Hackenberg leads Penn State past San Diego State 37-21

It is a delicate balance University of Wisconsin volleyball players and coaches maintain as they approach tonight’s Big Ten Conference opener at Penn State.

For a change, Penn State’s next opponent will be coming to Beaver Stadium after a win. The Longhorns fell to 1-3, and allowed the Cowboys to become the first team to beat Texas in Austin four consecutive times. That will give banged-up Penn State some breathing room. Though he was the highest-rated recruit in the Lions’ 2014 signing class, the true sophomore did not have a catch in the first three games this season.

Johnson’s role in Saturday’s 37-21 win over San Diego State was different, though.

Penn State coach James Franklin maintains a firm policy in not discussing injuries, which makes the warm-up scan to see who’s in uniform (or on crutches) part of the pre-game ritual. He’d better find his groove quickly – Alabama visits unbeaten Georgia next week.

The Badgers also were outdug for the first time all season, 44-34.

This year has been more hard.

As Johnson did Saturday, in the best way possible. Two plays later, it was 3rd-and-11 at the 25.

Buffalo went nowhere on the ground and Rutgers’ rushing attack hit a wall after racking up 489 yards the first two weeks.

He hit the spin move for a 21-yard run early in the second quarter, but he hobbled off the field and left the game with what appeared to be an ankle injury.

The group of Nittany Lions who took the field today will not be the same bunch that returns to start the second half. His value to the running game will be required once the Big Ten schedule resumes.

The Penn State freshman running back is reeling off one highlight after another against San Diego State, the most ridiculous of which was when he broke several tackles with the help of a spin move on a dump off for a 22-yard touchdown in the first quarter.

Barkley picked up where he left off against Rutgers, when he ran for 195 yards and two touchdowns. Hackenberg found Barkley on a middle screen, and Barkley did the rest, bouncing off, and between tacklers for the first score of the game. Maloney’s PK was saved by Nick Savino, but the rebound went right back to Maloney who touched it into the net for a 1-0 Penn State lead 2:52 into the match.

Penn State’s defense has put up 40 tackles for loss through four games. They are playing unbelievable.

In this case, he runs as fast as he can.

After stepping away from a tackler, Johnson saw nothing but green grass in front of him along the west sideline. 46 seconds later, PSU was suddenly up two scores, with 17 seconds remaining in the half. He also can be elusive and has breakaway skills.

“We talk about being a family”, Franklin said, “we’re going to back that up”.

Haley was able to land a role as the team’s top kick returner and eventually earned time on defense last season.

The junior may be asked to do a little more over the next few weeks depending on the health of his backfield. This week, they should be OK.

This offensive line is garbage without big guy Darrell Greene. His 46-yard completion to Saeed Blacknall, for example, began as a quick throw to a tight end.

“There is nobody more deserving”, said linebacker Troy Reeder. “And it doesn’t surprise me he had the most tackles”. A kill by sophomore Kelli Bates lit up the Wisconsin bench, but the slow start proved to be too much for the Badgers to overcome.