- The Akron defense was no match for Penn State running back Saquon Barkley who lived up to his first-round potential with an outstanding 2017 debut. He carried 14 times for 172 yards and two scores, forcing three missed tackles along the way with 54 yards (3.9 per carry) coming after contact.
- Barkley is looking to regain his elusive rating crown from 2015 (nation-best 126.7), and his 136.1 mark against Akron is a great start. He showed off his big-play ability with an 80-yard run, picking right up where he left off last year when he ranked third among draft-eligible running backs with 9.8 percent of his runs going for explosive (15-plus yard) plays.
- Don’t forget about Barkley’s work as a receiver, where he caught all three of his targets for 54 yards while forcing three more missed tackles on those plays. He didn’t drop a pass last season after dropping four of his 24 catchable targets in 2015.
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