“It’s important,” head football coach James Franklin said after Saturday’s loss to Michigan State. “I want to be able to run the ball.”
This weekend, Penn State rushed for 61 total yards. Keyvone Lee once again led the team with 79 yards. It marked the twelfth time in twelve games that Nittany Lion running backs failed to eclipse the 100-yard barrier. Meanwhile, just one hour down the road, Michigan rushed for 7.2 yards per carry against Ohio State, scoring five touchdowns and rolling up 297 yards on the ground.
What’s striking about the contrast between these numbers isn’t just the stark reality of the Nittany Lions wholesale failure to run the ball.