The Penn State Football Position Group With the Most to Prove at Temple

STATE COLLEGE | Penn State running back Carson Hansen wants as many defensive players to line up in the box as possible. If the opponent decides to load it up against the run, as Marshall did last Saturday with eight or nine players consistently, “we have to run right through it,” Hansen said.

But his position group didn’t quite get there in Week 1. The Nittany Lions posted 163 rushing yards in a 45-0 win over the Thundering Herd but did so inefficiently, averaging 3.6 yards per carry. Which led Hansen to say that "there's definitely a lot more room for improvement."

"Just going back to the film, there's a lot of things I can take from it and move forward," said Hansen, who rushed for 48 yards on 11 carries. "So I wasn't really too happy, but hungry to get back this week, get into practice, and look forward to this coming week. ... There were just a couple reads that I wanted back. There were a couple runs that I wanted back in there, and you just got to keep refining little details. We'll get it sorted.”

Despite the opening-week inefficiencies, Penn State coach Matt Campbell said he isn’t concerned about the run game. He’s actually quite the opposite as the Nittany Lions prepare for Game 2 vs. Temple on Saturday at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.

“I thought those running backs played really good last week, so I'm not too concerned about where those guys are," Campbell said. "You have a lot of guys that deserve to get the ball: the tight ends, the wide receivers, the running backs.

"We're going to try to do everything in our power to take what the defense gives us, and all those guys have to be prepared for their moment. But those guys practice the right way and really have prepared the right way.”

Gauging Penn State's Week 1 rushing success

Penn State Nittany Lions running back James Peoples runs with the ball vs. the Marshall Thundering Herd at Beaver Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The backfield has a lot of mouths to feed with Hansen, James Peoples, Quinton Martin Jr. and Cam Wallace expected to play role offensively this season. Which is why Campbell was pleased that all four got carries in the opener.

The results were mixed. The four backs combined for 159 yards on 40 carries, averaging nearly 4 yards per attempt. But much of that production came in the second half.

Hansen and Peoples rotated through the first half against the Thundering Herd, combining for an average of 3.3 yards per carry. Hansen’s best run was a fourth-down conversion on which he gained 10 yards, his longest of the game.

Overall, Penn State’s run game was OK for an opener. The Nittany Lions averaged 4.7 yards per carry on first down and converted four of seven third downs despite averaging 3.1 yards per carry.

In the rushing success rate statistic, which grades the percentage of successful runs based yards needed and adjusted for down, Penn State had a 43-percent success rate. A success rate from 40-50 percent is considered average.

The next step for the backfield

Penn State Nittany Lions running back Cam Wallace pushes into the end zone for a touchdown vs. the Marshall Thundering Herd. — Penn State Nittany Lions running back Cam Wallace (26) pushes into the end zone for a touchdown vs. the Marshall Thundering Herd at Beaver Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Hansen really emphasized the need to refine the little details, stressing that the uneven performance vs. Marshall was not a major issue. He said that will be the key to unlocking the ground game against the Owls and beyond. Part of that, Hansen said, is thinking less when he’s going through a hole created by the offensive line.

“It’s just the little details of things we got to hammer away at, and really just not be robots,” Hansen said. “Just go out there and play, and really be decisive, get downhill and make a play. And that's what [running backs coach Savon Huggins] was talking to us about.”

That’s promising. If it’s as simple as thinking less, that can be fixed. It makes sense too.

Penn State struggled generating explosive plays on the ground against Marshall. Between Hansen and Peoples, Hansen had the longest rush of 10 yards, and it came on a 4th-and-1 when they weren’t really eyeing an explosive. If Hansen and the backfield can be more decisive, that’ll completely change the ground game.

But considering four backs will likely get playing time at some point, does that affect each individual’s ability to think less and just play ball?

“I would say as a running back, you always have a rhythm,” Hansen said. “That's always something, where you want to be in there as much as you can. We're just competitive. That's how it is. But I think you know we've done a great job of doing those rotations, and I'm excited for this next game and moving forward. I think it'll be special.”

Penn State visits Temple on Saturday for a noon ET kickoff. ESPN2 will televise.

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