How Penn State QB Rocco Becht Put Together the Best Start of His Career

Five Temple defenders circled Penn State receiver Zay Robinson when he made a 22-yard catch during the Nittany Lions’ 27-9 win over the Owls last Saturday. It was a gutsy pass from quarterback Rocco Becht that was as accurate as it could be.

“The throw that he made to Zay Robinson on the third down was probably the best throw I've ever seen that guy make with anticipation and confidence,” said Penn State offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser, who was at Iowa State during Becht’s four seasons there.

Becht’s pass to Robinson is one of the highlights he made to begin his lone season at Penn State. Through two games, Becht ranks among the nation’s top quarterbacks, and there’s belief from within the program that his best game has yet to happen. His next chance arrives Saturday, when the No. 14 Nittany Lions host Buffalo at Beaver Stadium.

Rocco Becht has the best two-game stretch of his career

Rocco Becht is the most talented Passer Penn State has seen in the 21st century and this play shows why⬇️ pic.twitter.com/9L8fbazlEw
— LandonTengwall (@LandonTengwall) September 15, 2026

Becht has been beyond efficient as a passer since his debut with the Nittany Lions. He’s completed 34-of-45 passes for 539 yards and seven touchdowns with no turnovers. It remains to be seen how productive Becht will be in Big Ten play, but he’s had a hot start to the year nonetheless.

“That guy's playing with as much confidence as I've seen that guy play with,” Mouser said. “It's only going to get harder, and the windows are going to get smaller, and the time to throw is going to get shorter. Can that guy play with the same level of conviction and confidence? But he's done a great job, and still I think he can be better as well as all of us can.”

Becht has a passing efficiency rating of 227.51, which is the best in the Big Ten and fourth in the FBS. His 12 yards per attempt leads the conference and ranks sixth nationally. Becht’s completion rate of 75.6 percent is third in the Big Ten and 13th nationally.

To put some of his numbers at Penn State in perspective, Becht never completed 71 percent of his passes in back-to-back games at Iowa State. He never threw seven touchdown passes across consecutive games with the Cyclones, either. Becht accomplished that during the Nittany Lions’ 2-0 start to the season.

Statistically speaking, this is the best two-game stretch of Becht’s career, but he thinks he can be even better. If he continues his current pace of production, Becht would throw for 3,234 yards and 42 touchdowns while completing 204-of-270 passes.

“Rocco will tell you, first and foremost, he doesn't feel like he had his best game,” Mouser said. “There's a lot of growth that he can make there. He's one of our best, if not our best player. For us to be successful, he's going to have to do that.”

‘When Rocco Becht’s talking, we're all listening’

Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Rocco Becht (3) stands with his teammates following the game against the Temple Owls. — Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Rocco Becht (3) stands with his teammates following the game against the Temple Owls at Lincoln Financial Field. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Beyond the stat sheet, Becht is the most experienced quarterback in college football, and that trait shows up for Penn State. He’s been a team captain for both games and has taken command of the offense in critical moments.

“He's just the voice of the offense,” tight end Andrew Rappleyea said. “I mean, I consider myself a leader. I know Ben [Brahmer] does. I know the whole offensive line does. But when Rocco Becht’s talking, we're all listening, and when he brings the juice and he really gets going, we just rally right behind him.”

Right before halftime against Temple, Penn State was still in a 3-3 game with a two-minute drive opportunity. Becht said those types of situations get him in a groove, which he showed by leading a drive down the field before firing a pass to Brahmer for a 23-yard touchdown.

That score propelled Penn State out of its slow start against the Owls, as the Nittany Lions’ next possession in the second half featured Becht leading the team into the red zone before receiver Chase Sowell took a screen pass from him for a touchdown.

Teammates have praised Becht’s leadership. Paired with his high-end statistics through two games, Becht has laid the foundation for a special season to close out his collegiate career.

“He just stays poised,” Sowell said. “It's cliché to say a quarterback has to stay calm, a quarterback has to make all the right reads, and I think it's blown out of proportion a lot of times with how easy it looks on the field to just make a pass or make a read. He does a great job of just staying poised and keeping us together.”

Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Rocco Becht (3) looks to throw a pass during the first quarter against the Temple Owls. — Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Rocco Becht (3) looks to throw a pass during the first quarter against the Temple Owls at Lincoln Financial Field. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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