Penn State’s offense has reached the point where the conversations in the locker room matter almost as much as the snaps on the field.
With the Nittany Lions sitting at 3-2 and trying to avoid an 0-3 start in Big Ten play, veteran quarterback Rocco Becht has been working to sharpen two areas in particular: his accuracy and his ability to make plays with his legs. Penn State hosts No. 18 USC on Saturday night in the program’s White Out game, and Becht has thrown just one touchdown pass in conference play.
Offensive guard Cooper Cousins said Becht has helped keep the group steady through the last two weeks, even as the losses to Wisconsin and Northwestern piled up.
“Really, everybody in that locker room has taken ownership with what’s happened,” said Cousins, referring to the Lions’ losses to Wisconsin and Northwestern the last two weeks.
“Obviously, there’s going to be adversity. That happens every season. It’s not going to be a Cinderella story.
“But I think Rocco has done a great job, and a phenomenal job of getting us all together; not just as an offense, but really as a team. Just talking through it with everybody, what can we fix?
What do we need to do? What can we do?”
Penn State has not looked like itself over the last six quarters, and meetings alone won’t solve that. If the Lions don’t play a lot better Saturday, they’ll be .500 after six games.
That puts the spotlight on Becht, but Cousins made it clear the burden doesn’t stop there. The offensive line has to clean things up too, and all five starters need to function as a single unit.
“I talk about his leadership ability all the time,” Cousins said of Becht.
“You see it happen. You know, from the second the games end to the second the next game starts, you see his leadership. So, super grateful he’s in that locker room with us.”
Cousins said the standard up front has to be higher on every snap, because one breakdown affects everyone behind the line.
“Five need to work as one,” Cousins said, referring to Penn State’s offensive linemen.
“It can’t be one guy having a good block and four guys semi doing their job. It’s got to be five as one.
" We gotta connect and click on all cylinders, no matter what’s going on. We just really got to execute our job as the highest capability possible."
In Other News...
Penn States White Out Puts One USC Advantage Under Pressure
The White Out at Penn State is already looming as a major test for USC, but it also carries a familiar twist for Lincoln Riley. On the other side will be DAnton Lynn, now Penn States defensive coordinator, who spent last season on Rileys USC staff and helped stabilize a Trojans defense that had been searching for answers. Their shared background gives this matchup an unusual layer of familiarity, with both coaches knowing something about how the other thinks and prepares.
For Penn State, Lynns return to the opposite sideline adds intrigue to a game that will be driven as much by adjustments as by atmosphere. Riley has long been one of the sports sharper offensive minds, and Lynns recent success against that same environment gives the Nittany Lions a meaningful point of confidence. There is mutual respect between the two, but Saturday night is about more than that history. It is a chance to see which coach can turn familiarity into an edge when the crowd, the stakes and the pressure are all at their peak. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State White Out Just Got Bigger Than Anyone Wanted
Penn State is heading into Saturday nights White Out with a lot more on the line than usual, and not just because No. 19 USC is coming to Beaver Stadium for a 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff. The Nittany Lions have spent the past couple weeks trying to steady themselves after losses to Wisconsin and Northwestern, results that have put a spotlight on a season that was supposed to feel more settled by now.
USC arrives with the kind of profile that can make an already charged environment feel even heavier. Lincoln Rileys team is 5-1 and has flashed the offensive punch that has become its calling card, even if the defense has left room for concern. For Penn State, the White Out is no longer just about pageantry and atmosphere. Its a chance to halt the slide before the questions around Matt Campbells tenure grow any louder. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Still Needs More From One Key Pass Rusher
Penn States defense came out of the Northwestern game with a few reminders of how thin the margin can be up front. The run defense gave up more ground than usual, the sack count stayed low, and the overall pressure package never quite found a steady rhythm. For a unit that has leaned on disruption to set the tone, it was the kind of afternoon that left the staff looking for a little more from the edge.
Yvan Kemajou has been part of that conversation because the flashes are there, but defensive coordinator DAnton Lynn made it clear the next step is consistency. Penn State likes the playmaking potential Kemajou brings, and the coaches know there is still room for the defense to tighten up as the season moves on. The upside remains obvious, but the Lions are still waiting for that pass-rushing spark to show up snap after snap. [Read more 🡒]