Penn State’s Week 3 blowout over Buffalo didn’t give Rocco Becht much reason to sweat the scoreboard, but it did put a familiar issue back in the spotlight. The offense rolled to a 55-13 win, yet the red zone kept asking questions Becht still hasn’t fully answered.
That’s not exactly a surprise. Becht came into the season as the most experienced quarterback in the country, but he’s also the kind of passer whose best work usually comes when he can attack from distance.
He’s not built like a classic red-zone creator, and his game leans heavily on anticipation and throwing to the intermediate area. Once the field shrinks, those advantages get harder to use.
Accuracy and arm strength matter more, and while Becht has enough of both to function, neither stands out as a bankable trait. That’s part of why Iowa State was at a 78.1% run rate in the red zone last season.
Penn State has leaned that way, too. With Taylor Mouser still calling plays, the team entered Week 3 at a 55.6% run rate in the red zone.
The issue is that the run game hasn’t been steady through the first three weeks, which has put more on Becht’s plate. Heading into the Buffalo game, Penn State ranked No. 124 in the FBS with a 70% scoring rate in the red zone and a 40% touchdown rate.
Against the Bulls, the results were mixed but productive. Penn State reached the red zone four times with Becht on the field and came away with points on every trip, including three touchdowns and a field goal.
But a lot of that damage came on the ground. Becht finished 2-for-4 for 17 yards and a touchdown inside Buffalo’s 20, and for the second straight week, he was at his least comfortable when the space got tight.
One sequence stood out in particular: he ran out of bounds behind the line of scrimmage instead of simply throwing the ball away.
Even so, the bigger picture was still encouraging. Becht kept Penn State moving by pushing the ball downfield, finishing 6-for-8 for 176 yards on throws more than 10 yards past the line of scrimmage. His average depth of target for the game was 11.4 yards, which tells you exactly how often he was hunting beyond the short stuff.
Alex Manske’s day was quieter, but it had enough good moments to show why the staff is comfortable with where this is headed. He didn’t put together a flashy stat line, and one of his drives ended after only 10 yards with a punt, but that drive included a sharp slant to Zay Robinson that was placed low to protect both the receiver and the football.
Manske also had a near miss to Karon Brookins down the right sideline, taking a big hit to get the ball out where only his man could make a play. On third down, he worked through his reads and just missed Peyton Falzone high.
Later, on his third drive, he delivered his best completion of the day: a 31-yard gain to a wide-open Finn Furmanek down the right sideline. The throw itself wasn’t special, but it was on time and accurate, and it was a good sign to see Manske look comfortable turning his back to the defense on under-center play-action, a core part of the Mouser system.
For a run-heavy game plan against a lesser opponent, it was a solid outing from Manske. Nothing that happened on Saturday changed the larger outlook. He still looks on track to take over the program next year.
In Other News...
Bill OBrien Just Added Weight To Penn States Matt Campbell Bet
Bill OBriens take carried a little extra weight because he knows both sides of this equation. The former Penn State head coach, now at Boston College, publicly backed Matt Campbell as the Nittany Lions new leader, praising the hire and pointing to the scale of the job in State College. OBrien has lived the pressure and the expectations that come with that chair, so his approval is the kind of detail Penn State fans notice.
Campbell also has a small connection point through one of his past staffing moves, having hired a former Boston College assistant. Its another reminder that big college football decisions are rarely made in a vacuum, and Penn States new coach is stepping into a job with real history attached to it. OBriens endorsement does not settle every question, but it does add another layer to the early read on how Campbell fits the role. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Suddenly Has A Backfield Question Fans Will Notice
Quinton Martin Jr. was back in the conversation against Buffalo after sitting out Penn States game against Temple, and the change did not happen by accident. The young back responded by putting in the work on the practice field, caught the attention of coach Matt Campbell, and then earned meaningful snaps when the Nittany Lions got another look at their rotation. His payoff came with 10 carries for 100 yards, a strong reminder that opportunities in the backfield can come quickly when a player keeps pressing.
Martin has also drawn notice from teammates, which matters in a room where every rep is evaluated closely. The bigger question now is how Penn State sorts out those carries going forward, especially with Martin making it clear he wants to keep improving and force his way into more playing time. For a team still shaping its backfield pecking order, his response to one missed game has only made the next decisions more interesting. [Read more 🡒]
Penn States AP Poll Climb Sets Up A Bigger Big Ten Test
Penn States non-conference tune-up ended with a comfortable 55-13 win over Buffalo, and the AP voters gave the Nittany Lions a small bump for it, moving them up one spot to No. 13. The performance helped Penn State close out that first stretch of the season at 3-0, while the offense piled up 573 total yards and quarterback Rocco Becht threw for 212 yards and two touchdowns.
The ranking shift was only a minor one, but it keeps Penn State in the national conversation as the schedule starts to sharpen. Other Big Ten teams also had modest movement in the latest poll, and the real attention now turns to what comes next: a home date with Wisconsin that should say a lot more about where the Nittany Lions stand. [Read more 🡒]