Penn State's Kaytron Allen, Nicholas Singleton chase records as one of college football's last true RB duos

Even as Penn State's season has faltered, the running back duo of Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton has been the constant. Two blue-chip recruits who arrived in Happy Valley together in 2022 still stand shoulder to shoulder while climbing the record books in their final season.

Playoff hopes are gone and coach James Franklin has moved on, but Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton have remained models of consistency in an era defined by roster turnover. Together, they've bulldozed through defenses for more than 8,200 scrimmage yards and 88 touchdowns over the past four seasons -- production that already places them among the game's elite backfield duos.

With a potential bowl berth still within reach, Allen and Singleton have three games left -- starting Saturday at Michigan State (3:30 p.m. ET on CBS, streaming live on Paramount+ Premium) -- to further cement their legacy.

Allen, the bruising workhorse who's been the offense's steadying force, became Penn State's career leader in rushing attempts (697) last week, surpassing Evan Royster's long-standing mark of 686. Now at 3,613 rushing yards, Allen is just 319 away from breaking Royster's all-time program record.

Singleton, meanwhile, continues to climb toward rarified air despite a down season. His three-touchdown performance against No. 2 Indiana last week brought him to 41 rushing scores and 51 total touchdowns -- within striking distance of Saquon Barkley's career totals (43 rushing, 53 overall). Singleton has also joined Barkley as the only Nittany Lions to record at least 5,000 all-purpose yards and 50 touchdowns, and he's the first Big Ten player to reach those marks since Wisconsin's Jonathan Taylor (2017-19).

Their numbers don't just rewrite school history -- they place Allen and Singleton among the most productive backfield tandems in college football to spend at least three seasons together.

College football's most productive running back duos

Penn State's identity starts in the backfield

As Penn State looks to snap a six-game losing streak at rival Michigan State in the battle for the Land Grant Trophy, the offense will once again revolve around Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton. Interim coach Terry Smith has made it clear that the duo's workload is central to the Nittany Lions' chances of finally getting back in the win column.

Last week against Indiana, the goal was 35 combined touches; they finished with 36.

"This week, we want to be 30-plus opportunities for those two, and if those guys are touching the ball, we've got a great chance at victory," Smith said. "If they're not touching the ball, who knows what the outcome will be."

Allen has shouldered more of the load this season, totaling 782 yards from scrimmage and 10 touchdowns -- one shy of his career high -- on 152 touches. Singleton's season has been less consistent, with career lows in yards per carry (3.9) and scrimmage yards per game (56.4). But something clicked last week, when he posted season highs with three total touchdowns and 93 yards from scrimmage on 13 touches. He also added 50 yards on two kick returns, flashing the explosiveness that once made him one of the Big Ten's most feared playmakers.

"They're our two best offensive players, and we're going to continue to focus on those guys touching the football," Smith said.

The last of a dying breed?

Allen and Singleton's run isn't just remarkable for the numbers -- it's rare simply because it exists at all. In today's college football landscape, with NIL deals, revenue sharing and an increasingly fluid transfer portal, it's harder than ever to keep two star players of this caliber at the same position on the same roster. Roster management is a balancing act, and sharing carries can now mean splitting paychecks.

That's what makes Allen and Singleton such an anomaly. Both could have left -- for bigger roles, brighter spotlights or more lucrative NIL opportunities elsewhere -- but they returned to Happy Valley for one more run. They weren't alone. Quarterback Drew Allar, who suffered a season-ending broken ankle in the loss to Northwestern, and several veteran defenders also came back with a singular goal: to bring Penn State its first national championship since 1986.

That dream evaporated by midseason, and the narrative around Penn State shifted from title pursuit to fallout and the firing of the second-winningest coach in program history. Yet Allen and Singleton have quietly anchored a team that seems to have lost its way around them.

As college football leans further into money-driven decisions and roster churn, their four-year run together already feels like a relic. The sport isn't built for duos like this anymore.

Allen and Singleton may finish without the championship they returned for, but what they've built at Penn State is something different: proof that stability and shared success can still exist, even in a system that makes it nearly impossible.

Where to watch Penn State vs. Michigan State live

Date: Saturday, Nov. 15 | Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Location: Spartan Stadium -- East Lansing, Michigan
TV: CBS | Live stream: CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App, Paramount+ Premium