Penn State Football: 3 takeaways from rivalry win over Pitt in Week 3

3. Journey Brown was the right move as the starter

Over the first two weeks of the season, Ricky Slade was entrenched as the starter in the Penn State backfield. The veteran Slade made the least possible from that opportunity, coughing up several costly fumbles and rushing for just 17 yards on the eight carries he managed to receive. It led to his benching at the start of the game against Pitt.

That proved the right move, as new starter Journey Brown finished the day with 109 yards on 10 carries. He added a 16-yard reception, and most importantly he did not squirt the football for any turnovers over the course of a wet day where fumbles become exponentially more of a risk.

Slade, on the other hand, finished with four yards on four carries in his limited time on the field. The veteran back did add a 40-yard reception and another catch for two yards, providing value depth in the rotation. But he proved far more effective as a change of pace than he has as the feature back.

Look for Brown to maintain his hold on the starting position in the backfield moving forward. The redshirt sophomore acquitted himself more than adequately against a Panthers defense that was unable to stop Brown for long.