Penn State Football: Position Grades versus Pittsburgh
Running back
It’s a tough week to grade Barkley. He didn’t get the touches he usually gets because of poor offensive drives and lack of play calls. When he did get the ball, he did what Barkley does. He carried defenders for extra yards and displayed high-end speed. I can’t fault him for a lack of touches, so he proved he could do a lot with little.
Barkley ran for an eight-yard rushing touchdown where he pounded through multiple Pitt defenders for the score. He also ignited the offense at the start of the second half with a 46-yard touchdown catch. His 133 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns on 7.4 yards per touch proved he created a major impact on the game.
He just needs more carries early on. McSorley and the offensive line didn’t help him out, which is fine because the score came out in a win. After a week of offensive struggles, he should see more opportunities to settle in the offense.