Penn State postgame report card: Grading Nittany Lions vs. Wisconsin
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Well, there goes Penn State's faint CFP dreams. In a stunning upset, the Wisconsin Badgers took down the blue and white 24-20, denying Matt Campbell his first Big Ten win and revealed glaring weaknesses that even tougher opponents will continue to exploit Here is what the postgame report card looks like for the Nittany Lions' win against Wisconsin.
Quarterback: D+
Many were wondering what transfer QB Rocco Becht would look like not only in his first ever Big Ten matchup, but without his star receiver and security blanket Koby Howard. The answer was not pretty. Becht looked erratic and shaky without his top target and couldn't even complete several simple passes. Sure, there were positives such as his first Penn State rushing touchdown, but the negatives were glaring, and ultimately cost them the game. He ended up completing less than 50 percent of his passes, and looked nothing like the most experienced QB in the nation. This is something that many Penn State fans will be monitoring as they face tougher tests in the week to come, especially should Howard be sidelined for a while.
Running Backs: D
It was back to normal for the running backs with another stinker of a performance on the ground At first, it looked like Matt Campbell would lean on the ground game for early success, but that plan feel apart when the Wisconsin front seven started to dominate up front. If there were any positives for the rushing attack, it was that at the very least James Peoples looked bright early and tried to keep a moribund offense on schedule. Still, after going for 295 yards on the ground a week ago, to regress all the way to 119 yards and only 3.3 per carry is damning.
Receivers and Tight Ends: F
You know it's bad when your leading receiver only has 70 yards. Even then, this was the worst unit on the field for the Nittany Lions by a mile. There was no separation from anybody and the lack of a vertical threat came back to bite the blue and white in the end. All I've to say about this is boy, do they miss Koby Howard.
Defense: B
Sometimes, one singular play can change the trajectory of your entire performance. A Colton Jospeh third down touchdown pass to Jacob Harris to win the game erased all the good feelings of a breakout game for the secondary. Josiah Zayas' pick six could have been the tone setter for a hige win for the blue and white. Now, it just looks like an aberration in a heartbreaking loss for the Nittany Lions. Still, D'anton Lynn has proved to be an astute hire despite the loss and the defense continues to be the bright spot for the Nittany Lions.
Special Teams: B-
To be honest, it's saying something about the Nittany Lions that a pretty bad day from the special teams actually earns a higher grade than several other units. After all, Ryan Barker did his part, converting two field goals. Still, Nathan Tiyce was up and down on his punts, with an average of 42.7 and only two of his seven punts landing within the 20. Most disappointing was Zay Robinson, who only had 36 yards combined on kick and punt returns.
Coaching: D-
Plain and simple: Matt Campbell blew it. This was his first litmus test: going against a Big Ten opponent in the comfort of Beaver Stadium… and he had his team looking like amateurs. While Penn State fans won't call for his head just yet, this is certainly a knock against him and a huge early stain on his resume. Now, looking ahead, this schedule looms a lot larger now. USC and Michigan were starting to look vulnerable. Now it's the other way around. Campbell has to find a way to get his offense going again and fast.
Overall: F
How can it not be a big fat F for the new look Nittany Lions in their first attempt to truly impress fans and pundits? After all, they had a 17-0 lead with their defense playing at an elite level and suddenly let that lead slip when they got comfortable. This leaves everyone concerned with a lot of questions surrounding the state of the program and whether or not Campbell may even have been the right guy for the job. They now must look ahead to what could be a daunting challenge in Big Ten play after a shocking result.
Up next for Penn State
The Nittany Lions will now head on the road to take on the Northwestern Wildcats for the opening of Ryan Field. Kickoff is set for 8:00 on October 2 on FOX.
This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Penn State postgame report card: Grading Nittany Lions vs. Wisconsin
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