STATE COLLEGE — Penn State football coach James Franklin has been waiting for someone to emerge from the four-man pack at running back before he names a starter.
Nick Singleton made Franklin’s job a little easier Saturday.
The former Gov. Mifflin star enjoyed a spectacular Beaver Stadium debut, carrying 10 times for 179 yards and two long touchdowns in the Nittany Lions’ 46-10 romp past Ohio.
It was arguably the best rushing performance by a Penn State back in his first home game in the 135-year history of the program.
“Singleton’s a great running back,” offensive lineman Bryce Effner said. “I think he’s going to be amazing for us the next couple of years. He’s young. He’s quick. He’s eager. He works hard.
“He’s a great representation of Penn State football.”
Singleton scored on a 70-yard burst in the first quarter and then on a 44-yard sprint in the third quarter, both around the right side. He became the first Lions back to reach at least 100 yards since Keyvone Lee had 134 in a 2020 victory at Michigan, a span of 18 games.
“We beat that today,” Effner said. “That’s all I have to say about that. It’s been a long journey, but I think it’s finally clicked this year.”
The 6-0, 219-pound Singleton topped the home debuts of two of the greatest running backs in Penn State history. Saquon Barkley rushed for 115 yards and one TD on 12 carries against Buffalo in 2015, and Curt Warner ran 12 times for 100 yards and two scores against Rutgers in 1979.
He finished with 219 all-purpose yards, well behind Warner’s 281 yards on that September day 43 years ago.
Yet it was not enough for Franklin to anoint Singleton the new No. 1 running back.
“I got a ton of confidence in all three — all four — of those guys,” he said. “Obviously Nick breaking off those long runs was needed. There’s no doubt about it. We’ll watch the film and see what makes sense for us moving forward.”
Kaytron Allen, Singleton’s classmate, carried six times for 23 yards and caught a 22-yard pass. Keyvone Lee, the incumbent starter and Penn State’s top rusher the last two seasons, had one attempt for 0 yards. Devyn Ford did not have a carry.
Singleton and Allen add speed to the running game that Penn State has been lacking since Journey Brown was forced to retire in the summer of 2020. They helped the Lions finish with 234 rushing yards, their most since they had 396 against Memphis in the 2019 Cotton Bowl.
“Nick’s just so good at what he does,” Effner said. “When we’re blocking, we’re more confident that we can miss a little bit. We’re confident that he can make them miss or get outside before they have a chance to tackle him.
“It’s less pressure on us. We can come off the ball faster and harder. It’s definitely a confidence booster.”
