Penn State Football: 3 big reasons to be optimistic after win over Michigan

Penn State Football finally picked up its first win of the season, a 27-17 victory over Michigan

Saturday afternoon Penn State Football got a glimpse of seasons future in a 27-17 victory over the Michigan Wolverines that featured several young players playing marquee roles and notching vital performances in the win.

The Nittany Lions will not be making a Bowl berth in 2020, but if Saturday is any indication, several blue chip recruits are slowly but surely developing into players capable of being key contributors in 2021 and beyond.

Here’s a look at three reasons Penn State should feel optimistic that the dark times of an 0-5 start to the 2020 season could be giving way to a bright future next season and beyond:

Keyvone Lee looks like the real deal

Penn State looks like it found something in true freshman running back Keyvone Lee.

Lee, thrust into the starting lineup as Devyn Ford was excused this week to mourn a death in the family, looked every bit capable of being a feature back.

With plenty of burst and explosiveness, Lee also at times looked like a patient runner while allowing blocks to set up in front of him on his way to a game-high 22 carries for 134 yards and a touchdown.

There were times where Lee’s running style was reminiscent of Penn State great Tony Hunt or even Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back LeSean McCoy.

Along with Caziah Holmes, Lee’s performance against the Wolverines should inspire plenty of optimism about the Nittany Lions’ future at running back. While for all intents and purposes the 2020 season is simply about getting meaningful snaps for young players, Lee and Holmes’ potential is a reason for optimism, particularly once both players get the benefit of a full offseason conditioning program this winter.