Blue White Illustrated

The first of those scores came on a di- rect snap that Penn State hadn't used before and clearly caught the Wolver- ines flatfooted. His other 13 carries yielded 24 yards (1.84 ypc). Barkley to- taled 176 all-purpose yards against Michigan. The following week at Ohio State, he 9nished with a robust 172 all-purpose yards, but as was the case in the Indiana game, that total included a long kicko: return for a touchdown to open the game. Following that 97-yard special teams play, he was limited to 44 rushing yards on 21 carries (2.1 ypc) and had only three receptions for 23 yards in a 39-38 loss. Things didn't get any better against Michigan State. Barkley rushed for 63 yards on 14 carries (4.5 ypc) but totaled only three receptions for 33 yards and didn't have much luck in the return game, either, gaining only 15 yards on two attempts. He 9nished with 111 all- purpose yards, and his numbers the fol- lowing week vs. Rutgers were even lower, as he compiled only 35 rushing yards and 85 all-purpose yards. Even with all of the team's midseason struggles, Barkley was the Big Ten's third-leading rusher heading into the Nebraska game. He had gained 899 yards on 166 carries (5.4 ypc) with 11 rushing touchdowns and was averaging 89.9 yards per game. He was also Penn State's second-lead- ing receiver with 40 catches for 524 yards and three touchdowns and was second in the nation with an average of 184.6 all-purpose yards per game. Throughout the season, opposing coaches have waxed eloquent about Barkley's talent. Michigan State's Mark Dantonio said he was reminiscent of Gale Sayers. Ohio State's Urban Meyer called him "the best all-purpose back I've had to coach against in 23 years and the best all-purpose back I've seen on 9lm in my 30-year coaching career." At 5-foot-11, 230 pounds, Barkley has the moves and athleticism of Curt Warner and the power of Ki-Jana Carter and Larry Johnson. No running back I've seen in the 30-plus years I've spent cov- ering the program has been able to put those two physical traits together in such a potent combination. It's why, when Barkley's Penn State ca- reer comes to an end – most likely a;er the team's upcoming bowl game – I ex- pect him to be remembered as the most versatile running back ever to play for the Nittany Lions. But he probably won't become Penn State's second Heisman Trophy winner. As of this writing, al- most every major college football analyst was predicting that the award was Baker May9eld's to lose coming o: his impres- sive performances in Oklahoma's victo- ries against Ohio State and Oklahoma State. Most Heisman polls had either Barkley or Stanford's Bryce Love in the No. 2 slot behind May9eld. That's a shame, be- cause Barkley's less-than-spectacular performances against Ohio State, Michigan State and Rutgers weren't the result of any holes in his game. Injury problems and the shi;ing composition of Penn State's starting o:ensive line played the biggest part in possibly end- ing his chances of winning college foot- ball's top individual honor. To me, the most disappointing aspect of how this has all played out is that many Penn State fans seem convinced that it's Moorhead's RPO o:ensive phi- losophy, not the personnel issues brought on by injuries, that has hin- dered Barkley's Heisman bid. In my opinion, Penn State's o:ensive scheme has done a great job of showcasing all of Barkley's talents as a running back. It was Moorhead's vision that enabled him to enter the 2017 season as a top-9ve Heisman Trophy candidate in the 9rst place. As I've said before in these pages, I consider Barkley to be the most com- plete running back I've ever seen play at Penn State. In my mind, he's the best player the Nittany Lions have had at the running back position since the start of the Paterno era, a five-decade span during which the program has had more than its share of greats. I'll never forget watching Barkley perform at Penn State. ■ !"#!" $%&'( !! "#$%&$' &'' ()* + ! ,-)) +. /-% #$ !"#"$ %$ &' () " & *& +,-,../01

• Cover