Penn State’s first Big Ten win of the season carried more weight than a single win in the standings. For a program going through growing pains, brutal losses, and everything in between, the result was something that was simply needed for many involved.
That sense of relief and pride was evident from the ball being thrown up into the air after the final whistle. While the Nittany Lions have shown times of competitiveness throughout the year, closing the door on a win was such a step in the right direction. More importantly, it rewarded a young squad that has tried, even if the results have been far from ideal.
After the win, head coach Mike Rhoades focused on the mindset of his team and the culture it has maintained through adversity.
“I'm just happy for the guys because we don't have any BS,” Rhoades said, per the York Daily Record.
“Our guys are acting the right way. They're being coachable. They care about the right stuff. You feel for them. I don't care about me. I don't care, I've been through crazy stuff before. It's fine, whatever. But I feel for them because you have a certain way you want your season to go, your games to go and when it doesn't go that way, you could always have issues and problems. We don't. We just got to get better. Today was a little bit of a validation that these guys are doing things the right way, and I'm really proud of them.”
For Rhoades, the significance of the win wasn’t about helping him or quieting outside noise, as there’s plenty of it, but it was about being happy with the habits his players have continued to show up with every day, even when results aren’t favorable.
The win also reinforced belief inside the locker room. Players don’t just hear messages about doing things “the right way,” as they need to see that commitment eventually ends up in wins. Does beating Minnesota change all of that? Of course not, but a win is a win, and I’m happy with it!
There are more things to figure out, but this was a nice step.