Well, folks, another week, another Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton masterclass.

Last week, Allen rushed for 160 yards and became the all-time leader in career rushing yards at Penn State. This week, the running back posted a career high of 226 yards, averaging 10.3 yards per carry and adding a touchdown.

Penn State Interim Head Coach Terry Smith said after the Rutgers win that when he took over for James Franklin, he sat down with Allen and told him he would get him that record. Since then, he has touched the ball 19 more times in every game. He never had more than 16 rushes under Franklin.

“It means a lot when you have a coach that believes in you, puts you in the office and says that, it means a lot because it makes you want to go for him,” Allen said. “He gets us going. I appreciate him a lot for telling me that, going and meeting, it boosted my confidence up a lot.”

The Norfolk, Virginia, native has been a rock for the Penn State offense over the past four years, but he said his career in Happy Valley wasn’t all smooth. In fact, Allen said in a media availability after the Rutgers game that his career was filled with ups and downs, and more downs than ups.

Allen said he had to get used to a new environment and learned to open up and face adversity with others. One thing that helped him was his relationship with fellow running back Nick Singleton.

“I couldn’t do it without [Singleton],” Allen said post-game. “I’m glad he was here, because we both feed off each other. Both learn from each other. On the field, off the field, that’s my dog. Forever. His family, my family. That’s my dog, man. Real talk. I love Nick, bro.”

The two came to Penn State the same year and have been a duo in the back field since. They are also roommates, something that allows them to go through off-field issues together as well. Allen said he’s proud of the adversity he has seen Singleton get through.

Singleton also broke some Penn State records this season, becoming the all-time leader in non-passing touchdowns and the all-time leader in all-purpose yards.

“You know, these guys literally shared for four years, and really, both of them reap the rewards of sharing,” Penn State interim head coach Terry Smith said after the Rutgers win. “It speaks volumes to both of their characters. One of them could have transferred, one of them could have went somewhere and been the guy. For them to stay with us speaks volumes about Penn State in itself.”

Allen said the two running backs did have conversations about the record throughout the season, but never really in more than a casual conversation. They were both caught up in the season, taking an unexpected path, and knew they had a job to do. Allen is still happy the two got to end the year like this.

As for the future, both backs have a decision to make about the bowl game. Singleton and Allen are likely to both be drafted in the 2026 NFL Draft and would risk getting injured or hurting their draft stock in the next game. As Penn State’s center said, another factor is that the Nittany Lions may have a new coach by then.

When asked about it, Allen said he is just trying to take one thing at a time right now. He said all that mattered was beating Rutgers this week, and he can think about his future this week. Allen did say he needs to get better this offseason to be ready for the NFL, though.

“I feel like I left so many yards out there, man, I got to finish those runs,” Allen said. “I got to go back and do something even better. At the end of the day, I’m just learning from the season and trying to get better this offseason.”