Penn State football’s run game has been a major point of contention among fans, media, and the coaching staff after the Nittany Lions’ first two games of the 2026 campaign.

The running backs left much to be desired on the field, despite beating Marshall 45-0 in Week 1. The team as a whole left some more to be desired after taking down Temple 27-9 in Week 2, but the main concern coming out of Philadelphia was once again the run game.

Iowa State transfer Carson Hansen has gotten the starting nod in both games. He’s totaled 132 yards on 30 carries so far and still hasn’t reached the end zone. He’s struggled to break through contact and hasn’t shown much explosiveness in his limited time as a Nittany Lion.

Hansen is averaging 4.4 yards per carry. That’s a pretty solid number, all things considered, but it isn’t the 4.9 that James Peoples Jr. has produced on half the carries.

Cam Wallace has also seen his fair share of action, but only got one snap Saturday. He and redshirt sophomore Quinton Martin Jr., who had a monstrous 103-yard Pinstripe Bowl performance, are the only Penn State tailbacks to reach the end zone so far.

The numbers aren’t necessarily bad. It’s more of the visual look and feel of the running back room that Penn State fans have voiced their concerns about. They have halted productive drives and caused red zone blunders. It feels like the weakest position group Matt Campbell has to offer through two weeks.

What really exploded the situation following the Temple game was the fact that Martin didn’t get a single snap against the Owls. The coaching staff rotated Hansen and Peoples mostly, with one play for Wallace, but Martin was nowhere to be seen on the field.

Offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser said Tuesday that Martin’s absence was due to some experimentation with different offensive packages.

“It wasn’t a reflection of our lack of trust in Quinton [Martin] or where he’s at; he’s good enough to help our football team, and we’re going to need that guy to make big plays and big moments this year. His time’s coming,” Mouser said.

While the Martin’s workload is certainly something Penn State and Mouser have to focus on in upcoming games, the main issue is Hansen’s production.

He’s getting the most carries, leading the room, and he hasn’t provided a convincing display of force yet.

Mouser said it would be an understatement to say he’s less than thrilled with where the running game is at after two games. Penn State fans have been trying to point fingers at what’s really going on, and Mouser took all the blame.

“It starts with bad play calling from my end. I need to call things that our guys can execute at a high level. I don’t feel like I’m doing a good enough job of that for Carson [Hansen], for Cam [Wallace], for Q[uinton Martin], and for those guys to showcase how good that running back room is,” Mouser said.

The frustration through two games doesn’t stop with those four players and Mouser, though. Mouser said the offensive line has grown increasingly frustrated, not at their teammates, but at the fact that one of the team’s goals is to be one of the most physical teams in college football. That simply can’t be achieved if the running back room isn’t producing.

Mouser went even further on the group’s early issues and seemed almost apologetic to Hansen for his shortcomings as a play-caller.

“I think Carson [Hansen’s] a great football player, and I don’t think I’ve done a good enough job as the offensive coordinator of showcasing him and getting our offense in a rhythm on the ground to where we can showcase who that guy is,” Mouser said.

“He was an all-conference running back for us last year. Does that mean he’s an All-Big Ten running back? No, it doesn’t. But I know the level of work that guy brings and the physicality and how important it is to him.

“For whatever reason, we’ve been a hair off … It starts with bad play calling from my end. I need to call things that our guys can execute at a high level, and I don’t feel like I’m doing a good enough job of that.”

Campbell has a lot of trust in Mouser as the offensive coordinator. He brought him over from Iowa State and has maintained that Mouser is one of the best offensive minds in all of college football.

Campbell thinks Mouser has done a good job so far in terms of play calling. He chalked up Penn State’s lackluster showing Saturday to missed execution and attention to detail, but knows that Mouser has everything under control. After all, only the first quarter was when Penn State truly sputtered against Temple.

“I think the way we played offensively in the second, third, and fourth quarters, punted one time in the football game, had a lot of positive execution in the football game, too. How we want to play offense, we have to be better,” Campbell said Wednesday. “We’ll continue to do a great job of that. I think Mouse[r] has done a great job.”

Campbell also doesn’t seem too worried about Hansen’s lack of production so far, but he does think there’s a lot of “gray” across the group. He has his running back’s back.

“When you see Carson [Hansen] running, I think the positive thing is everything is going forward; there’s not been any negative runs from him. There’s been a lot of positive runs,” Campbell said.

“But the guy, the explosion, kind of those finality of finishes, there’s still a lot of room for growth there. I think he’s starting to get back into game shape, getting himself where he needs to be.”

Mouser and Campbell are focused on getting to work and righting the ship against Buffalo. The season ramps up as soon as the clock hits zeroes Saturday.

Hansen, Peoples, Wallace, and Martin all need to be ready. The Big Ten will not be as forgiving.

“Those are things, timing, we‘ve got to be better. We know we want to be better. Those aren’t excuses; those are reality. We have to do a better job coaching it and a better job finishing those runs and blocking opportunities in the running game,” Campbell said.