Penn State Football: Time to panic after Appalachian State drama?

By Phil Poling | Sep 4, 2018

GLENDALE, AZ - DECEMBER 30: (L-R) Grant Haley #15, Nick Scott #4, head coach James Franklin, Marcus Allen #2 and Troy Apke #28 of the Penn State Nittany Lions walk out to field arm in arm before the start of the second half of the Playstation Fiesta Bowl against the Washington Huskies at University of Phoenix Stadium on December 30, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona. The Nittany Lions defeated the Huskies 35-28. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

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(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

1. The running game is better without Saquon Barkley

The Nittany Lions are still adjusting to life after Saquon Barkley, but the transition has been a smooth one through one game. With a more balanced attack, four Nittany Lions carried the ball at least five times in the team’s 45-38 overtime win.

Junior running back Miles Sanders, who rushed for a total of 191 yards and two scores as a sophomore, tallied 91 yards and two scores in his 2018 debut. Matching last season’s touchdown total bodes well for Sanders’ confidence, but it also helps the team put the Barkley days behind them.

McSorley added 53 yards and 2 scores on 12 carries, while Ricky Slade and Mark Allen combined for 63 yards on 11 carries; Slade added a rushing score. too. As a unit, the Nittany Lions rushed for 204 yards and 5 scores. In 2017, they averaged 170.2 rush yards per game.

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The Nittany Lions could run wild the next two weeks when they square off against Pitt and Kent State. The former will be an 8 p.m. kickoff in Pittsburgh Saturday, while the latter will be played at Beaver Stadium the following week. The Panthers surrendered only 60 rushing yards in their opener Saturday, but also faced a lower-tiered team.

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