At midseason, Penn State under Matt Campbell lacks clear strengths, identity

Penn State has a bigger problem on its hands than its current losing streak that reached three games Oct. 10 with a 31-23 loss to USC in the annual whiteout game at Beaver Stadium.

The Nittany Lions have now hit midseason with no clear strengths that might help them snap the skid and begin to establish an identity under first-year coach Matt Campbell.

"I do feel like there were some things, even in that game, that showed up as positives for us that I thinkwe can build off of," Campbell said at his weekly news conference Oct. 13. "I think there's some other things that continue to show we have to figure out what we do well, then have the ability to adjust when people take that away.

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"I think that's probably a little bit of probably the frustration and a little bit of just figuring out what's our core, what's our foundation, then how do we build off of that. So I think that's something we've probably been searching for."

The running game has lacked explosiveness throughout 2026 and reached a low point against the Trojans with just 68 yards on 31 carries. That translates to an ugly 2.2 yards per carry average. Carson Hansen was the lead rusher with just 28 yards. Penn State has a bigger problem on its hands than its current losing streak that reached three games Oct. 10 with a 31-23 loss to USC in the annual whiteout game at Beaver Stadium.

The Nittany Lions have now hit midseason with no clear strengths that might help them snap the skid and begin to establish an identity under first-year coach Matt Campbell.

The running game has lacked explosiveness throughout 2026 and reached a low point against the Trojans with just 68 yards on 31 carries. That translates to an ugly 2.2 yards per carry average. Carson Hansen was the lead rusher with just 28 yards.

For the season, no Penn State back has yet cracked the 300-yard mark – one year after Kayton Allen led the Nittany Lions with an impressive 1,300-yard season. Even in the depths of their six-game skid in 2025 that resulted in coach James Franklin’s firing, the offense knew it could move the ball on the ground.

That’s far from the case now. Penn State is on pace to gain 500 fewer rushing yards than it did in 2026, and even that trajectory is propped up by a 304-yard day against a Buffalo defense that does not compare to the Big Ten-caliber unit the Lions will see the rest of the way.

The passing game led by fifth-year quarterback Rocco Becht has been better, but it’s not producing at a clip that would cause anyone to call it a clear strength either.

Becht is completing an anemic 57.8% of his passes since the start of conference play and has two touchdowns and two picks in the three games.

The absence of top receiver Koby Howard has hurt after he caught 12 passes for 344 yards during the non-conference portion of the schedule. Howard has yet to post big numbers against BIg Ten competition, though, which renders any suggestion that he could vault the passing game to another level upon his return unproven.

Senior receiver Chase Sowell has stepped up nicely in Howard’s absence, catching 15 passes for 233 yards. Tight ends Benjamin Brahmer and Andrew Rappleyea as well as receiver Brett Eskildsen have been decent as well. Still, the connections aren’t consistent enough to make defenses fear this offense. Penn State is averaging 18.6 points per game in Big Ten play.

On the defensive side, the run defense has yet to meaningfully slow a Big Ten opponent down.

The Lions are allowing an average of 220.6 rushing yards per game. That number is inflated by a total of 413 against Northwestern on Oct. 2, but the Badgers and Trojans totaled at least 120 each and both averaged an efficient 4.3 yards per carry.

Penn State’s linebackers have looked slow against outside runs and have frequently been bullied off the ball inside. The “Linebacker U” label hasn’t fit this group very well.

The pass defense, meanwhile, was torched by USC’s Jayden Maiava on Saturday. He completed 21 of 33 passes for 301 yards and three touchdowns in his victory.

That effort echoed the loss to Wisconsin, in which Badgers quarterback Colton Joseph was able to rally his team late and win the game with a 70-yard touchdown pass to Jacob Harris.

Add it all up, and it’s unclear which facet Campbell’s team is supposed to be finishing teams with. And he seems to know it.

That will have to change if this team intends to salvage a postseason berth. A trip to face Michigan in the Big House awaits this coming week. And the rest of the back half of the schedule includes games against Purdue and Minnesota teams that have shown an ability to win games in the conference early on.

For the season, no Penn State back has yet cracked the 300-yard mark – one year after Kayton Allen led the Nittany Lions with an impressive 1,300-yard season. Even in the depths of their six-game skid in 2025 that resulted in coach James Franklin’s firing, the offense knew it could move the ball on the ground.

That’s far from the case now. Penn State is on pace to gain 500 fewer rushing yards than it did in 2026, and even that trajectory is propped up by a 304-yard day against a Buffalo defense that does not compare to the Big Ten-caliber unit the Lions will see the rest of the way.

The passing game led by fifth-year quarterback Rocco Becht has been better, but it’s not producing at a clip that would cause anyone to call it a clear strength either.

Becht is completing an anemic 57.8% of his passes since the start of conference play and has two touchdowns and two picks in the three games.

The absence of top receiver Koby Howard has hurt after he caught 12 passes for 344 yards during the non-conference portion of the schedule. Howard has yet to post big numbers against BIg Ten competition, though, which renders any suggestion that he could vault the passing game to another level upon his return unproven.

Senior receiver Chase Sowell has stepped up nicely in Howard’s absence, catching 15 passes for 233 yards. Tight ends Benjamin Brahmer and Andrew Rappleyea as well as receiver Brett Eskildsen have been decent as well. Still, the connections aren’t consistent enough to make defenses fear this offense. Penn State is averaging 18.6 points per game in Big Ten play.

On the defensive side, the run defense has yet to meaningfully slow a Big Ten opponent down.

The Lions are allowing an average of 220.6 rushing yards per game. That number is inflated by a total of 413 against Northwestern on Oct. 2, but the Badgers and Trojans totaled at least 120 each and both averaged an efficient 4.3 yards per carry.

Penn State’s linebackers have looked slow against outside runs and have frequently been bullied off the ball inside. The “Linebacker U” label hasn’t fit this group very well.

The pass defense, meanwhile, was torched by USC’s Jayden Maiava on Saturday. He completed 21 of 33 passes for 301 yards and three touchdowns in his victory.

That effort echoed the loss to Wisconsin, in which Badgers quarterback Colton Joseph was able to rally his team late and win the game with a 70-yard touchdown pass to Jacob Harris.

Add it all up, and it’s unclear which facet Campbell’s team is supposed to be finishing teams with. And he seems to know it.

“The reality of it is we lack an identity,” Campbell said in his weekly news conference leading up to the USC game. “We lack who we want to be and where we need to be.”

That will have to change if this team intends to salvage a postseason berth. A trip to face Michigan in the Big House awaits this coming week. And the rest of the back half of the schedule includes games against Purdue and Minnesota teams that have shown an ability to win games in the conference early on.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: At midseason, Penn State under Matt Campbell lacks clear strengths, identity