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STATE COLLEGE — James Franklin wasn’t about to overthink it.
Penn State had just posted its best rushing performance in a decade. And its best showing on the ground against an FBS opponent since 2002.
What changed?
“It’s simple,” the Nittany Lions coach said. “It’s up front. We’re maturing and growing up front. That’s the difference. We’re getting better on the O-line.”
Franklin and offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead like the matchup they had against a largely untested Maryland defense. But this?
A career-best 202 yards for Saquon Barkley. A total of 372 rushing yards for the entire team. A decisive 38-14 win over Maryland on Saturday, the Lions’ most impressive of the season.
This came just a week after Barkley didn’t have a single run for positive yardage in the second half against Minnesota, losing 12 yards in that stretch. And it even came on a day when the Lions lost veteran right tackle Andrew Nelson for the season with an apparent knee injury.
Against the Terrapins, it didn’t seem to matter.
In the final seconds of the first half, Penn State (4-2, 2-1 Big Ten) led by just three at 17-14. Barkley got a handoff from Trace McSorley. Left guard Ryan Bates cleared out his man. Center Brian Gaia, initially beaten on a stunt, recovered to open the hole on the other side.
Brendan Mahon, now in a new position at right tackle because of Nelson’s injury, stood his man up with the help of right guard Connor McGovern, who then got out to the second level to erase a cornerback from Barkley’s field of vision.
One cut later and Barkley was on his way to a 45-yard score and control of the game at halftime.
“I think we’re meshing together really nicely,” Mahon said. “We’re playing five as one rather than five individuals.”
For Barkley, this one meant a little bit more because it came against Maryland.
It was the Terps (4-1, 1-1) who had frustrated him a year ago by selling out completely to stop the run, holding him to just 65 yards and forcing a fumble.
What Barkley remembered most from that day was some advice from former teammate, running back Akeel Lynch.
“Something that really stuck with me was during that game,” Barkley said. “Akeel came up to me and whispered in my ear, ‘You’re a freshman. You’re young. You have many opportunities. Get it together and keep your head up — this team needs you.’
“Just him saying that meant so much to me.”
It started with that miserable second half last week against Minnesota. Because on Penn State’s first play of overtime, Barkley shook loose for a 25-yard touchdown to win the game and hasn’t slowed down since.
“Maybe in the beginning of the season he had some games that didn’t have the production that people would have thought,” Franklin said of his star tailback. “It never affected him. It was about the team and doing a good job in his role. There was no bad body language.
“When you keep a good attitude like that and influence others in a positive way, you’re going to build something.”
Barkley’s 202 yards topped his mark of 194 from last year’s game at Ohio State. Penn State’s 372 on the ground was most since putting up 389 against Youngstown State in 2006 and 390 against Michigan State in 2002. The Lions’ 62 rushing attempts were the most ever for the program in 24 years of Big Ten play.
Even Miles Sanders got in on the act as the freshman scored his first career touchdown with time winding down in the fourth quarter.
All of it made life easier on a defense that continues to play without all three of its starting linebackers as well as a handful of backups. That looked to be a pretty big concern coming into the day as Maryland boasted the country’s No. 6 rushing attack at 300 yards per game.
But those gaudy numbers came against less-than-stellar competition. And when fifth-year senior quarterback Perry Hills re-aggravated a shoulder injury, he had to be replaced by true freshman Tyrrell Pigrome, who had little chance of leading a big comeback through the air.
Maryland finished with just 270 total yards on offense.
“We lost our composure out there,” Maryland’s D.J. Durkin said after suffering his first loss as a head coach. “Did not execute well when we had to in all three phases of the game. There was really just some silly things, stuff that hasn’t shown up this year, that we did out of character.”