Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1547542
1 0 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 P e n n S ta te e n te re d Nove m b e r needing two victories to become bowl eligible and hoping a health- ier lineup would help it tack an uplifting finish onto the back end of a difficult season. At 5-4 following a 28-25 win at Washington on Nov. 7, the Nittany Li- ons still had a chance to finish 8-4, but several players central to those hopes remained in various stages of recovery. The most immediate questions in- volved the receivers. Redshirt senior Chase Sowell made the Nov. 7 trip to Washington after missing the Lions' 31- 17 victory over Purdue with an undis- closed injury. However, sophomore Koby Howard did not play in the game against the Huskies. He has not seen action since being injured against Buffalo on Sept. 19. Their production illustrates what Penn State has been missing at times. Through nine games, Sowell was lead- ing the Nittany Lions with 38 catches for 635 yards and 4 touchdowns. Mean- while, Howard still ranked second on the team with 344 receiving yards de- spite playing in only three games. "I think [Sowell is] a lot closer to being full strength," head coach Matt Campbell said on Nov. 4. "Why we haven't played him, to be quite honest with you, is because he hasn't been at full strength." Campbell wanted Sowell to return feeling confident in his ability to play a key role. The veteran wideout re- sponded with a big day against the Hus- kies, totaling 125 yards and a touchdown on 4 catches. Campbell's assessment of Howard was more cautious, even as he praised the sophomore's rehabilitation work. On Nov. 10, Campbell said Howard was in a "pause state" in his bid to return. "I refuse to put Koby on the field until he's 100 percent ready to go back on the football field," Campbell said. "And so, whether that pause means the end of the season, whether it's postseason play, I can promise you, I will let you know. But right now, I think we're in a pause state to make sure we get him fully 100 percent back to health." Sowell had helped compensate for Howard's absence before joining him on the sideline. In the first four Big Ten games, he caught 26 passes for 384 yards and 2 touchdowns, including ca- reer highs of 11 catches and 151 yards at Michigan on Oct. 17. Those perfor- mances made his absence against Pur- due particularly significant. Without either receiver, Penn State gave true freshman Amarion Jackson a larger role. He played 63 offensive snaps against the Boilermakers after totaling 55 in the first seven games combined. Jackson caught 2 passes for 31 yards, and Campbell credited his blocking with NEWS & NOTES Nittany Lions Still Working To Overcome Injuries 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 Sophomore wide receiver Koby Howard caught 12 passes for 344 yards and 2 touchdowns in Penn State's first three games before an injury against Buffalo sidelined him for the next six. PHOTO BY MARK SELDERS/PENN STATE ATHLETICS