Dec. 3, 2015
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA. - Penn State running back Saquon Barkley (Coplay, Pa.) was tabbed as the BTN.com Freshman of the Year Sunday and headlines the website's All-Freshman team. Barkley is joined on the BTN.com All-Freshman team by redshirt freshman place kicker Joey Julius (Hummelstown, Pa.), the site announced Wednesday.
Barkley, who was named to the All-Big Ten second team (coaches and media) Tuesday, broke the Penn State freshman season rushing record with 1,007 yards, surpassing the mark of 1,002 set by D.J. Dozier in 1983. He produced the 23rd 1,000-yard rushing season by a Nittany Lion and is the 14th player to accomplish the feat. Barkley has five 100-yard rushing performances on the season after clicking off 103 yards at Michigan State. Barkley ranks 28th in FBS in rushing yards per carry (6.1) and 31st in rushing yards per game (100.7). He is 18th in the country in rushes of 30 or more yards (6). Barkley leads the Big Ten and is tied for 15th in FBS in 20-plus yard rushing plays (13). His seven rushing touchdowns are tied with Dozier by the most by a Penn State true freshman. He ranks 43rd on Penn State's career rushing yards list. Barkley tallied 194 rushing yards against the then-No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes in Columbus, becoming just the second back to rush for more than 175 yards at Ohio State since 2000, joining Indiana's Tevin Coleman (228; 2014).
Julius converted 10-of-12 field goal attempts to rank second in the Big Ten and 24th in the nation with a .833 conversion rate. He also averaged 63.2 yards on kickoffs with 21 of his 49 resulting in touchbacks. His top games included Penn State's win over San Diego State, in which he converted all three field goal attempts with a long of 40 yards, and the team's win at Maryland, in which his 40-yard field goal near the end of the first half proved crucial in a one-point win.
The Nittany Lions are bowl eligible for the 46th time. Penn State's 45 bowl appearances are the ninth-most among FBS schools at the start of the season. The announcement of the bowl game and opponent will be announced Sunday, Dec. 6. Fans can visit Penn State's Bowl Central at GoPSUsports.com/bowlcentral for more information.