Just days after Nick Singleton had a career-low seven touches against Iowa, Penn State interim head coach Terry Smith mentioned that the Nittany Lions needed to get Singleton the football more.
In the two games since then against the top two teams in the country, Singleton has regained the form he had in his first three seasons. He gained 143 all-purpose yards and scored all three of Penn State’s touchdowns in a gut-wrenching 27-24 loss to second-ranked Indiana last week.
“I think Nick is back to having full confidence,” Smith said Monday. “It started in the Ohio State game for him. He had some good runs and some good performances. Then a three-touchdown show this past weekend. Hopefully we have the old Nick back for this week.”
Singleton rushed 10 times for 71 yards, including a season-long 59-yard burst, and two short TDs. He also caught three passes for 22 yards, including a 19-yard score, and returned two kickoffs for 50 yards, his first two returns of the season.
He’s within range of three of Saquon Barkley’s career records at Penn State. He needs two rushing touchdowns to tie Barkley’s mark of 43 and two TDs to tie Barkley’s overall record of 53. He’s also 307 yards from tying Barkley’s mark for all-purpose yards (5,538).
A former Gov. Mifflin star, Singleton has 3,275 career rushing yards after passing D.J. Dozier and Curtis Enis last week for seventh place. He could pass Tony Hunt (3,320) and Blair Thomas (3,301) this week at Michigan State and move into fifth place.
Kaytron Allen, his backfield mate and roommate, has 3,613 yards, third in school history and well behind Barkley, who’s in second place with 3,843.
“We’re going to continue to try to get him the football as well as Kaytron,” Smith said. “I mentioned last week that our goal (against Indiana) was to get those guys the ball 35 times. We got them 36 touches and it gave us a chance for victory.
“If those guys are touching the ball, we have a great chance at victory. If they’re not touching the ball, who knows what the outcome’s going to be? They’re our two best offensive players.”
Freshman surprises: Freshman wide receiver Koby Howard made at least one catch for the third straight game, finishing with two receptions for 28 yards.
But he surprised Smith and other Penn State coaches with his blocking.
“He’s a better blocker than I anticipated, which is a good thing,” Smith said. “He can be an every-down type of receiver. He’s super competitive. I love Koby. We’re going to continue to push him forward and try to get him more opportunities.”
Howard is a 5-11, 196-pound freshman from Pensacola, Fla., who was a three-star prospect by ESPN, On3 and 247Sports.
Dixson delivers: Freshman cornerback Daryus Dixson saw his most extensive action in several games and had two tackles, including one of Penn State’s three sacks against Indiana.
He also forced quarterback Fernando Mendoza to fumble, but Mendoza recovered.
“Daryus has always been a playmaker,” Smith said. “At some point, freshmen hit a wall. He hit a wall. That kind of slowed down his progress a little bit. He’s back on track now. He’s a guy who’s going to continue to play the rest of the season.
“When he’s out there, he makes plays. He delivers. We have to get guys like that out on the field.”
Dixson is a 6-0, 195-pound freshman from Perris, Calif., who was a consensus four-star prospect.
Injury report: Freshman defensive end Chaz Coleman and sophomore offensive lineman T.J. Shanahan did not play against Indiana because of undisclosed injuries.
“Chaz is day-to-day,” Smith said. “We’re hoping to have him this week. He’s a big part of what we’re trying to build here. … T.J. was a little banged up. He wasn’t quite as healthy. He’ll be part of the mix this week.”
Source: Berkshire mont
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