UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Freshman running back Noah Cain is no better than No. 3 on Penn State’s depth chart.
And he’s unlikely to hurdle Ricky Slade or Journey Brown anytime soon.
Nonetheless, Cain was the leading rusher in the Blue squad’s 24-7 victory over the White team in the Nittany Lions’ annual spring game Saturday, and did something Slade and Brown might never manage during their college careers.
He scored a touchdown for both teams, in the same game.
On purpose.
He got White’s only touchdown on a two-yard run in the second quarter, then closed out the scoring when he pulled in a pass from Blue team quarterback Sean Clifford late in the fourth and, a few broken tackles later, made it into the end zone.
Cain finished 12 carries for 45 yards; no other running back reached double-figures in rushing yardage.
And while Cain was able to score for each team only because coach James Franklin and his staff moved a couple of players between rosters over the course of the afternoon – don’t look for that to happen when, say, Michigan comes to town – those two touchdowns underscored the element of power he brings to the running game.
“Noah Cain did some nice things,” Franklin said. “He was decisive. He stuck his foot in the ground, got downhill. A lot of times, his runs aren’t overly sexy, but he’s just breaking tackles and falling forward and is very productive.”
Although Cain, a four-star prospect Rivals rated as the No. 3 running back prospect in the class of 2019, has no guarantees, his coaches and teammates expect him to get onto the field a fair amount in the fall.
“I’m not going to sit here and put numbers or goals or anything like that on him,” offensive coordinator Ricky Rahne said. “But he’s putting himself in a position to play in games and help this team win.”
Especially when he’s only playing for one.
NOTES: At the end of the third quarter, wide receiver Dan Chisena caught a 59-yard touchdown pass from Will Levis and, seconds later, heard Franklin announce that he has been awarded a full scholarship. Players from both squads promptly mobbed him. … Tight end Nick Bowers of Kittanning had two catches for 54 yards on the Blue team’s first scoring drive. … Quarterback Tommy Stevens, who underwent off-season surgery, did not play. Franklin said he would like to name a starter at that position “as soon as possible,” but “we’re not ready to do that right now.”
Dave Molinari: Dmolinari@Post-Gazette.com and Twitter @MolinariPG
First Published: April 13, 2019, 10:42 p.m.
