Penn State football team has good players, just not enough of them [opinion]

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STATE COLLEGE – Four days before Penn State dropped its third straight game, Matt Campbell tried to assure Nittany Lions fans and perhaps himself.

In so many words, Campbell said six times during an 18-minute press conference that Penn State has the players and the coaches to win. He repeated the same sentiment Saturday night.

“We know we have the people and we have the coaches to get where we need to be,” Campbell said Tuesday.

And then, “We have really good football players that have the ability.”

Bless his heart, but the Lions don’t. Oh, they have some really good players but not enough of them.

Consecutive Big Ten losses to Wisconsin, Northwestern and USC have exposed Penn State’s many flaws that are difficult to rectify in midseason.

In their 31-23 loss to the Trojans Saturday night, they again couldn’t run the football effectively because they lack a premier running back.

They couldn’t pressure or chose not to pressure USC quarterback Jayden Maiava, who completed 21-of-33 passes for 301 yards and three touchdowns. They lack an elite pass rusher.

In general, they lack game-changers like USC has in Maiava, wide receivers Trent Mosley, Tanook Hines and Zacharyus Williams and running back King Miller.

Miller carried 19 times for 102 yards and one touchdown, far more than the combined 48 yards on 21 carries that Carson Hansen and James Peoples had for Penn State.

“I thought Carson had some really great runs in critical moments for us,” Campbell said. “I thought James had a couple good runs. That group will only continue to grow and develop. I do think there were some moments tonight that we grew a lot closer to the team we want to be.”

Hansen’s longest run was 7 yards, Peoples’ was 8. Quinton Martin, who did not play Saturday night, has the only 100-yard game this season, and that was against Buffalo.

Not having a productive ground game has put added pressure on Rocco Becht and the passing game. Defenses can drop seven or right players into coverage.

“We just weren’t tough,” Becht said. “We weren’t physical. We weren’t disciplined. We’re going to figure it out sooner rather than later. We’re going to play the guys who want to be out there and work the hardest.

“The only way you can get through this is get better and work.”

That’s all Campbell knows. He learned that at Mount Union from his college coach, the legendary Larry Kehres. He believes putting your nose to the grindstone is the way to snap a three-game slide and get a win.

And that’s what he told the Penn State players.

“We’re trying to figure it out,” wide receiver Chase Sowell said. “We’re trying to figure out why it’s not happening. What can we do differently? Just going back to work. We shouldn’t try to make crazy changes. Just going back to work, trusting that and doing the little things.”

On defense, they don’t have a Dani Dennis-Sutton, an Abdul Carter or a Chop Robinson on the edge and it shows. The Lions have a paltry eight sacks in six games.

Because the Lions decided to rush just three guys on many downs, Maiava torched the secondary because he had so much time in the pocket.

“I think it starts with looking at yourself,” defensive end Caleb Bacon said. “Maybe it’s your fundamentals. Maybe it’s your get-off. There’s so much to pass rush.”

Or maybe they’re just not good enough there and at other positions against Big Ten opponents.

With so many Penn State players transferring after last season and so many roster spots to fill in a short time frame, it’s only natural that he looked at the roster at Iowa State, where he had coached the previous 10 years.

There are 24 former Cyclones on the roster and 10 of them started against USC. They’re finding out that going from the Big 12 to the Big Ten is rough sledding.

Campbell knows Penn State’s flaws, but he can’t change much in midseason.

“We have to continue to get better,” he said. “We have to continue to improve what we’re doing. We have to continue to find a pathway forward. We have to continue to pound away at it.”

Working hard is admirable, but it can only take Penn State so far.

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