The Good, Bad and Ugly of Penn State's Week 2 Win Over Temple

Matt Campbell's second game at Penn State doesn't go as smoothly as the first.

Penn State Nittany Lions receiver Chase Sowell runs after a catch vs. the Temple Owls at Lincoln Financial Field. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

PHILADELPHIA | It wasn’t always pretty for Penn State in its Week 2 clash against Temple, but head coach Matt Campbell’s team did enough to pull away in the second half and defeat the Owls, 27-9.

Penn State found itself in a closer matchup than expected for much of the first half after a slow start hindered it from producing at the high level it did against Marshall a week ago. While the struggles were clear, the Nittany Lions improved in the second half to secure a victory.

Here’s the good, bad and ugly for Penn State as it improved to 2-0 on the season.

Good: Penn State responds to adversity

Penn State Nittany Lions wide receiver Chase Sowell runs the ball vs. the Temple Owls at Lincoln Financial Field. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

After Penn State failed to generate points despite advantageous situations early, Temple took a 3-0 lead with the Nittany Lions’’ defense faltering on plays in the first quarter in addition to a missed field goal. It remained a tight matchup for the rest of the half, but Penn State won because it handled adversity well.

“That's what I told our guys in the locker room,” Campbell said. “I felt like nobody flinched, nobody wavered. There was no complaining. I think some of that can easily happen, but the reality is all three phases kind of faltered.”

Campbell pointed out that the Nittany Lions scored two touchdowns between the last four minutes of the first half and the first four minutes of the second half while holding Temple scoreless during that stretch. He said that “those are things that good football teams have the ability to do.”

Good: Ben Brahmer produces touchdowns

Penn State Nittany Lions tight end Benjamin Brahmer (18) celebrates with offensive lineman Anthony Donkoh (68) vs. the Temple Owls at Lincoln Financial Field. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Through two games at Penn State, tight end Ben Brahmer has three receiving touchdowns, including two critical scores at Temple. Brahmer ran between two defenders late in the first half, finding a soft spot in a zone defense to catch a 23-yard touchdown pass from Rocco Becht right before halftime.

“Me and Rocco were on the same page and just setting the tone for the rest of the game,” Brahmer said. “We knew something was going to split because [offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser] was making a lot of good calls. We just had to execute those.”

Unlike last week, when his only catch was a touchdown, Brahmer was more involved in the passing attack against Temple. He led the team with five catches and 79 yards and could have had another touchdown but dropped a pass at the 3-yard line in the third quarter.

Still, Brahmer has shown a high-level ability to produce in the red zone. His second touchdown effectively iced the game midway through the fourth quarter.

Good: Rocco Becht was effective again

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

Becht missed tight end Andrew Rappleyea on a fourth-down throw at the goal line in the first quarter. But after that play, Becht again threw efficiently, completing 21 of 27 throws for 268 yards and three touchdowns.

Becht has completed 75.5 percent of his passes through two games. The redshirt senior threw 12 straight completions between the second and third quarters, which he attributed to the successful two-minute drive at the end of the first half.

“What really gets us going is two-minute situations,” Becht said. “I feel like that's what gets me going, gets me in a groove. We've had a couple of those in the past back at Iowa State, and to continue to throw the ball rep after rep, I think it gets me in a good groove, and that's what we did.”

Bad: Run game shows more concerns

Penn State Nittany Lions running back James Peoples (1) hurdles Temple Owls cornerback Denzel Chavis (13) during the second quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Penn State’s running game showed some issues in the first quarter, averaging 1 yard per carry on eight attempts. The Nittany Lions averaged 4.4 yards per carry, but the lackluster rushing attack early caused problems.

When linebacker Tony Rojas set Penn State’s offense up at the 5-yard line with an interception, the Nittany Lions called three straight runs. James Peoples was stopped for no gain on first down before Carson Hansen picked up three yards on second down and nothing on third down.

“The team that we want to be and the team that we were today are still not equal to what we want to become,” Campbell said. “You can just look at the three plays on the 3-yard line that we can't execute. Got to be better. Got to demand it, and got to coach it better.”

Bad: Defense allows big plays

Penn State Nittany Lions defensive end Yvan Kemajou (19) attempts to tackle Temple Owls quarterback Jaxon Smolik (14) during the second quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Part of the reason Temple stayed close to Penn State in the first half was its ability to make big plays. Notably, quarterback Jaxon Smolik had a 47-yard keeper that led to the Owls taking a 3-0 lead.

“In our eyes, we didn't have a great game, and coach Campbell realized that, and us players did too,” Rojas said. “We just got to watch film and fix the things we need to. Allowing any points on the board isn't the defensive standards.”

The Penn State defense also gave up gains of 22 and 14 yards to running back Keveun Mason while the game was still up in the air. In total, the defense gave up five rushes of at least 10 yards and two passes of at least 15 yards.

Ugly: Penn State faces slow start

Penn State Nittany Lions head coach Matt Campbell stands on the field during a warmup prior to the game against the Temple Owls at Lincoln Financial Field. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Even though wide receiver Koby Howard got the Nittany Lions into the red zone on the game’s first play, the offense couldn’t finish with a touchdown. And then kicker Ryan Barker missed a 33-yard field goal wide left. 

The offense continued to be pedestrian in the first quarter. Penn State punted on a drive that started at Temple’s 44-yard line before turning the ball over on downs inside the 5-yard line. It took Penn State until the fourth quarter to put the Owls fully out of reach, but Becht saw the benefit to having a game like this.

“I thought it was a good game for us to have,” Becht said. “I think to be humbled coming off of a good win, coming out here playing Temple, a good team, and we just started off a little slow.”

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