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Category: Penn State

  • Northwestern runs freely over Penn State, which remains winless in Big Ten play

    Northwestern runs freely over Penn State, which remains winless in Big Ten play

    EVANSTON, Ill. — That’s one way to open an $875 million stadium.

    Northwestern’s first game in its new Ryan Field couldn’t have gone much better, as it beat Penn State, 34-13, thanks to incredible performances from running backs Joseph Himon II and Caleb Komolafe.

    The Nittany Lions’ run game recorded just 48 yards, and quarterback Rocco Becht struggled against another Big Ten opponent. The Wildcats have now beaten Penn State in back-to-back seasons.

    “I want to give Northwestern a ton of credit because they played the game, the style of game, that obviously we would like to play,” coach Matt Campbell said. “They really beat us where it was really hard to find the rhythm on both sides of the football. They controlled the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball.”

    Running amok

    After Penn State (3-2, 0-2 Big Ten) found some momentum and got on the board — on an 8-yard touchdown run by Carson Hansen with 10 minutes, 39 seconds left in the second quarter to cut Penn State’s deficit to 10-7 — Northwestern’s first play on its next drive was a 36-yard rush. Two plays later, the Wildcats (3-1, 1-1) scored on a 38-yard rushing touchdown by Himon.

    At one point, Himon was averaging 30.7 yards per carry, and, by the end, Northwestern averaged 7.5 yards per attempt.

    Part of that rushing success was because of ineffective tackling by the Nittany Lions — notably linebacker Kooper Ebel, who had multiple missed tackles that allowed the Wildcats to get past the first-down marker.

    “There were a lot of missed tackles [Friday night], and however that happened and why that happened, we’re going to have to evaluate and have a better answer as we come back next week,” Campbell said. “I think that the thing from my end of it is that part is frustrating because we tackled really well in the first four games of the season.”

    Additionally, Northwestern had nine runs of 15-plus yards and finished with 413 rushing yards after recording just 32 against Indiana last weekend.

    On top of all the yardage, all four of Northwestern’s touchdowns came on the ground. Quarterback Aidan Chiles had one, a 2-yard run in the first quarter, while Himon and Komolafe scored the other three in the second and third.

    Komolafe had 188 rushing yards and a touchdown on 25 carries, while Himon finished with 10 carries for 162 yards and two scores.

    Northwestern running back Joseph Himon II (6) recorded 162 yards on 10 carries with two touchdowns.Melissa Tamez

    Becht’s struggles continue

    Becht had his best start to a season during Penn State’s first three games. But like the Big Ten opener against Wisconsin, the Iowa State transfer looked like a shell of himself against Northwestern.

    The senior had multiple throws behind the sticks on third downs and some questionable keepers en route to 224 passing yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions.

    In two Big Ten games this year, Becht has one passing touchdown after having nine in during the nonconference slate. He has had multiple passes get deflected or tipped in both those games, two of which have led to interceptions.

    “He’s played Iowa for three years straight, so the Big Ten is not a problem,” wide receiver Chase Sowell said. “I know what he’s capable of, and I know how much he cares about us, and I know how much he cares about this place.”

    Penn State held players-only meeting to get ‘on the same page’ after its loss to Wisconsin

    With his team down, 31-7 in the fourth quarter, Becht connected with Sowell on a 16-yard touchdown, but he also missed multiple big opportunities. That includes when he overthrew a likely touchdown to Zay Robinson and didn’t see a wide-open Sowell in the second quarter and later threw it over tight end Andrew Rappleyea’s head on a third down. Sowell was the Nittany Lions’ leading receiver with five catches for 68 yards.

    Up next

    Penn State returns home for its annual White Out game seeking its first conference win of the season. The Nittany Lions will face Southern Cal on Oct. 10 (7:30 p.m., NBC10).

  • Penn State held players-only meeting to get ‘on the same page’ after its loss to Wisconsin

    Penn State held players-only meeting to get ‘on the same page’ after its loss to Wisconsin

    Penn State coach Matt Campbell and his senior leaders knew they needed to do something after losing to Wisconsin to get the team on the same page.

    The solution? A players-only meeting on Monday. No coaches — just teammates hearing each other out and bonding in the face of adversity.

    “Having those player meetings is huge for us because it does bring us closer together,” quarterback Rocco Becht said on Tuesday. “It does [help us] find out about one another, and we just got to continue the grind and move on.”

    Becht is one of the key leaders for Penn State, as the redshirt senior has been named a captain for each game this season. He rallied the team together at Temple, and took accountability in the locker room after the loss to Wisconsin.

