Penn State’s weekend started with a rough reminder of how quickly things can unravel in conference play. On Friday night at the new Ryan Field, the Nittany Lions were handled by Northwestern, 34-13, in a showing that looked even worse than the week before against Wisconsin.
The offense never found much room to breathe. Penn State finished with only 48 net rushing yards, and Carson Hansen led the ground game with four carries for 19 yards and a touchdown.
Through the air, Rocco Becht completed 26 of 41 passes, but the night also came with two interceptions, one touchdown pass and plenty of pressure - he was sacked once, and Northwestern added four quarterback hits. Chase Sowell paced the receivers with 68 yards on five catches, while Brett Eskildsen led the team with six receptions on eight targets and finished with 45 yards.
That kind of stumble has pushed Matt Campbell’s team into an uncomfortable place early in Big Ten play. The Nittany Lions are now 0-2 in the conference and staring at the possibility of an 0-3 or even 0-4 start before the bye week.
After a non-conference run against Marshall, Temple and Buffalo that made the group look far more polished, the shift has been stark. Becht looked sharp, the offense had rhythm and the defense held up - then Big Ten play arrived and exposed how quickly those strengths can disappear.
With the Trojans next and the Wolverines after that, the schedule does not offer much relief. For a team that entered the season with high hopes, the last two weeks have been a hard reset.
There was better news on the volleyball side, where true freshman Kendall Northern got the first start of her Penn State career against No. 1 Nebraska.
Her opportunity came after middle blocker Ryla Jones suffered a knee injury in set three against Michigan State on Sunday, Sept. 27, when she collided with libero Ava Falduto and missed the rest of the match. During Thursday night’s Nebraska broadcast, the announcers said Jones does not need surgery but will be out for a few weeks.
That left Penn State with only two middle blockers available, and Northern stepped into the lineup. It wasn’t a breakout night, but it was a steady one.
She had a few freshman mistakes, including moments where she didn’t get underneath balls after they bounced off the net on the Nittany Lions’ side, but she also held her own. Northern finished with three kills, one error on five attacks and one block assist, and she looked comfortable working at the net alongside her teammates.
Against a less demanding opponent, a bigger performance could be coming.
Elsewhere, Penn State women’s basketball has added a familiar name back into the mix. Per Nittany Sports Now, guard Vitoria Santana has returned to the program. Santana is a fifth-year graduate student who transferred after her 2024 season at Eastern Arizona.
In 2025-26, she totaled 66 points, 39 rebounds, 25 assists and 14 steals across 28 games with one start. Beyond the numbers, she brings NCAA experience and prior time with Penn State, and she is the only returning Nittany Lion for the 2026-27 season.
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 🡒]