Rocco Becht walked off the field at The Big House in tears Saturday night, and the numbers behind Penn State’s 21-18 loss to Michigan explained why the moment hit so hard.
The quarterback was responsible for three costly turnovers - two interceptions and a fumble - and all three of Michigan’s touchdowns came after those mistakes in the second half. Becht completed 28 of 44 passes for 267 yards with a touchdown, but the stat line was overshadowed by the sequence of errors that helped swing the game.
When he reached the locker room, Chase Sowell said Becht was too shaken to say much at all.
“He was devastated,” Sowell said. “You could see it on his face before he even got to the locker room.
It killed him. The biggest thing I told him was just, keep being confident, keep being you.
You don't have to make the superhero play, you just have to be Rocco Becht.”
Becht’s first two turnovers came in back-to-back drives to open the second half. On Penn State’s first play after the break, safety Rod Moore stepped in front of a pass and made a diving interception along the sideline. Then, on the next possession, Becht had time in the pocket, worked through his reads and identified tight end Gabe Burkle, but the throw was badly underthrown and picked off by cornerback Chris Bracy.
Matt Campbell saw it differently, saying Becht may have hesitated between pulling the ball down and letting it go.
“He came right off and said ‘I should have used my feet,’” Campbell said. “So it was a tough, tough situation, and he’ll have to continue to grow from it.”
Late in the fourth quarter, with a little more than five minutes left, Becht was under pressure and tried to extend the play after moving out of the pocket. Instead of getting rid of the ball, he kept it and was stripped by Bracy, setting up the score that pushed Penn State further behind and buried the comeback.
“It’s hard to see that because it's not like he's just trying to do that,” Sowell said. “I know, obviously, he's not trying to go out there and have those plays happen, like any other guy.”
Campbell never wavered on Becht’s status. He said a quarterback change was not under consideration, the same stance he took after Penn State’s loss to Northwestern, and he said he has trusted Becht for the last four seasons.
“Man, how that guy continues to compete and fight, and gave us a chance even at the end of the football game,” Campbell said. “He's got to be better, he will continue to grow and be better, but no, (benching him) was never a consideration from my end.”
After the game, Becht pointed back to Iowa State’s four-game losing streak last season and said he had not expected to face something like this again. He called the experience “humbling.”
Becht arrived for his lone season at Penn State with high expectations, but the conference schedule has continued to slip away. Still, after Penn State’s fourth straight loss, he said he believes he can recover and move forward.
“I believe in God,” Becht said. “I’m deep in my faith, and that's what I want to continue to follow because I know there's light at the end. So, I'm going to believe in Him and trust in Him.”
In Other News...
Penn State Suddenly Has A Quarterback Question It Can't Ignore
Penn States 21-18 loss to Michigan left the Nittany Lions at 3-4 and extended a frustrating slide with four straight Big Ten defeats. Even in a game that again exposed how much work the offense still needs, there were some signs of life through the air, with Chase Sowell giving the passing game a bit of a pulse amid the larger problems.
Rocco Bechts turnovers were a major reason the offense kept stalling, and that puts the quarterback spot squarely in view during the upcoming bye week. Matt Campbell suddenly has a decision to weigh, and with Penn State needing something to change before the season slips further, Alex Manske could get a longer look as the staff searches for a cleaner answer under center. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Stayed In It Until The Offense Unraveled Late
Penn State had enough around it to hang around in Ann Arbor, and for a while the game looked like it might come down to a single late swing. The Nittany Lions got a big day from Chase Sowell, who hauled in 11 catches for 151 yards and a late touchdown, while Tony Rojas anchored the defense with 12 tackles in a hard-fought Big Ten matchup at Michigan Stadium.
The problem came after halftime, when the offense could not keep itself on schedule and Michigan turned the game with three touchdowns in the second half. Rocco Becht's two interceptions and lost fumble proved costly in a 21-18 loss, leaving Penn State with the familiar frustration of a game that was still there to be won before it unraveled late. [Read more 🡒]
Penn States QB Debate Just Got More Tense After Michigan
The quarterback conversation around Penn State is getting louder, but Matt Campbell is not adding to it. After a four-game losing streak and a loss to Michigan that included turnovers from starter Rocco Becht, Campbell said he is not considering a change behind center. The timing has only sharpened the scrutiny, with the offense already dealing with the absence of a key wide receiver and a running game that has not done enough to steady things.
On the depth chart, Iowa State transfer Alex Manske and Division III transfer Connor Barry are the next names in line, but Campbell's stance suggests he still sees Becht as the best option to guide the unit through the rough patch. For now, the debate is less about whether Penn State has alternatives and more about whether the current setup can survive long enough for the offense to find any rhythm. [Read more 🡒]