    Penn State made head-scratching decisions in its first loss. It also exposed glaring weaknesses.

    So it’s no surprise Becht was one of the players to speak during the meeting.

    “He played a big role,” offensive lineman Trevor Buhr said. “I think overall, we were just kind of making sure we were all on the same page, kind of going over what we had to do, what our goals are getting ready for this week, just making sure everyone’s on the same page.”

    Becht said they don’t have regularly scheduled player meetings, but it’s also not the first time the team has met separately. These gatherings come around when the Nittany Lions “feel like it needs to happen,” according to Becht.

    But being on the same page means something different to everyone. For defensive tackle Keanu Williams, it means understanding how everyone is feeling, not necessarily having the whole team agreeing on one idea.

    Penn State running back James Peoples said the team “can’t get stuck in the past.”Craig Houtz / For The Inquirer

    “It comes into play in the sense of whatever the problems we’re having, lay it on the table, and we all kind of got to sit here and just talk it out,” Williams said. “Whatever it is we need to talk out, whatever problems we’re having, we need to sit there and be on the same page with that. That’s what I really mean by getting on the same page.”

    The players meeting is one example of how Penn State has made an effort as a team to move past the unexpected loss. Running back James Peoples said in the immediate aftermath of Saturday’s collapse, everyone handled it differently.

    “You don’t want that, what happened last Saturday,” Peoples said. “You don’t want that outcome, but we understand there’s still a lot more ahead of us. So you got to be looking down the line and seeing what you got in front of you to understand, ‘OK, we can’t get stuck in the past.’”

    No. 13 Penn State fumbles a 10-point second-half lead to lose to Wisconsin in Big Ten opener

    Starting right tackle Anthony Donkoh, a Penn State returnee, knows what it feels like to have a loss that snowballs into more after last year’s collapse. He doesn’t want that happening this year, but he feels confident moving forward because of how the players have rebounded emotionally.

    “I feel like a lot of the guys handled it well this time around,” Donkoh said. “I feel like there’s a lot more emotions last year, and you just felt like a big negative shift, like after a game sometimes.

    “But then like after this loss, everybody is still in good spirits. Like we know that we still have a lot of the season ahead of us. We know that if we just keep our head down and keep working every day, then we’re able to get ourselves out of the situation that we’re in.”

  • Penn State made head-scratching decisions in its first loss. It also exposed glaring weaknesses.

    Penn State made head-scratching decisions in its first loss. It also exposed glaring weaknesses.

    While leading by 10 points, Penn State decided to run on third-and-12 midway through the fourth quarter. Running back James Peoples didn’t pick up the first down as boos echoed through Beaver Stadium.

    It was the fourth time that offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser called a run in a third-and-long situation in a 24-20 loss to Wisconsin on Saturday.

    “It’s always situational for me,” Mouser said Tuesday. “The defense had been playing so good up to that point, didn’t want to put them in a bad spot, have something bad happen. Didn’t have a ton of rhythm going in the pass game up to that point either. So it was take the less of two evils and play the field position game, as dumb as that sounds and as much as I hate to say that.”

    Those third-and-long decisions were just some of the head-scratchers from the Nittany Lions first loss of the season (3-1, 0-1 Big Ten) and showed where the offense needs to grow ahead of their road matchup against Northwestern (2-1, 0-1) on Friday night (8 o’clock).

    “You got to stay focused on what the goal is,” Mouser said. “And the goal for us on a short week has to be the work. We just don’t have the time to be able to dwell on it and feel sorry for yourself. No one else does. And this Northwestern team is going to try to murder us.”

    Red zone struggles

    Penn State has made 20 red-zone trips this year, but only 10 have ended in a touchdown. Against Wisconsin, the Nittany Lions reached the 1-yard line on their second possession, but settled for a field goal.

    “I’m frustrated with that,” Mouser said. “And it’s an ongoing message. … Are we playing the right people? Are we handing it to the right people? Are we throwing to the right people? Are the right people in the right spots to be able to block and execute the plays? We haven’t been able to do that, and it’s our job as coaches to figure that out.”

    Taylor Mouser wants more from Penn State’s run game: ‘There’s a lot of growth to be had’

    Penn State went 1 of 3 on red-zone trips, with the lone touchdown coming off sophomore cornerback Daryus Dixson’s interception that set up the Nittany Lions at the Badgers’ 11-yard line.

    These red-zone struggles first popped up against Temple, with Penn State’s first three opportunities only resulting in three points. The issues haven’t gone away.

