EVANSTON, Ill. - Penn State’s problems in Friday’s 34-13 loss to Northwestern were obvious on the field, but tight end Benjamin Brahmer said they started earlier in the week.
“We're at a point where we just need to have that physicality in practice,” Brahmer said after the game.
That was the thread running through the postgame comments. Brahmer said the Nittany Lions didn’t bring the usual edge during the week of preparation, and that carried over when the game kicked off.
“It starts with our practice and how physical we want to practice,” Brahmer said. “If we just change that and continue to stay together, that's all we can do right now.”
Penn State’s offense never found a rhythm, and the defense was beaten for 413 rushing yards in a second straight loss. Wide receiver Chase Sowell said the week felt less physical than normal because of “how intense the last game was” and the quick turnaround to Friday.
“I feel like (physicality) is a thing that is part of our identity and part of Penn State's identity,” Sowell said. “So I would like to be more physical from everybody, and I think that's just the message of this team was, we got beaten tonight, and that's not the standard of Penn State, and we got to get better for this place.”
Brahmer was careful not to point fingers at any one player or coach. He said he trusts Matt Campbell and Taylor Mouser, but he still saw a team that wasn’t physical enough for four quarters.
“I think we’re flying around on the field and we’re hustling as hard as we can,” Brahmer said. “I think just the physicality piece, it’s just got to flip a switch there and just stay together as a whole as an offense.”
The game itself followed that pattern. Penn State’s defense opened with a solid stop, limiting Northwestern to a field goal.
But the offense couldn’t build on it. Rocco Becht hit Chase Sowell for 26 yards on the first drive, then Penn State managed only five yards over its next three plays before punting.
The run game was the clearest problem. Carson Hansen and James Peoples found little room behind an offensive line that couldn’t consistently create openings, something Cousins said the team knows it needs to do.
“I think we need to have conviction,” Cousins said. “I think we need to come off the ball with a nasty intent. I know that's the vision of what we have for ourselves, but we need to start putting that on tape.”
Cousins also said the answer isn’t to sit and replay the week that just passed.
“At this point, you can’t even worry about the practice that we just had,” Cousins said. “You have to worry about the next practice that we have. If you dwell on a week of practice, that's going to keep affecting your process and the team's process.”
With losses to Wisconsin and Northwestern, Penn State is now trying to sort through different mindsets and get back on track. The next chance comes against USC, which visits for the White Out.
For Brahmer, the message was simple: go back to work.
“You just gotta go at it,” Brahmer said. “All I know to do is work, so I’m just gonna come back and work and do my job and practice as physical as I can. I think that’s all we do.”
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