West Virginia understands that physicality is going to be a necessity against Penn State. The Nittany Lions want to run the football and certainly have the personnel to do it.
Behind a veteran offensive line that will be one of the best that the Mountaineers square off against this season, the Big 10 Conference team also has a pair of running backs that are centerpieces to the attack.
It’s a duo that became the first pair of true freshmen teammates in Big 10 history to eclipse the 700-yards last season and finding a way to slow them down will be essential. That’s especially true with a new quarterback under center and a group of wide receivers that could still be finding their footing.
Nicholas Singleton set a Penn State true freshman record a season ago rushing for 12 touchdowns, while also piling up 1,061 yards on the ground. His 6.8 yards per carry is a testament to his abilities and his 87-yard touchdown run in the Rose Bowl was the third longest in the history of the game.
It’s what you expect to see out of one of the nation’s best running back prospects, but Singleton did little to temper expectations over the course of his first year. Now, he returns for another run at it.
“You don’t see the speed and strength combination. You see guys that are fast, you see guys that are big and strong, but you don’t see the combo,” head coach Neal Brown said. “His lower body is so strong and when he gets in the open field, he can break one tackle and it goes to the house. That’s scary.”
The other part of the equation is another player coming off his own impressive true freshman season in Kaytron Allen.
Like his counterpart, Allen was a highly recruited running back that made his own mark last season rushing for 867 yards and 10 touchdowns. He also was used in the passing game with 20 grabs for 188 yards and a score as he brings versatility to the table.
But don't be fooled as Allen also can be a load to tackle as well.
“Allen is very talented. He’s versatile and they use him in a lot of different ways,” Brown said.
The two play off each other in perfect harmony and give Penn State explosion as well as strong physical runners out of the backfield that can turn each carry into a potential touchdown.
Defensive coordinator Jordan Lesley believes the pair is as good, if not better, than the running backs that West Virginia has gone against in the Big 12 over the past couple years. And it will be critical for the defense to play with that physicality and aggression that the coaches have made a staple this fall.
It’s going to be quite a test for a defense that struggled with tackling last season and a case study in just how much emphasizing that aspect of the game can help a team improve.
Starting safety Aubrey Burks believes that the pair are two of the top running backs in all of college football and certainly gives them all the respect they deserve, but what helps matters is the fact that the Mountaineers defense consistently goes against big, physical running backs in practice.
It’s something that Lee Kpogba believes could help West Virginia prepare for going against the pair.
“I feel like our backs give us a good look every day trying to prepare for Penn State,” he said.
In a game that could feature a lot of carries for both teams, finding a way to win at the line of scrimmage could be critical. But make no mistake about it, this won’t be an easy task at all.
“They’ve gotten a lot of press and they deserve it. It’s going to be a challenge for our guys,” Brown said.
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