    Lack of tight end usage

    Senior Benjamin Brahmer was the only tight end with a catch in Saturday’s loss, finishing with four receptions. Redshirt senior Gabe Burkle was targeted twice, while redshirt junior Andrew Rappleyea was thrown to once.

    “I still walk out of the game frustrated with my inability to get those guys the ball as much as we should,” Mouser said. “Rapp’s one of our best pass catchers and didn’t find a way to get the ball more. Same with Ben and even with Gabe.”

    Ben Brahmer becomes ‘heartbeat’ of Penn State’s offense to push through slow start

    Mouser took accountability for the lack of targets his tight ends received, and knows he needs to rely on Brahmer and his fellow tight ends in the passing game with top wide receiver Koby Howard out for the foreseeable future.

    “Those three are some of our best pass catchers and we’re going to have to find ways to get them the ball in easier ways that we can make those throws,” Mouser said. “I still don’t think we’ve sniffed just how good that room can be and the standard I think those guys can play with.”

    Becht’s poor showing

    Rocco Becht said Tuesday he plays better on the road, so it’s a good thing Penn State is headed to Northwestern this weekend after the quarterback’s performance against the Badgers.

    Becht went 12-for-29 with 129 yards, zero touchdowns, and his first interception of the year, though the pass was tipped. He put blame on himself postgame, saying he needs to be better for his team.

    On Tuesday, Mouser took accountability for Becht’s struggles.

    Rocco Becht went 12-for-29 with 129 yards and zero touchdowns against Wisconsin.Barry Reeger

    “I know what Rocco Becht is,” said Mouser, who also was his offensive coordinator at Iowa State. “He’s a 10,000-yard passer, and I’ve known him for three years, and I know how good he is. So when it’s not working, I’m going to always put it on myself because I know how talented he is and the way that he prepares.”

    The Wildcats’ defense sits at the bottom half of the Big Ten in passing yards allowed this season with 218 per game, potentially giving Becht an opportunity to get himself and his wide receivers going after a tough showing against Wisconsin.

    “We didn’t really show ourselves last Saturday who we were, and we didn’t put enough out there to bring that win home for us,” Becht said Tuesday. “I think for us, it’s just continuing to go out there on Friday and continuing to just do our job and have fun and go out there and play ball.”

  • Florida rides win over Rebels to No. 8 ranking, Penn State falls out of AP Top 25

    Florida rides win over Rebels to No. 8 ranking, Penn State falls out of AP Top 25

    Florida made a massive jump in The Associated Press Top 25 on Sunday and landed in the top 10 for the first time in five years while four new teams joined the rankings in a major shuffle.

    The Gators’ 24-point win over then-No. 4 Mississippi under first-year coach Jon Sumrall on Saturday earned them a 13-rung promotion to No. 8, their highest ranking since 2020 and first top-10 appearance since 2021.

    Texas, Georgia, and Notre Dame continued to hold the top three spots, Miami was a season-high No. 4 and Ohio State moved up two spots to No. 5. Indiana, Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, and BYU completed the top 10.

    The Longhorns received 62 first-place votes from the media voting panel, four more than last week, after they held off Tennessee 20-17 in their first road game.

    Georgia, coming off a convincing win over Oklahoma and outscoring opponents by an average of 41.5 points per game, got six first-place votes, double its number last week. Miami and Indiana each received one first-place vote.

    No. 13 Penn State fumbles a 10-point second-half lead to lose to Wisconsin in Big Ten opener

    Mississippi State moved up eight spots to No. 16, its highest ranking in four years, for beating Missouri at home. Oregon was up five spots to No. 15 after winning on the road against Southern California. Houston also moved up five spots to No. 20 after winning at Georgia Southern.

    Iowa earned its highest ranking since 2021, at No. 14, for knocking off Michigan on the road on the final play of the game.

    Seven ranked teams lost in Week 4 and four dropped out of the poll. Penn State took the biggest fall, going from No. 13 to unranked after losing to Wisconsin at home.

    In and out

    No. 19 Oklahoma State, which won at West Virginia for its third straight victory after losing 21 straight against Bowl Subdivision opponents, is ranked for the first time in two years.

    No. 22 Boise State of the Pac-12 is the first Group of Six team to crack the Top 25 this season. The Broncos’ 25-point win at Western Michigan was their third straight win after a narrow loss at Oregon. They hadn’t been ranked since the 2025 preseason poll.

