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 7 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M TOP FIVE PLAYERS 1. Chase Sowell | WR | R-Sr. With Koby Howard missing the first three games of the Big Ten season, Sowell has stepped forward as a big-play threat. Before getting hurt late in the second quarter against USC, he had catches of 47 and 37 yards. The Iowa State transfer was Penn State's leading receiver through six games with 23 catches for 359 yards and 2 touchdowns. 2. Tony Rojas | LB | R-Jr. Penn State's defense has struggled since the start of Big Ten play, but the situation would be a whole lot worse without Rojas. He's leading the Nittany Lions in total tackles (44), tackles for loss (8.5), sacks (4) and interceptions (2). 3. Audavion Collins | CB | R-Sr. Even against USC, which lit up Penn State for 301 passing yards, Collins held his own. He earned an 82.4 coverage grade from Pro Football Focus for his performance in the first half of the season, best among PSU defensive backs who'd played more than a handful of snaps. 4. Andrew Rappleyea | TE | R-Jr. Rappleyea was slowed by an injury earlier this year, but he shined against USC, catching 7 passes on 10 targets for 63 yards and a touchdown. For the season, he's tied for third on the team with 17 catches for 146 yards and a pair of scores. 5. Ryan Barker | PK | R-Jr. Barker hit 10 of 12 field goal attempts in the first half of the season, including a 3-for-3 effort against USC. His season-long 48-yarder drew Penn State even with the Trojans at halftime, 17-17. KEY MOMENT As far as Penn State was concerned, the Wis- consin game had been trending in the wrong direction since late in the second quarter. The Badgers spotted PSU a 17-point lead, so it took a while for them to work their way back into posi- tion to pull off the upset. But late in the fourth quarter, they were within striking distance. Faced with a second-and-19 situation following a holding penalty, Wisconsin picked up 25 yards on a screen pass. Then on third-and-13 with just over a minute left, tight end Jacob Harris was wide open for a 72-yard catch-and-run touch- down that gave the Badgers a 24-20 victory. Penn State supporters grumbled that Harris should have been flagged for offensive pass inter- ference after flattening junior safety Marcus Neal Jr., but uncalled penalties were the least of PSU's problems. The Nittany Lions were outplayed for much of the game, producing just 3 points over the final 40 minutes. It was the start of a tailspin from which the team has yet to recover. BEST HIGHLIGHT Wisconsin likely thought it could catch Penn State flatfooted by throwing on third-and-2 early in the second quarter. Big mistake. After faking a handoff into the line, Badgers quarterback Colton Joseph spun to his left and lobbed a short pass to slot receiver Chris Brooks Jr. Freshman corner- back Josiah Zayas anticipated the throw, snaring the ball with one hand before it got to Brooks. Joseph gave chase, but no one was catching Zayas on his 51-yard sprint to the end zone. BOLD PREDICTION After splitting its first six games, Penn State is going to have its hands full simply attaining bowl eligibility. The Rutgers and Maryland games are always winnable, regardless of Penn State's circum- stances; the Lions sport a combined 77-5-1 all-time record against those two opponents. But even if PSU prevails against the Scarlet Knights on Nov. 21 and the Terrapins on Nov. 28, where's that other win going to come from? Upcoming matchups against Michigan (Oct. 17) and Wash- ington (Nov. 7) will take place in Ann Arbor and Seattle, respectively, adding to the degree of difficulty for a team that was crushed by North- western, 34-13, in its first Big Ten road game. Purdue is 3-17-1 all-time against Penn State and must travel to Beaver Stadium — where it's won just once in 10 visits — for an Oct. 31 matchup. But the Boilermakers have shown some fight after years in the doldrums, including a 41-13 win against the other team on Penn State's second- half schedule, Minnesota (Nov. 14). At 0-3 in conference play, the Lions have gotten themselves into the same hole as last year, when they had to scramble just to earn a spot in the Pinstripe Bowl. — Matt Herb PENN STATE FOOTBALL SUPERLATIVES G A M E 3 – G A M E 6 Through Penn State's first six games, redshirt senior Chase Sowell was the Nittany Lions' leading receiver with 23 catches for 359 yards. PHOTO BY FRANK HYATT