Penn State’s slide kept rolling in the White Out, and the 31-23 loss to No. 19 USC left plenty of performances worth sorting through.
The Nittany Lions entered this stretch ranked No. 13 and sitting at 3-0. Now they’re 3-3, and the picture looks a whole lot uglier after a night in front of 114,419 fans. The offense had some life, and Rocco Becht turned in what was arguably his best Big Ten game, but it still wasn’t enough to stop another loss from piling up.
A few players did stand out, though, for better and worse.
On the plus side, tight end Andrew Rappleyea finally made his presence felt as more than just a blocker. The Millbrook, N.Y., native has drawn praise from OC Taylor Mouser for his work in both phases, but through the first five games his impact had mostly come as a blocker.
Against USC, Rappleyea became a real factor in the passing game with seven catches for 63 yards and a touchdown. He also didn’t shy away from the bigger picture, offering blunt thoughts on how the season has gone so far.
Chase Sowell kept building his case as a top target with Koby Howard sidelined. He finished with four catches for 95 yards, all before halftime, and two of those grabs covered big ground - 47 yards and 37 yards.
The connection between Sowell and Becht looks real now, with the quarterback showing comfort in pushing the ball deep and letting Sowell go get it. What happens when Howard returns will be one of the more interesting wrinkles to watch.
Tony Rojas once again looked like the center of gravity on defense. Even with a few missed tackles, he led Penn State in tackles with 10, added a sack for a tackle for loss, and forced a fumble. He now owns a team-high four sacks on the season, and he’s recorded at least one sack and one TFL in each of Penn State’s three Big Ten games.
Not everyone left the White Out with momentum.
Safety Marcus Neal Jr., known as “Shark,” didn’t play a single defensive snap against the Trojans after opening the season as a starter. That was a notable change, and Matt Campbell addressed the decision afterward. He said, “I think collectively, as we’re continuing to put this defense together, Marcus is a critical piece to our success, and as the game kind of got into a spread game and playing in space, it was a situation where we went with probably more coverage than we did from a tackle standpoint at the safety position.”
Running back James Peoples also had a rough night. He flashed real promise in Penn State’s first Big Ten game against Wisconsin, but the production hasn’t held up since then.
Against USC, he logged seven carries for 20 yards, a 2.9-yard average, and dropped a pass. He still hasn’t scored a rushing touchdown in Big Ten play.
The question now is whether Penn State keeps leaning on him because of what he showed against Wisconsin and last year at Ohio State, or whether Quinton Martin Jr. starts getting more chances after already posting the longest run of the season.
In Other News...
Penn States White Out Loss Just Changed The Entire Postseason Conversation
The White Out loss to USC did more than dent Penn States resume, it shifted the whole tone of the seasons final stretch. A game that carried real playoff weight instead ended with a 31-23 setback, and now the Nittany Lions are dealing with a postseason picture that looks a lot less ambitious than it did before kickoff.
Across the major projections, Penn States College Football Playoff odds have been pushed into the very low or even zero range, which is a hard turn for a team that had been in the conversation. The focus now appears to be on where the Nittany Lions land in the bowl pecking order, with names like the ReliaQuest Bowl and the Dukes Mayo Bowl suddenly part of the discussion. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Faces A Brutal Test As Big Ten Pressure Mounts
Penn State heads into its matchup with Michigan carrying the kind of early Big Ten pressure that can make a season feel heavy before the calendar even turns. Both teams are still looking for their first conference win, and the Nittany Lions have not exactly eased those concerns by putting up 56 points across three league games. Against a Michigan team that has leaned on defense to stay competitive, Penn State knows it will need far more than an ordinary afternoon from an offense that has yet to find its rhythm.
Michigan has not been lighting up the scoreboard either, but the Wolverines have at least been difficult to separate from because of a defense that has kept opponents to 19 points or fewer. Bryce Underwoods numbers reflect the uneven nature of Michigans offense, with five touchdown passes, four interceptions and a 59.3% completion rate, while Penn States running backs have not delivered the explosive plays the Nittany Lions were hoping to uncover by now. In a game like this, the margin for error is thin, and the team that finds some confidence first may finally ease a little of that conference tension. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Fans Have A Matt Campbell Problem They Can't Ignore
Matt Campbells first weeks in charge have already put Penn State in an uneasy spot, with the early returns showing more turbulence than anyone around the program would have hoped for. After a loss to USC, the Nittany Lions are still searching for traction in a Big Ten race that suddenly feels a lot less forgiving, and the conversation around the program is shifting as much toward identity as it is toward results.
Campbell leaned into that larger theme after the game, speaking about disappointment, growth and a locker room he believes is moving in the right direction even amid the noise around modern college football. His comments touched on the larger tensions shaping the sport, from player rights to the transfer portal and all the other changes that have forced coaches and fans to re-think what progress looks like, even as the scoreboard keeps demanding answers. [Read more 🡒]