Penn State football needs more from Ricky Slade in 2019

Ricky Slade has struggled so far this season despite high expectations but he could be the answer in the backfield for Penn State football.

Penn State is 3-0, but the offense has been very hit or miss so far this season. One of the main issues with the offense is the performance and consistency of the running game, specifically Ricky Slade.

Journey Brown, Noah Cain and Devyn Ford have all stolen carries from Slade due to his poor performances. In fact, Slade is tied for fourth on Penn State in rushing attempts and he’s dead-last among running backs in yards per carry, with an abysmal 1.8 average.

It’s no secret that James Franklin decided to have a running game by-committee to start the season, but the general consensus surrounding this timeshare was that Slade would step up to the plate and force his coach to give him the majority of the carries.

That hasn’t happened.

Last season as a freshman, Slade impressed Penn State fans with his explosiveness and vision in the open field. He showed some serious promise, with his ability. Last year, Slade did a great job of running between the tackles. He finished his freshman season with 45 carries, and he gained 257 yards rushing. That’s 5.7 yards per carry. He also rushed for six touchdowns.

This season, Slade hasn’t performed up to expectations. He only has 21 yards rushing and one rushing touchdown in three games played. It’s not necessarily the offensive line’s fault, because other running backs have found some success so far this season. Slade has lacked explosiveness when hitting the hole, and hasn’t been able to get to the second level of defenders.

A dominant Slade could change everything for Penn State. If Penn State could have a consistent running back performance from the guy who’s supposed to step up, it will take a ton of pressure off of Sean Clifford, and I think we would see him really let loose and open up the offense.