Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1547107
N O V E M B E R 2 0 2 6 2 1 able to finish. We're not there yet. We're long, far from it, and I know that these guys are going to continue to come to work, but I've got to be better." Here's how the various position groups on offense graded out at the midway point of the season. Quarterback Becht has been an enigma. At times, he stays composed and delivers passes precisely where they need to go. Too of- ten, though, he is erratic, misses open receivers while working through his pro- gressions and turns potential big gains into incompletions or throws short of the sticks. Prior to Penn State's visit to Michi- gan on Oct. 17, he had completed 104 of 166 passes (62.7 percent) for 1,397 yards, with 11 touchdowns and 3 in- terceptions. On the surface, those are perfectly respectable numbers. But 9 of those touchdown passes came against nonconference opponents. In three Big Ten games, he completed 59 of 102 at- tempts (57.8 percent) for 646 yards, with more interceptions (3) than touchdown passes (2). His USC performance was a step for- ward: 21 completions in 32 attempts for 289 yards, a touchdown and no inter- ceptions. It also showed how much the offense needs him to improve on his first two conference outings. "We played in a better rhythm tonight, and that allowed him to play the style that [brings out his best]," coach Matt Campbell said after the USC game. "I thought he moved in the pocket at times. I thought he was really comfortable in the drop-back passing game. And he used his speed a couple times to get himself out of damage, so I thought Rocco cer- tainly gave us every opportunity in the football game to be successful. I thought we found a rhythm that we want to play in and that we need to continue to move forward in for sure." Grade: C- Running Back This has been the least productive facet of Penn State's offense. Peoples led the team through six games with just 232 rushing yards on 52 carries. Hansen had 227 yards on 57 attempts. Their averages of 4.5 and 4.0 yards per carry, respec- tively, hardly suggest a reliable ground game. Martin has been an afterthought despite occasional bursts, gaining 158 yards on 29 carries but getting no rush- ing attempts against USC. No matter whom position coach Sa- von Huggins sends out, the Nittany Li- ons have struggled to establish the run against Big Ten defenses. Their season average of 4.1 yards per carry obscures the bigger problem: In conference play, they have managed just 235 yards on 89 attempts, an average of 2.6 yards per carry and 78.3 per game. There were questions before the sea- son about whether Penn State had a de- pendable lead back. At the midway point, the Lions still don't have someone they can count on to gain yards consistently. "I think that group will only continue to grow and develop," Campbell said af- ter the USC game. "This offensive line continues to grow forward. You got five new guys working together. That group's got to continue to grow forward. But I did think there were some moments tonight where we grew a lot closer to the team that we want to be than we were, espe- cially last week [at Northwestern]." Campbell might have seen some posi- tives. The production was harder to cel- ebrate. Penn State averaged 2.2 yards per carry against USC, and Hansen and Peoples combined for only 48 yards on 21 attempts. The rest of the team's 68 rush- ing yards came from Becht. Grade: D- Wide Receiver Howard's absence from all three Big Ten games has hurt this offense. He brought an explosive playmaking ele- ment early in the season, catching 12 passes for 344 yards and 2 touchdowns before suffering an unspecified injury in the nonconference finale versus Buffalo. Even after missing half of the Lions' first six games, he was second on the team in receiving yards and was averaging 28.7 yards per catch heading into PSU's visit to Michigan. The passing attack has missed that threat. Sowell, a redshirt senior, moved ahead of Howard with team highs of 23 catches and 359 yards. He has been a bright spot throughout Big Ten play, including a 4-catch, 95-yard performance against USC that featured gains of 47 and 37 yards. Eskildsen, a junior, added 4 catches for 70 yards against the Trojans and had Ohio State transfer James Peoples led Penn State with 232 rushing yards through six games. The junior averaged 4.5 yards on 52 carries and scored 2 touchdowns. PHOTO BY FRANK HYATT