There were plenty of warning signs in Penn State’s narrow win over Indiana.
The fact that the Nittany Lions — 31-point favorites on Saturday — needed a 57-yard touchdown pass from Drew Allar to KeAndre Lambert-Smith with less than two minutes to go is a concern on its own.
But what can’t be glossed over is the missed opportunity in the running game.
Indiana entered the weekend as the worst run defense in the Big Ten and one of the worst in the FBS. The Hoosiers were allowing 174.4 yards per game on the ground. Five players have hit the century mark against Indiana, including a pair of Akron ball-carriers.
And yet, Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen couldn’t. Singleton and Allen, who rushed for 100-plus yards a combined six times in 2022, have yet to do it once eight games into the season.
Allen and Singleton weren’t toothless. The former had 81 yards on 18 carries, and the latter chipped in 50 yards on 15 attempts. Singleton scored. Allen rushed for four first downs. The running game noticeably gained more traction in the second half.
But this should have been a commanding performance from Penn State’s ground game from the jump. Allen and Singleton managed only 59 yards on 19 carries in the first half. The offensive line should have bullied the Hoosiers up front. That didn’t happen.
A part of the problem is the passing game. Defenses are loading the box and daring Allar to throw to receivers who have failed to create separation. More bodies near the line of scrimmage puts more stress on the offensive line and makes life more difficult on Singleton and Allen.
But if the Nittany Lions were going to get the running game rolling, this was it. This was the time to break a couple runs and instill some confidence.
Looking ahead, it won’t get easier than Indiana. Obviously Michigan’s defense, allowing 85.6 rushing yards per game (seventh in the FBS), is stout. But Maryland is allowing only 109.3 rushing yards per game (23rd in the FBS). Rutgers is giving up 120.5 per game (37th in the FBS).
You’d hope Singleton and Allen would be able to burst free against Maryland or Rutgers. But nothing to this point this season has suggested that will happen. Singleton, who had seven runs of 40-plus yards in 2022, has one rush of 20 yards this season. Allen, who had 28 runs of 10-plus yards last year (2.2 per game), has nine such runs this year (1.1 per game).
The run game just isn’t clicking for the Nittany Lions. It’s frustrating for fans to watch. And it has to be frustrating for Allen and Singleton to experience.
Final thoughts
• As if the passing situation couldn’t get more dire, Harrison Wallace III exited with what appeared to be a concerning injury. Wallace, the team’s No. 2 receiver, landed on his shoulder in the first quarter, went to the locker room with the training staff and emerged with his right arm in a sling. We’ll see how much time he might miss. But an unfortunate blow.
• In Wallace’s place, Malik McClain took the majority of reps. This was after Dante Cephas started. Cephas finished with two catches for 15 yards. McClain was targeted once by Allar on a deep ball that the Florida State transfer couldn’t haul in.
• Sticking with the wideouts, Liam Clifford, Omari Evans and Kaden Saunders saw zero offensive snaps, according to Pro Football Focus. None of them were on the injury report.
• Allar and the offense could have had a bigger day if not for a pair of drops. In the second quarter, Lambert-Smith dropped what would have been a gain of at least 20 yards, setting up the offense deep in Indiana territory. Instead, Penn State missed a 51-yard field goal. In the third quarter, Singleton dropped what would have been a first down. Instead, three-and-out.
• Right tackle Caedan Wallace left with an injury in the first quarter. Drew Shelton filled in for Wallace, who was Penn State’s highest-graded offensive player at Ohio State, per PFF. The redshirt senior has played well this year, and it would be a blow if he misses more time.
• Penn State’s “T” formation re-emerged with mixed results. The package failed to convert a third-and-short in the first quarter, leading to boos from the Beaver Stadium crowd when James Franklin sent out the punt team. But the formation was successful on Singleton’s 2-yard touchdown. Question: where was the “T” against Ohio State? Nowhere to be found.
• Franklin labeled Indiana’s touchdowns of 90 and 69 yards as “uncharacteristic” mistakes. And they were. The Nittany Lions had allowed only two touchdowns of 60-plus yards the last five seasons. Then, they let up two of them in a 10-minute span. They’ll get that cleaned up.