Penn State heads into Big Ten play unbeaten, ranked 13th in the AP Top 25 and sitting five spots above where it started the season. The real takeaway from the first three games, though, is that the Nittany Lions have already answered a few major questions - especially on offense.
The biggest one starts under center. Aside from two questionable choices not to throw the ball away in the red zone, Becht has been rock solid.
The fourth-year starter from Iowa State has piled up 751 passing yards, nine touchdowns and no interceptions in three games. His best stretch came against Marshall and Temple, when he completed more than 75 percent of his throws and posted a then-Big Ten-best passer-efficiency rating of 227.51.
He still sits second in the conference in efficiency at 215.29 and second in yards per attempt at 11.7.
Becht has looked calm in the pocket and sharp with the ball. The connection with wide receiver Koby Howard has stood out most, and Howard has quickly become one of the country’s top big-play threats.
That pairing matters because Penn State opened the year with plenty of uncertainty at receiver. Who would become the trusted option?
How much could the Iowa State transfers contribute? Would Howard take another step?
Three games in, those answers look a lot clearer. Howard has become one of the Big Ten’s most productive receivers, with 344 receiving yards and three total touchdowns.
The sophomore, who barely played outside garbage time last year until Game 7 against Iowa, ranks fourth in the conference in receiving yards and yards per game at 114.7. He also leads the Big Ten and ranks third nationally in yards per catch at 28.7.
The Iowa State transfer group has also given Penn State useful pieces. Tight end Ben Brahmer has been especially effective near the goal line, scoring three times and taking over Week 2 against Temple with five catches for 79 yards.
Chase Sowell has made his presence felt too, catching the first two passes of the season for Penn State, both of them chain-moving plays, and adding an eye-catching 35-yard jump-ball grab against Buffalo. He has left some plays out there, including a dropped long touchdown against Temple, but he has still shown he can be trusted.
Zay Robinson has added another layer. He has only three fewer receiving yards than starter Brett Eskildsen, with 80, which points to real playmaking upside and a case for more snaps. Robinson has also turned Penn State’s punt return game into something worth watching.
That depth gives the offense some flexibility as the schedule stiffens. Penn State now looks like a team with multiple answers depending on the situation, and that should be a welcome sign heading into league play.
The defense has been just as steady, if not more so. Penn State has allowed only 22 points and two touchdowns through three games, and neither touchdown came against the first-team defense. The Nittany Lions lead the Big Ten in pass defense at 90 yards per game and in third-down defense at a 16.2-percent conversion rate, while ranking second in total defense at 204 yards per game.
Still, there’s one area that needs attention: the pass rush. Penn State ranks 11th in the Big Ten with five sacks, and that came against three of the weakest offensive lines it will see all season.
The Nittany Lions got one sack against Temple, which was missing three starting linemen, and two against Buffalo. For comparison, Toledo had two sacks against Temple last weekend, and FIU had three against Buffalo two weeks ago.
The loss of defensive end Max Granville looms large here. He suffered a season-ending injury in practice before the Temple game, and Penn State has to replace its best overall edge rusher.
That issue matters even more with tougher quarterbacks ahead. Penn State is set to face USC’s Jayden Maiava and Washington’s Demond Williams, while Wisconsin’s Colton Joseph is averaging 250.7 passing yards per game and just threw for 362 yards against Eastern Michigan. If Penn State wants the first three weeks to mean something in conference play, the pass rush has to become at least functional.
In Other News...
Penn State Gets A Timely Boost Before Its Wisconsin Test
Armstrong Nnodim gave Penn State a welcome depth boost against Buffalo after missing the first two weeks of the season with an injury. The transfer defensive tackle was back in the mix and finished with two tackles, a small but meaningful sign for a front that has been leaning on its rotation early in the year.
Nnodim said the return brought a sense of relief, along with renewed motivation after getting support from coaches, teammates and family during the setback. For Penn State, getting him and other injured linemen back matters as the schedule tightens, especially with Wisconsin next and the need to keep the defensive tackle group fresh and effective. [Read more 🡒]
Penn States Early 2027 Defensive Commits Are Turning Heads
Penn States 2027 recruiting class is already taking shape on the defensive side, and the early additions say plenty about the kind of foundation the staff wants to build. Defensive tackle Aniti Paiva, a 6-foot-2, 315-pound lineman from Skyline High School in Utah, has given the Nittany Lions a big body for the middle, while safety Caleb Cooper of Providence Day School in North Carolina brings size and versatility to the back end. Both players were recruited by position coaches who have made a point of getting involved early, with Ikaika Malloe leading the push for Paiva and Deon Broomfield handling Cooper.
Coopers commitment is especially notable because he joined the class after being added in June, giving Penn State another defensive piece before the group has even fully taken shape. Paiva, meanwhile, arrives with multiple offers already on the table, which makes his pledge a useful early win for a program that has long sold itself on developing defense. The bigger question now is how the staff keeps this momentum going as the 2027 board expands. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Faces One Big Test As Wisconsin Comes To Beaver Stadium
Penn State heads into its Week 4 Big Ten matchup with Wisconsin at Beaver Stadium still trying to sort out its rotation while injuries chip away at both sides of the ball. Max Granville and Koby Howard are part of the conversation as the Nittany Lions work through the early-season bumps, and the focus now shifts to how they can keep the game on their terms in front of a home crowd.
A big piece of that will be slowing Wisconsins Colton Joseph on the ground and forcing the Badgers to work for every yard. On the other side, James Peoples could carry more of the backfield load, Yvan Kemajou may get a chance to make noise as a pass rusher, and Zay Robinson looks like the kind of receiver who could be asked to step into a bigger role if the passing game needs a steady target. [Read more 🡒]