Tag: Noah Cain

2021 Penn State Nittany Lions Profile Card: Noah Cain

Penn State running back Noah Cain has shown great flashes when healthy, but can he stay on the field in 2021?

Name: Noah Cain

Number: 21

Position: Running Back

Class: Junior

Height: 5′-10″

Weight: 226

Hometown: Baton Rouge, LA

High School: IMG Academy (Florida)

Twitter: @TheRealNoahCain

Overview

Noah Cain, a Baton Rouge native who thrives at IMG Academy in Florida, burst onto the scene as a powerful asset in Penn State’s running game during his freshman season in 2019. Cain proved to be a solid complement to Journey Brown by rushing for 443 yards and eight touchdowns for the Nittany Lions. Back-to-back 100-yard games against Purdue and Iowa in the middle of the season seemed to set the tone for big things out of Noah during his college career with the Nittany Lions.

Unfortunately, injuries slowed Cain down in the second half of the 2019 season, where he missed three of the final four regular-season games and was only used sparingly in games he did play. But Cain returned healthy for the Cotton Bowl against Memphis, and he issued a solid reminder just how much of an impact he can have. Cain rushed for 92 yards and two touchdowns in an offensive explosion by the Nittany Lions in their Cotton Bowl victory over Memphis, seemingly laying the foundation for big things in 2020.

But Cain’s 2020 season came to an abrupt end in the delayed 2020 season opener. After just three rushing attempts against the Indiana Hoosiers, Cain’s season was done. A season-ending injury on the season’s opening possession shut Cain down for the remainder of the 2020 season, giving him plenty of time to rehab and prepare for the 2021 season.

Cain has been monitored closely during the spring and head coach James Franklin believes Cain will be ready to go in the fall as he aims to return to being the top running back on the field for the Penn State offense.

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Penn State Blue-White game preview: 5 questions for the offense

Penn State’s offense has been the main story of the spring. On Saturday, fans will get to see what the fuss is all about.

Penn State’s spring football practice schedule will culminate this weekend with the final spring practice being held on Saturday inside Beaver Stadium. A small fraction of fans will be allowed to enter through the gates of Beaver Stadium for the first time since 2019, which is exciting on its own, but the offense of the Nittany Lions has a real chance to offer its own form of excitement. The Blue-White Game, in whatever form it will hold this week, should offer a glimpse of big things to come, but just how much of that will we see in live action?

With a new offensive coordinator in Mike Yurcich, a third-year starting quarterback in Sena Clifford, and one of the Big Ten’s top wide receivers in Jahan Dotson, the key ingredients for a fun offense appear to be in place. Here are five questions about the offense to keep in mind this weekend.

1. Just how much of the Mike Yurcich offense will we actually see?

Penn State made an upgrade on the coaching staff this offseason with the addition of Mike Yurcich, formerly of Texas. Yurcich inherits an offense that got off to a tough start in 2020 but started to turn a corner in the second half of the season. There is no question Yurcich has some good players to work with in the Penn State offense, but for reasons that will be outlined in a moment, it may not be fair to judge the status of the Penn State offense based on whatever is shown off on Saturday.

Saturday’s final spring practice will not likely be a showcase for all that will be unfolding in the Yurcich offense, either because some of the key players may not be on the field long enough to get a chance to shine the way they may in the fall. Instead, this could be a good opportunity to see what some other players on the roster have to offer.

Speaking of which…

2. What will the quarterback situation look like after the spring game?

One of the biggest questions Penn State head coach James Franklin has faced this offseason has been what he will do with the quarterback situation after the spring. Sean Clifford is without hesitation the team’s starting quarterback, but the experience and depth behind him is a looming concern following the transfer of Will Levis (to Kentucky) and Micah Bowens (to Oklahoma).

How much time in the final spring practice is dedicated to Sean Clifford may be relatively brief. Instead, this will serve as a good opportunity to get more reps for backups Taquan Roberson and Christian Veilleux. If all goes well, both will show they have blossomed this spring and given Franklin and Yurcich much more confidence about what they have on the depth chart behind Clifford. Otherwise, Penn State’s search in the transfer portal could intensify in a hurry.

Next: Brenton Strange taking charge at tight end

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