Penn State’s Saquon Barkley sprints to 24-yard TD (Video)

January 2, 2017; Pasadena, CA, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions running back Saquon Barkley (26) runs the ball against the Southern California Trojans during the first half of the 2017 Rose Bowl game at the Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
January 2, 2017; Pasadena, CA, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions running back Saquon Barkley (26) runs the ball against the Southern California Trojans during the first half of the 2017 Rose Bowl game at the Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports /
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Penn State Nittany Lions running back Saquon Barkley busted through the middle to get on the board with a 24-yard touchdown.

The Penn State Nittany Lions have had issues this season with getting off to slow starts in games. That was the case in the Rose Bowl against the USC Trojans, as they fell behind 13-0 early and it looked like there offense was going to really struggle to muster any points at all. That’s when Saquon Barkley took over.

Needing a spark and any kinds of points, Barkley got out in space and started making moves with his legs. He was catching passes and busting open big runs. Finally, he got his team on the board with a big 24-yard touchdown up the middle.

Barkley is run of the strongest running backs in college football and arm tackles aren’t going to bring him down. When he’s able to get in space on a run and have nothing but defensive backs in front of him, it’s likely he’s going to go a great distance and possibly a touchdown.

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While Trace McSorley really struggled early to pass the ball, Barkley took it upon himself to make the plays on the ground that his team needed. The USC defense had done a great job early of taking him down but there’s only so many bruising hits from Barkley a defender can take.

The game felt like it was teetering on blowout territory and it was a necessary score to make it a game. It’s the same case that it’s been for Penn State for a while as they got down and then made the plays to get back in it.