How Penn State OC Taylor Mouser Called His Most Creative Game vs. Purdue

Penn State offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser called arguably his most creative game against Purdue last Saturday. Which he had to, considering the Nittany Lions were without their top two receivers.

In the Nittany Lions’ 31-17 victory over the Boilemakers, he called a jet sweep with a cornerback, went for it twice on fourth-and-1 in the same series and lined up four players in a diamond formation to create a one-on-one for tight end Ben Brahmer.

“We looked like a real football team at times in the game…,” Mouser joked Tuesday.

Here’s why he made some of those decisions, starting with the sweep that fooled the broadcast, who thought it was wide receiver Zay Robinson who took the end around.

Audavion Collins surprises in offensive debut

Penn State Nittany Lions cornerback Audavion Collins breaks up a pass intended for Purdue Boilermakers receiver Asaad Waseem. — Penn State Nittany Lions cornerback Audavion Collins breaks up a pass intended for Purdue Boilermakers receiver Asaad Waseem during the third quarter of the game at Beaver Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Mouser asked cornerback Audavion Collins what he thought was going to happen when he got the ball on offense. The defensive back said, “It’s going to be a touchdown.”

While Collins didn’t score on his jet sweep against Purdue, he still picked up 11 yards and helped set up a touchdown drive in the fourth quarter. So why did Penn State give Collins an offensive snap? Short answer: his speed.

Collins is one of the fastest players on the team. He showed it on his sweep and also earlier in the game, when he was clearly beaten in coverage but gained a large amount of ground to disrupt the pass.

“We don’t have a ton of guys that could run like AC,” Mouser said. “He's one of those guys that's always barking at me throughout spring ball. …I've been thinking about it for a long time because if he's on offense, we can't play against him on defense at practice. So that was kind of the initial thought of it. He's one of the faster guys that we have, so it was good to see him go out there and create an explosive play for us.

“... I knew something good was going to happen with the ball in his hands, just because he's the most competitive, one of my favorite people that we have.”

‘I always want to go for it’

Penn State NIttany Lions offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser answers questions during football media day in Holuba Hall. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

When Penn State punts or kicks a field goal, it was probably head coach Matt Campbell’s decision. If it was up to Mouser, kicker Ryan Barker might kick only extra points and punter Nathan Tiyce would probably want to be at another school.

Penn State went 3-for-3 on fourth-down attempts against Purdue, including a successful sneak from quarterback Rocco Becht at his 28-yard line. Penn State leads the Big Ten and ranks second (to LSU) among Power 4 teams with an 80-percent success rate on fourth down (12-for-15).

The Nittany Lions’ offensive coordinator always wants to go for it. He wants to keep the ball on the field and maximize time of possession. Mouser even tries to call a play before the punt team is sent out on fourth down, so Campbell knows he's confident in his call.

“He would usually ask me if I have a play I like, and I will always say yes, even if I don't,” Mouser said Tuesday. “I just have a lot of trust in our guys and believe in it, and I'm too competitive to ever say no, so I love when we get to do that.

Penn State adjusts passing scheme without Howard, Sowell

Penn State Nittany Lions wide receiver Chase Sowell (0) runs with the ball against the Wisconsin Badgers at Beaver Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Mouser brought out a phrase on Tuesday we haven’t heard in a while: players, formations, plays.

Meaning, Penn State under Campbell caters its schemes to the players. So with star wide receivers Howard and Sowell inactive, Mouser and the staff have had to alter that scheme, since the offense didn’t have its “most explosive athletes.”

This was evident against Purdue, specifically without Sowell. The fifth-year receiver is dynamic on the boundaries. Becht targets him often outside the hashes, with just seven of Sowell’s 52 targets this season coming in the middle of the field.

But without Sowell against Purdue, Becht threw inside the hash marks more often; 27.8 percent of his passes beyond the line of scrimmage were toward the middle of the field. Against Michigan with Sowell available, Becht threw 20 percent of his passes between the hashes.

“It's not necessarily, ‘This is the system that we run and we just plug new people into it,’” Mouser said. “It’s, ‘How can we formation the things to help.’ If we're going to play mostly 12 personnel, it’s because that's what fits our team. Like being able to run the schemes that those guys can execute.”

Campbell said that Howard is questionable and Sowell is probable for Penn State’s game Saturday at Washington. The Nittany Lions visit Washington for the first time since 1921. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET on FS1.

Penn State OC Taylor Mouser said the offense's performance vs. Purdue "meant everything."

"I would say that I was desperate. When you’re not winning here and you’re not living up to the standard, you feel like you’re letting a lot more people down..."

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— Mark Wogenrich (@MarkWogenrich) November 3, 2026

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