Penn State’s running back room may finally be settling into place as Big Ten play arrives, and the latest evidence came in last week’s 304-yard rushing outburst.
For now, the biggest question is how the carries will be divided against Wisconsin. Carson Hansen opened the game on the first drive, but Quinton Martin Jr. and James Peoples wound up seeing more of the work. Hansen still found the end zone, and Peoples scored twice.
The broader takeaway from last week was that all four backs showed something with the ball in their hands. Penn State averaged 7-4 yards per carry as a group, a strong sign after the issues around the run game appeared to ease up.
Matt Campbell said the tone in the room hasn’t really shifted.
“I don’t know if it’s changed much, to be honest,” Campbell said. I feel like that room since spring ball has been very similar."
Campbell has repeatedly emphasized that practice matters, stressing that players have to “earn the right” to get game snaps. Martin backed that up with one of his best weeks of practice, then returned to the field after sitting out against Temple.
Martin may be the back with the most explosive-play upside right now, but Hansen brings a hard-charging, physical style downhill, while Peoples adds value as both a blocker and a receiver.
Still, Campbell said the staff views every back in the room as someone they can lean on when the moment comes.
“It’s a room that’s got four capable football players and I think there’s a heightened sense of intensity because everybody’s trying to earn the right to find the role,” Campbell said. “We’ll keep navigating through that as the season goes.
But practice is really critical and really important as well. So we’re excited about where that room is.”
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Week 4 is shaping up as one of the busiest Saturdays of the college football season, with five ranked-on-ranked matchups and three of them coming in the SEC alone. The marquee slate includes No. 1 Texas against No. 14 Tennessee, while No. 24 Mississippi State and No. 19 Missouri give the afternoon even more bite. For Penn State fans trying to keep tabs on the national picture, it is the kind of weekend where the TV remote gets as much work as the game watch party.
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Penn States Big Ten Opener Suddenly Carries A Major Offensive Question
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If either one is unable to go, Penn State would have to lean on its depth in some key spots. Vaea Ikakoula is among the options at center, while Ben Brahmer and Gabe Burkle are in line to handle more work at tight end. The final word will come two hours before kickoff, leaving the Lions with at least one more nerve-wracking wait before the matchup is fully set. [Read more 🡒]