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Penn State's Barkley may be trying too hard

Penn State sophomore Saquon Barkley is worth watching, an electrifying running back who can break a long dash at any time, as he did with a game-clinching 55-yard touchdown earlier this month against Temple.

Penn State sophomore Saquon Barkley is worth watching, an electrifying running back who can break a long dash at any time, as he did with a game-clinching 55-yard touchdown earlier this month against Temple.

So why then do the Nittany Lions have the worst rushing offense (101.3 yards per game) in the Big Ten, and one of the 10 worst in the nation?

There are a number of reasons. Penn State's new no-huddle offense still has some bugs that need to be smoothed out. Opposing defenses are loading up the box against Barkley. The offensive line continues to be a work in progress. Barkley is quick to point the finger at himself for "trying to make too much happen."

"When I was in high school, my mentality was that every time I touched the ball, I felt like I was capable of scoring and I wanted to score," Barkley said Wednesday. "Sometimes putting the team in the best position is just taking what the defense gives you and lowering your shoulder and picking up four or five yards. Going through the game, eventually something will open up. I just have to grow and mature in that spot."

Coach James Franklin mentioned as much in his weekly news conference.

"I think all year long, Saquon has really been trying to make every run an 80-yard touchdown," he said Tuesday. "You've got to be willing to lower your shoulder and just run people over or get in a gap and push the pile for four or five yards. I think he's been a little bit trying to make the extra cut every single run, and there's a time and a place for that."

The 5-foot-11, 223-pound Barkley has shown that he can push the pile, but he's been more apt this season to move around until he can find an opening. Ten of his 66 rushes have been for losses, compared with eight runs of more than 10 yards. He has rushed for 317 yards and six touchdowns for the Lions (2-2), who will host Minnesota on Saturday.

Michigan dared Barkley to run the ball last week and held him to a season-low 59 yards on 15 carries. However, he also accounted for 77 receiving yards in that game. Franklin said he and offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead have discussed ways over the last two weeks of getting Barkley the ball more.

Barkley isn't involved in those discussions, saying, "I'm not going to go up to Coach Franklin and Coach Moorhead and say, 'You've got to put the ball in my hands.' I don't really believe in that."

The sophomore said he's happy with the offense. He said the offensive line has been "doing a really good job." Franklin said there has been improvement there but noted, "We still need to be more physical."

There's also the matter of the read-option, which Michigan blew up on occasion because of the time it took for quarterback Trace McSorley to decide whether to hand off to Barkley or fake it and take off to the edge. Franklin said there have been discussions among his coaches on how the play is being defended, meaning some tweaks could happen.

For Saturday, Barkley is hoping the running game will be a more significant part of the offense, and he'll do whatever he can to help.

"It's really important for the running backs, including myself, to step up, take it to a whole another level, and take a whole another approach," he said. "If teams load the box, don't let that affect you. Just play your game, be confident in yourself and not try to do too much, and stuff will open up."

jjuliano@phillynews.com

@joejulesinq