James Franklin and Penn State lost star running back Nicholas Singleton during the second half of the game vs. Washington. Fortunately, Franklin described the ailment as a short-term issue to begin the week, and he sounded hopeful that Singleton would be available for Week 12.

“Confident he’ll be ready to go. But as you know, medical decisions are out of my league,” said Franklin at his Wednesday evening post-practice session. “But we’re confident he’ll be ready to go.”

Singleton was off to a hot start with 45 rushing yards and 6.4 yards per carry against the Huskies before the injury. He also missed the UCLA game earlier this season with an illness.

So far this season, Kaytron Allen has received more carries and leads the Nittany Lions with 634 rushing yards. However, Singleton’s efficiency trumps Allen at 6.2 yards per carry, and Singleton’s work as a receiver has elevated his overall offensive numbers to 761 yards from scrimmage and 7 total touchdowns.

That versatility is something that has aided the Nittany Lions, and Franklin believes it is important for Singleton’s long-term future as an eventual NFL RB:

“I think it’s been important for us to get Nick involved in the passing game and maybe the non-traditional running back routes and other ways, that makes it more difficult to defend,” Franklin explained. “I think it’s going to help him long-term in his career… His ball skills have gotten dramatically better from his freshman year, and we gotta continue to do that.”

Without Singleton available to finish the win over Washington, Allen led the way with 20 carries for 98 rushing yards and 106 total yards of offense. Allen is a strong piece of the offense on his own, but there’s no denying the unit is at its best when Singleton is on the field.