Penn State’s run game leans on talented freshmen with Keyvone Lee ailing

Keyvone Lee led Penn State in rushing last season with 530 yards. Yes, it wasn’t a banner year for the Nittany Lions’ ground game, which averaged 3.2 per attempt.

Lee, a third-year back, has been limited this year due to an undisclosed injury. His status for No. 16 Penn State’s Big Ten East contest at Indiana Saturday is uncertain.

But PSU’s running game is in good hands. Once again, the Lions’ ground game against the Hoosiers figures to be a two-back show. True freshmen Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen have been as good as advertised.

Singleton, the five-star signee, leads the Lions in rushing with 606 yards.

Allen, a four-star recruit, has become more involved in the game plan in recent weeks.

Over the last six games, Allen leads PSU in rushing with 418 yards. He’s averaging 5.5 yards per carry and has scored six touchdowns, one on the ground.

During the same six games, Singleton has also received 76 carries. He has picked up 392 yards (5.2 average) and Singleton has scored five touchdowns.

“Those two young kids have really complemented each other, really,” Penn State coach James Franklin said Tuesday. “Kaytron has the ability to set up blocks. He has tremendous vision. … He has the ability to finish runs with power.

“You know, just a very well-rounded running back,” Franklin continued, speaking of Allen.

“Got a very high football IQ. I think really him and Nick are really good complementary pieces. … You want to rotate those guys as much as you can to keep them healthy. We have been fortunate this year to pretty much every week have at least two backs that we feel really good about.”