Barkley dazzles in PSU’s drubbing of Akron

The junior running back racked up 226 total yards and two touchdowns to lead No. 6 Penn State to a 52-0 win over Akron in the season opener on Saturday.

Each time Penn State’s offense drove toward Beaver Stadium’s south end on Saturday, Saquon Barkley passed 16 Penn State students in the front row whose bare chests, painted blue and white and beginning to smear from the rain, spelled out S-A-Q-U-O-N F-O-R HE-I-S-M-A-N.

Barkley has tried to block out personal hype to keep focused on his responsibilities as a team leader. He’ll need to keep doing it, especially if he keeps playing like this.

The junior running back racked up 226 total yards and two touchdowns to lead No. 6 Penn State to a 52-0 win over Akron in the season opener on Saturday.

“We have so many playmakers,” Barkley said. “Some games are going to be my game, some are going to be (quarterback) Trace (McSorley)’s game, some games it’s going to be (tight end) Mike (Gesicki) and obviously others on the offensive side of the ball.”

All of them helped Penn State’s offense pick up where it left off when the Big Ten champions won nine of their final 10 games last season.

McSorley, himself a Heisman Trophy hopeful, was 18 for 25 passing for 280 yards and two touchdowns and ran for a touchdown. Gesicki added six catches for 58 yards and two scores.

DeAndre Thompkins scored on a 61-yard punt return and backup quarterback Tommy Stevens ran for a fourth-quarter touchdown. Tyler Davis made a 47yard field goal for the Nittany Lions, who’ve scored 35 or more points in eight straight games. That’s the longest active streak among Power 5 teams and in program history.

“Most consistent camp that we’ve had,” Penn State coach James Franklin said.