Penn State RB Akeel Lynch looks to take the handoff from QB Christian Hackenberg Photo by: Michael Corsey @ Michael Corsey Photography

True freshman records 195 rushing yards and two touchdowns in Big Ten-opening win over Rutgers
 
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.; Sept. 21, 2015 – Penn State freshman running back Saquon Barkley (Coplay, Pa.) is the Big Ten Co-Freshman of the Week for the second consecutive week after recording a career-high 195 yards with two touchdowns in the Big Ten opener against Rutgers Saturday. Barkley shares the honor with Indiana safety Jonathan Crawford.
 
Barkley rushed for a career-high 195 yards and two touchdowns to lead a Penn State rushing attack that finished with 330 yards, the most by the Nittany Lions since running for 338 yards at Illinois in 2009. The 195 yards rushing by Barkley marked the most rushing yards in a game by a Nittany Lion since Bill Belton gained 201 yards vs. Illinois in 2013. Additionally, Barkley’s 195 rushing yards are the most by a Penn State true freshman since Eric McCoo had 206 against Michigan State in 1998.
 
The performance was the second-straight 100-yard rushing effort for the true freshman. The 310 rushing yards in back-to-back games are the most by a Penn State running back since Zach Zwinak had 314 yards in games against Indiana (135) and Wisconsin (179) in 2012. Additionally, the 310 yards gained in consecutive games are the most by a true freshman since D.J. Dozier had 369 in 1983 at Rutgers (196) and versus Alabama (163). Barkley is the third true freshman at Penn State to have two or more 100-yard rushing performances (5, D.J. Dozier – 1983; 3, Eric McCoo – 1998).
 
Barkley (195 yards) and Akeel Lynch (120) rushed for more than 100 yards tonight, marking the first time Penn State had at two 100-yard rushers since Lynch (108) and Bill Belton (108) passed the century mark against Eastern Michigan. This was also the first Big Ten Conference game that Penn State had two 100-yard rushers since Evan Royster (134) and Silas Redd (131) topped the mark vs. Northwestern in 2010.
 
The Coplay, Pennsylvania native ranks second in FBS in rushing yards per carry (9.15) and is 32nd in FBS in total rushing yards (311) and 35th in rushing yards per game (103.7). His per game rushing average is a bit skewed as Barkley only had one carry in the season opener for one yard. Barkley has 10 rushes of 10 or more yards this season with career-long runs of 54 and 40 yards coming against Rutgers.