Rocco Becht just showed everyone why Matt Campbell brought him over to Penn State, absolutely carving up Marshall for 271 yards and four touchdowns in their dominant 45-0 shutout victory. The veteran quarterback proved he was the experienced starter Campbell needed, delivering big-time right from the jump in the season opener.
Becht’s Arm Leads the Way
This dude was lighting it up from the very first snap! Becht made sure Penn State put points on the scoreboard on each of their first three possessions in the first quarter. He wasn’t just throwing to anybody, either. Becht took full advantage of that chemistry he already had with his former Iowa State teammates like Brett Eskildsen, Chase Sowell, and tight end Ben Brahmer , each of those guys snagged one of his touchdown passes! And seriously, keep an eye on Koby Howard, who racked up a game-high 161 receiving yards. Looks like Becht might have found a new favorite target there. Head Coach Matt Campbell saw it, too. He said Becht was “really efficient” even with eight or nine guys in the box and a ton of pressure. Campbell even compared him to a great point guard, distributing the ball, and thought he was “outstanding.”
Run Game Stumbles, Coach Campbell Shrugs
Even with Becht tearing it up, the rushing game had a pretty slow start for Penn State. They only managed 62 rushing yards by halftime and just couldn’t find any big cracks in the Marshall defense. Carson Hansen led the Nittany Lions with 48 rushing yards, and Cam Wallace chipped in 47 yards later in the game when the bench started getting some playtime. But honestly, the slow start on the ground didn’t seem to bother Campbell much after the game. He’s all about efficiency, saying, “I don’t really care how it happens. I just care that the ball’s going where it should go and be efficient, and I thought that’s what happened.” As long as that ball is moving down the field, Campbell seems good with the result.
Next up, Penn State hits the road for the first time under Campbell’s leadership. They’re heading to Philadelphia to take on Temple this Saturday, September 12th, with kickoff at 12:00 p.m. ET. Can Becht keep this aerial assault going? We’ll see if the ground game can find its footing or if it’s all on the quarterback’s arm again.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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