Saquon Barkley boosts Heisman case with kickoff return vs Indiana (video)

Saquon Barkley returned the opening kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown against Indiana boosting his Heisman hype and giving Penn State football the early lead.

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Saquon Barkley has been among the most impressive players in the country this season. The Penn State tailback has piled on yardage as a versatile weapon in Joe Moorhead’s offense. He regularly gashes opposing defenses as both a runner and a receiver.

As he showed again on Saturday afternoon in Happy Valley, Barkley is also one of the most dangerous return men in the country. At home against Indiana, Barkley fielded the opening kickoff just outside his own endzone and raced 98 yards to the house.

Barkley caught the kickoff on the run at the Penn State 2-yard line and turned on the burners. He cut straight through the heart of the Indiana coverage team, making several players miss. Penn State’s all-purpose threat then streaked toward the sideline and outran several defenders. With a high step over a would-be tackle around the Indiana 20, Barkley raced the final yards across the goal line.

Coming into the game, Barkley already led all players in the nation in all-purpose yardage as he averages more than 250 total yards per game. The Hoosiers learned the hard way just how dynamic Penn State’s star can be. Indiana had several good angles to cut short his return, but could not keep pace with the speedy running back.

The return has sparked an impressive start for Penn State, as they lead 21-0 midway through the first quarter. In the first eight minutes of play, Barkley has already amassed more than 100 yards for the Nittany Lions. The defending Big Ten champions are the favorite to repeat in the conference thanks to their dynamic playmaker.

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Saquon Barkley will certainly be among the favorites in the Heisman Trophy race again this week after another powerful demonstration of his skill set on Saturday. While quarterbacks have dominated the award in recent years, Barkley is on pace to become the third running back to win the trophy in the past decade.