Rocco Becht took the kind of shot that can change the temperature of a sideline in a heartbeat, and Penn State answered immediately.
Temple safety Kolin Dinkins, a Penn State player last season, hit Becht clearly out of bounds late in the Nittany Lions’ 27-9 win at Lincoln Financial Field. Becht popped back up.
So did Penn State’s protectors. Offensive line coach Ryan Clanton moved in fast.
Cooper Cousins and Anthony Donkoh, both of whom played with Dinkins a year ago, shifted into defense mode from the field.
That reaction said plenty about a Penn State roster that has been piecing itself together across 28 different states and 18 different schools. Coach Matt Campbell saw it as proof the group is starting to click.
"I think this group is really coming together," Campbell said after Penn State beat Temple 27-9 at Lincoln Financial Field. "There's a lot of unity and there's a lot of togetherness. I thought we showed that in some critical moments today."
The hit itself didn’t look malicious, and Dinkins raised his arms afterward as if to say, "My fault," before Temple coach K.C. Keeler pulled him to the sideline.
But Penn State’s response was immediate and unmistakable. Cousins and Donkoh let Dinkins hear it, though they kept it from boiling over.
That kind of chemistry didn’t happen by accident. Campbell spent the offseason trying to speed up the bonding process among a team with 62 new players, including 40 transfers. He had players who didn’t know each other share meals and built "accountability teams" to keep the blending process moving.
So when Becht took the late shot, the reaction was bigger than one play. It was the product of nine months of work, and it showed.
"Obviously the situation at the end of the game, I think it's just another example of our kids sticking up for each other, whether that's Rocco or any of our players," Campbell said. "The reality of it is, we are a team and we want to be the best team we possibly can be. And sometimes that means sticking up for your teammates."
Becht, for his part, brushed it off with a grin.
"I'm all good, I hopped right back up," Becht said after the game with a smile.
Penn State had good reason to be on edge. Becht has been one of the biggest stories of the early season, and Saturday was another strong step.
He leads the Big Ten and ranks fourth nationally in passer efficiency with a 227.7 rating. His completion percentage of 75.6 is third in the Big Ten, and he has seven touchdown passes without an interception.
Against Temple, after what was his first real mistake of the season - a first-quarter red-zone throw after crossing the line of scrimmage - Becht settled in and controlled the game. He finished a two-minute drive with a touchdown before halftime, completed 12 straight passes, and connected on 13 of 14 throws during one stretch.
"Nothing short of elite," Cousins said of Becht’s play before the Temple game.
That’s part of why Penn State reacted so fiercely when Becht got hit. He played through two shoulder injuries at Iowa State last season, injuries that limited how and where he could throw the ball. Campbell said Becht was getting twice-weekly shots just to practice.
Now he’s healthy, and the difference is obvious. He also made a second-half throw against Temple that forced everyone to hold their breath, threading the ball to Zay Robinson between three defenders with two more closing in.
Becht said the touchdown drive just before halftime helped him settle in and carried over.
"Yeah, it looks like it," Becht said when asked whether his teammates can feel his roll and follow it. "They're continuing to make the great catches down the field, and the running backs are continuing to make blocks in the pocket and continuing to make great runs, and everyone's feeding off of it. Yes, sir."
Offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser has described Becht as having "tight end blood," a trait that fits the quarterback’s style and, maybe, his background. Becht’s father, Anthony, is the head coach of the UFL's Orlando Storm and was a first-round draft pick of the New York Jets in 2000 as a tight end.
"He's got tight end blood in him where you have to be able to get your face pounded in a little bit and be able to bounce back," Mouser said earlier this year. "And he's a tough guy. He's a rub-dirt-on-it guy.”
Two games in, Penn State still has plenty to prove before anyone starts talking seriously about the College Football Playoff. But Becht’s start has been exceptional, and his teammates are treating him like a quarterback they want to shield.
That was the real story on the late hit Saturday: not just the penalty yardage, but the way Penn State closed ranks around its new leader.
"That just shows how together we are as a team: coaches, staff and players," Becht said. "And we continue to build around each other. We're always there to have each other's backs."
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How Penn States Most Iconic Chant Became Part Of Its Identity
Long before it became the kind of rallying cry that can shake Beaver Stadium, Penn States We Are chant started as a direct answer to what the cheer squad heard from Ohio State fans. In 1975-76, looking for something that could match a rivals famous rhythm and energy, the squad worked through the idea by trial and error until it felt right. By the time the Nittany Lions opened the 1976 season against Stanford, the chant was ready for the crowd.
What followed was bigger than a simple game-day gimmick. The line took hold, spread through the fan base and settled into the schools identity, turning into one of those traditions that feels as much a part of Penn State as the colors and the stadium itself. Even now, decades later, the chant still carries the same easy power it did when it was first introduced, a reminder that some of the most enduring college football customs begin as an attempt to keep up with somebody else. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Answered Early Mistakes But One Offensive Concern Remains
Penn State had every chance to let the first half get away at Lincoln Financial Field, but instead steadied itself quickly against Temple and went into halftime with a 10-3 lead. After shaking off the early adversity, the Nittany Lions answered with a field goal and a touchdown drive, giving their offense something to build on even as Temple made things uncomfortable in spots and kept Koby Howard in check after his initial long catch.
The bigger concern for Penn State was inside the red zone, where the ground game found some room but did not finish often enough. The Nittany Lions turned three chances into only one touchdown, leaving points on the field despite moving the ball well enough to create scoring opportunities. For a team trying to clean up its execution, that kind of inefficiency is the detail worth watching as the game moves on. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State May Have Found A Receiver Rocco Becht Trusts
Chase Sowells first season at Penn State has already produced one of those small but meaningful moments that can matter later in the year. In the Nittany Lions 27-9 win over Temple, the fifth-year receiver scored his first touchdown with the program and, even after an earlier dropped scoring chance, stayed involved enough to help keep the offense moving and give quarterback Rocco Becht a target he could lean on.
Sowell didnt hide from the missed opportunity, but he also didnt sound rattled by it. He said he knows there are areas to clean up, while also stressing that the team believes in him and the role he can play. For Penn State, the bigger takeaway may be less about one play and more about whether Sowell can keep building the kind of trust that makes a receiver more than just another option in the rotation. [Read more 🡒]