Penn State Football 2026 Midseason Report Card: How the Nittany Lions Went Off Course

Following his team's third straight Big Ten loss, Penn State football coach Matt Campbell vowed to make it right.

"I think my disappointment is, right now, we can’t give [the fans] the result that they deserve," Campbell said. "But the reality is, we will, and we will find a pathway forward."

What Campbell can't provide is a timeline. At the midpoint of his first season at Penn State, Campbell already has coached two distinctly different seasons. In the non-conference schedule, he built a team with the nation's third-ranked scoring defense that could deliver explosive plays.

Then in the Big Ten schedule, he watched a team lose three games in distinctly different ways. The Nittany Lions blew 17-point lead against Wisconsin, never had a lead at Northwestern and couldn't keep pace with USC. As a result, they're 0-3 in the Big Ten for the second consecutive season.

Before Penn State's 31-23 loss to the Trojans, Campbell said his team suffers from an identity problem. That permeates every facet, from offense to defense special teams to coaching. And it recalibrated expectations entirely for the season's second half. We're here to make sense of, and grade, it all.

Penn State offense first-half grade: D

Penn State Nittany Lions wide receiver Koby Howard (6) scores a touchdown vs. the Buffalo Bulls at Beaver Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Penn State's offensive success splits into two categories: with receiver Koby Howard and without him. More accurately, however, that's non-conference and Big Ten.

With Howard during the non-conference schedule, Penn State ranked sixth in the Big Ten in total offense and fourth in plays of 20+ yards. Without him, the Nittany Lions are 15th vs. Big Ten opponents in both categories.

Without Howard, quarterback Rocco Becht doesn't have a receiver who can stretch the middle of the field. Chase Sowell has been sharp the past two games but works the outside. Howard threatened Cover-2 defenses with his ability to create across the middle. Becht desperately lacks that now, which amplifies Penn State's biggest offensive lapse.

Penn State does not have a competitive Big Ten run game. The "dominant, nasty and acocuntable" identity Penn State's offensive line defined before the season hasn't translated to the Big Ten.

Penn State has rushed for 116 yards total the past two games, when the longest carry from a back was 9 yards. The Nittany Lions rank 17th in the Big Ten in rushing (78.34 ypg) against conference opponents. Campbell and offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser vowed to make a power run game the cornerstone of their Big Ten offense. Without one, they're hamstrung.

Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Rocco Becht (3) throws a pass against the USC Trojans at Beaver Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Becht has directed this group inconsistently, partly because he has no run backing. His two-game stretch against Wisconsin and Northwestern (54 percent completion rate, one touchdown, three interceptions) was among the roughest of his career. He was better against USC but, through the Big Ten schedule, has proved to be a mid-tier college quarterback (ranked 55th in ESPN's QBR).

Further, some of their Iowa State transfers haven't emerged as game-changers. Tight end Ben Brahmer doesn't get enough work, while receivers Brett Eskildsen and Zay Robinson haven't consistently stretched the field in Howard's absense. Guard Trevor Buhr is part of a left side of an offensive line that, with tackle Malachi Goodman, is struggling.

Penn State first-half defensive grade: C-

Penn State Nittany Lions linebacker Tony Rojas (13) reacts after intercepting a pass against the Wisconsin Badgers at Beaver Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The non-conference/Big Ten divide is even more stark defensively. Against three non-FBS opponents, Penn State allowed two touchdowns, neither by its starters. In fact, through the first 14 quarters, Penn State's starting defense allowed just one touchdown.

But since halftime against Wisconsin, the Nittany Lions have allowed 82 points in 10 quarters. They have done so in every way imaginable.

Wisconsin hit a 72-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter. Northwestern became just the fifth team since 1947 to rush for 400+ yards against Penn State. And USC quarterback Jayden Maiava threw for 301 yards and three touchdowns.

Without linebacker Tony Rojas, Penn State doesn't have a game-changing playmaker. He's been by far Penn State's first-half MVP, leading the defense in tackles (44), sacks (four) and interceptions (two).

Penn State cannot affect quarterbacks with a defensive line that has generated just two sacks. Coordinator D'Anton Lynn essentially gave up on four-man pressure against USC and dropped eight into coverage, which didn't work either.

Lynn has shuffled personnel. Marcus Neal Jr., an all-Big 12 safety at Iowa State, did not play a defensive snap against USC because Penn State wanted to emphasize coverage. Transfer linemen Armstrong Nnodim and Alexander McPherson joined the front four hoping to boost production. Nickelback Zion Tracy is playing safety. Little has worked.

After the USC game, several returning Nittany Lions reconnected with former teammate Zuriah Fisher, now a defensive end at USC. Fisher had three tackles in the game. Defensive line was the hardest-hit position at Penn State after the coaching change, for which this team is paying.

Penn State first-half special teams grade: C

Penn State Nittany Lions kicker Ryan Barker (94) makes a field goal vs. Marshall at Beaver Stadium. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The bright spot of Penn State's 2025 season was special teams, which ranked No. 1 nationally, according to ESPN's College Football Power Index. But they have tumbled to No. 77 this year for several reasons.

At the top is punting. Penn State ranks 14th in the Big Ten in punting average (41.7) with just three attempts of 50+ yards and four touchbacks. Mississippi State transfer Nathan Tiyce beat out freshman Lance Tenbrock, the kickoff specialist who might deserve a second look.

Kicker Ryan Barker went 3-for-3 on field goals against USC, tying his season-long of 48 yards. But he has missed two in his first six games after going 18-for-19 last season.

Penn State also has grown less aggressive in punt returns during the Big Ten schedule. Robinson had 12 attemps for 149 yards against non-conference opponents and often looked close to breaking one.

In three Big Ten games, though, Robinson has returned just four punts for 26 yards. Of course, Penn State's Big Ten opponents are punting less as well.

Penn State first-half coaching grades: C-

Penn State Nittany Lions head coach Matt Campbell looks on from the sideline vs. the Wisconsin Badgers at Beaver Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Campbell played defense-and-field position football late against Wisconsin, which cost him. He reduced tackling drills in practice on a short week against Northwestern, which cost him. And he gave USC coach Lincoln Riley the upper hand regarding timeouts, which cost him.

Penn State can't change its roster and doesn't have the depth to replace starters, so Campbell will play with who he has. As a result, the coaching staff must rework what it's doing. How can Mouser prod more from his run game? What can Lynn scheme up to generate more pass rush? Where can Campbell be the alpha on gamedays?

Penn State first-half overall grade: C-

Penn State Nittany Lions head coach Matt Campbell reacts from the sideline against the USC Trojans at Beaver Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

From leading Wisconsin 17-0 in the first half to being 0-3 in the Big Ten, Penn State is punch-drunk at the season's halfway point. The Nittany Lions can turn it around. They visit Michigan, another staggering program with a first-year coach, Saturday before getting a week off to reflect.

Penn State probably won't be able to upgrade its run game or pass rush to effective levels and must live with them. And its offense shouldn't miss Howard, who caught seven passes last season, this much.

Ultimately, this wasn't the expectation for Penn State before the season or after its first three games. Which is why the expectations for the remaining six regular-season games are much lower.

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