Northwestern vs. Penn State: Five Opponent Questions

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Northwestern is just hours away from the grand opening of the New Ryan Field, and a big-time opponent is coming to town to usher in the new era.

The Wildcats will face the Penn State Nittany Lions, who were ranked No. 13 in the nation last week before falling to unranked Wisconsin.

Ahead of the matchup, Roundtable Sports sat down with Tyler Donohue, who covers Penn State for Lions247, to discuss the Nittany Lions. RTB had five big questions entering the game about what Northwestern fans should expect from PSU and how Donohue expects the outcome to look in NU's new stadium.

Without further ado, let's break down the highly anticipated contest:

Roundtable (RTB): 1. How does this Penn State team under Matt Campbell differ from the one that Northwestern faced last year under James Franklin?

Tyler Donohue (TD): Matt Campbell has been a much different presence at the helm of this team, as he doesn't make many promises regarding program performance in public. He also essentially has no social media presence. So, with that approach, he's managed to come across as humble and focused. His persona really seemed to be resonating with much of the community, but that took a hit with the way his first loss played out against Wisconsin. His conservative-leaning decisions didn't resonate with fans, who also seemingly wanted to see more emotion out of him, but he has been even-keeled this week.

It's fair to say that, after a championship game appearance-or-bust mindset last September,  expectations have now been reset. There is definitely a higher level of patience in play, and I think 9-3 or better would be viewed as a positive step forward. Though, based on the widespread reaction to PSU blowing a 17-0 lead last Saturday, that patience may have been overstated entering the season. 

Getting to know the many players and coaches who followed him from Iowa State has been an interesting experience. All of them have reached the biggest stage of their careers, and you can clearly sense a collective level of appreciation and hunger. Many of them entered college competition as "underdogs," and this season is a pretty remarkable opportunity to prove themselves to a national audience. Unfortunately for them, their Big Ten debut left a lot to be desired.

RTB: 2. Penn State rolled through its first three opponents and appeared set to do the same early against Wisconsin. Was that collapse to the Badgers a fluke, or was it indicative of problems that have existed all along?

TD: There was plenty to unpack last Saturday night and during the days that followed. Penn State built a 17-0 lead and seemed to be cruising toward a blowout win over Wisconsin in front of a delighted Beaver Stadium crowd. It proved to be a pretty messy performance from PSU, particularly on offense, but the team seemed primed to survive after snagging a third interception off Badgers QB Colton Joseph while leading 20-10 midway through the fourth quarter.

Penn State punted on four straight 3-and-outs during the fourth quarter, when an extended/scoring possession on any of them could've put the game away. That taxed the defense with reps and helped result in some back-breaking lapses, including a 3rd-and-long conversion deep in Wisconsin's own territory and a game-winning 72-yard touchdown pass completion. There was a case to be made for OPI on that long score, but Matt Campbell was correct in saying it was their fault for leaving the game "to chance" after being in control for so long.

Last week was our first look at PSU's offense without injured receiver Koby Howard (28.7 yards per catch on 12 receptions) and it was ugly. The pass game sputtered and there was no balance from the rush attack. There's a possibility that Game 4 had some "fluke" nature to it and the Nittany Lions will move forward with lessons learned, but some red flags were raised regarding offensive potential and conservative play-calling that gave off vibes of "avoiding a loss" rather than "seizing a win".  

RTB: 3. What are your early impressions of quarterback Rocco Becht, and how will he look to attack Northwestern's defense?

TD: Rocco Becht, a fifth-year senior who owns more career starts (43) than any QB across college football, must rebound from an ugly performance. He finished at 41-percent passing versus Wisconsin with only one completion of 20-plus yards (22) after totaling 14 such throws through three non-conference games, and tossed his first interception of the season.

"I've gotta be better for this offense, I've gotta be better for this team," Becht said afterward.

When attempting to check the pulse of this Penn State squad coming off a letdown loss, Becht is probably the best place to start as action gets underway at Northwestern. This week, he was credited with playing "a huge role" in rallying the locker room to move forward toward improvement, but on-field production will be judged most. Offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser acknowledged he needs to do a better job setting up this pass attack for success, but a play-caller can only do so much if his quarterback struggles, so Becht must be instrumental in getting things on track.

Prior to his brutal Big Ten debut, Becht completed 70-plus percent of his passes without a turnover and seemed to be in total command. He carries a ton of respect as a leader, and that's important, but fans will be moving toward the panic button if Becht doesn't bounce back in a substantial way Friday.  

RTB: 4. Which Penn State players should Northwestern fans be looking out for ahead of Friday's game?

TD: A trio of pass targets who followed Campbell and Becht from Iowa State warrant attention. Ben Brahmer is a 6-foot-7 tight end who leads the team with three touchdown catches and earned All-Big 12 status last season. Receiver Chase Sowell was the only player at his position who caught a pass (six for 70 yards) last Saturday, and there is rising pressure on production from speedster Brett Eskildsen, who averaged 17.5 yards per catch last fall but hasn't been that kind of difference-maker so far for the Nittany Lions.

The running back rotation has been tough to gauge, but Ohio State transfer James Peoples comes into this matchup with some momentum. The Nittany Lions leaned on him after halftime against Wisconsin and he finished with a career-high 67 rushing yards. Former Iowa State starter Carson Hansen handled RB1 snaps in each of the first four games, but his role has steadily diminished.

Defensively, linebacker Tony Rojas has probably been the MVP on that side. He leads the team in tackles for loss (4), sacks (2) and interceptions (2). No current college linebacker owns more career interceptions (6) than Rojas, who has looked like an All-Big Ten type player since returning from a September 2025 knee injury that sidelined him for nine games last fall.

Safety Jeremiah Cooper, slot cornerback Zion Tracy and outside cornerback Audavion Collins lead a secondary that I would consider a clear strength of this roster. Coming off his first career interception last Saturday, starting cornerback Daryus Dixson is "questionable" with an unspecified injury. Penn State almost always operates in a 4-2-5 defensive scheme.

On special teams, Ryan Barker has been one of America's most consistent placekickers since last season. Receiver Zay Robinson has really flashed as a punt returner, and seems likely to take one back for a touchdown sooner rather than later.

RTB: 5. What's your score prediction for this game, and why?

TD: Although both of these teams enter the matchup coming off a loss, those outcomes feel very different in terms of momentum. Northwestern pushed reigning national champion Indiana to the brink of an upset in Bloomington, while Penn State blew several opportunities to put away an average Wisconsin squad in Beaver Stadium. Both results were emotionally charged and this is a short week, so I'm curious to see if either team gains an early edge in energy.

I'm betting on a bounce-back effort from QB Rocco Becht and believe he will get more support from the rush attack against this Northwestern defense. I also think Wildcats QB Aidan Chiles is ready to build on a strong start to his partnership with OC Chip Kelly. Explosive plays will be in the spotlight but which quarterback proves better at avoiding costly mistakes in a tight contest?

I'll give Penn State's defense the advantage, especially with some secondary injury issues for Northwestern, and also think this matchup favors the Nittany Lions in the trenches. Pass rush success looms large in swinging momentum, and I'll predict PSU linebackers prove to make a difference there.

Penn State gets a late defensive stop to secure a one-score lead and escapes the new Ryan Field back on an upswing. But Northwestern continues to prove it's an increasingly formidable presence across the evolving Big Ten landscape.

My Prediction: Penn State 27, Northwestern 21  

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