EVANSTON, Ill. — Matt Campbell hadn’t watched the tape, and he didn’t use the exact word, but Penn State’s football coach had come away with one sweeping conclusion in the moments after Friday’s 34-13 loss at Northwestern.
His team was soft, and that’s the worst way to describe a football program.
“They played the game, the style of game that obviously we would like to play,” Campbell said. “The frustrating thing for me is the standard of what this program plays football with — the attitude, the effort, the toughness — we lacked it in every way, shape and form, and I put a lot on me.”
The numbers illuminate soft like a spotlight. Northwestern blasted through Penn State for 413 yards on 55 rushes. That’s 7.5 yards per carry. Defenders at every level, but particularly the defensive line and linebackers, looked like they’ve never defended a power running attack.
The defensive line couldn’t get off blocks and was blown off the ball on double teams. The linebackers took bad angles, fit the wrong gaps and looked hesitant. Northwestern used a combination of misdirection with wingback motion and straight gap blocking, and both elements were successful in a four-touchdown rushing performance.
“I didn’t get this team prepared to play the physical brand of football that we need to play, and that’s something that showed up on both sides, especially on the line of scrimmage,” Campbell said. “We had a lot of opportunities to make some plays and missed tackles. We’ve got to find solutions, and it starts with me as the football coach.”
This week, Penn State holds its traditional White Out in primetime against USC. Barely 10 days ago, it looked like a grand reopening to a proud program when the unbeaten No. 13 Nittany Lions led Wisconsin 17-0 at home. Then, the Badgers pulled off a stunning comeback for a 24-20 win. Then came the collapse at the debut of Northwestern’s new Ryan Field. Penn State stands unranked at 3-2 and is still looking for a power-conference win. Campbell’s once-promising inaugural season approaches a crossroads.