    Taylor Mouser wants more from Penn State’s run game: ‘There’s a lot of growth to be had’

    No. 23 UCLA is 4-0 for the first time in four years after a 51-point road win over Maryland and is ranked for the first time in three years.

    No. 24 Kentucky followed its win at Texas A&M with an easy victory at South Alabama to earn its first ranking since 2023.

    In addition to Penn State, Michigan, Louisville, and Texas A&M fell out of the Top 25.

    Full rankings

    1. Texas
    2. Georgia
    3. Notre Dame
    4. Miami
    5. Ohio State
    6. Indiana
    7. Alabama
    8. Florida
    9. Mississippi
    10. BYU
    11. LSU
    12. Texas
    13. Utah
    14. Iowa
    15. Oregon
    16. Mississippi State
    17. Tennessee
    18. USC
    19. Oklahoma State
    20. Houston
    21. SMU
    22. Boise State
    23. UCLA
    24. Kentucky
    25. Missouri
  • No. 13 Penn State fumbles a 10-point second-half lead to lose to Wisconsin in Big Ten opener

    No. 13 Penn State fumbles a 10-point second-half lead to lose to Wisconsin in Big Ten opener

    STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — After No. 13 Penn State took a 10-point lead at the end of the third quarter, it was all downhill for the Nittany Lions in their Big Ten opener against Wisconsin on Saturday.

    Wisconsin scored two touchdowns in 3 minutes, 31 seconds to defeat the Nittany Lions , 24-20. Quarterback Colton Joseph found tight end Jacob Harris for a 72-yard go-ahead touchdown with 1:13 to go. That play gave the Badgers their first road win since 2024 and first victory over Penn State since 2011.

    Penn State’s offense was inconsistent from the get-go, while its defense couldn’t keep up after three straight three-and-outs on the other side of the ball.

    “We just really struggled to find a rhythm,” coach Matt Campbell said. “Never got into the flow of the game.”

    Offensive struggles

    Offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser’s first crack at calling plays in the Big Ten didn’t go as planned.

    Without top receiver Koby Howard, the passing game struggled. Quarterback Rocco Becht threw his first interception of the season after a ball was tipped at the line of scrimmage and fell right into the hands of Wisconsin defensive end Charles Perkins.

    Becht finished 12-for-29 with 129 yards and an interception. He had multiple bad misses and threw it through the end zone on the final play of the game.

    “I got to be better for the offense,” Becht said. “I got to be better for this team. I can’t put us in scenarios where our backs are backed up and we got to have a big play. We got to continue to move the chains, stay in front of the sticks, and I didn’t do my part today, so I got to do better.”

    The run game couldn’t find the consistency it had last week, and running backs Carson Hansen, Quinton Martin Jr., Cam Wallace, and James Peoples all saw the field in the first quarter in an effort to get something going.

    Peoples ended up being the featured back. The Ohio State transfer finished with 67 yards on 14 attempts, good for 4.8 yards per carry.

    “I thought James ran the ball really well today,” Campbell said. “I thought he made some really key plays in some key situations. I do.”

    Cornerbacks step up

    Penn State’s cornerback room was the most stable following an offseason of transfer portal exits and additions, with eight corners from last year’s squad returning this season.

    True freshman Josiah Zayas and sophomore Daryus Dixson recorded interceptions on back-to-back drives in the second quarter, resulting in a 14-point swing for the Nittany Lions in just over two minutes. Zayas returned his for a touchdown, while Dixson’s set Penn State up at the Badgers’ 11-yard line.

    “Our defense was playing well,” Becht said. “Props to those guys for continuing to go out there and make plays and having our back.”

    On Zayas’ pick-six, he read the screen perfectly, and there was only green grass in front of him once the ball was in his hands. The play was eerily similar to his pick-six in Penn State’s Blue-White Game.

    Redshirt senior Audavion Collins got involved as well with three pass breakups, two of which came late in the fourth quarter.

    Linebacker Tony Rojas tacked on a third interception in the fourth quarter.

    Up next

    Penn State heads to Northwestern and its brand-new Ryan Field for its first Friday game since 2023 (8 p.m., Fox29).

    Northwestern beat the Nittany Lions, 22-21, last season in what ultimately was James Franklin’s last game at Penn State.

  • Koby Howard to miss ‘extended’ time as Penn State faces first true test against Wisconsin

    Koby Howard to miss ‘extended’ time as Penn State faces first true test against Wisconsin

    After Penn State’s rout of Buffalo, head coach Matt Campbell was asked how he views his team ahead of its first Big Ten matchup of the season against Wisconsin.

