SEATTLE - Penn State didn’t just flash a run game against Washington. Carson Hansen and Cam Wallace showed it could travel.
After last week’s breakout against Purdue, the question was whether that production would hold up against a tougher defense. The answer came early and often Saturday, with both backs ripping off big gains and reaching the end zone in the first half. By the time Rocco Becht took his third and final knee, Penn State had piled up 174 rushing yards and two touchdowns on the ground.
Hansen led the way as the Nittany Lions’ top option, finishing with 119 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries. Wallace added 56 yards and a score on seven attempts, highlighted by a 46-yard touchdown run. Their work on the ground, paired with Becht’s passing success, helped Penn State build a 28-6 halftime lead.
Hansen’s night started with a 20-yard run, and on the next series he lined up at the 12-yard line, took the handoff and ran straight into traffic. In the past, that kind of play might have died at the line. This time, he stayed patient, let the blocking develop and hit the opening when it appeared.
“We're just trying to stay more patient,” Hansen said. “Sometimes we're going too fast and missing the hole, so just trying not to press.
That's probably been the biggest thing for us, and we were able to do that. The offensive line made that divide, so I was able to run through it, and I appreciate that.”
Hansen’s production was steady early, but the second half brought more resistance. He went seven carries without a run longer than five yards as Washington pushed back and tried to claw into the game.
That comeback effort made Hansen’s biggest late run even more valuable. With the score tight at 28-25 late in the fourth quarter, he broke loose for 36 yards down the Penn State sideline and carried the Nittany Lions to Washington’s 22-yard line, helping them survive the Huskies’ charge.
Matt Campbell said much of Hansen’s improvement has come “schematically,” with the staff working to match the offensive line’s strengths with the specific styles of the backs.
Since the bye week, that approach has paid off. Penn State has found a more reliable ground game, and Campbell said the focus has been on building something the offense can trust.
“You're trying to find an answer,” Campbell said. “But I think once we said, "Man, let's get good at something.
Let's get a foundation for these backs to get north and south, and let this offensive line have some confidence in what they're doing.’ I think that really helped us.”
Wallace said the difference has been a more physical edge in the run game, though he also pointed to the need to keep sharpening the finer points.
“We're just more physical than I think we've ever been in this run game this season,” Wallace said. “We're still finding just little details and tactics within our run game, just to find and get better at. Going into this next week, we're going to get better at those things and just attack this next team we're going to play.”
In Other News...
Penn State Fans Need To Hear Franklin On Whats Going Too Far
Recent college football weekends have brought an uncomfortable reminder that the sports passion can cross a line, especially when it spills over from the field to the people around it. Reports of harassment aimed at coaches families have become part of the conversation, and it has put a sharper spotlight on the responsibilities that come with being a fan, even in places where the emotion runs deepest.
For Penn State, the issue lands with extra weight because James Franklin has long had to navigate the intensity that comes with a high-profile job in a demanding environment. The broader backdrop includes everything from coaching changes and player evaluation to the grind of attendance and travel that shapes the college football experience, but the central point is simpler: there is a difference between being invested and going too far, and Franklins view on where that line sits is worth hearing. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Fans Suddenly Face A Scary Jack Ham Situation
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For Penn State fans, Ham is more than a voice on the broadcast. He is one of the programs enduring links to its history, and news like this lands hard because it arrives with so little detail attached. No further information about his condition has been released, which leaves the focus squarely on his recovery and on the concern that comes with waiting for an update. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Wasted A Breakout Night In Another Brutal Collapse
Shea Busch gave Penn State a much-needed spark at Pegula Ice Arena, scoring twice for the first goals of his college career in a game that looked like it might finally turn into a breakthrough night. Justin Poirier and Lev Katzin also chipped in offensively, and the Nittany Lions built a lead of two goals twice against Notre Dame, putting themselves in position to bank a result they badly needed.
Instead, the game slipped away in the kind of fashion that has haunted Penn State too often. Notre Dame answered with three straight goals to erase the advantage, then finished the comeback in overtime when Evan Werner scored the winner in a 5-4 loss. For a team that had enough offense to win, the collapse was the painful part, and it left another promising performance hanging without the payoff. [Read more 🡒]