Penn State Football Has an Identity Problem, Matt Campbell Says

The Nittany Lions' first-year coach is frustrated with his team's lack of identity, particularly on offense.

Penn State Nittany Lions head coach Matt Campbell looks at the scoreboard against the Buffalo Bulls at Beaver Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Penn State has an identity problem, head coach Matt Campbell said Tuesday. And repeated. And then emphasized to make it clear.

"The reality of it is, we lack an identity," Campbell said at his weekly press conference. "We lack who we want to be and where we need to be."

The Nittany Lions (3-2) enter the 2026 White Out against USC uncertain about who they are in all three phases. Penn State ranks 73rd nationally in rushing offense, 110th in run defense and 99th in punting.

Offensively, Penn State has scored just three touchdowns in two Big Ten games. Defensively, D'Anton Lynn's group is allowing 173.2 rushing yards per game after giving up 413 to Northwestern. And on special teams, kicker Ryan Barker missed his second field goal in five games after going 18-for-19 last season.

"It goes back to what I've said this whole press conference," Campbell said. "We lack our identity right now across the board, offensively, defensively, and on special teams as to who we want to be and how we want to win football games."

But how did that happen? Campbell seems to be figuring that out in real time as well.

'It's a growth process'

Asked about Penn State's run-game struggles, Matt Campbell extended his answer team-wide.

"The reality of it is, we lack an identity."

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During his first three months at Penn State, Campbell worked tirelessly to establish the roster and culture he felt could win Big Ten games and establish the program's foundation. He called the process exhausting and even "very chaotic" at times, as Penn State sought to fit 62 new players (40 from the transfer portal) into a roster with the 55 who played for the program last year.

As a result, Campbell said he knew the process would linger into the season, when the Nttany Lions got onto the field. The team's impressive Week 1 shutout of Marshall might have hid some of the issues that have surfaced in Big Ten play.

"Somebody asked me after the the Buffalo game, are we where we need to be, and I said no," Campbell said Tuesday. "And the reality of it is, I'm not surprised. I think this is, you're trying to morph offensive schemes, you're trying to morph team, you're trying to morph culture together, and it's a growth process.

"And the reality of it is, we have to be better, and it starts with my leadership of making sure we get better. But I've got great belief in the humans that we have, and we're just not there yet right now."

That's particularly true on offense, where the Nittany Lions have scored points on just 20 percent of their drives against two Big Ten opponents (three touchdowns, two field goals). Some players thought Penn State's practices weren't physical enough on short-week preparation before playing Northwestern, and Campbell said he is addressing that this week.

Defensive coordinator D'Anton Lynn said his group emphasized tackling Tuesday, usually the team's most contact-heavy practice of the week, and linebacker Cael Brezina called it "the most physical practice we've had in a long time." Campbell called Tuesday a "step in the right direction."

"Obviously, the decision to maybe pull back a little bit [at practice last week] maybe put ourselves at a disadvantage, and certainly those are things you're constantly evaluating when you don't get the result that you want," Campbell said. "I think the other piece of it is, anytime you're not where you want to be, and there are inconsistencies, you have to go back to the common denominator in simplest form of, how do we get ourselves back?"

Penn State's uncertainty on offense

Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Rocco Becht (3) throws the ball against the Northwestern Wildcats during the first half at New Ryan Field. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Through two Big Ten games, Penn State's rushing offense averages 2.9 yards per carry, and quarterback Rocco Becht has a completion rate if 54.3 percent and averages 5.1 yards per attempt. So for the Nittany Lions, there has been no good direction for the offense.

"What coach Campbell states is, we just don't really know if we're a run team or a pass team right now," Becht said. "And so I think for all of us, we're going back into the drawing board, going back to the meeting rooms, and figuring out what we can do well. And I think we can do well in both of those areas. It's just, how do we complement it on the field?"

Penn State doesn't have much time to figure it out. The Nittany Lions on Saturday host 19th-ranked USC, whose offense averages 37.3 points per game (31.3 against conference opponents). The Nittany Lions' offense proved unable to go score-for-score with Northwestern, which Campbell wants to change quickly.

"We've got great coaches, we've got great players. I think the the reality is our identity," Campbell said. "What schemes allow us to find that consistency that we're lacking to help this offense continue to move itself forward? I think that's the starting point from my end of it."

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