Penn State running back Keyvone Lee (24) excelled in his first career start, as the true freshman ran for 134 yards and a touchdown in a win at Michigan.
Carlos Osorio | AP photo
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Keyvone Lee was one of Penn State’s last players to arrive on campus this summer. When the true freshman was able to get to Happy Valley during the pandemic from his home in St. Petersburg, Fla., it was reasonable to consider him to be the Nittany Lions’ fifth-string running back.
A few months later, Lee was making his first career start. And Lee turned it into a day he’ll never forget in the Big House, rushing for 134 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries in a 27-17 victory at Michigan.
“That was my first college win, and it was amazing,” Lee said on Penn State’s online postgame show.
It was the third straight week that Lee found the end zone, leading a rejuvenated run game that has been absent for most of the year.
There has been good reason, of course, for the Lions’ struggles on the ground. Lee got the start over a fellow true freshman from Florida, Caziah Holmes, in part because they were the only two options to choose from.
Penn State’s top three running backs on the preseason depth chart were all unavailable on Saturday. Journey Brown’s career is over because of a serious heart condition. Noah Cain’s season is over because of an ankle injury.
Sophomore Devyn Ford, who had started the previous four games, was injured on the first drive of last week’s loss to Iowa. He was not on the trip to Michigan because of a death in his family, according to the ABC broadcast.
So it was particularly cathartic for the Lions to get their long-awaited first win of the season in large part because of the ground game.
Running backs coach Ja’Juan Seider took to Instagram after the game to post a video of the entire team celebrating in the locker room, making sure to remember the guys who weren’t able to play.
“This is for the Lawnboyz!” Seider yelled, using his nickname for his position group. “We’ve been beat all year, but we back! Journey Brown, Noah Cain, Devyn Ford — this is for you guys! Appreciate the ones who kept believing in us.”
Holmes finished with 10 carries for 34 yards and added a 6-yard catch. Quarterbacks Sean Clifford and Will Levis combined for 98 yards on the ground and Penn State had 266 yards rushing as a team before three kneeldowns to end the game gave a final line of 50 carries for 254 yards and three touchdowns.
Young Lions perform
When Lee stepped onto the field for his first start, he was joined by two of his classmates in wideout Parker Washington and tight end Theo Johnson.
According to Penn State, it was the first time in program history that the Lions had true freshmen starting at running back, wide receiver and tight end in the same game.
Washington has been a starter since the opener. Johnson was on the field because Penn State opened in a two-tight-end set along with new starter Brenton Strange, who is replacing All-American Pat Freiermuth, who had season-ending surgery this week.
Johnson didn’t see a pass thrown his way, but his blocking did spring a pair of first-down runs.
Washington, meanwhile, continued to build on the impressive start to his college career with new highs in catches (nine) and receiving yards (93).
“Just (better) execution,” Washington said. “We worked on it all week. All the receivers, the whole offense. I felt like we just came out here and executed better this week.”
Infirmary report
Senior cornerback Tariq Castro-Fields missed his third straight game with an undisclosed injury. As was the case two weeks earlier at Nebraska, Castro-Fields made the trip but did not play.
As it was, sophomore Keaton Ellis — who had started in place of Castro-Fields the last two games — was also unavailable on Saturday according to coach James Franklin.
That left Penn State with just three healthy cornerbacks to use against the Wolverines, all of them second-year players from the 2019 recruiting class.
Redshirt freshman Joey Porter Jr. got the start as usual with true sophomore Marquis Wilson taking the majority of the snaps on the other side.
Also pressed into action was redshirt freshman Daequan Hardy, who was targeted immediately on Michigan’s longest pass of the day. Though Hardy had tight coverage, Michigan’s A.J. Henning made a very tough catch for 28 yards that helped set up a touchdown.
Hardy had the first big play of his career in the fourth quarter on a third-down blitz, but his first sack and first forced fumble were wiped out by a penalty.