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STATE COLLEGE — Sometimes, the answer is hard to find. Other times, it’s easy. For Penn State, the answer to have offensive success against Illinois was easy: run the ball.
In the Nittany Lion’s 21-7 win over the Fighting Illini on Saturday, James Franklin decided he would lean on the ground game in the first night game of the year. The result was 239 yards rushing on 5.4 yards per carry and all three Penn State touchdowns.
“When you look at the stats and see that Kaytron Allen averaged 5.7 yards per carry; Nick Singleton averaged 5.9; Beau Pribula averaged 5.7; you’re stupid to get away from it,” Franklin said after the game. “Andy Kotelnicki was doing a great job calling the game. I’ll mix in there once in a while, reminding him, ‘Hey, stick with the run, we’re gashing them’ or ‘time to take a shot.’ But that was the biggest reason.”
Penn State’s success on the ground was largely because of the running back duo of Allen and Singleton. The tandem combined for 196 yards and two scores, with each back lowering their shoulder to run through would-be tacklers and gain positive yardage. Out of 34 combined carries, only two attempts weren’t for a gain. It’s a testament to the physical running style that gave Franklin the confidence to say, “I don’t know if there’s a better combination of running backs in the country.”
It’s rare these days to find two talented running backs willing to share the backfield, but Allen and Singleton have been the 1-2 punch for Penn State since they were freshmen in 2022.
More: Instant recap of Penn State pulling away from No. 21 Illinois under the lights
“Yeah, we’re the best duo in the country, for sure,” Allen said. “No one loves the game more than us two. The work we put in this week paid off today.”
Singleton agreed, adding how well the two “play off of each other.” It showed Saturday night as…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/penn-state-footballs-offense-leaned-214239974.html
Author : York Daily Record
Publish date : 2024-09-29 21:42:39
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