"He wants to punish whoever’s in his way." Penn State RB Kaytron Allen's CFP emergence carrying the Nittany Lions ground game

As he often does, Penn State running back Kaytron Allen arrived at the Fiesta Bowl with a purpose. Following a 17-carry, 135-yard performance that outshone Boise State All-American Ashton Jeanty, Allen has put folks on notice on the national stage. 

“He is playing his tail off right now,” James Franklin said on Saturday. “You guys recognize that. I think everybody recognizes it. I know there was a ton of conversations about Mr. Jeanty, and deservedly so from Boise. He earned that type of conversation. But I’d make the argument we got the best duo in all of college football [with Allen and Nick Singleton]. 

I think obviously we’re about to play a team that’s got some good backs, too. But again, we’re a part of that conversation. Kaytron is just so physical. He’s just so physical. He wears people down. He’s able to run you over, keep his feet, extend runs.”

Allen’s best run against the Broncos didn’t even count. Facing a short-yardage situation in the second quarter, Allen went up the middle and bowled over Boise safety Zion Washington, a 6-1, 212-pound junior that was waiting for him in the open field. Allen changed directions and rumbled downfield for a 50-yard gain, by far his longest effort of the season. 

Though the run was called back for a holding penalty on Penn State’s Sal Wormley, Franklin showed the clip to the team as a whole when arriving back in Pennsylvania. He 

“Even though it was called back, I showed it because I thought it was such an impressive run, and he deserved his flowers in that moment, and so did the rest of the group,” explained Franklin. “I think he’s running great. I think [offensive line coach Phil] Trautwein and [tight ends coach Ty] Howle deserve a ton of credit as well. Those players deserve a ton of credit. Andy [Kotelnicki] obviously deserves a ton of credit. A lot of people are spending time talking about Andy and Traut and Ty and rest of those guys on that offensive line. They are just playing so well and so consistent and physical. And like we’ve talked about, run game travels. And at this point of the season, being able to run the ball.”

Through the first two rounds of the College Football Playoff, a rejuvenated Allen has helped the Nittany Lions run for more than any team in the postseason. He scored twice against SMU in the first round after going for 124 yards and a touchdown against Oregon in the Big Ten title game. He surpassed 1,000 yards in the win over Boise State and now has 1,026 on the year, which leads the way for Penn State. 

Allen’s postseason form is a far cry from the low point of a seven-carry, 10-yard output against Minnesota in November. The last few weeks have showcased an angry runner intent on finishing carries. 

“He runs like that every time he gets the ball. I think that’s just who he is by nature,” quarterback Drew Allar said on Saturday. “He wants to punish whoever’s in his way. He’s been like that since he’s been on campus. I think the first time I’ve ever saw it was the first time we had contact in spring ball when we were freshmen. 

“Just seeking out contact, you don’t see a lot of guys just seeking contact like he does. It’s a really big energy boost for the whole team, especially for the offense and for the O-Line. I know it’s a huge boost when they see Kaytron and Nick being very physical on the perimeter and finishing runs.

“I think Kaytron’s playing his best football right now. He looks really fast. He’s doing a great job in pass [protection]. I think Kaytron’s game has really taken the next step and it’s been fun to see that.”