Offensive line now powering Nittany Lions

STATE COLLEGE, PA. » Miles Sanders has always heaped praise on the big men blocking for him, and the Penn State running back has found himself doing so more and more lately.

As No. 9 Penn State’s offensive linemen have piled up pancake blocks, Sanders has racked up yards and touchdowns. Together, they’re powering one of the country’s most consistently explosive rushing attacks.

Tackles Ryan Bates and Will Fries, guards Connor McGovern and Steven Gonzalez and center Michael Menet have generated 200-plus rushing yards in seven straight games and are averaging 275 yards per game this year, and Penn State leads the country with 20 rushing touchdowns entering Saturday’s showdown with No. 4 Ohio State.

“There has to be trust between us and the O-line,” Sanders said. “We trust the big guys to do their jobs and they trust us to run the ball effectively. That’s been one of our main things to do this season is to run the ball way more effectively.”

That has required a complete turnaround, with coach James Franklin inheriting a roster in 2014 that was still feeling the effects of scholarship reductions imposed for the university’s role in the Jerry Sandusky scandal. The team lacked experienced and scholarship linemen — just one upperclassmen tackle was on scholarship when Franklin took over — and the former coaching staff was using defensive tackles to plug holes up front. The results weren’t good. Offensive coordinator John Donovan was fired and offensive line coach Herb Hand left the program after Penn State ranked 120th and 106th in rushing offense and allowed 83 sacks in Franklin’s first two years.

But behind the scenes, the rebuilding effort was in full swing.

Sanders was being recruited. So were all five of the big men now paving the way for him, and all five were big gets for Franklin. Each current starter was either