The preview of the week ahead is going to have a positive tone for the first time in what feels like forever. Penn State asserted its dominance over Purdue on Saturday night with a 31-17 win in front of its home crowd.
The game was still in the balance at halftime thanks to a couple of big mistakes by the Nittany Lions, but they thoroughly outplayed the Boilermakers in the second half. It was a breath of fresh air to see a game with very little stress and a ton of action for the offense.
It’s a great feeling to be back on the winning side of things, but there are still some issues to address and some players’ health to monitor. Here are five things to keep an eye on this week as Penn State gears up to play the Washington Huskies
Way to go, Rocco
Quarterback Rocco
Becht didn’t have a particularly notable game, only throwing for 175 yards and a touchdown. However, he’s been the most maligned players in the game recaps and weekly previews, so it’s only right that he gets some love this week.
The Nittany Lions ran the ball early and often on Saturday, so all they needed Becht to do was be efficient and take care of the ball. He did exactly that, finishing the game with a 66% completion rate and no turnovers.
Those are two areas that he struggled with massively during the four-game losing streak, so it will be interesting to see if he can keep it up. If he plays like that against Washington, then he’ll put the team in a great position to finish the season strong.
Injuries
Penn State fans should be well aware that wide receiver Koby Howard has been out for more than a month now. Unfortunately, wide receiver Chase Sowell is now injured right along with him.
It’s unclear what happened to the Iowa State transfer, as he was ruled out shortly before the game against Purdue with no explanation. Hopefully it’s nothing serious, because the passing game has been streaky since Howard went down, and the team can’t afford another long-term hit to the receiving core.
Keep an eye on Sowell and Howard throughout the week and see if coach Matt Campbell offers any updates on them.
Tricked yet again
Every time it looks like Penn State has the running back pecking order set in stone, the coaching staff goes and throws everyone for a loop. After running backs James Peoples and Carson Hansen spearheaded the group in the weeks leading into the bye week, it wasCam Wallace who led the charge against Purdue.
He looked to have more juice than anyone else the Nittany Lions have tried to run with. So, it will be worth watching the distribution of carries in practice this week and against the Huskies this weekend.
Settling in
It was not a great start to conference play for the Iowa State transfers on this team. Becht struggled, Hansen was inefficient on the ground and Sowell took a while to find his footing in the offense.
But they all turned the tide against Purdue — excluding Sowell since he was sidelined — and they’ll be under a microscope against Washington too. Were their excellent performances a product of the Boilermakers’ weak defense, or are they finally learning how to play in the Big Ten?
Perpetual motion
It felt like offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser made a concerted effort to use a lot of motion and misdirection against Purdue. It’s been part of the offense all season, but it was much more unique this past weekend, with multiple players motioning at once and motioning players away from the play.
He also deployed a lot more read options, and they clearly made it difficult for Purdue’s defense, as Penn State ran for 269 yards. It’s a solid addition to the offense, and it would be nice if it plays a part in future game plans.
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This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: 5 Penn State storylines to watch ahead of Week 10 game vs. Washington
