Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1546586
2 8 O C T O B E R 2 0 2 6 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M P enn State's offense showed plenty of promise through the air during the first two weeks of the 2026 season, but the running game remains a work in progress. In Week 1 against Marshall, the Nittany Lions ended a strong opening drive with a field goal. From there, they moved the ball freely through the air but struggled to get their running game going. In Week 2 at Temple, the offense again had trouble in the red zone and on the ground. A particularly frustrating series began when coordinator Taylor Mouser's offense took over at the Owls' 5-yard line following an interception and return by redshirt junior linebacker Tony Rojas. Ju- nior running back James Peoples went nowhere on first down. On second down, senior Carson Hansen picked up 3 yards to set up third-and-goal at the 2. Temple beat the Lions' interior linemen on third down, stopping Hansen at the line of scrimmage. The possession ended a play later when redshirt senior quarterback Rocco Becht fired a pass that bounced off redshirt junior tight end Andrew Rapple- yea's hands. "The first one, it's a bad run," head coach Matt Campbell said. "The second one, we get beat on the inside, and then the third one we get beat at right guard. "We're off by an inch, but it's a game of inches. And especially when you play on the road, you have to have great execu- tion. We didn't do it." Penn State eventually settled down. Becht hit senior tight end Benjamin Brah- mer for a wide-open 23-yard touchdown just before halftime. After the break, sophomore cornerback Daryus Dixson blocked a 52-yard field goal attempt, and Becht led an eight-play, 66-yard touch- down drive. Redshirt senior Chase Sow- ell capped the possession with a 16-yard reception on a third-and-long screen pass. Penn State went on to win, 27-9, but Mouser's group had a more uneven day than in Week 1. Here's a look at what we learned about PROGRESS REPORT: Offense Rocco Becht and a revamped receiver corps have given the Nittany Lions a lift G R E G P I C K E L | G R E G . P I C K E L @ O N 3 . C O M Becht completed 34 of 45 passes for 539 yards and 7 touchdowns without an interception in Penn State's first two games, helping the Nittany Lions open the Matt Campbell era with victories over Marshall and Temple. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL