Penn State's Rocco Becht Struggles in Loss to Wisconsin

Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Rocco Becht had his worst performance in the team's first loss of the season. Becht and the Nittany Lions fell to the unranked Wisconsin Badgers, which dropped them from the 13th-ranked team in the country to out of the AP Poll Top 25.

Becht was a primary reason for the loss, as he completed 12 of 29 passes for 144 yards, zero touchdowns, and an interception. He couldn't get into a rhythm as a passer, and Penn State's offense suffered.

Becht was able to rush for a touchdown, but the Nittany Lions struggled to put points on the board all day, and the defense couldn't hold the Badgers back forever.

The 22-year-old quarterback was one of the key additions this offseason under new head coach Matt Campbell. Campbell brought Becht over from Iowa State, where they spent the last four seasons together.

Becht has shown growth throughout his college career. He was a starter for the Cyclones over the last three seasons, starting in the 2023 season, when he completed 62.9 percent of his passes for 3,120 yards, 23 touchdowns, and nine interceptions, while rushing for 63 yards and three touchdowns.

In 2024, Becht completed 59.4 percent of his passes for 3,505 yards, 25 touchdowns, and nine interceptions, along with 318 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground. He was solid again in 2025, completing 60.5 percent of his passes for 2,584 yards, 16 touchdowns, and nine interceptions while rushing for 116 yards and eight touchdowns.

Through four games with Penn State in 2026, Becht has completed 61.3 percent of his passes for 865 yards, nine touchdowns, and one interception, and has added 22 yards and a touchdown rushing.

He is an experienced quarterback and knows what it takes to succeed under Campbell's coaching staff. Becht will need to play at a higher level than he did against Wisconsin for the Nittany Lions to become a ranked program again and to try to earn a spot in the College Football Playoff.

Becht and Penn State will look to get a bounce-back win on Friday against the Northwestern Wildcats. This will be a difficult matchup, as Northwestern went toe-to-toe with the defending champion Indiana Hoosiers last week, losing 29-23.

If Becht and the offense play as they did against Wisconsin, it could be a long season ahead for the Nittany Lions with more difficult opponents coming up on the schedule.