After a stunning second-half collapse against Wisconsin, the Nittany Lions coach shields his struggling quarterback from criticism while shifting blame to protection issues and missed offensive opportunities.
One of the biggest questions about Penn State coming into the season was how well the two dozen transfers coming in from Big 12 program Iowa State would translate to the Big Ten in Matt Campbell's first year as head coach.
It's a small sample size, but PSU didn't look good on Saturday, losing 24-20 to Wisconsin in their Big Ten opener at home.
The Nittany Lions raced out to a 17-0 lead in the first half. But PSU didn't have answers for Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell's adjustments. Penn State scored a field goal in the third quarter, its only points of the second half. The defense collapsed in the fourth quarter, allowing the Badgers to score 14 points.
PSU quarterback Rocco Becht had a dismal outing against Wisconsin. He finished going 12 of 29 passing for 114 yards and one interception. He added 23 yards and one score on the ground.
During his postgame news conference, Campbell was asked about the play of Becht. Campbell defended his quarterback, saying he "made some tremendous plays" during the contest. He was impressed with Becht's ability to keep plays alive with his legs.
Campbell though the offensive line was more to blame than Becht.
"I felt like some of our issues were probably more with some protection things," Campbell said, via Nittany Sports Now. "Even that ball was tipped. It wasn’t a ball where it was a bad or poor decision. It was a tipped ball."
Coming into Saturday's game, Becht had thrown for 751 yards and nine touchdowns.
Penn State's offense as a whole wasn't good on Saturday. Chase Sowell was the only wide receiver on Penn State's offense to catch a pass. He finished the day with six receptions for 70 yards.
The rushing attack was a concern for PSU. James People's led the Nittany Lions with 67 yards on 14 carries. Penn State finished with 119 yards on 36 carries.
Wisconsin outgained Penn State in total yards 355-233. The performance was a true eye-opener for PSU, who had not played a Power 4 football team before facing Wisconsin.
Penn State's schedule is only ramping up
The Nittany Lions had a chance to make a statement by beating Wisconsin, who has struggled in the Big Ten in recent years. A loss as home to the Badgers was a poor start for Campbell and PSU.
Penn State will now travel to play a 2-1 Northwestern team that gave Indiana fits on Friday night. The Nittany Lions will have to find a way to jumpstart the offense before that contest.
After playing Northwestern, PSU will play No. 12 USC and No. 18 Michigan.
