Penn State relies on Rocco Becht’s poise on game-clinching drive [opinion]

SEATTLE – Matt Campbell experienced quite a day Saturday at Husky Stadium, starting when longtime Penn State radio analyst Jack Ham had a medical emergency and ending with a gutsy drive by the Nittany Lions.Campbell was visibly shaken about Ham. He was a bit angry when he was asked what it took for the Penn State offense to deliver the game-clinching march in a 28-25 victory over Washington after struggling in the second half.“Hopefully the writing on the quarterback (Rocco Becht) will be a lot better today than maybe it has been,” Campbell said seemingly out of nowhere. “The reality is that guy gives you poise. That’s why that guy is really special.“When it matters the most, that guy always gives you a chance to win the game. He has all year and he did it again today.”Becht’s calm leadership was vital in the fourth quarter when the Lions took over at their 25 with 7:40 and never gave the football back to the Huskies.Campbell has seen it before, watching Becht direct seven fourth-quarterback wins at Iowa State. On third-and-6 from the Penn State 29, he scrambled for 9 yards and absorbed a hit to the helmet by linebacker Jacob Manu.Wide receiver Chase Sowell interceded, bumping Manu, barking in his face and protecting his quarterback.“You have to protect our guys,” Sowell said. “I just didn’t like it. I was uncalled for to do that after the slide. I told those guys after the game I would do the same thing for a lot of you all, but I have to be smarter in that situation.”Later in the drive, after Carson Hansen’s 36-yard burst, Penn State faced second-and-8 from the Washington 10. Becht ran for 2, 5 and 2 yards on the next three plays to seal it.“I think we learned that from the Wisconsin game (a 24-20 loss after leading 20-3) and the games that have happened in the past,” linebacker Tony Rojas said. “And that’s just to have leaders like Rocco and guys on our defense being able to have composure in moments like that.”Becht and the Lions offense enjoyed their best half of the season when they took a 28-6 lead over Washington late in the second quarter. He was 11-for-17 for 193 yards and two TDs in the first half and finished 16-for-27 for 240 yards.“Rocco today was just money,” Sowell said. “Our connection was just flowing. He was starting to play confidently. He was starting to have fun out there. It was good to see 3 (Becht) running around and making plays.”Becht has received most of the fans’ blame for the offense’s poor overall performance. He threw poorly against Northwestern in a lopsided loss and struggled again in a home loss to USC.Then came a trip to Michigan, where he threw two interceptions and lost a fumble, three turnovers that cost Penn State in a 21-18 loss. He made mistakes that a fourth-year starter shouldn’t make.The Lions were 0-4 in the Big Ten and 3-4 overall, Fans were pushing for redshirt Alex Manske to replace Becht or at least get some snaps. Campbell wouldn’t budge.“I feel very convicted about Rocco,” he said two weeks ago. “There’s a lot of good football in there. When he’s at his best, he’s playing good football.”Becht played a workmanlike game in a 31-17 win over Purdue and was even better against Washington, especially with his leadership at the end.“I thought his experience and poise were unbelievable,” Campbell said.For the season, he’s completing 62.8% of his passes for 2,079 yards and 15 touchdowns with five interceptions. He’s fourth in the Big Ten in passing yards, sixth in touchdown passes and seventh in pass efficiency.And now he has a chance to lead Penn State to wins in their final five games and a respectable 8-4 record in a transition season.“That’s how you want to end games, just like that,” Becht said about the final drive. “Hopefully we can do that next week and for the rest of the season. We’re going to keep getting better.”