Penn State Football: New weapons emerge on offense
Penn State football’s overtime win against Appalachian State wasn’t pretty. Still, the offense found a way to showcase its many talents.
A major positive in Penn State football’s week one win over Appalachian State was the newcomers to the offense. The Nittany Lions had to find guys to replace Saquon Barkley, Mike Gesicki, DaeSean Hamilton. They might not have found the perfect replacements, but they did so by committee in some spots and with rising youngsters in others.
At running back, Miles Sanders and Mark Allen certainly did their parts, as Penn State and its fans expected. With that said, freshman Ricky Slade added a third back to the depth. He rushed six times for 39 yards and one touchdown. The true freshman showed off some in-between-the-tackles power and burst on the touchdown run.
He’ll be another weapon Penn State can rely on in future games when Sanders and Allen need a breather. The trio combined for 37 touches for 193 total yards of offense and three touchdowns.
At tight end, Jonathan Holland has shown glimpses throughout his career, but he finally found an impact on the field. He caught just two passes for 36 yards, but it’s a start. In a game where the receivers didn’t set the world on fire, he made a few key first down catches and helped Trace McSorley find an open receiver off the scramble drill.
The junior tight end has five catches to his name so far, but he’s made himself into a reliable player over the years. He’s been in the program for four years, so he knows the offense and has the chemistry with McSorley to make plays.
One receiver that did standout was KJ Hamler. The redshirt freshman has continued to rise up the ranks of the Penn State football depth chart and it paid off for McSorley and the offense almost immediately. He caught three passes for 67 yards and the game-tying touchdown snag in the fourth quarter.
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All three players stepped up in a major way versus App State. The best part, all three will be here for more than one year. Keep an eye on all three in Penn State’s upcoming games.