STATE COLLEGE — James Franklin has said over and over again that he does not want to talk about injuries.
He gains nothing from it strategically, he pointed out. Why give opponents an idea of who is healthy and who isn’t, he asks? And shouldn’t everyone’s medical information be a private matter, anyway?
Well, after Saturday’s win over San Diego State, injuries became a fairly significant talking point in Happy Valley.
By the time the Nittany Lions outlasted the Aztecs, 37-21, they were down both of their starting safeties, Jordan Lucas and Marcus Allen, and their top backup defensive end, Evan Schwan. And that’s in addition to their top linebacker, junior Nyeem Wartman-White, being out for the season and arguably their best tackle, Andrew Nelson, missing his second consecutive game.
But as the Nittany Lions prepare to face Army West Point this week, the focus will be on a once-explosive running game that, suddenly, is loaded with question marks.
The Nittany Lions lost both freshman Saquon Barkley and junior Akeel Lynch to leg injuries in the first half.
Barkley turned his ankle after breaking a 21-yard run to the San Diego State 10 early in the second
quarter. He went to the sideline, got his right ankle retaped, then went into the locker room. He returned to the field after halftime, but never got back in the game.
Lynch needed help getting off the field after a 3-yard carry in the final minutes of the half. He wasn’t on the field in the second half.
“Not only do I not talk about (injuries), I don’t have anything I can really tell you at this point,” Franklin said after the game. “A lot of times, you get an injury, you don’t know the specifics and the details until the next morning. There are tests that need to be done. I wouldn’t have anything to share even if I did want to share it with you.”
Before he left the game, Barkley was having his typical impact.
He rushed for 62 yards on eight carries, and his first career catch was an electric 22-yarder that saw him juke one defender, spin around another and break several more tackles on his way to the end zone and Penn State’s first touchdown.
Lynch found the going tougher, gaining 18 yards on 10 carries.
Once Barkley went down, Penn State’s running game ground to a halt. The leading rusher from that point on was Nick Scott, a freshman who gained just nine yards on six carries. Mark Allen, another freshman, did have a touchdown catch, though.
Just when it started to build momentum, now the Penn State offense has to be wondering how much it might have to change to get everything moving again.
“It makes it easier (for the offensive line) when any of our running backs are able to hit the hole or make a guy miss in the hole,” center Angelo Mangiro said. “It changes the rhythm. The whole offense gets going.”