Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1547542
D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 6 11 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M helping spring a pair of long runs on a day when the Nittany Lions rushed for 269 yards. Penn State also leaned on its tight ends in posting its first Big Ten victory of the season. Senior Benjamin Brahmer and redshirt junior Andrew Rappleyea shared the team lead with 4 catches apiece against Purdue. That approach helped Penn State win, but the return of its two leading receivers would give the passing game more options as the Lions pursue a bowl berth. O n d e fe n se , so m e a bse n ce s w i l l extend through the end of the sea- son. Redshirt sophomore defensive end Max Granville suffered a season- ending injury in early September, and on Oct. 13, sophomore linebacker Alex Tatsch was ruled out for the remainder of the year. Granville's absence has reduced the options for a pass rush that produced only 11 sacks through nine games, an av- erage of 1.22 per game that ranked 119th in the FBS. The Lions recorded 1 sack against Purdue, by sophomore defensive end Yvan Kemajou in the fourth quarter. Injuries do not fully explain that pro- duction, but losing Granville eliminated a player the staff had expected to make a major contribution on the edge. Tatsch's setback came after he had worked his way back from an injury that kept him out of the Pinstripe Bowl last December. The Latrobe, Pa., na- tive made his 2026 debut at Temple on Sept. 12 and finished with 11 tackles, including a sack against Buffalo, in four appearances before the latest injury in- terrupted his progress. "Nobody has worked harder to get himself back [than Tatsch]," Campbell said in mid-October. "It really felt like he was beginning to play the style of football that he wanted to play, and ob- viously it's disappointing." Tatsch and Granville have now had consecutive seasons cut short by in- juries. Redshirt junior defensive end Mason Robinson and redshirt freshman offensive lineman Will Tompkins are also out for the season, further limiting Penn State's depth. At linebacker, the staff moved junior safety Marcus Neal Jr. into the rotation and welcomed back redshirt freshman Cam Smith. Their involvement re- mained limited against Purdue: Smith played 4 defensive snaps and Neal 1, per Pro Football Focus. Redshirt junior Tony Rojas played 42 and senior Kooper Ebel 34, underscoring how heavily Penn State continued to rely on its starters. The Lions were fortunate that Purdue held the ball for only 16 minutes, 33 sec- onds, running just 44 offensive plays. There were encouraging develop- ments elsewhere. Sophomore defensive end LaVar Arrington II made his season debut on the kickoff team against Pur- due. Also, redshirt sophomore center Brock Riker was playing better as he recovered from the injury he suffered against Buffalo, Campbell said. "I think you see a confident, healthy football player and a guy that's playing really good football," Campbell said on Nov. 3. Penn State's rushing total against Purdue was its highest since gaining 300 yards on the ground against Ne- braska in 2025. Redshirt junior run- ning back Cam Wallace accounted for a career-high 135 yards in his first start. C a m p b e l l c re d i te d b o t h i m p rove d health and a simpler approach to the running game, giving the Lions reasons to view the performance as more than an isolated breakthrough. Redshirt sophomore defensive tackle Armstrong Nnodim also reported im- provement after dealing with injuries since preseason camp. He contributed 1.5 tackles for loss against Purdue, help- ing Penn State hold the Boilermakers to 175 total yards, including 33 rushing. "Feeling a lot better. A lot better," Nnodim said afterward, crediting the medical staff. "They've been manag- ing me for the whole season, so it's just credit to them." The win offered evidence that Penn State could produce on both sides of the ball while still missing important players. The remaining challenge will be to sustain that performance, work recovering teammates back into the lineup and avoid placing more demands on players than their health allowed. ■ JACK HAM RECOVERING AFTER MEDICAL EMERGENCY Penn State radio color commentator Jack Ham was feeling "much, much better," broadcast partner Steve Jones said on Nov. 9, two days after the Line- backer U legend and Pro Football Hall of Famer was hospitalized following a medical emergency prior to kickoff of the Nittany Lions' game at Washington. Jones told listeners to his show, "Sports Talk with Steve Jones," that he'd spoken to Ham earlier that morning. "It's important that everybody knows that he's doing well, that he sounds great, and it's really … encour- aging," said Jones, who has been call- ing Penn State games with Ham since 2000. Ham, 77, experienced an unspecified emergency shortly after the team ar- rived at Husky Stadium on Nov. 7. He was taken to the University of Wash- ington Medical Center, which is only about half a mile from the stadium, and was listed in stable condition. Following the game, Jones, head coach Matt Campbell and athletics di- rector Patrick Kraft visited Ham before returning to State College. Jones noted that the former Penn State All-Amer- ican and Pittsburgh Steelers All-Pro "looked so much better on Saturday night." In his news conference following the Nittany Lions' 28-25 victory over the Huskies, Campbell described it as "a gut-wrenching day for Penn State foot- ball" and lauded Jones for his "heroic effort" to help his colleague and friend. "If not for Steve and what he did, I don't know if we would have as good news as we do right now," Campbell said. "I want to also thank the Univer- sity of Washington. Their athletic direc- tor and their emergency team were incredible. "What I was really proud of — and we talked about it a little bit before we went out to the game — was just the courage of our kids to play with what Jack Ham means to Penn State football, how that guy played the game, how that guy still to this day serves our football program. It was awesome to be able to go win the football game for him and his family, and our thoughts and prayers will continue to be with him on a full recovery." — Greg Pickel