Penn State’s offense is still hunting for something it can trust on the ground, and the conversations around that problem sounded just as urgent Tuesday as the results have looked on Saturdays.
Against USC, the Lions managed only 68 rushing yards on 31 carries, another step in a run game that offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser said does not yet have an identity.
"That's the reality of the situation," Mouser said. "There's been progress.
There's been flashes at times. We have to find a way to get better.
It's been our biggest focus. We have to have urgency to continue to grow there."
The lack of consistency has shown up in every corner of the backfield. Carson Hansen, James Peoples, Quinton Martin Jr. and Cam Wallace have all flashed at different points, but Penn State still hasn’t found a steady answer. Martin and Wallace did not get a carry against USC, while Hansen handled most of the workload.
Head coach Matt Campbell said the issue isn’t whether the group has shown anything at all. It’s whether those flashes have turned into dependable production.
"There were opportunities where those guys did some really good things in the run game," Campbell said. "But the consistency is the missing piece to where we want to go and where we need to be.
Growth? Yes.
Enough growth? No."
That uncertainty extends to the offensive line, where Mouser said possible changes are on the table. Penn State’s starters up front - Malachi Goodman, Trevor Buhr, Brock Riker, Cooper Cousins and Anthony Donkoh - have played nearly every snap since Big Ten play began. Buhr briefly left the USC game after his helmet came off, and Riker exited late against Northwestern.
"Everything has been put on the table to make it better," Mouser said. "We have to find an answer there.
Obviously that's been a squeaky wheel for us. That's sort of been in the discussions of 'Are we playing the right people?'"
The injury picture brought mixed news. Wide receiver Koby Howard had posted the Michigan game date on Instagram after getting hurt, but Campbell made clear his return won’t happen Saturday.
That timeline is now longer than Howard’s target.
"It'll be a post-bye week conversation."
Even with that setback, Campbell and Mouser made clear they think Howard is moving in the right direction. Mouser said, "Koby is doing a really great job working his way back," and added, "If anyone is going to be back sooner than later, it's going to be Koby Howard because of how he works."
Penn State has gotten moments from Chase Sowell and Brett Eskildsen, but Howard’s absence has been noticeable. Mouser said, "I think about Koby coming back a lot.
I tell him that a lot," then added, "We certainly miss him. There won't be a pitch count with him, in my mind."
Campbell also said defensive end LaVar Arrington II is expected back after the bye week, while linebacker Alex Tatsch’s timetable remains unclear. Linebacker Cam Smith is practicing this week and could be available Saturday at Michigan.
Another player who drew attention Tuesday was tight end Benjamin Brahmer, who managed only one catch for four yards against USC despite being a second-team All-Big 12 pick last year. Mouser said he was "confused" by that workload.
"I told him after the game for him to have one catch -- it's unacceptable," Mouser said. "On my sheet, my target is to get Ben involved. I need to make sure we get him the ball more because he is one of our best players."
Quarterback Rocco Becht, meanwhile, wasn’t interested in soft-pedaling his own performance. He completed 21 of 32 passes for 289 yards against USC, but said the film left him feeling no better about it.
"There's a couple throws that I want back that are easy for me to make," Becht said. "Unfortunately I can't have those back, so I've got to be able to keep going.
Penn State goes to Michigan on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. on CBS/Paramount+. The Lions are 3-3 overall and 0-3 in the Big Ten, while Michigan is 3-2 overall and 0-2 in conference play. Penn State is a 6.5-point underdog, neither team is ranked by the Associated Press, and Michigan leads the series 17-10.
Campbell said the second half of the season still carries plenty to prove, even with the team sitting at .500 and searching for answers.
"Adversity is going to hit. Are we tough enough to work through really hard things?
I don't think that's just a now thing. I think that's a reality," Campbell said.
"You should build a culture. You build a program.
I don't care where you're at. I don't care what league you're in.
Hard things are going to happen. Adversity is going to hit, and it takes really tough-minded humans, and the ability to own and be accountable for where the gaps are and fix the gaps.
To me, that is the 'prove it' mentality."
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