The "bulldog" lowers his shoulders and crashes into defenders, bringing the cracking of pads and helmets against each other.

Each rep Brandon Beachum gets in practice colliding with the first-team defense resembles the competition he sees in games while Stephfon Green rehabs a chronic ankle injury.

Despite playing in every game since he's arrived at Penn State, Beachum's impact has mainly come on special teams and in garbage time. With Green's status in doubt Saturday at Northwestern, Beachum is taking advantage of the reps he gets lining up behind quarterback Daryll Clark and the first-team offensive line.

In limited carries, Beachum is always running hard, en route to a 4.8 yard-per-carry average and no fumbles.

"I haven't been given how long he'd be out," Beachum said about Green. "That doesn't change my approach at all. I'm playing one day to the next making the most of the opportunities I have."

That was his philosophy when deciding not to redshirt his freshman year, even though coach Joe Paterno told him carries would be scarce.

It didn't matter.

At practice, linebackers Sean Lee and Josh Hull call him "Bulldog" because of his feisty, downhill running style framed from his time spent playing linebacker at Cardinal Mooney High School in Youngstown, Ohio.

"Nobody likes to get hit," Beachum said. "As a linebacker, I like delivering a blow. Even on offense, I like to do the same. I like that aspect of my game. I don't think I've had the opportunity to show it yet."

Paterno likes Beachum's adaptability, drawing comparisons to former running back Mike Archie.

In two years, Beachum has played on kick coverage, switched from fullback to running back and expects to move back to fullback when Green is healthy.

"You put him at tailback, and he understands the type of running is a little bit more patient, wait for a crack," Paterno said. "Move him up to fullback, he understands he's primarily gonna be a blocker."

Beachum just wants to help the team, like when he carried Clark's shoulder pads to the stadium when Beachum was in eighth grade and his father coached on Clark's high school team.

Beachum got Clark's autograph before he graduated, and now Beachum hopes he, Clark and fullback Mike Zordich can form an all-Youngstown backfield before season's end.

For now, it's just about getting better. Beachum, who never played fullback before this year, had trouble coming out of the three-point stance, but it helps him with reads at tailback now because he sees different angles defenders are coming from.

"He's a football player," Paterno said. "I know that sounds trite, but he's a football player."