    “Not where we need to be,” Campbell said.

    Although the Nittany Lions are No. 13 in the AP Poll and unbeaten after three lopsided nonconference wins, it remains unclear what they’re truly capable of at this stage of the season. But conference play will answer that question. They might have to do that without star wide receiver Koby Howard, who is out with an undisclosed injury.

    Campbell said he split the season up for his team into four quarters. The first was from fall camp through the first three games of the year. The second starts Saturday against the Badgers (5 p.m., Peacock), and Penn State faces a tougher challenge with Howard sidelined.

    Penn State starts hot, runs away with a 55-13 win over Buffalo

    “It’s what you want to be a part of, is these special opportunities, starting this week, to play great teams, great coaches, great opponents, and what’s it going to take?” Campbell said Tuesday. “It’s going to take everything you learned from the first quarter of the season, and that starts with a great practice on Tuesday, and it continues to have a great practice on Wednesday if you want to be your best in the moments on Saturday.”

    Howard out for ‘extended period’

    Penn State will be without its top offensive playmaker on Saturday. Campbell said that Howard will be out “for an extended period of time.”

    “Obviously, disappointing for Koby, but he’s handled it really well,” Campbell said. “I think the best interest of him going forward, making sure we do right by him and certainly our football team.”

    Howard currently leads the Nittany Lions with 344 receiving yards and has three total touchdowns this season. He’s targeting to return for Penn State’s matchup at Michigan on Oct. 17.

    Penn State wide receiver Koby Howard has scored three total touchdowns so far this season.Barry Reeger

    Penn State is in a better position to handle an injury, as it has plenty of other weapons it can look to in Howard’s absence, including Iowa State transfer wide receivers Chase Sowell and Brett Eskildsen.

    Eskildsen has been “dinged up” the last two weeks, Campbell said Tuesday, but he confirmed he’s back at full health ahead of Wisconsin. The junior’s speed is unmatched across the roster, which should provide a huge boost to the offense moving forward.

    “Every opportunity he’s got, he’s made some dynamic things happen,” Campbell said.

    Pass rush vs. offensive line

    Through three nonconference games, Penn State has five sacks, but only two of those came from its edge rushers.

    It’ll be important for Penn State’s defensive line to succeed in rushing the passer this weekend at a higher clip, considering Wisconsin quarterback Colton Joseph’s dual-threat capabilities.

    “I think growth will have to continue to happen,” Campbell said Tuesday. “You’re playing a dynamic playmaker and a guy that can make you pay with his feet really fast, and so I just think us continuing to grow forward. I don’t know if it’ll ever be just one [guy making an impact], and I think that’s a positive thing.”

    Taylor Mouser wants more from Penn State’s run game: ‘There’s a lot of growth to be had’

    But the Nittany Lions’ are facing their toughest test yet in the trenches, as Wisconsin’s offensive line features bigger and experienced players compared to what Penn State has seen this year.

    That includes Pope John Paul II graduate Kevin Heywood, a right tackle who missed the entire 2025 season with a torn ACL but has impressed so far in his return.

    Familiarity for Abu Sama III

    Campbell will see a few familiar faces on the opposite sideline at Beaver Stadium on Saturday, including running back Abu Sama III.

    The senior spent the last three years at Iowa State, where he rushed for 732 yards and five touchdowns. Sama opted to not follow Campbell to Penn State and became the Badgers’ starting running back instead.

    “Abu’s a good player,” Rocco Becht said Tuesday. “He’s one of the best athletes I’ve ever seen. But he does like to get to the outside. He gets east and west, and he tries to bounce it outside and get north quick, and so he’s a strong back. Going to be harder for us on the defensive side to bring him down.”

    Former Iowa State running back Abu Sama III (photographed on Sept. 13, 2025) is Wisconsin’s starter in the back field.Michael Woods

    Becht said the defensive players who came over from the Cyclones have been relaying what they know about Sama to the defensive staff. It remains unclear, though, if Sama will actually suit up against his former coach, as he currently has the “questionable” tag on the Big Ten availability report.

    “I’m excited to get on the field with him on Saturday,” former Iowa State linebacker Kooper Ebel said. “I’m sure we’ll see a lot of each other.”

  • Ole Miss up to No. 4 in AP Top 25 with win over LSU, Penn State moves to No. 13

    Ole Miss up to No. 4 in AP Top 25 with win over LSU, Penn State moves to No. 13

    Mississippi moved into the top five with its win over LSU, the Tigers stayed in the top 10, and Florida and Mississippi State cracked the rankings to give the Southeastern Conference 10 teams in The Associated Press Top 25 college football poll released Sunday.

