Penn State Head Coach Matt Campbell is All Too Familiar With Wisconsin's Offense

With new starters at nearly every position, plus an entirely different quarterback situation in terms of both play-style and ability, Wisconsin football's offense is quite different in 2026.

Year two of the Jeff Grimes era in Madison hasn't been flawless by any stretch through three games, but signs of improvement are everywhere.

Big plays are happening with more frequency. The offensive line looks more stout and physical. The passing game isn't one of the worst in the entire country — far from it.

When Penn State head coach Matt Campbell was asked about Wisconsin's offense at his weekly press conference, he started by heaping praise on Grimes, whom he used to face regularly in the Big 12 when he coached at Iowa State and Grimes called plays for Baylor.

Campbell's respect for Jeff Grimes

Wisconsin offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

“First of all, we have so much respect for the offensive coordinator at Wisconsin. We competed against him at Baylor. I always felt like one of the top offenses that we would go against year in and year out," he said. "And I think what makes great offensive coordinators is this unique ability to design an offense around their best players. And I would say you’ve seen that really in the first three games."

Grimes is known for his pro-style, downhill zone rushing attack that resulted in plenty of success when he coached in the Big 12. But more than the physical identity of Grimes' offenses, Campbell lauded the play-caller for his ability to design his scheme around his top playmakers. Obviously, that means the uniquely mobile and instinctual quarterback Colton Joseph.

“You see, one, a dynamic quarterback. A young man that’s tough. He’s got elite athletic ability to stress you in the quarterback run game and really the running game in general. And yet, he’s also a young man who’s dynamic out of pocket; he’s got the ability to make all the throws,"

Every opposing coach Wisconsin has faced has raved about Joseph's legs and his ability to stress defenses with his mobility. Even if the Badgers haven't tapped into the quarterback's dual threat potential all that much (he has just 82 rushing yards and one score through three games), Joseph is clearly giving coaches a lot to think about. After he ran for 46 yards and a score last week against Eastern Michigan, that should continue to be the case.

Campbell and Abu Sama

Former Iowa State Cyclones' running back Abu Sama III. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Campbell is familiar with Grimes' scheme, but he's also extremely familiar with Wisconsin's RB1. Abu Sama spent the previous three years at Iowa State, where he was recruited and coached by Campbell. Seeing as he racked up 2,061 all purpose yards and 14 touchdowns in Ames, the reverence with which the coach speaks about his former running back isn't surprising.

"You look at that running back room, it obviously starts with a young man we’re familiar with, Abu Sama. He’s dynamic, he’s got the ability to make people miss. He’s got the ability to make you pay in space. Physical, can hit a home run on every run," he added.

The Badgers have their work cut out for them on the road against the No. 13 team in the country, but Campbell and the Nittany Lions aren't sleeping on what appears to be a much-improved Wisconsin offense.

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