Penn State vs. Maryland Position Grades

Oct 24, 2015; Baltimore, MD, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions running back Saquon Barkley (26) runs for a gain against the Maryland Terrapins at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports

Running Backs: 

In a bit of a surprise, the Penn State running game really failed to get on track against a Maryland defense that’s struggled all season. The Nittany Lions found little room to run and finished with a team total of just 48 rushing yards.

Freshman running back Saquon Barkley was expected to have a huge game against the Terps after gashing the tough Ohio State defense last week for 194 yards. However, Maryland had clearly prepared for the young phenom and limited Barkley’s damage in the game.

Barkley did find the end zone in the first quarter, but he finished the game with 20 carries for just 65 yards and averaged just over three yards per carry.

There wasn’t much running room as the Maryland defense played tough. There were several times in which the Terps seemed to be in the backfield even before the ball was snapped. They were definitely prepared for Penn State’s dangerous rushing attack.

Barkly won’t be remembered for a fantastic performance in this one, but he did come up with some key runs when needed. His first-quarter score was important to get the Nittany Lions on the board, but he also had a big fumble in the game.

Grade: C+

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