    The Rebels, who held off Lane Kiffin and LSU, 32-24, on Saturday night, jumped over the Tigers and three other teams to land at No. 4 for their first top-five ranking since they were No. 3 in the final poll last season. LSU slipped three spots to No. 10.

    Texas was No. 1 for the second straight week and followed by Georgia, Notre Dame, Ole Miss, and Indiana. Miami, Ohio State, Alabama, BYU, and LSU completed the top 10.

    Penn State receiver Koby Howard has a ‘conviction to be great’ — and it’s showing

    The Longhorns followed up their win over Ohio State with a solid 30-6 victory over UTSA and topped the ballots of 58 of the 69 media members on the Top 25 voting panel. Indiana got four first-place votes, Georgia and Ole Miss three apiece and Miami one.

    Louisville was the biggest gainer, rising seven spots to No. 16 after its 41-31 victory over SMU, which dropped six rungs to No. 22. Texas A&M took the biggest fall, going from No. 9 to No. 23 after its 31-21 home loss to unranked Kentucky.

    In and out

    No. 21 Florida made its season debut in the rankings following a 44-39 road win over Auburn. The Gators are 3-0 for the first time since 2019 under first-year coach Jon Sumrall and in the Top 25 for the first time since Sept. 2, 2025.

    No. 24 Mississippi State is in the Top 25 for the first time since 2022, when its coach was Mike Leach. That team was No. 20 in the final poll. Jeff Lebby’s Bulldogs, led by rising star quarterback Kamario Taylor, has won back-to-back road games for the first time since 2014, erasing a 16-point deficit to beat South Carolina 41-34.

    Oklahoma struggled offensively for a second straight game in its 14-6 win over New Mexico and went from No. 24 to out of the Top 25. Virginia, which had been No. 25 two straight weeks, was knocked out after losing 38-27 to West Virginia.

    Full rankings

    1. Texas
    2. Georgia
    3. Notre Dame
    4. Mississippi
    5. Indiana
    6. Miami
    7. Ohio State
    8. Alabama
    9. BYU
    10. LSU
    11. Texas Tech
    12. USC
    13. Penn State
    14. Tennessee
    15. Utah
    16. Louisville
    17. Iowa
    18. Michigan
    19. Missouri
    20. Oregon
    21. Florida
    22. SMU
    23. Texas A&M
    24. Mississippi State
    25. Houston
  • Penn State receiver Koby Howard has a ‘conviction to be great’ — and it’s showing

    Penn State receiver Koby Howard has a ‘conviction to be great’ — and it’s showing

    Every morning, Koby Howard’s alarm goes off at 4:45 a.m. By 5:30 a.m., the sophomore wide receiver is at Penn State’s facility catching balls off of the JUGS machine.

    Howard follows that up with a workout, breakfast, and then practice. It’s been the same routine each day since the spring.

    And those early mornings of putting in extra work seem to be paying off for Howard, who continued his great start of the 2026 season with 135 total yards and two touchdowns in Penn State’s 55-13 win over Buffalo.

    “None of it surprises me because of how I’ve watched him,” said head coach Matt Campbell after Saturday’s game at Beaver Stadium. “He’ll be the first guy [Sunday] morning in the facility and probably beat three-fourths of the coaching staff, and he’s catching the JUGS, and he’s that kind of football player that has this conviction to be great.”

    Penn State starts hot, runs away with a 55-13 win over Buffalo

    Howard has 344 receiving yards and three total touchdowns through three games this season. He’s averaging 28.67 yards per catch and is on pace to break the Nittany Lions’ single-season receiving yards record, currently held by Allen Robinson, who had 1,432 yards in 2013.

    And all of this success is coming in just his second season as a collegiate wide receiver.

    Howard played in nine games last season, but had only 133 receiving yards across those appearances. He received praise from his teammates and coaches throughout the 2025 offseason, but still barely saw the field under James Franklin, even when things had gone sour for Penn State’s season.

    “We’re in a position right now where we don’t have plays and drives to just throw somebody out there and see how it goes,” Franklin said last October when asked about Howard. “We’ve got to get our best guys on the field. Every rep is like gold, every drive is like gold, and we’ve got to maximize that.”

    Penn State football wide receiver Koby Howard (6) catches a punt in practice.Craig Houtz / For The Inquirer

    Howard pushed himself in the offseason after the “learning moment” that was last season.

