Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1547542
1 6 D E C E M 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 They Said It "Feels good to get a win. It wasn't the clean- est win; we've still got some things to work on. But it's hard to win in college football, and we got it done. I'm proud of the guys for responding." — Senior safety Jamison Patton following the victory over Purdue, in which he had 1 of PSU's 2 interceptions "I went through it last year [at Iowa State], and I wasn't expecting to go through it again. It's humbling." — Redshirt senior quarterback Rocco Becht after Penn State's 21-18 loss to Michigan on Oct. 17, in which 3 second-half turnovers helped the Wolverines rally from a 3-0 half- time deficit "Let's cut to the chase: What really needs to grow forward is Penn State's payroll (it ain't name, image and likeness). And the people and the means to make that happen. Penn State needs more talented football players. And it needs the money to pay them. A grow- ing bank account will matter a lot in the days ahead, on and off the field. Let us count the ways. Beyond Purdue and Marshall, these are the wins that will matter for Campbell and his boss, athletic director Pat Kraft." — Mike Poorman, StateCollege.com colum- nist, on the need for more funding if Penn State is going to compete at college football's highest level "Campbell brought Becht and many of Iowa State's top players to State College, where Penn State had legitimate CFP hopes with a schedule missing Ohio State, Indiana and Oregon. But the first half has been a mess and Campbell, hired to take the next steps that predecessor James Franklin could not, must find some answers quickly. Campbell often speaks about creating a foundation at Penn State and references abstract principles of building programs, but these are times — and he's at a place — that demands results." — Adam Rittenberg, ESPN.com college football writer, in his midseason review of the Power Four conferences' first-year head coaches "We're going to do the best that we can with what we have and go from there. I'm not shy- ing away from that. I'm always going to fight for our program and do it in a first-class man- ner and never embarrass our team and our university. But let's keep finding ways to make it better and keep pushing forward." — Penn State men's basketball coach Mike Rhoades on building a competitive roster with fewer resources than many of the Nit- tany Lions' rivals "The top teams are going to have more depth. You don't go to Penn State if you're looking for a guaranteed starting spot." — Wrestling coach Cael Sanderson on the battle for starting positions in the Nittany Lions' lineup "She has an amazing way of balancing love and competition. I think the players all feel her energy, feel her care, and her love, but understand that there's a level of competition that they need to walk with every time we step on that floor." — Assistant women's basketball coach Marlo Davis, describing Tanisha Wright's coaching style to Onward State ahead of the former PSU and WNBA star's first season in charge of the Lady Lions PHOTO BY MARK SELDERS/PENN STATE ATHLETICS "This group has never wavered. They've never flinched. They never whined or complained. They've just gone to work and tried like heck to grow themselves forward. I wouldn't say everybody in that locker room has done it, but I'd say the majority have. You saw that tonight. It's exciting for this group, because it's really the culture we're trying to create here. You win with teamwork. You win by not paying atten- tion to the outside noise. You win by staying focused on your craft, and you win with team football. Tonight, we played team football for four quarters, which was great to see." — Matt Campbell following Penn State's 31-17 victory over Purdue on Oct. 31, the head coach's first Big Ten victory with the Nittany Lions