Penn State’s 21-18 loss to Michigan in Week 7 had the kind of second-half swing that leaves one sideline searching for answers and the other wondering if maybe, just maybe, something has clicked.
Michigan entered off a bye and coming off two straight Big Ten losses, and its offense looked just as scrambled as the record suggested. Bryce Underwood, who reportedly spent the bye week in California with his personal quarterback coach, Jordan Palmer, was pulled at halftime with Penn State up 3-0. But when Tommy Carr took over, the Wolverines flipped the game in a hurry, put up 21 points after the break, and escaped with the win while Penn State slid to 3-4 and 0-4 in conference play.
Penn State was already a roughly touchdown underdog, so an upset loss was not the shock. The ugly part was how it happened.
Michigan may have steadied itself. Or Michigan may still be a bad team that simply ran into a Penn State group that’s worse.
Either way, the Nittany Lions are now staring at a fourth straight loss.
Here are the winners and losers from another painful Saturday in Happy Valley.
Losers
Rocco Becht
Becht is not the only problem on this offense, not by a long shot. Penn State has also been missing Koby Howard, which has robbed the unit of a dynamic playmaker, even if Chase Sowell showed up in a big way in Week 7. The offensive line has also been unable to carve out anything useful for a backfield that has been underwhelming.
But Becht is the most experienced quarterback in college football, and the job description is simple: take care of the football and don’t gift-wrap a game the opponent is trying to hand you. Instead, he was forced into 44 pass attempts and seven carries, and he gave the game back to Michigan with three turnovers, including two brutal interceptions.
He’s a redshirt senior who has made it clear he cannot lift the bland offensive mix Campbell and general manager Derek Hoodjer have put together in Happy Valley. Maybe redshirt freshman Alex Manske can. At this point, it’s worth seeing.
The pass-rush
If you were asking where the pass rush was, that would be fair. Penn State finished with just one sack, and it came from do-it-all off-ball linebacker Tony Rojas.
The numbers in Big Ten play are even uglier: Penn State is averaging one sack per game. There doesn’t seem to be a real difference-maker on the defensive line, whether inside or on the edge.
Underwood didn’t exactly punish clean pockets, but Carr certainly did after entering the game, going 5/7 for 47 yards in the second half while the offensive line helped Michigan control things on the ground. Penn State’s run defense is still the bigger issue on that side, but allowing Carr to settle in with comfort was another bad sign for a pass rush that has become a problem.
Benjamin Brahmer
Brahmer did catch Penn State’s two-point conversion after Carson Hansen’s second-half touchdown pulled the Nittany Lions within five. But that was just about the high point.
He finished with four catches for 24 yards and has gone over 50 yards only once this season. That came in Week 2 against Temple, which was also the last time he found the end zone.
Penn State needed him to create mismatch problems for this offense to function. Instead, he has been mostly invisible the last two weeks.
Winners
Chase Sowell
Penn State’s receiver situation took another hit when Howard went down in Week 3, and that left the offense looking thin at a spot where it could least afford it. Against a Michigan secondary that was easily the toughest group Penn State has seen this year, Sowell answered in a big way.
He was especially good in one-on-one battles with Jyaire Hill, a quality NFL prospect, and didn’t just win with separation. He also won at the catch point. Sowell finished with 11 catches for 151 yards and a late touchdown that kept Penn State alive.
Tony Rojas
Rojas keeps playing like a star because he is one. He logged 12 tackles, two tackles for loss and a sack, and he once again did it all for Penn State’s defense.
He has sideline-to-sideline speed, he tackles cleanly in space, and he has been Penn State’s best blitzer all season. With so much responsibility in the middle of the defense, he has handled every bit of it.
Terry Smith
Smith is still the most recent Penn State coach to beat a Power Conference opponent, thanks to that Pinstripe Bowl win over Clemson. That is not why he lands here, and it’s not an argument for him to have been elevated to the head job.
He’s on the list because of what his defensive backs are doing. True freshman Josiah Zayas delivered the play of the season with a one-handed interception.
Audavavion Collins kept playing like a lockdown No. 1 cornerback. Daryus Dixson held up well on the other side.
Add Zion Tracy, who has moved back to safety, and that group has become the best part of this Penn State team.
In Other News...
Penn State Fans Got A Court Decision They Will Have Strong Feelings About
A Centre County judge has declined to ease a parole restriction that keeps Braeden A. Phillips away from Penn State football games and wrestling matches, a decision that will resonate with plenty of fans who have followed the case. Judge Brian Marshall denied Phillips request to loosen the condition, which bars him from attending those events as part of the terms tied to his release.
Phillips pleaded guilty to making violent threats against State College Area High School and must stay at least 100 feet away from Penn State and other schools under his parole conditions. Marshall did leave the door open to a future request for a modification, but for now the restriction remains in place. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Fans Just Got A New Twist In The Kayne Clary Saga
Kayne Clarys legal fight with Penn State has come to an abrupt halt, at least for now. The former Nittany Lions basketball captain has discontinued his federal defamation and unjust enrichment lawsuit against the university, coach Mike Rhoades and others, ending a case that had accused the program of intimidation, retaliation, slander and illegal use of his Name, Image and Likeness.
The move comes during the discovery stage, before the case had reached a courtroom test of those claims. Clary was suspended and dismissed from the team before moving on to Mississippi State and then Oklahoma State, and the latest development leaves Penn State with one less off-court issue to navigate even as the circumstances around his departure still linger in the background. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Gets Encouraging Sign Before Tough Michigan Trip
Penn State heads into Ann Arbor with a familiar challenge in front of it, and the latest injury report at least gives both sides a clearer picture of who will be available for a game with real weight. The Nittany Lions are still dealing with several players sidelined, including some season-ending injuries, as they prepare for a matchup at the Big House, where their recent track record has not been kind.
Michigans report adds another layer of uncertainty, with two defensive ends listed as questionable ahead of kickoff. For Penn State, any edge matters on a trip that has not gone well lately, and the availability of a few key players could help shape whether this becomes another tough afternoon in Ann Arbor or a chance to finally change the feel of the series. [Read more 🡒]