Penn State’s Week 4 PFF report came back split right down the middle: the offense cratered, while the defense did enough to keep the Nittany Lions in the fight before Wisconsin pulled out a 24-20 win.
According to Pro Football Focus, Penn State’s offense posted its lowest grade of the season at 66.7. The defense, even after allowing two fourth-quarter touchdowns, checked in at 77.7 - its second-best mark of the year.
The sharpest individual swing came at quarterback. Rocco Becht entered his first Big Ten game as Penn State’s starter with an average PFF grade of 83.8, just below the service’s “elite” threshold of 85.
Against Wisconsin, he dropped to 42.9. That was a long way from the 90.7 he put up at Temple.
Becht never found a groove. He completed 41 percent of his passes for 114 yards and finished with a career-low passer-efficiency rating of 71.8. He also failed to complete more than two straight throws and went 1 for 8 during one stretch that ended with a tipped-ball interception.
“Not great,” Becht said when asked to evaluate his game. “I’ve got to be better for the offense, I’ve got to be better for this team. I can't put us in scenarios where our backs are backed up and we’ve got to have a big play.”
The problems weren’t limited to the quarterback. Nine other Penn State offensive players got season-low PFF grades, including three offensive linemen: left tackle Malachi Goodman at 51.2, left guard Trevor Buhr at 54.1 and right tacke Anthony Donkoh at 57.2. Right guard Cooper Cousins was the top-graded lineman at 64, but the unit still posted its lowest average grade of the season.
At receiver, Chase Sowell was the only Penn State offensive player to clear 70, finishing at 71.9 after six catches for 70 yards. Brett Eskildsen, who was targeted six times and didn’t catch a pass, was graded at 50.5.
The tight ends didn’t help much either. Ben Brahmer led the group at 60.4, while Andrew Rappleyea and Gabe Burkle both struggled.
Rappleyea, who was listed as questionable last week and appeared to be playing hurt, graded at 43.9. Burkle came in at 44.6.
Together, they saw two targets and no catches.
On the ground, James Peoples led the backfield with 14 carries, 67 rushing yards and a team-best 67.8 grade among Penn State’s running backs. Quinton Martin Jr. earned a 64.4 and Carson Hansen a 53.7, and the two combined for 25 yards on 10 carries. Peoples has been Penn State’s highest-graded back this season, after posting an 81.6 against Buffalo.
There was at least one bright flash on offense, but it came from the other side of the ball. Freshman Josiah Zayas delivered the play of the game for Penn State with his first career interception return for a touchdown in the first half. PFF rewarded that with a Penn State-best 93, which also landed him on the national team of the week.
Zayas’ day was part of a much better overall defensive report. Seven Penn State defenders graded above 70, and safety Jeremiah Cooper, who had eight tackles, was just shy of that mark at 69.9.
Defensive tackle Armstrong Nnodim also stood out. In his second game back from a training camp injury, he graded at 72.1 and was Penn State’s highest-graded tackle in the interior rotation.
Ikenna Ezeogu led the defensive ends at 73 after posting three tackles and a quarterback hurry. Alexander McPherson, who saw more action with Max Granville out, also turned in a solid 70.8.
At linebacker, Tony Rojas remained Penn State’s top-rated defensive player overall, sitting at 84.9 through four games and just under elite territory. Against Wisconsin, he posted a 77.1 grade with six tackles and an interception, though that was his lowest mark of the season. Kooper, meanwhile, was graded at 55.3 despite eight tackles and a team-high three hurries.
The secondary was mixed beyond Zayas. Cornerbacks Daryus Dixson at 72.4 and Audavion Collins at 71.2 graded well, but Zion Tracy fell to 58.2, his lowest grade of the season. Safety Marcus Neal Jr. received a 64.2 after being shoved out of the play on Wisconsin’s game-winning touchdown, a week after making PFF’s national team in Week 3.
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