    “I feel like God put me through that to learn patience,” Howard said. “Everything isn’t going to go the way I planned, or I’m not going to get the ball all the time.”

    Part of the reason for Howard’s success this year is the relationship he developed with his quarterback. He and Rocco Becht went to California in the offseason to train and build chemistry. They also asked Campbell to share a room during fall camp to continue learning more about each other.

    So when Howard was lined up in the slot with less than three minutes remaining in the first half on Saturday, both Becht and Howard knew where the ball was going. The result was a 70-yard touchdown to put the Nittany Lions up 34-3.

    “I knew the ball was coming to me,” Howard said. “They ran like a Cover 2 look, and me and Rocco just got on the same page with it. We were able to connect on it.”

    Taylor Mouser wants more from Penn State’s run game: ‘There’s a lot of growth to be had’

    Howard’s other touchdown of the day came when he was lined up at running back. Running back Carson Hansen took the snap and handed it off to Becht as he dished it to Howard, who ran 20 yards for the score.

    The sophomore wide receiver said he played running back during his little league days and didn’t think the coaching staff knew he could line up there until they tried it out.

    Howard’s glad he stayed at Penn State despite the coaching change, and his worth ethic is paying off.

    “If you put your mind to it and you work for it, you can do anything that you want to do,” Howard said. “I feel like that’s something that I’ve been trying to prove this year, trying to prove that I’m an explosive receiver.”

  • Penn State starts hot, runs away with a 55-13 win over Buffalo

    Penn State starts hot, runs away with a 55-13 win over Buffalo

    STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — After a slow start against Temple last weekend, Penn State made sure it didn’t make the same mistake against Buffalo.

    The Nittany Lions came out of the Beaver Stadium gates firing on Saturday and beat Buffalo, 55-13, behind the best performance from Penn State’s running backs this season and another 100-yard performance from sophomore wide receiver Koby Howard.

    Penn State (3-0) forced the Bulls (1-2) to fumble four times and recovered two, while it has yet to commit a turnover this season.

    “[We’re] not where we need to be, but I think a team that has certainly grown in different entities each week and is still a team that, in my opinion, has got so much ability and growth to go,” Penn State coach Matt Campbell said. “We grew in some areas that were really critical focal points. This is college football, and I think our ability to grow from Week 3 to Week 4 will be really important.”

    Run game gets going

    Offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser expressed his frustration with the run game this week, calling out “mediocrity” and taking the blame for the running backs’ struggles through three weeks.

    Mouser surely was much happier with Saturday’s performance. Penn State had 304 rushing yards, led by redshirt sophomore Quinton Martin Jr., who had 100 yards on 10 carries.

    This Penn State defensive tackle is paying for his family’s internet so they can watch him play

    Martin, who didn’t record a snap against Temple last week, recorded the Nittany Lions’ longest rush of the year with a 61-yard run on just his second carry of the day at the end of the first quarter.

    “It was great to see Quinton really had a great moment,” Campbell said. “I think if you ask Q, Q would tell you [he had] maybe one of his best weeks of practice.”

    Junior James Peoples and senior Carson Hansen scored their first touchdowns of the year on 16- and 12-yard rushes, respectively, and Peoples added a second TD in the third quarter. Both averaged 7.4 yards per carry.

    Hansen again was the announced starting running back, but the carries were split as evenly as could be before Penn State began playing its backups. By the end, Peoples had eight carries (58 yards) and Hansen had five (37 yards) to Martin’s 10.

    Redshirt junior Cam Wallace got in on the fun as well with a 59-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.

    “All four guys really did some great things with the ball in their hands at some critical moments,” Campbell said. “So I think that part I thought there was growth, but I also thought there was growth because there was some really good blocking on the perimeter.”

    While the run game shined, the production from the passing game matched it. Quarterback Rocco Becht finished 11 for 19 for 212 yards and two touchdowns. Howard had three catches for 115 yards and a touchdown.

    Injuries to monitor

    Campbell said Tuesday that his team was “getting healthier,” but it was without two of its most valuable offensive starters for most of the win over Buffalo.

    Center Brock Riker left the game in the first quarter and didn’t return. He was seen shaking an ankle out on the sideline.

    “We really didn’t know exactly where we would be with Brock going into the game,” Campbell said. “We wanted to at least put him out there. It still didn’t feel like he was at 100%. That just didn’t feel like it was the right situation to leave him in the game.”

