth quarter. Like Allar, though, the running backs were considerably more good than bad in the same stretch of games. Against Wisconsin, Allen carried 11 times for 86 yards and a touchdown, and in the win over Washington he had 20 attempts for 98 yards and a score. Singleton, meanwhile, returned to the end zone for the first time since a recep- tion at Wisconsin when he scored on a 10-yard carry in the second quarter at Purdue. Together with contributions from Allar, Pribula and senior tight end Tyler War- ren, the Nittany Lions entered their final two regular-season games ranked 22nd nationally in rushing offense at 200 yards per game. Wide Receiver The good news for Penn State is that steps have been taken to improve the wideouts' productivity from last season. Multiple receivers managed to eclipse the century mark through the first stretch of games, and a pair of fourth-and-long re- ceptions by senior Julian Fleming at USC proved critical in the Nittany Lions' 33-30 overtime win. The back side of October and early November were considerably more chal- lenging, though. Against Ohio State, Penn State's receivers had only 3 catches on 53 offensive plays, a disappointing perfor- mance for a position group that went into the game with much to prove. "There is still more work to do. That last game is an example of that," Frank- lin said following the loss to the Buck- eyes. "We have got to be able to threaten people. We've got to be able to stretch people, got to be able to make plays and create separation and make tough catches. That needs to happen. I think that needs to be an emphasis really for the rest of the season." Fleming found the end zone the next week against Washington, scoring the first touchdown by a Penn State wideout in Big Ten play this season. But, even in the blowout win at Purdue, the group was limited to just 5 targets. Tight End Penn State believes it has the best tight end in the country in Warren. Maybe more important, it also believes it has one of the best football players in the country, period. Warren has played up to the billing, now leading the team with 67 receptions for 808 yards (an average of 12.1 yards per catch) and 5 touchdowns to go along with his 157 yards and 4 rushing scores. Add- ing 2 completed passes for 26 yards and a touchdown this season, the senior tight end has fully moved beyond classifica- tion. Offensive Line Through 10 games, the Nittany Lions had allowed only 9 sacks and 21 tackles for loss. Both figures led the Big Ten and ranked among the top 10 teams in the FBS. With their success at avoiding negative- yardage plays, the Lions have been able to stay on schedule at a rate unmatched by other offenses. Prior to its visit to Minnesota on Nov. 23, Penn State had faced third-and-10 or longer only 17 times. Not coincidentally, the Lions were sporting the Big Ten's best third-down conversion rate at 52.5 per- cent. Thanks to the strong showing by its offensive line, Penn State was facing third down infrequently (118 times) and routinely converting when it got there. ■ Running back Nicholas Singleton has been bothered by injuries this season but has still averaged 6.1 yards per carry. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL