Why Penn State needs Nick Singleton available to beat USC this week

As a five-star recruit out of Governor Mifflin High School, right outside of Reading, Nick Singleton had lofty expectations to make a significant impact from day one. When Singleton made his Beaver Stadium debut against Ohio as a true freshman, he made it evident to the Nittany Lion faithful that he was the real deal. In that game, he had a 70-yard house call in the first quarter, and he has yet to look back since.

Ever since their freshman seasons, the “Lawn Boyz” have been the identity of Penn State’s offense. Alongside Singleton is Kaytron Allen, who has nearly matched Singleton’s numbers in the run game in his collegiate career. Together they create one of the best running back duos in college football, and for the game against USC this upcoming Saturday, they will need to both be on the field and make their own impacts on the game in order for Penn State to come out victorious. 

In the Big Ten conference, teams are not subject to provide specifics on injuries and they do not have to provide final injury reports 90 minutes before kickoffs. In the SEC, teams now must do this prior to kickoffs, similarly to the NFL and other professional sports. Because of this, Penn State fans do not know why Singleton was absent from the contest against UCLA. 

Audrey Snyder of the Athletic provided a little clarity on the situation last week:

Head coach James Franklin met with the media and told reporters that Singleton is “confident talking to him on Sunday that he’ll be able to go (against USC).”

Franklin also specified that Singleton did not practice last week until logging a limited session on Thursday. Franklin said that “he was very close to going last week.”

Seemingly, all signs are pointing toward Singleton being on the field at the L.A. Coliseum on Saturday. The Nittany Lions offense flourishes much better with Singleton, as Allen and the Penn State rushing attack against UCLA was somewhat stagnant. Allen received 21 carries for 78 yards, which had him at 3.7 yards per carry for the game. The only other running back with a carry was true freshman Quinton Martin Jr., who had one carry but three receptions for a total of 19 yards.

The run game is best with both available and them splitting carries. This keeps them fresh and keeps the defense on their toes with two different styles. Singleton’s big play ability allows him to be able to change a game with one play. Singleton averages 7.7 yards per carry and 12.3 yards per reception this season. Penn State will count on Singleton, assuming he is available, to create big plays and provide an efficient and balanced rushing attack with Allen to get the better of the Trojans this Saturday afternoon.