Penn State left Lincoln Financial Field with a 27-9 win over Temple on Saturday afternoon, and the result fit the moment: a road game handled without much drama, even if the Nittany Lions didn’t exactly put together a clean offensive performance.
The offense had enough good moments to stay in control, but it also spent too much of the first half tripping over itself. Penn State scored 10 points before halftime, yet the bigger story was how often drives bogged down. Penalties, missed throws and late pass breakups kept popping up at the wrong time.
There was an early chance to find the end zone when quarterback Rocco Becht looked for tight end Andrew Rappleyea on a short first-and-goal throw, but the pass was behind him with too much zip to give him a real shot at the catch. Another promising drive died after a penalty on center Brock Riker. On the opening possession, Penn State got into a goal-to-go spot but couldn’t finish the drive because of poor blocking and a penalty on Becht.
None of that changed the final score, but it’s the kind of sloppiness that has to disappear before conference play if Penn State wants to hit its ceiling.
The defense, though, keeps looking the part. Even with an injury this week to DE Max Granville, who did not suit up Saturday, D’Anton Lynn’s group kept Temple from ever finding a real rhythm. The Nittany Lions have allowed just nine points in this one after last week’s shutout, and when the Owls got near the goal line, Penn State mostly slammed the door.
There’s room for the defense to bend at times, but so far it hasn’t broken. And that’s a huge reason the team has been able to survive the offense’s rough edges.
One more bright spot came in the backfield, where James Peoples made a case for a bigger role. Penn State’s run game was uneven early against Temple and not at its best against Marshall, but Peoples helped it get going with seven carries for 42 yards. He found chunk gains on some of the team’s better drives and showed the kind of decisiveness that can matter behind an offensive line that has opened lanes through two weeks.
Carson Hansen has been solid, finishing with 19 carries for 84 yards, but Peoples did enough to warrant more touches going forward. He’s not the biggest athlete in the room, but he runs with purpose, sees the hole quickly and gets through it without hesitation. That’s been enough to make him hard to ignore.
In Other News...
How Penn States Most Iconic Chant Became Part Of Its Identity
Long before it became the kind of rallying cry that can shake Beaver Stadium, Penn States We Are chant started as a direct answer to what the cheer squad heard from Ohio State fans. In 1975-76, looking for something that could match a rivals famous rhythm and energy, the squad worked through the idea by trial and error until it felt right. By the time the Nittany Lions opened the 1976 season against Stanford, the chant was ready for the crowd.
What followed was bigger than a simple game-day gimmick. The line took hold, spread through the fan base and settled into the schools identity, turning into one of those traditions that feels as much a part of Penn State as the colors and the stadium itself. Even now, decades later, the chant still carries the same easy power it did when it was first introduced, a reminder that some of the most enduring college football customs begin as an attempt to keep up with somebody else. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Answered Early Mistakes But One Offensive Concern Remains
Penn State had every chance to let the first half get away at Lincoln Financial Field, but instead steadied itself quickly against Temple and went into halftime with a 10-3 lead. After shaking off the early adversity, the Nittany Lions answered with a field goal and a touchdown drive, giving their offense something to build on even as Temple made things uncomfortable in spots and kept Koby Howard in check after his initial long catch.
The bigger concern for Penn State was inside the red zone, where the ground game found some room but did not finish often enough. The Nittany Lions turned three chances into only one touchdown, leaving points on the field despite moving the ball well enough to create scoring opportunities. For a team trying to clean up its execution, that kind of inefficiency is the detail worth watching as the game moves on. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Showed Exactly How Much Rocco Becht Already Means
Rocco Becht has become one of the defining reasons Penn State has settled in so quickly this season, and the reaction around him against Temple only reinforced it. When the quarterback was hit late out of bounds, his teammates and coaches were quick to step in and make their feelings clear, a flash of protectiveness that spoke as much about the locker room as it did about Bechts role in it.
Matt Campbell pointed to that response as a sign of the teams unity and togetherness, which has been a theme all year as Becht has looked sharper and healthier than he did during earlier injury-plagued stretches. His growth has given Penn State a steadier center of gravity on offense, and the way the group rallied around him in the moment suggested his value goes well beyond the stat sheet. [Read more 🡒]