Matt Campbell finally got the result Penn State had been waiting for in Week 9, and it came just in time to give the Nittany Lions a little momentum heading into one of their toughest remaining trips. After the bye, Penn State went to Purdue and handled business 31-17 for Campbell’s first Big Ten win, moving the first-year head coach to 4-4 overall and 1-4 in conference play.
The season has still been a letdown by any measure, especially with a schedule that looked workable on paper. But the path to 8-4 is still there, and the trip to Seattle in Week 10 feels like the biggest obstacle left standing in the way.
Washington has had its own uneven season, sliding from No. 17 in the preseason AP Poll, one spot ahead of Penn State. Still, the Huskies come into this one with a little juice after grinding out a 17-10 win over Nebraska in Lincoln behind a strong defensive showing.
The offense was less convincing, but Washington got a lift from Demond Williams. The Week 1 starter, who had dealt with injuries and was benched for Elijah Brown, sparked the Huskies in the second half off the bench and won back the starting job for Week 10. With Williams back under center and the run game still struggling, Washington is going to be asking a lot of its passing game against a Penn State secondary that has been a strength and a defense that’s starting to settle in overall.
Penn State’s offense looked sharper against Purdue, too, but this matchup should tell a lot more about where the Nittany Lions really stand. Washington presents a much stiffer challenge for Cam Wallace and the run game revival.
If Wallace keeps rolling, Penn State has a chance to build some real momentum over the final stretch. Even so, the Nittany Lions head into Week 10 as a road underdog.
Penn State enters the game at +104 on the moneyline, with Washington at -122. The spread sits at Penn State +1.5 (-104) and Washington -1.5 (-118). The total is 44.5, with both the over and under listed at -110.
Penn State’s injury report includes Max Granville, DE: OUT; Alex Tatsch, LB: OUT; Joshua Johnson, CB: OUT; Tyler Armstead, CB: OUT; Mason Robinson, DE: OUT; Will Tompkins, OL: OUT; Koby Howard, WR: Questionable; and Chase Sowell, WR: Probable.
Washington will be without Quaid Carr, RB: OUT; Jayden Limar, RB: OUT; and CJ Christian, S: OUT.
Kickoff at Husky Stadium in Seattle is set for 12:30 p.m. local time, and the weather looks workable. The forecast calls for cloudy skies and a high of 62 degrees, with rain expected later at night but not during game time. In the Pacific Northwest, though, that kind of thing is always worth keeping an eye on.
In Other News...
Penn State Players Just Got Pat Krafts Message Before Washington
Penn State players walked into a familiar kind of week with a new reminder from above. In the wake of James Franklins firing, athletic director Pat Kraft gave the team Own the outcome T-shirts, a simple message meant to keep the focus on what comes next as the Nittany Lions prepare for Washington.
Kraft has been unusually visible around the football program, showing up at games and making his support for players hard to miss. With the season moving on and the next test already waiting, the message was less about the past than the responsibility that still sits in front of the locker room. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Could Still Shape The CFP Race In A Frustrating Way
Penn States season has already taken a sharp turn from the expectations that followed an AP preseason ranking of No. 18. A four-game losing streak pushed the Nittany Lions to 4-4 before they steadied themselves with a win over Purdue in Week 9, and now the path ahead looks a little more manageable than the one they just navigated.
That softer finish matters beyond State College, because an 8-4 Penn State team could still end up shaping the College Football Playoff conversation in a frustrating way. USC, ranked No. 20 in the first CFP rankings, has its own rsum-building stretch ahead with games against Indiana and UCLA, and a 9-3 Trojans finish would look a lot better if it includes a win over Penn State. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Still Has A Koby Howard Problem Fans Didn't Expect
Koby Howards season has become one of the quieter frustrations around Penn State, and it is starting to linger well past the point when anyone expected a second-year wide receiver to be back in the mix. Howard has been sidelined since Week 3 with an undisclosed injury, and by Week 10 he still had not returned to game action. Head coach Matt Campbell has said Howards work in practice has been very limited, which is never a promising sign this far into the fall.
The uncertainty is the part that stings most for Penn State, because this is no longer a short-term absence with a clean timetable attached. Howard has been listed as questionable for upcoming games, but the available signs point to a recovery that is moving slowly, if it is moving at all. For a team that expected to have him available by now, the wait has turned into a real roster concern. [Read more 🡒]