The Sports Xchange
Sep 19, 2015
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Penn State rolled up 326 yards rushing Saturday night en route to a 28-3 win over Rutgers in the Big Ten opener in Beaver Stadium.
Freshman running back Saquon Barkley had 195 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries and junior running back Akeel Lynch had 120 yards, including a 75-yard burst to the end zone untouched late in the second quarter, for Penn State.
The teams played to a scoreless first quarter before Penn State's running game started to click.
The Nittany Lions (2-1, 1-0 Big Ten) capped a 12-play, 80-yard drive with Thompkins' touchdown with 12:06 left in the second quarter. Barkley's first score completed an eight-play, 90-yard drive.
The Nittany Lions got the ball back with 1:04 left in the first half and Lynch burst up the middle for his long touchdown.
Barkley's 54-yard run set up his second touchdown run from 16 yards with 4:21 remaining.
Rutgers kicker Kyle Federico connected on a 34-yard field goal with 10:35 remaining in the fourth quarter to make it 21-3.
Rutgers quarterback Chris Laviano threw two interceptions and completed 22 of 36 passes for 213 yards. The Scarlet Knights, who were averaging 244.5 rushing yards coming into the game, were held to 65 yards on 30 attempts.
Rutgers (1-2, 0-1), playing without suspended head coach Kyle Flood, was penalized seven times for 24 yards, while Penn State had seven penalties for 65 yards.