Why Penn State Football Is Still Looking for a No. 1 Running Back

STATE COLLEGE | Penn State football coach Matt Campbell and offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser want a running back to take the reins in the backfield, something Campbell said has been a “unique challenge” for the team.

“We're trying to find somebody to grab a stranglehold [on the No. 1 spot],” Campbell said. “... We need somebody to separate, to be the bell cow, in some of these critical moments.”

Running back James Peoples could be that “bell cow” the Nittany Lions are looking for. Peoples stood out against Wisconsin, rushing for 67 yards on 14 carries, most among four backs in the game. No other Penn State back averaged more than 3 yards per carry.

“I still think, again, there's gray in that room right now,” Campbell said. “... I think James [Peoples] played a good football game in the game on Saturday, and I think he's starting to really play some consistent football, continuing to grow into the player that he can be and we need him to be.”

An Ohio State transfer, Peoples hasn’t been a lead back in his college career. He carried the ball 110 times in two years in Columbus and scored five total touchdowns. In a more featured role at Penn State, Peoples is on pace to break his personal-best numbers with ease.

He leads the Nittany Lions running backs with 199 rushing yards and a 5.4 yards-per-carry average and is tied with Martin for the most rushing touchdowns (two). Peoples seemed to have found a “rhythm” against Wisconsin, which Mouser said the staff has been looking for.

“Just being consistent on my part,” Peoples said on what he has to do to become the bellcow. “When I’m in [the game], making the most of the opportunities I'm doing and making sure that I'm a force to be reckoned with when I'm on the field. Making sure that I turn three yards into five or into six, consistently picking up first downs and then doing my job.”

Through four games, Penn State has rotated its four backs often. Peoples, starter Carson Hansen, Quinton Martin Jr. and Cam Wallace all carried the ball in the first half against Wisconsin. But Mouser agreed with Campbell that he’s looking for the “bellcow.”

“When you [rotate backs], and when it works, it’s awesome,” Mouser said. “And then you can throw yourself out of rhythm a little bit too at running back. So [we can] certainly see both sides of it.”

Added Campbell, "Those are the honest discussions behind closed doors. I think the positive is all those guys we believe in. I think the reality of it is we'd love to see somebody emerge in that room."

Close to a breakthrough?

Penn State Nittany Lions running back James Peoples (1) runs with the ball against the Buffalo Bulls at Beaver Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Peoples thinks the running back room is so close to breaking through. He said it comes down to execution and details, specifically mentioning some key blocks that haven’t been made.

To fix that, the running backs have been meeting individually with the offensive linemen to get on the same page and build trust. Peoples showed optimism about the blocking problems being solved, saying the team has taken big leaps from last week and the blocking mistakes are “getting fixed right now.”

“In the running game, it takes everybody having to do their job,” Peoples said. “The running back running physical and hard and making one man miss as we always have to. … But I think we're just one hair off with details of blocking.”

Peoples said Wednesday that he feels he earned the coaching staff’s trust after his game against the Badgers, which should be a big confidence booster for him. He said he needs to continue to “stack those performances” to take on the lead-back role.

He’ll have a chance to do that Friday against Northwestern’s run defense, which allows the second-most rushing yards per game in the Big Ten (199.3). Indiana's Lee Beebe Jr. ran for 203 yards on 24 carries in a 29-23 win last week.

“Their linebackers play downhill, athletic. I feel like the explosives are definitely there,” Peoples said of Northwestern’s run defense. “I mean, you look at the game against Indiana, they had plenty of explosives. One of the running backs ran for 200, so these guys could be run on.”

Penn State visits Northwestern for an 8 p.m. kickoff Friday night at the new Ryan Field. FOX will televise.

Sign up to our free Penn State Nittany Lions newsletter, follow us on social media and add Penn State on SI as a Preferred Source on Google.

Add us as a preferred source on Google