Penn State’s biggest issue right now isn’t hard to spot. The second half has turned into a problem, and the numbers are getting impossible to ignore.
Since Big Ten play began, opponents have outscored Penn State 42-9 in the third quarter and 84-40 across the entire second half. That trend showed up again last weekend at Washington, where the Lions took a 28-6 halftime lead and then watched the Huskies rip off a 19-0 second-half edge.
“It was a win, but it wasn’t a win that you felt good about at the end of the day,” defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn said. “When you look at that second half, we didn’t play like we deserved to win. We all felt like that.”
Head coach Matt Campbell didn’t soften the message. He called the issue “a real problem” and said the staff is treating it with “an elite sense of urgency.”
“My concern is I think there’s times where it’s a mental maturity piece of it,” Campbell said. “You’re up in some of those games, and it’s kind of almost like it’s a mental relapse. We’ve got to figure it out and it starts with the head football coach.
“Our players understand that it’s not okay. It’s an area that we have to demand a pathway forward.
Campbell’s Tuesday press conference also opened with an update on Jack Ham, the Penn State icon and current radio color analyst who suffered a medical emergency Saturday during pregame. Campbell said he, athletic director Pat Kraft and radio play-by-play voice Steve Jones visited Ham in the hospital in Seattle after the game, and that he spoke with him again Monday and Tuesday.
Ham remains in stable condition and is still in Washington.
“We hopefully get him back here sooner than later,” Campbell said.
He also thanked those who reached out with support for Ham and his family.
“Obviously what Jack and his family mean to Penn State football, and on behalf of our program and obviously the athletic department -- the love, the care we have gotten on behalf of Jack, we really appreciate it greatly,” Campbell said.
There was also an update on wide receiver Koby Howard, whose return has been delayed as he works back from an injury suffered during non-conference play. Campbell said the plan is on hold for now.
“Nobody is pressing more to get back on the football field,” Campbell said. “We were trying to beat a timeline coming back. I refuse to put Koby back on the field until he is 100 percent ready to go back on the football field.”
Howard has now been out for more than seven weeks, and it’s fair to wonder whether this is looking like a lost season. He was on the sideline in Washington, staying involved with the team.
“I’m excited to have him on the sideline as another coach, but obviously a little upset that we’re putting (his return) on pause,” quarterback Rocco Becht said.
The conversation also turned to the transfer portal, which opens Jan. 4 and always hangs over this part of the season. Offensive lineman Cooper Cousins said other coaches reached out after last season when James Franklin was fired, but he never seriously entertained leaving.
Cousins pointed to family ties and the value of a Penn State degree.
“It means a lot to play for Penn State and be a student at this university,” Cousins said. “I think a Penn State degree means a lot in today’s world. I love this place and what it’s about.”
Penn State now turns to Minnesota on Saturday night at 7 p.m. on FS1. The Nittany Lions are 5-4 overall and 2-4 in the Big Ten, while Minnesota is 5-4 overall and 3-3 in the league. Penn State is a 9.5-point favorite, both teams are unranked by the Associated Press, and Penn State leads the series 11-6.
Next week’s Senior Day game against Rutgers was also set Monday for a 3:30 p.m. kickoff on FS1.
In Other News...
Penn State Faces A Bigger Concern Than One Encouraging Injury Update
Penn State got a useful bit of news on the injury front this week when offensive lineman Malachi Goodman was upgraded to probable for Saturdays game against Minnesota at Beaver Stadium. In a season where availability has mattered as much as anything else, getting another body closer to full strength on the offensive line is the kind of update the Nittany Lions can use, especially with the conference schedule tightening and every snap carrying a little more weight.
Still, the larger concern is the overall shape of the availability report, which leaves wide receiver Koby Howard officially out and puts three defenders Jahmir Joseph, Jeremiah Cooper and Caleb Bacon in the questionable column. Five players are already ruled out, including Howard and four defensive players, so even with Goodman trending in the right direction, Penn State is still staring at a depth test on both sides of the ball heading into a game that could demand clean execution from the first series on. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Win Still Exposed A Problem Mike Rhoades Cant Ignore
Penn State left the Bryce Jordan Center with a 72-57 win over Mercyhurst and a 3-1 record, but the mood afterward was anything but celebratory. Mike Rhoades made it clear the Nittany Lions were not close to where they need to be, pointing to a lackluster performance that still left plenty of room for concern before Big Ten play begins.
Ivan Juri continued to be the bright spot, posting his fourth straight double-double with 20 points and 15 rebounds. Even with that kind of production, Penn State could not fully separate itself from a Mercyhurst team led by Jake Lemelmans 20 points, a reminder that the early-season margin for error is already shrinking for Rhoades and his group. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Faces Another Nerve-Racking Test Under The Lights
Penn State heads into another primetime setting with a familiar kind of pressure attached, this time against Minnesota in Week 11. The matchup has the feel of a game that could hinge on execution more than flash, with the preview leaning heavily on defense, field position and whichever side can produce the most timely plays when the lights are brightest.
The predictions from the staff point to a tight, competitive night rather than a runaway, and the player-of-the-game picks reflect how much this one could come down to a single standout performance. For Penn State, the bigger question is whether the Nittany Lions can handle the nerves and turn a tense atmosphere into another controlled finish, or whether Minnesota can make it uncomfortable deep into the game. [Read more 🡒]