    Redshirt freshman Vaea Ikakoula filled in for Riker the rest of the game. Ikakoula transferred from Iowa State this offseason, where he played in four games (two starts) last year.

    Ikakoula had some slip-ups while filling in, including missing a rusher on a third-and-15 that forced Becht to throw the ball away late in the first half.

    Matt Campbell and K.C. Keeler once took part in a historic playoff game

    Tight end Andrew Rappleyea appeared to hurt a shoulder midgame. The redshirt junior went to the locker room and returned in street clothes.

    Rappleyea had three catches for 24 yards and a touchdown before he left. Campbell said Rappleyea could have returned to the game, and the staff held him out as a precaution.

    Up next

    Penn State opens Big Ten play next Saturday at home against Wisconsin (5 p.m., Peacock). The two last faced in 2024 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis., where the Nittany Lions won, 28-13.

  • Taylor Mouser wants more from Penn State’s run game: ‘There’s a lot of growth to be had’

    Taylor Mouser wants more from Penn State’s run game: ‘There’s a lot of growth to be had’

    Just seconds after taking the podium in Beaver Stadium on Tuesday, offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser was asked about No. 14 Penn State’s struggling run game.

    “Yeah, I knew that would be a question today,” Mouser said.

    The ground game has been the weakest aspect of the Nittany Lions’ offense so far. They’re averaging 3.9 yards per carry through two games this season, and their starting running back Carson Hansen is at 4.4 yards per attempt.

    “To say that I wasn’t thrilled with where the run game’s at would be an understatement,” Mouser said. “Feel like there’s a lot of growth to be had there.”

    Mouser and head coach Matt Campbell are comfortable playing all four of Penn State’s top running backs — Hansen, James Peoples, Quinton Martin Jr., and Cam Wallace — but Hansen has twice as many carries as the next closest running back in Peoples, who has 15.

    Ben Brahmer becomes ‘heartbeat’ of Penn State’s offense to push through slow start

    Hansen, an Iowa State transfer, had 952 yards and six touchdowns as the Cyclones’ bell cow last year. Mouser noted there is a sense of familiarity with Hansen, which is partly why he has handled the bulk of the carries.

    The senior was sidelined with an injury for most of fall camp, perhaps contributing to his early struggles, but Mouser said, “that’s not an excuse.”

    “Carson’s a great football player, and I don’t think I’ve done a good enough job as the offensive coordinator, showcasing him,” Mouser said. “He was an all-conference running back for us last year. Does that mean he’s an all-Big Ten running back? No, it doesn’t. But I just know the level of work that guy brings and the physicality and how important it is to him. And for whatever reason, we’ve been a hair off.”

    Mouser said they’ve struggled with the small details, including Hansen missing a lane, the offensive line missing a block or a variety of other missed assignments.

    But there isn’t an individual or position group to blame.

    Penn State running backs James Peoples (1), Amar’e Glover (36), and Jeremy Washington (37) during practice on Aug. 5.Craig Houtz / For The Inquirer

    “We’re all frustrated with the level of mediocrity that I would call the run game, and that starts with me,” Mouser said.

    Campbell said he’s encouraged by none of Hansen’s runs being negative. Even though he’s not picking up 10 or 20 yards, he’s at least gaining field position when he gets the ball.

    It’s the explosiveness and “finality of finishes,” where Campbell feels Hansen is lacking, but he echoed Mouser’s claim that the Nittany Lions are “inches off.”

    The offensive line especially isn’t satisfied with how the run game has looked, according to Mouser, who said Penn State’s front five “are the most hungry to be dominant” on the ground.

    “We want to be a team that prides itself on being the most physical football team and running the football,” Mouser said. “We have to figure out a way that we can be dominant on the ground.”

    This Penn State defensive tackle is paying for his family’s internet so they can watch him play

    One adjustment to the ground game could be Martin, who had a breakout performance in the Nittany Lions’ Pinstripe Bowl victory with 103 yards, seeing more carries. The redshirt sophomore didn’t record a snap in Penn State’s 27-9 win over Temple, despite three other running backs getting at least a carry.

    Mouser said Martin has “earned the right to get touches in our offense,” and added his absence from last weekend’s matchup wasn’t a reflection of his trust in the running back. But whether the Penn State returnee will see the field on Saturday against Buffalo (noon, Big Ten Network) remains unclear.

    “Quinton is certainly one of those guys we all have great belief in,” Campbell said. “I think the reality of that, even that running back room, I just think there’s still some gray, and that room is going to continue to work itself out as we work through the weeks and work through these games.”