‘This Loss Is on the D,’ ‘Campbell Is Not Ready for Big 10 Ball’ — Penn State Fans Question Matt Campbell’s Game Management, Defense in USC Loss

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The White Out drew the largest crowd in Beaver Stadium history, 114,419, and Penn State still could not hold a second-half lead against USC.

No. 19 USC beat the Nittany Lions 31-23 on Saturday night, the final score Penn State Football posted after the game, handing first-year coach Matt Campbell his third straight loss.

Penn State, now 3-3 and 0-3 in the Big Ten, led 20-17 early in the third quarter, but USC scored two second-half touchdowns to Penn State’s two field goals.

Penn State Fans Fault Matt Campbell’s Timeouts and the Defense vs. USC

“Final: USC 31, Penn State 23,” Penn State Football posted, and several fans who answered it took aim at how Campbell managed the game.

Campbell used a timeout with 8:55 left in the first quarter after USC substituted slowly, then used another for the same reason in the third. In the fourth quarter, he called one with Zay Robinson back to return a punt while USC’s offense lined up as if to go for it on fourth down. Onward State’s game story said Campbell was outmaneuvered several times.

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One fan’s reply went straight to that last timeout. “Campbell is not ready for Big (Ten) ball. TO for a fake punt that everybody and their mom knew wasn’t happening.”

By the final drive, the timeouts were gone. Trailing 31-23, Penn State took over at its own 40 with 4:15 left, and quarterback Rocco Becht hit receiver Brett Eskildsen for 25 yards on the next play. USC’s Christian Pierce forced a fumble, Chasen Johnson recovered and the Trojans ran out the clock.

Still, Becht finished 21 of 32 for 289 yards and a touchdown, his most passing yards in three Big Ten games after 114 against Wisconsin and 243 at Northwestern. Pro Football Network’s grades put him at 78.1 through Week 5, a PFN Impact grade that ranks 61st of 165 graded and qualified FBS quarterbacks.

“This loss is on the D,” another fan replied, faulting the defense for rushing three against a quarterback the fan called shaky when pressured.

USC quarterback Jayden Maiava finished 21 of 33 for 301 yards and three touchdowns, with receiver Trent Mosley catching nine passes for 111 yards. Penn State sacked Maiava once, on a blitz by linebacker Tony Rojas during USC’s opening drive. Penn State’s run defense held USC to 129 yards on 30 carries after Northwestern ran for 413 against it on October 2.

Penn State Fans Divided on Patience for Campbell’s Rebuild

Not every fan was ready to turn on Campbell. One fan argued he deserves a few full seasons, offseasons and recruiting classes before anyone passes judgment. “The players on the field are a hodge podge this year. Why did we expect eliteness?”

The roster behind that argument was assembled in a single offseason. Campbell was hired Dec. 5, and 12 players followed former coach James Franklin to Virginia Tech, including starting quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer, while three defensive starters went with former defensive coordinator Jim Knowles to Tennessee.

Fifty players remained, and Campbell filled out the roster with players from 16 programs, 24 of whom followed him from Iowa State. “I certainly wouldn’t second-guess what we did there,” he said this week.

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Another fan’s reply landed somewhere in between. “Tough loss, fans showed up but the team didn’t just like against Wisconsin. Matt Campbell has a pass this year due to the depleted roster but if 2027 is like this again, send Kraft and Campbell packing.”

That Wisconsin loss started the streak. Penn State, then ranked No. 13, led 20-10 entering the fourth quarter at Beaver Stadium on September 26 before Wisconsin scored two touchdowns in the final 3:31 to win 24-20.

Looking Ahead in Week 7 to Michigan

Campbell spoke plainly about where his team stood when he met reporters Tuesday. “The reality of it is we lack an identity. We lack who we want to be and where we need to be.”

Penn State plays at Michigan next Saturday in Week 7, with kickoff at 3:30 p.m. ET, before Purdue visits Beaver Stadium on October 31.

This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.

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