Penn State coach Matt Campbell isn’t treating analytics like a magic wand. He sees them as one more tool in the toolbox - useful, important, but never the final word.
Campbell said Wednesday that the numbers matter, but only as part of a bigger picture that includes how the game is unfolding in real time.
“I think you’re always going to try to use the information at hand, plus the flow of the game, the momentum of the game, to try to make the right calls in the right moment. And that’s really how I try to use it,” he said.
“We certainly have all that information. We use it.
But it is not the gold stamp. It’s the flow of the game and kind of trying to put the team in the best position.
That same approach carries over to how he sees his own role on game day. Campbell described his job as managing the pace and rhythm of the contest while leaning on a plan that can shift when the action does.
“I feel like my job as a football coach is to manage the rhythm of the football game,” Campbell said, “and I think we go in with a plan of how we assume the game is going to go, but as we all know, that never always goes to plan. More tempo, more pace, how we want to play the game, how we want to manage situational football.
“If I do have an asset, I do still put a lot of time and effort into game planning, really in all three phases, and making sure that I can help where needed if needed.”
How much a head coach gets involved in the nuts and bolts of game planning can vary pretty dramatically from one program to another. USC’s Lincoln Riley, whom Campbell and Penn State will see Oct. 10, is known for being deeply involved and calling games. Clemson’s Dabo Swinney, by contrast, is known for hiring strong assistants and giving them room to work.
Campbell said he fits more naturally into the second lane, trusting the staff around him while staying locked in on the game itself.
“We got such great coaches that I feel really confident that really my job is to be more managing the flow of the game, and certainly situational awareness,” he said. “That’s really where I put a lot of my time and effort once we’re in game.”
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Matt Campbell has pointed to Zayas versatility and the way he has made impactful plays in practice, and the early returns carried over into game action. He showed up around the line of scrimmage with tackles for loss and held up in coverage well enough to earn more trust, even with a few minor mistakes mixed in. For Penn State, the bigger question now is how much responsibility a freshman can absorb as the games get tougher. [Read more 🡒]