Matt Campbell heads into his first Big Ten game at Penn State with a clearer picture of Wisconsin than he does of his own injury report.
The Nittany Lions host the Badgers at 5 p.m. Saturday, and Campbell said Tuesday that Wisconsin’s backfield is the part of the matchup that stands out most. He pointed first to Abu Sama III, one of his former players, and then to the way the Badgers use Colton Joseph as a dual-threat quarterback.
“I think the other piece of it is what their running backs do best,” Campbell said. “I think you look at that running back room, and obviously it starts with the young man we're familiar with in Abu Sama III, who is dynamic. He's got the ability to make you pay in space.”
Joseph, Campbell said, brings a different kind of problem because of his mobility and his arm.
“He's got elite athletic ability to stress you in the quarterback run game and really the running game in general, and yet he's also a young man that's dynamic out of the pocket,” Campbell said. “He's got the ability to make all the throws, and I think what you've seen is offensively they've tailor made it around his skill set.”
Penn State’s own health situation is still a work in progress. Tight end Andrew Rappleyea and center Brock Riker both saw limited action against Buffalo because of injuries, though Campbell said Riker “is in a really good spot” entering the week. Rappleyea, though, remains “a little bit of a question mark” as the week goes on.
Wide receiver Koby Howard also left Saturday with an issue after getting “dinged up” on his 70-yard touchdown catch. Campbell said the staff is still waiting to see how he responds over the next few days.
“I think right now we probably don't know exactly where he'll be by the end of the week,” Campbell said. “Probably have a better idea. Kind of went through a couple things yesterday and just trying to gauge exactly where is he as we kind of get ourselves ready for the end of the week.”
For Campbell, the priority is simple: don’t rush anyone back before they’re ready.
“When those guys are healthy enough to be their best, when you feel confident that they can't re-injure themselves, I think that is the key of when you want to put those guys, or at least try to make the the best guess to put those guys in position to to be able to play,” Campbell said.
The wide receiver group, meanwhile, has continued to show growth through three weeks, and Campbell highlighted the full group rather than just Howard’s breakout. Chase Sowell drew especially strong praise.
“Chase Sowell has been better maybe than I would even expected to be where he's been,” Campbell said. “I think we talked about it in preseason camp is consistency, and I think he's given you dynamic playmaking ability.”
Even with Howard and Brett Eskildsen both banged up - Eskildsen, Campbell said, hasn’t been 100% the last two weeks - the room hasn’t stalled out. Campbell pointed to Zay Robinson as the receiver who has helped keep things moving, both on returns and as a dependable option in the passing game.
Robinson, Campbell said, was no surprise because of what he showed on the scout offense last year.
“I got to work with him because I tried to spend a lot of time with the scout offense during practice, and he was an absolute menace last year down there because of his competitive excellence,” Campbell said.
In Other News...
Penn State Staffer Faces Serious Off-Field Legal Trouble
A Penn State assistant coach is now dealing with an off-field situation that is drawing attention in State College and around the program. Jordan Lucas, the Nittany Lions assistant cornerbacks coach, was charged with two misdemeanor counts of DUI and three summary traffic violations after police found him asleep in a vehicle downtown with a blood alcohol level nearly three times the legal limit.
The stop came after officers found the vehicle illegally positioned in a crosswalk, with Lucas also listed as having a suspended drivers license and an expired vehicle registration. Penn State acknowledged the charges and said Lucas remains with the program while the legal matter moves forward, leaving the university to manage both the public fallout and the uncertainty around what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Penn States Offensive Line Just Got Thinner At The Worst Time
Penn States offensive line depth took another hit at an unwelcome time, with Will Tompkins ruled out for the season because of injury, according to coach Matt Campbell. Tompkins had played 31 snaps across the first three games after transferring in from Iowa State, giving the Nittany Lions another experienced body in a position group that can never have enough of them.
The setback leaves Penn State without a player it had hoped could help stabilize things as the year unfolded, and it also delays any chance to see how he might have fit into the rotation over a full season. There is still some long-term silver lining: Tompkins is expected to keep four years of eligibility after this season, so his Penn State story is far from over even if this one now pauses before it really got going. [Read more 🡒]
Penn States RB Battle Just Got Tougher To Ignore Entering Big Ten Play
Penn State spent the nonconference slate getting a closer look at four running backs, and the rotation did not make the answer any simpler. Carson Hansen, James Peoples, Quinton Martin Jr. and Cam Wallace all got chances to show what they can do, but the way those carries were distributed also made it clear this job is still open as Big Ten play arrives.
Martin stood out most against Buffalo, where his versatility in the passing game added another layer to his case, while Peoples continued to show growth and a knack for finding the end zone. Those two now look like the clearest candidates to head the depth chart, even if the staff has not committed to one lead option yet, and the coming conference games should tell whether Penn State leans toward the more dynamic all-purpose threat or the back who has been quickest to turn touches into points. [Read more 🡒]