Final Takeaways From a Game Penn State Gifted to Michigan

The Nittany Lions blew a prime opportunity against the Wolverines.

Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Rocco Becht (3) throws a pass against the Michigan Wolverines during the first half at Michigan Stadium. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

ANN ARBOR, Michigan | Matt Campbell and Penn State’s losing streak just keeps extending as Big Ten play continues. The Nittany Lions dropped to 0-4 in conference action after a 21-18 loss to Michigan on Saturday.

Campbell said postgame Penn State has seen growth in the last two weeks, but the results haven’t shown it. With that in mind, here’s the good, bad and ugly from another loss for the Nittany Lions. 

Good: Chase Sowell is a stud receiver 

Penn State Nittany Lions wide receiver Chase Sowell (0) makes a catch against the Michigan Wolverines during the second half at Michigan Stadium. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Receiver Chase Sowell was the only real playmaker on Penn State’s offense, as he made 11 catches for 151 yards and a touchdown. Of Penn State’s 332 offensive yards, Sowell accounted for 45.5 percent of them. 

Sowell made four catches of at least 20 yards, making plays on the sidelines to keep the Nittany Lions’ offense moving despite the run game ceaseless struggles. Star receiver Koby Howard remains out with an injury, but Sowell is proving that he can be the No. 1 target. He also wants to do more. 

“It's very frustrating, regardless of what I did,” Sowell said. “I mean, I always feel like I could do more to help the team. I take a lot of accountability, and I know a lot of these guys on this offense take a lot of accountability.”

Good: Josiah Zayas continues to flash potential

OoooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/ur1HihodkL

— T-FrankOn3 (@ThomasFrankCarr) October 17, 2026

Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood had a chance to get points right before halftime, but that was until Penn State freshman cornerback Josiah Zayas made one of the most impressive plays of the season.

Zayas made a one-handed grab for an interception at Penn State’s 9-yard line. He kept control of the ball even after he hit the ground, and it marked Underwood’s last play before he was benched.

Zayas, who started for the second time this season, was a 4-star player in Penn State’s 2026 recruiting class, according to 247Sports. He’s already proving himself at Penn State with 16 tackles (two for loss), two interceptions and a pass breakup across seven games this season.

Bad: Rocco Becht makes costly turnovers

“This game’s super humbling,” an emotional Rocco Becht said after Penn State’s 21-18 loss to Michigan. pic.twitter.com/H5T8EwRrBr

— Mark Wogenrich (@MarkWogenrich) October 18, 2026

Quarterback Rocco Becht turned the ball over three times. The Wolverines capitalized with three touchdowns. All 21 of their points came via turnovers.

Becht’s first interception came when Michigan defensive back Rod Moore made an impressive diving catch and stayed inbounds. The second was bad. Becht didn’t throw an accurate pass to tight end Gabe Burkle, and defensive back Chris Bracy caught it instead.

Campbell said he isn’t considering benching Becht despite the turnovers. Through four games in Big Ten play this season, Becht has completed 87 of 146 passes for 913 yards, three touchdowns and five interceptions.

“I have complete faith in who Rocco Becht is and what he's about,” Campbell said. “Listen, nobody's more devastated than that guy right now in that locker room.”

Bad: Defense didn’t have a response to quarterback change

Michigan Wolverines quarterback Tommy Carr (14) celebrates a touchdown against the Penn State Nittany Lions during the second half at Michigan Stadium. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Michigan coach Kyle Whittingham made the decision at halftime that put his team in position to win. Instead of sticking with Underwood as he continued to struggle this season, Whittingham benched him in favor of backup Tommy Carr.

The crowd at Michigan Stadium erupted in cheers when Carr took the field and led the offense to overcome the unit’s issues in the first half. It seemed as though the quarterback change caught Penn State off guard, as the Wolverines scored all of their points while Carr was in the game.

Carr’s presence somehow upgraded Michigan’s run game, which generated just 31 yards in the first half. The Wolverines flipped the script entirely in the second half, rushing for 174 yards and averaging 7.6 per carry. That included Michigan’s two longest carries (of 43 and 41 yards) this season.

Linebacker Tony Rojas said the Nittany Lions “didn’t really simulate” playing against Carr at practice last week. He also seemed critical of the defensive playcalling when asked how it changed in the second half. 

“It was kind of just like mixing things up in calls,” Rojas said. “I think if we just stick to what we're good at and what's working instead of trying to assume that they're gonna kind of run things based on what we already did. I think we'll continue to grind and do what's best.”

Ugly: Penn State’s offense is stuck in a loop

Michigan Wolverines defensive end Carter Meadows (14) tackles Penn State Nittany Lions running back Carson Hansen (21) in the second half at Michigan Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Even though Campbell said he has seen growth during the losing streak, two key offensive issues emerged again: the lack of a run game or an effective red-zone offense.

While Becht didn’t have his best day, he also had no help from the run game, which averaged 2.2 yards per carry. Running back Carson Hansen scored a touchdown but totaled only 51 yards as Penn State produced 65 rushing yards as a team.

The run-game struggles were present when Penn State had a first down at Michigan’s 6-yard line on the game’s first drive. Hansen gained 1 yard on a rush, and Penn State ultimately kicked for a field goal.

Settling there continued Penn State’s trend of flaming out in the red zone before scoring a touchdown. The Nittany Lions scored one touchdown on two red-zone trips against Michigan, bringing the season tally to 15 touchdowns on 27 red-zone possessions.

Before this weekend’s games, Penn State ranked 105th nationally in touchdown scoring in the red zone. Going 1-for-2 on red-zone touchdowns won’t change that ranking much, if at all. Both that and the lackluster run game should be addressed as the Nittany Lions go into their bye week.

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