1. PLAY IT!
2. THAT’S RIGHT PENN STATE WENT BACK-TO-BACK! LOOK AT US! WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT?
3. Talk about a game of two halves, J.H.C. I’ve made some jokes on Twitter about Penn State being alive for the College Football Playoff and during the first half I started semi-earnestly talking myself into it. “If enough teams lose that an 8-4 team gets in, and Penn State wins in complete blowouts the rest of the way, I think we can craft an argument.”
4. Well, no fake arguments will need to be crafted. Penn
State decidedly did *not* blow Washington out, getting outscored in the 2nd half 19-0. Yikes.
5. It was the most Matt Campbell thing ever to win the game on a 7:40 drive where they converted two third downs and a fourth down (adversity faced!) and then didn’t even have to score to win. I bet a part of him was pissed they didn’t get the opportunity to punt to flip field position.
6. The first half was the ideal version of what this team — and future versions of it under Matt Campbell — can be. A very solid defense that clamps down in the red zone. An offense that leans on its run game to open the downfield passing attack. As the head guys says, ‘complimentary football” to the highest order.
7. The bad news: the second half showed what the downsides of this team — and the future versions of it under Matt Campbell — can be. A defense that is too reactionary and more tilted to the “breaking” side of things than the “bending but don’t” side. An offense that can’t find the right balance to blow the game open and then gets a little too comfortable just handing the ball off in hopes the clock will magically tick away faster.
8. I do want to give the offensive line credit on that last drive. Especially after Carson Hansen’s 30+ yard run, it became very clear that Penn State was in a position to just run the ball and bleed the clock. And while they didn’t spring the run that was the touchdown knock out punch, they did enough to put Penn State in position to convert some close 3rd downs and 4th downs.
9. Chase Sowell is so damn good, dude. I think back to the 2023 and 2024 teams and if he was on them, how different does the season look? He’s a hell of a player who has shown no quit this year, and will absolutely be drafted come the spring.
10. The first Carson Hansen touchdown run is what I’ve been asking for all season: BE PATIENT. Hansen from a few weeks ago runs this right into Brock Riker or Malachi Goodman’s back and just falls forward hoping for a 2-yard gain. Instead, he stays up on his feet and lets the blockers clear out and well look at that — THERE’S A HOLE TO RUN THROUGH.
11. I suppose the correct call by the letter of the law on Demond Williams throwaway was no intentional grounding. He was *barely* outside the tackle box and the ball did go beyond the line of scrimmage. But in the spirit of the rule, that was intentional grounding. The fact it wasn’t called directly led to a ridiculous grab by Chase Sowell for a touchdown because the football gods are good and BALL DON’T LIE.
12. Seriously folks, how cool was it that this offense was actually throwing over the middle and taking some deep shots? I understand the middle is scary because *gasps* two safeties are there, but you have a 6-foot-3 wide receiver who has tremendous ball skills and some very good tight end. Throw that thing!
13. Good Rocco game. He wasn’t perfect, but he was money in the first half and made just enough plays with his legs in the second half to get the dub.
14. Josiah Zayas is going to be a first-team All-B1G player next season. I don’t know whether that’ll be corner, safety, or potentially both, but it’s insane how quickly he has gone from “Oh, this is a fun piece” to “This kid might be the most important defender on the team.”
15. I’ve really liked how Ty Blanding has been playing recently. Hope he is back. Maybe not a starting level DT, but someone who can absolutely be in the rotation.
16. I mentioned Hansen before and let me say: he was very good. His best game for Penn State, pretty easily. But I watch Cam Wallace’s touchdown run and that’s just not a run Hansen can make. The way Wallace was shot out of a cannon and exploded past the Washington defenders. Almost reminded me of another 26 against these Huskies…
17. Good times. Good times.
18. My thoughts on Taylor Mouser’s play call on 4th & 7 in the 3rd quarter.
19. All jokes aside, Mouser thought Washington was bringing pressure. If they do, you have a numbers advantage on the outside. When the Huskies didn’t bring pressure, that’s what happens.
20. Trick plays fall into two categories: if it works out, it’s a great call. If it doesn’t, what an absolute BOZO move.
21. If there was a camera on me when Demond Williams somehow escaped pressure and converted that two-point conversion, I would have to issue a public apology for some of the things I said. Just maddening he was able to stay up and somehow complete that pass.
22. Great play on the ball for Ibn McDaniels’ interception. When the Washington receiver had him by the leg and Jamison Patton was asking for him to toss him the ball, I was JUST WAITING for something bad to happen. A bad toss? Another Washington player coming and swiping the ball away?
23. We were so close to it too!
24. This is one of those games you watch back and even though I know how it ends, I still think Washington is going to win. The second half was just so easy for them offensively.
25. When it was 28-25, it wasn’t a question of “Can Penn State hold on?” or “Will this game go to overtime?” It was “How quickly will Washington get the ball back?” and “Will they score just one more TD or two?”
26. Lucky for us we have great humans in that locker room who faced adversity, showed their belief, and grew forward!
27. Seriously, I wish it was a better second half as it was a terrible experience to go through, but I do not and will not apologize for wins. Penn State found a way, when in so many games this season, they haven’t.
28. Double seriously: it was kind of gross thinking if Penn State holds onto beat Wisconsin and doesn’t whiz down their leg in the 2nd half against Michigan, this is a 7-2 team that is ranked like 17th?
29. I don’t say that to inflate Penn State in a “this team isn’t that far off” way. I say that to point out just how dreadful some of these ranked teams are in college football this season.
30. Regardless, here’s to 8-4. Beat Minnesota. Beat Rutgers. Beat Maryland. Let’s sneak ourselves into the Top 25 and end the year with the same/or better record as Ohio State.
