No one was sure what to expect from a true freshman running back behind a questionable offensive line in 2022. Still, that didn’t stop Penn State’s Nick Singleton from having a breakout season in the Blue and White a year ago; in fact, on many runs, Singleton reminded Nittany Lion fans of former Penn State star Saquon Barkley. Here are a few runs that made us double take to make sure we were watching a game from 2022, not 2017.
After Penn State football squeaked out a 35-31 win over Purdue in Week 1 of last season, the Nittany Lions returned home to face the Ohio Bobcats (who eventually won the MAC East) for their home opener. Week 2 turned out to be a massive victory for Penn State — the Lions ran away with a 46-10 win to improve to 2-0 — but more importantly, it marked the start of the “Nick Singleton era.”
For the first time in his young career, Singleton proved to be a deadly threat as a power runner and a breakout back in open space. Below is 1:27 of Singleton’s best moments from the Ohio game:
Freshman RB Nick Singleton showed it all in Penn St’s 46-10 win over Ohio on Saturday, bursting free for three runs of 40 yards or more, en route to a 10-carry, 179-yard, 2 TD performance in his first game at Beaver Stadium.#PennState #PennStateFootball #BigTen #Big10 pic.twitter.com/40BXiuLovb
— All 22 Films (@All_22_NFL_Cuts) September 12, 2022
After posting 179 yards and two touchdowns against the Ohio Bobcats, Nick Singleton and the Nittany Lions his the road to face a much tougher opponent: the Auburn Tigers at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Despite the game looking close throughout the first half, Penn State football laid on the gas late and made it a 41-12 ball game all said and done. Just as he did the week before, Singleton put together a great performance with many massive runs.
Nick Singleton today vs. Auburn:
10 rushes
124 yards
2 TDsThe true freshman’s 54-yard exclamation point caps a Penn State statement in Jordan-Hare Stadium.
@CBSSportspic.twitter.com/dZ69xHJVSS
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) September 17, 2022
We all remember when Saquon took the opening kickoff to the house against Ohio State in 2017. Does this look familiar?
NICK SINGLETON 100 YARD KICKOFF RETURN TD
— PFF College (@PFF_College) November 19, 2022
Throughout Saquon’s years in the Blue and White, there were many occasions in which he vanished into a mass of bodies at the line of scrimmage, yet still managed to pop out on the other side and gain yards. As a freshman, it’s clear that Nick Singleton has that same ability.
#PennState passa per sobre de Minnesota, tot i les 102i de+ 1TD de M.Ibrahim
Quins dos trossos de RBs true Fr té PennSt , esperant veure si D.Allar, true Fr, és el seu QB de futur
Nick Singleton#WeAre#CollegeFootball #aSack pic.twitter.com/HHwfvcj84Z
— College a Sack (@CollegeaSack) October 23, 2022
Penn State’s Rose Bowl matchup had many moments that were similar to the Lions’ 2017 Rose Bowl loss; however, this massive run from Singleton gave most Penn State fans some serious flashbacks to Saquon Barkley’s run in his Rose Bowl game six years prior. It may not have been as mind-blowing, but it gave the Nittany Lions an edge and helped Penn State win its second-ever Rose Bowl game.
Nick Singleton has 120 yds and is averaging 20 YPC. He has 2 TDs and the Nittany Lions are up 7 pic.twitter.com/aGG1HgW2i1
— Hardcore Penn State Football (@HardcorePSUFB) January 3, 2023
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