Penn State’s defense got absolutely torched for a staggering 413 rushing yards Friday night, falling to Northwestern 34-13 in a brutal outing at Ryan Field. Linebacker Tony Rojas, who led the team with 12 tackles including a sack, didn’t even have words for it afterward, saying, “Obviously there’s not much to be said. We just have to get back to work. We can’t bow our heads.” It was ugly, folks, truly ugly.
Defense Got Cooked: Misdirection and Missed Tackles Galore
What in the world happened out there? Northwestern didn’t just run the ball; they absolutely gashed the Nittany Lions. Offensive coordinator Chip Kelly, yeah, *that* Chip Kelly, apparently pulled out some Wing-T concepts that Penn State just couldn’t figure out. Rojas admitted it flat out, “They ran a weird Wing-T. We never really got used to that. There was misdirection and those types of things.” But it wasn’t just trickery. Rojas also called out a fundamental issue, saying, “We have to be more disciplined. Missing tackles is something we can control.”
And control it, they did not. Caleb Komolafe went off for 188 yards and a touchdown, while Joseph Himon II piled up 162 yards and two scores. Northwestern averaged a mind-blowing 7.5 yards per carry! To put that in perspective, these same Wildcats managed a measly 32 yards on 27 carries against Indiana just one week prior. This isn’t a one-off, either. Penn State has now given up at least 100 rushing yards to each of its last four opponents, including Temple, Buffalo, and Wisconsin, with those four teams combining for 822 rushing yards, or 205.5 per game. That’s a trend that’ll sink any season. Rojas, along with offensive players Ben Brahmer and Chase Sowell, even pointed the finger at themselves, suggesting practices haven’t been physical enough. “It starts with us, the players,” Rojas said. “We have to be more disciplined and we have to finish tackles. We have to come out with more intensity in practice. As leaders, we have to make sure our practices are better.”
Offense Stalls Out, Run Game Goes MIA
While the defense was getting carved up, the Penn State offense wasn’t doing them any favors. The run game, which usually gives them a pulse, completely flatlined. They rushed for a season-low 48 yards on 22 carries, with no gain longer than Rocco Becht’s 10-yard scramble and Carson Hansen’s 8-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. You read that right, 48 yards. This is the same Northwestern team that gave up 271 rushing yards to Indiana just last week!
Guard Cooper Cousins was livid, saying, “We need to have conviction. I know that’s the vision we have for ourselves. We need to start putting that on tape. Teams need to start worrying about the conviction they’re seeing from us in the run game.” Through five games, Penn State is averaging 156.4 rushing yards per game and 4.4 per carry, a noticeable drop from the 2025 Lions (174.4/4.8) and the 2024 Lions (202.3/5.3). They tried to shorten the backfield rotation, giving James Peoples and Hansen most of the snaps, but they, along with Quinton Martin, combined for just 15 carries because the team fell so far behind so fast. Cousins refused to blame the coaching staff or leadership, insisting, “We have to come off the ball with a nasty intent, knock people’s helmets off and get push at the line of scrimmage.”
This team has some serious soul-searching to do. The defensive coordinator, D’Anton Lynn, was on the sideline, but whatever adjustments were made, they weren’t enough. They need to figure out how to stop the run and how to run the ball themselves, and they need to do it fast.
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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