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Why isn't Penn State's rushing attack more explosive? Discussing what teams are doing to stop big plays

Headshot 5x7 reduced qualityby:Thomas Frank Carr•09/13/23•

ThomasFrankCarr

Kaytron Allen, Nick Singleton Penn State Football On3
The Penn State rushing attack is healthy and well through two weeks of the regular season. But why haven't Kaytron Allen or Nick Singleton broken a run longer than 17 yards? We discuss that on today's show. (Photo: Frank Hyatt and Steve Manuel/BWI)

Penn State football rolled over Delaware 63-7 last Saturday at Beaver Stadium. Today on the Keystone Kickoff Show, we discuss why Penn State couldn’t break off long runs and had to rely on methodical drives to score its points. The Keystone Kickoff is a regional sports show broadcast to stations across Pennsylvania, and this video broadcast of the Wednesday show is an exclusive presentation of Blue White Illustrated. 

To get the most out of your Blue White Illustrated membership, subscribe to our YouTube channel. Get extra insights and commentary from the staff on the BWI Live and recruiting shows. 

Penn State lack of explosive plays a concern?

After two weeks of “efficient” work, the Penn State running game has been a steady presence for the team, but not the highlight-reel factory that most expected. However, head coach James Franklin was pleased with his team’s work last weekend. 

 “I just thought we were very efficient. We were able to stay on the field, we were able to sustain drives, we were able to convert on third down. We converted a few times on fourth down,” Franklin said. That label of “efficiency” has been the theme this week heading into the team’s Big Ten opener on the road against Illinois. 

On today’s show, we discuss the schematic reasons why that’s been the case through the first two weeks and what West Virginia and Delaware did to keep a lid on the team’s rushing attack. 

We’ll also discuss the budding profile of Penn State quarterback Drew Allar after two weeks. Is he the gunslinger like his former mentor Sean Clifford? Or are we learning that Allar has a different personality under center. 

Finally, The show discusses the Penn State defensive effort. What leads to missed gap assignements? We break down the nuances that lead players to vacate their assignements and go beyond “blame this player” for what happened on Delaware’s 66-yard touchdown run last Saturday. 

But is the run defense playing well? After all, the team allowed 20 yards rushing after that explosive run. We’ll explain how the front-seven has performed through two weeks and how the unit can improve heading into the conference slate. 

Blue White Illustrated Weekly Coverage

Want more Penn State football talk? Check out the BWI Live show, which airs Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday each week of the 2023 season. We’ll also bring you James Franklin’s weekly press conferences, analysis video, breaking news, and more. 

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