Penn State’s season keeps tilting the wrong way, and after the Northwestern loss, the spotlight is only getting hotter.
The next test is the one everybody has been waiting for: a White Out this weekend against a Top 20 USC team, with the Nittany Lions under the lights in primetime on national television. At this point, that’s the game Penn State fans and players have had circled all along.
Through five games and two Big Ten contests, a few things about this team have become impossible to ignore.
First, the pass-catchers can play.
When Rocco Becht gets the ball to them, Penn State’s receivers and tight ends have shown they can make things happen. The routes have been sharp, the group has generally been getting open, and the speed and agility are there.
Chase Sowell has probably benefited the most from Koby Howard’s absence. He’s been particularly effective in the intermediate passing game, where he’s helped move the chains. In Big Ten play, Sowell has 11 catches for 118 yards and a touchdown, solid production by any measure.
Ben Brahmer and Andrew Rappleyea have also seen their roles grow lately, and both came up with multiple key catches for first downs in the loss.
The issue wasn’t the talent around Becht. It was getting the ball there.
Too often, his throws missed the mark - behind, in front of, over the heads or short of his receivers - and that kept the offense from fully showing what those pass-catchers can do.
Another lesson has been the jump from the Big 12 to the Big Ten.
That difference may have been obvious before the season, but it’s been reinforced now. Wisconsin and Northwestern weren’t elite teams, but they were sturdy, physical opponents with plenty of Big Ten experience. They didn’t get pushed around, they didn’t get rattled by the setting, and they were cleaner in just about every area.
Penn State’s starters who already had real Big Ten experience - Tony Rojas, James Peoples, Anthony Donkoh, and others - have held up well.
It’s been a different story for many of the Iowa State transfers, who have looked a step slow.
And then there’s the line play, which has been a problem on both sides.
Defensively, the Nittany Lions haven’t generated much pressure, even with a defensive tackle group that has several players weighing more than 300 pounds. The run defense was carved up and was basically invisible.
That was especially troubling because Northwestern was working with a makeshift offensive line, with backups and players shifting around. Even so, the Wildcats still opened huge running lanes for Joseph Himon II and Caleb Komolafe.
The offensive line hasn’t given Penn State much push either. Running backs have often had to absorb contact right away, or wait for lanes to open slowly. The group did spring Carson Hansen for a 7-yard touchdown when he bounced outside to the right and got a good edge block, but there have also been too many tipped balls at the line and too many snaps where Becht has been under pressure.
In Other News...
Penn State Heads Into White Out With One Huge Offensive Problem
Penn State heads into the White Out still searching for something more dependable on offense after Matt Campbell acknowledged the issues that surfaced in the loss to Northwestern. The head coach said the group has not settled into an identity, and he pointed to the need for better play across the unit as the Nittany Lions try to steady themselves in a big home atmosphere.
Koby Howard remains part of the longer-term conversation, with Campbell saying the wide receiver is still a few weeks away from returning. For now, the bigger concern is whether Penn State can turn frustration into structure, because Campbell has made clear that building a consistent team culture has to go hand in hand with fixing the offense. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Is Still Paying For Its James Franklin Decision
Penn States decision to move on from James Franklin in October came with a clear ambition attached to it: the program wanted a coach who could get it all the way to a national championship. Instead, the aftermath turned into a long and messy coaching search that stretched on, created recruiting damage and made it harder to line up the next head coach than the school likely expected when it made the move after a 3-3 start to the previous season.
Matt Campbell is now in his first year on the sideline, and the Nittany Lions are 3-2, but the broader picture still looks unsettled. Several candidates declined or withdrew during the search, and the on-field results have been uneven enough to keep the pressure on a program that made a bold bet on a higher ceiling and is still living with the costs of trying to reach it. [Read more 🡒]
Penn States Transfer-Heavy Roster Faces A Bigger Big Ten Problem
Penn States promising climb from No. 18 to No. 13 has hit a rough patch in Big Ten play, with back-to-back losses exposing the kinds of issues that tend to show up when the schedule gets heavier and more physical. The Nittany Lions fell 24-20 to Wisconsin and then were beaten 34-13 by Northwestern, a stretch that has turned attention back to a roster built largely through transfers and the growing pains that can come with that kind of overhaul.
James Franklin has pointed to consistency and physicality as the main concerns, and linebacker Cael Brezina has echoed that message from the defensive side. With USC next on the schedule, the coaching staff is leaning into more physical practices and a return to fundamentals, hoping that the group can sharpen the details before the Big Ten grind raises the stakes even further. [Read more 🡒]