Penn State saw the kind of game we all expected a week ago, a they found themselves in a dog fight against Temple for a half. The Nittany Lions saw it all: penalties, missed field goals, dropped passes, and miscommunication turned a would-be blow out early into a game that had us all on the edge of our seats.
Temple, to their credit, went down swinging. They put up their best shot, but the lack of depth eventually wore on, allowing the Lions to lean on the Owls for the rest of the second half. Temple went down swinging, using the last full drive of the game to [almost] score a touchdown for the first time against the Nittany Lions this season.
Rocco Becht went 21-of-27 for 268 yards and 3 touchdowns, spreading the ball around again, with seven players recording a reception. The running game looked better than a week ago, but still a work in progress.
The most important takeaway from the game is, even if it’s Temple, the experience of going on the road should prove immensely valuable as the Lions head on to Northwestern and Michigan early in their Big Ten slate. In fact, it being Temple may have been especially beneficial, as a loss was never on the cards, but a struggle to start was well within the realm of possibility.
