Penn State Run Game Finds Consistency in Win Over Washington

SEATTLE — Penn State’s 174-yard rushing performance against Washington won’t be considered a breakout; the Nittany Lions previously ran for 304 yards against Buffalo to close out nonconference play and accumulated 269 against Purdue just one week ago. But Saturday’s showing on the ground was still substantial, coming against a better rushing defense than the other two, and serving as a continuation of last week’s success, which indicates sustained progress after the bye week. Running the ball against a MAC team or a Boilermaker rush defense that ranks as one of the worst in the Power 4 can be easily explained. Doing it against a competent Huskies defense that held its previous five conference opponents to an average of 146.6 yards per game is notable. Leading the charge was a 119-yard performance from senior Carson Hansen, who’s been the bell-cow back for much of the year. He followed up a 5.6 yard-per-carry showing against Purdue with a season-high 8.5 yards per touch against