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OFFENSIVE MVP He really only played in two and a half games, but this honor still goes to running back Saquon Barkley, the team's leading rusher through six games with 373 yards on only 42 carries. If Barkley hadn't gotten hurt against San Diego State and missed the Army and Indiana games, he would probably be the runaway choice here, as he was averaging 8.9 yards per carry heading into the Ohio State game. As for Christian Hackenberg, he had terri:c a>ernoons against San Diego State and Indiana. But through six games, he was still 10th in the Big Ten with a pass-e=- ciency rating of 120.3. In his defense, he was hampered by bad weather and also by Penn State's reliance on max-protect blocking schemes that frequently de- prived him of down:eld receiving tar- gets. DEFENSIVE MVP Lots of contenders here, but no one has come on stronger than Carl Nassib. Heading into the Ohio State game, the senior defensive end was leading the country with 10 sacks. BEST PLAY With the Lions in desper- ate need of a spark vs. San Diego State, defensive tackle Austin Johnson sup- plied it, lumbering 71 yards for a touch- down on a fumble recovery. Honorable mention: Akeel Lynch's 75-yard touch- down burst against Rutgers late in the :rst half. Already reeling, the Scarlet Knights never recovered. BEST DECISION A>er giving him only one carry in the opener against Temple, Penn State unleashed Barkley on Buime, it isn't working. MOMENT TO REMEMBER When Barkley hurdled Bu > Times are a little less tough in Oc- tober 2015 than they were in January 2014 when Franklin took over. The Lions' scholarship roster is expand- ing now that the sanctions have been li>ed, and the rampant inexpe- rience that hindered the oer Franklin was hired last year. Those who did expect it were probably :xated on the buzz that followed such a high- pro:le hire, not the depth chart that Franklin and his sta< inherited. But with such a young roster, time is on the Lions' side. Just because their moment hasn't arrived yet doesn't mean it isn't coming. ■ 99 PROBLEMS John- son takes off for a 71- yard touchdown against San Diego State. Penn State had been clinging to a six-point lead in the fourth quarter, and the Aztecs were driving, but Johnson's TD run, which followed a fumble by quarterback Maxwell Smith, helped the Lions pull away for a 37-21 vic- tory. Photo by Steve Manuel

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