Nicholas Singleton credits Penn State OL, teammates for latest performance
Running back Nicholas Singleton needed just two carries to transform Penn State’s 30-0 win over Maryland on Saturday. Taking a fourth-and-1 to the house late in the first quarter, then following it with another in the opposite direction early in the second, he helped deliver a comfortable 21-0 advantage to the Nittany Lions.
Joining Penn State’s in-house postgame show from the bowels of Beaver Stadium on Saturday evening, though, Singleton insisted the effort wasn’t his alone.
Praising the Nittany Lions’ offensive line, Singleton told host Brian Tripp that it’s taken the collective force of the group to unlock his personal successes.
“They’ve been doing a great job this whole season, not just today,” Singleton said. “They’ve been doing good. Our tight ends, receivers blocking, and coaches making the right call. It’s always a team effort.”
That took shape late in the first quarter when, facing a fourth-and-1 at the Maryland 45, Singleton burst through a crevice to pick up the first down. Quickly finding himself free in the open field, that first down developed into something much more.
“It starts with the linemen. Brenton made a big block. So did Kaytron,” Singleton said. “Once I saw the hole, I just ran.”
Soon after, Singleton did it again. This time facing a fourth-and-1 at the Maryland 27, the run to the right again found daylight as the running back carried defensive back Deonte Banks into the end zone. The run capped the highlight reel portion of a day in which Singleton finished with 11 carries for 122 yards and two scores.
Nicholas Singleton’s next steps
On the season, it also continued a development for Singleton that has been steady since opening at Purdue on Sept. 1. Arriving at Penn State as the reigning Gatorade Player of the Year and an On3 Consensus five-star, Singleton has steadily produced 801 yards and 10 rushing touchdowns on 123 carries, good for a 6.5 yards per carry average.
He’s also come on to avenge a difficult stretch of performances against Northwestern and Michigan. Suffering the setbacks of multiple fumbles against the Wildcats, followed by just 19 yards on six carries against the Wolverines, Singleton has run for 73-plus yards in three of the Nittany Lions’ past four games.
The development is one Singleton credits to taking on the learning process in the transition to college football.
“It’s just a different ball game, for real,” Singleton said. “It’s different from high school now, so everybody is tougher, stronger, better. So I’m just trying to be that.
“(I’m) being more patient out of the backfield, especially our line making the blocks. At first, in the beginning, I just saw a hole and just ran. So I had to be more patient and just make the right cuts.”
Working to finish the season on a high note with games at Rutgers and Michigan State remaining before moving on to a bowl, Singleton summed up his experience thus far as a Nittany Lion.
“It’s fun,” Singleton said. “It’s not just (playing in) Beaver Stadium, just playing in college. It’s amazing.”
