Northwestern ran Penn State off the field Friday night, winning 34-13 at the newly renovated Ryan Field, and new Nittany Lions head coach Matt Campbell called out his team’s toughness afterward. As first reported by ClutchPoints, Campbell said the score wasn’t what bothered him most.
“The frustrating thing for me is the standard of what this program plays football with — the attitude, the effort, the toughness,” Campbell said. “We lacked in every way, shape and form in it.”
The numbers back him up. Northwestern rushed for 413 yards. Caleb Komolafe had 188 yards and a score, and Joseph Himon II added two rushing touchdowns. Penn State managed 48 rushing yards, and quarterback Rocco Becht threw one touchdown and two interceptions. The Nittany Lions are now 3-2 with back-to-back Big Ten losses.
The IAHHM Take
Giving up 413 on the ground isn’t a scheme problem. That’s getting beat up front for four quarters, and Campbell knows it. That’s why his answer was about attitude, not play calls.
This is Campbell’s first year in Happy Valley, and he built his name at Iowa State on tough, physical teams that overachieved. Losing a game like this, in that style, hits his identity directly. Some fans are already loud online, but five games into a new era is way too early for that conversation.
On the other side, shout out to David Braun and Northwestern. Christening a renovated stadium by bullying a blue-blood program is the kind of night that changes how recruits look at you.
Can Campbell fix the toughness issue in-season, or is this a year-two rebuild? Let us know.
Source: ClutchPoints
