Nick Singleton saw the pass rush. An Illinois defensive end ran toward him, and Singleton chipped him to the ground. It was brutal. Singleton then swung toward the sideline, caught a pass and trucked the defensive back in front of him for a first down. It was an ultra-physical sequence that embodied his performance in Penn State’s 21-7 win over Illinois on Saturday.
Singleton scored on that drive. And the next quarter, fellow running back Kaytron Allen did too. Their one-two punch has for three years been the calling card of the Nittany Lions’ offense, but just now is the team’s rushing attack finding its best form yet. What’s most exciting? Running backs coach Ja’Juan Seider said the world still hasn’t seen the best of Singleton and Allen.
“I’ve never been around kids, like an old school mentality where you love football so much you don’t want to miss anything,” Seider said Thursday. “… And it’s unique in this situation that we’re in, especially when you got two of these kids that’s equally talented and could play anywhere in the country and be the focal point of any offense.”
Thinking back to his third-quarter chip, catch and truck, Singleton said it was just like he’d practiced. Anticipating an aggressive rush from the Fighting Illini, offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki installed chipping drills for his running backs the week leading up to the team’s first ranked matchup of the year.
“Honestly, it carried over to the game,” Singleton said on Tuesday. “It was a big hit, and at the end too, to finish with the backer, I felt it just brought the energy out onto the field, because we obviously needed it too.”
That energy returned to the field after Allen’s touchdown. He was joined by quarterback Drew Allar and the entire offense in kicking down an imaginary door — Allen’s signature celebration. It was quite the moment that showcased “how connected our offense is and how connected our team is,” James Franklin said.
This newfound offensive connection is a significant development. It was just last year that Allar, and specifically his wide receivers, seemingly struggled to build an on-field bond under former offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich. With Kotelnicki’s jolliness but creativity in the fold, everyone has benefited: Singleton, Allen, Allar, the wide receivers, tight ends and offensive line.
The Nittany Lions now, more than anything, enjoy playing football together.
“The combination of him having a fun personality and making it fun and developing relationships with the guys,” Franklin said, “coupled with the fact that we’re having success, specifically in the explosive play category. And that’s probably the biggest part. I mean, just like you guys love big plays, and the fans love big plays, the guys love big plays too.”
In any business, college football included, success runs from the top down. It starts with the administrators, then the coaches and then the players. It shouldn’t come as a surprise then, that Penn State’s offensive assistants are enjoying this season just as much as the players. And that’s almost entirely based on the comfort with their boss, Kotelnicki, and the success under his lead.
“He’s not uptight. He has a personality. You don’t have to feel like it’s fourth and inches every time you walk in a meeting,” Seider said. “And also, he’s done a great job of trusting the resources that he has working with him.”
Kotelnicki isn’t afraid to admit when he’s wrong or ask the others around him for support. That’s what they’re there for, anyway. There’s a mutual trust in meetings, the coaches’ box and in the headsets from Kotelnicki to his assistants that their play calls will translate to success. And the players are reaping the benefits of that relationship.
“It’s just fun because I know going into each drive what to expect. I think he does a really good job of communicating with me and the rest of the offense of what he wants to get called and why,” Allar said. “I feel like I’ve been the most prepared quarterback in the country.”
The first four games of the season have been an outright success for an offense that entered the year with glaring question marks. When one unit isn’t playing to form, like the pass game against Illinois, the run game has stepped up. But ultimately, Kotelnicki will be judged by how he performs in the games that really matter — USC, Ohio State and what could come after.
There’s a distinct energy within the offense, and that should continue whether Singleton plays against UCLA or not. Everyone is bought in to what has the potential to become a historic season for the Nittany Lions.
“It’s going to be a long season. We got 12 regular season games, hopefully we play a bonus because we’re in the championship and then from there the playoff. Let’s not sugarcoat it. That’s our expectation,” Seider said. “We got to get there.”
