James Franklin: Kaytron Allen is ‘playing his tail off right now’

Penn State football is running with a full head of steam straight into the College Football Playoff Semifinals. The ground game has helped fuel the Nittany Lions’ playoff run, and for the better part of the last month, that rushing attack has started with Kaytron Allen.

“He is playing his tail off right now,” James Franklin said of Allen on Saturday afternoon. “You guys recognize that. I think everybody recognizes it. I know there was a ton of conversations about Mr. [Ashton] Jeanty, and deservedly so, from Boise [State]. He earned that type of conversation.

“But I’d make the argument that we got the best duo in all of college football. I think, obviously, we’re about to play a team that’s got some good backs, too. But again, we’re a part of that conversation.

“Kaytron is just so physical. He’s just so physical. And he wears people down. He’s able to run you over, keep his feet, extend runs.”

© Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Nittany Lions have rushed for over 200 yards twice in the last three games, just narrowly falling 11 yards shy of the threshold against SMU. Allen has led the way during that span, running for 328 yards and three scores during the month of December.

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The late-season surge has helped put Allen over the 1,000-yard mark for the season. With both Allen and Nicholas Singleton reaching the milestone in last week’s Fiesta Bowl, the pair became the first teammates in Penn State football history to rush for 1,000 yards in the same season.

“I think he’s running great,” Franklin continued. “I think Coach [Phil] Trautwein and Coach [Ty] Howle deserve a ton of credit as well. Those players deserve a ton of credit. Andy [Kotelnicki] deserves a ton of credit, but a lot of people are spending time talking about Andy. And Traut and Ty and the rest of those guys on that offensive line are just playing so well and so consistent. And physical. And like we’ve talked about: run game travels.”

One win away from the national title game, Penn State football will look to keep the momentum going on Thursday night in the Capital One Orange Bowl against Notre Dame.

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