Quinton Martin Sr. turned Penn State’s quarterback mess into a social media flashpoint on Sunday, taking aim at Rocco Becht after the Iowa State transfer’s rough second half against Michigan.
The criticism came in reply to a post on X, where Martin wrote: “This kid is just not good, 5 yrs in college and he tries to throw to the far hash, he doesn’t have the arm strength, the height(why a lot of his throws get batted down at the line)and sad to say doesn’t have the IQ. He just isn’t it. Oh and BTW my son only got 2 carries yesterday…”
Martin later kept at it in a separate exchange with another fan while defending his son, eventually adding, “I pray he decides to hit the portal.”
A day later, he reversed course and issued a public apology to Becht: “Rocco Becht, I owe you an apology. I let my frustration w/PSU’s recent play turn into harsh criticism.
It’s easy to judge from the sidelines w/out carrying the pressure you face. You deserve respect through the struggles, too.
Keep your head up and keep working. We Are!
💙🤍”
The flare-up lands in the middle of a tense stretch for Penn State, which is off to an 0-4 start in Big Ten play. Becht’s three turnovers in the second half against Michigan directly led to all 21 of the Wolverines’ points, and his uneven play has only sharpened the frustration around Matt Campbell’s decision to stick with his four-year starter instead of turning to redshirt freshman Alex Manske.
That quarterback issue has now collided with another sore spot for the fanbase: Quinton Martin Jr.’s usage. The redshirt sophomore has barely seen the ball, as Campbell continues to lean on Iowa State transfer Carson Hansen. Martin has carried 11 times in Big Ten play for 22 yards, a 2.0 yards-per-carry average.
Becht has been operating behind an offense that has no run game and has also been without its most dynamic pass-catcher, Koby Howard. But his struggles against Michigan were hard to miss. His two interceptions came because he was late getting the ball out and didn’t have the arm to cash the check he wrote.
For Campbell, the issue is no longer just what’s happening on the field. Frustrations like Martin Sr.’s don’t appear out of nowhere, and they can start to pile up when a team is losing and the quarterback isn’t delivering. Whether or not that reflects the entire locker room, it’s the kind of noise first-year coaches don’t want building around them.
The apology may have cooled things publicly, but the underlying situation around Martin Jr. hasn’t changed much. If his father is already “praying” he enters the transfer portal after the season, that possibility now feels very much on the table.
In Other News...
Penn State Fans Are Sending A Brutal Message About Purdue
Ticket prices for Penn States Oct. 31 home game against Purdue have slipped to as low as $14, a sign of how quickly the mood around Beaver Stadium can change after a rough stretch. The 28% drop from the previous week comes on the heels of Penn States loss to Michigan, a defeat that left the Nittany Lions at 3-4 overall and still searching for their first Big Ten win.
Purdue will arrive in State College with the same 3-4 record, but the matchup has clearly lost some of its pull for fans who were expecting a much different kind of late-season spotlight. The game is set for a 4:15 kickoff on Big Ten Network, and while the price on the secondary market suggests a soft appetite for the trip, Penn State still gets a chance to reset at home under the lights. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Fans Get Another Home Game Frustration Before Purdue
Penn State fans already had one unusual home date this fall, and they are getting another before Purdue rolls into Happy Valley. The Oct. 31 matchup has been set for a 4:15 p.m. kickoff on Big Ten Network, another late-afternoon slot that is not exactly the traditional look for a Nittany Lions home game.
It comes on the heels of the Wisconsin game being placed in a 5:00 p.m. window on Peacock, adding to the sense that Penn States home schedule has been anything but standard lately. The Lions will come out of a bye week to face a Purdue team that has been more competitive than expected, so the timing of this one will matter as much for the atmosphere as for the football. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State's Run Game Has Become A Bigger Problem Than Fans Realized
The run game has gone from a preseason strength on paper to a nagging issue Penn State has not been able to shake under Matt Campbell. Over the last three games, the Nittany Lions have averaged just 2.2 yards per carry, and in Big Ten play no running back has managed a run of 10 or more yards, a telling sign that the offense is rarely getting the kind of burst it expected from that backfield.
Penn State still has bodies and talent in the rotation, but the explosive plays never seem to arrive, leaving the ground game stuck in neutral while the staff looks for answers elsewhere. With the offense already trying to clean up broader inconsistencies, the passing game has become a bigger point of emphasis, which only adds to the pressure on a rushing attack that was supposed to help carry more of the load. [Read more 🡒]