It’s no secret that the Penn State offense has struggled through the first three games of the season, folks.

Yes, the Nittany Lions have scored 132 points, but the killer instinct and drive haven’t been visible so far from what should be one of the premier units in college football.

In Saturday’s win over Villanova, Penn State went 5 for 11 on third down. On the season, the Nittany Lions have only converted 14 of 36 third downs. The offense drives deep into enemy territory and automatically stalls, unable to generate a play to get in for six points.

However, Penn State’s stalled offense opened the opportunity for redshirt sophomore kicker Ryan Barker to show his consistency through non-conference play.

Barker has answered the call each time he’s been trotted out onto the field after some sort of offensive miscommunication or poor play keeps the Nittany Lions out of the end zone. He is 9 for 10 from field goal range on the season, and his one failed attempt was blocked as time expired in the first half against FIU in week two.

A good example of an instance where Penn State should have been able to punch the ball in came at the end of the first quarter and the beginning of the second against Villanova. The Nittany Lions forced a Wildcat punt all the way from the back of their own end zone, and the subsequent wayward punt gifted Penn State possession at Villanova’s 32-yard line.

Drew Allar’s pass to Trebor Peña on 3rd-and-6 was broken up by Villanova defensive back Jamie Tyson, forcing Penn State to settle for the field goal despite the quality field position to open the drive. Barker drilled the 45-yarder, however, and it didn’t stop there.

Tyson broke up another pass to Peña midway through the second quarter as Penn State drove all the way to Villanova’s 11-yard line. Barker was automatic from 28 yards out.

Allar missed a deep shot to Devonte Ross at the start of the third quarter. Barker drilled the 42-yard field goal.

Throughout all of the offensive inconsistency and trouble, Barker’s overall performance in 2025’s non-conference slate has built a lot of confidence and trust throughout the team for whenever things get hairy down the line.

“I think Ryan Barker has been really consistent and positive all year for us. That’s going to be important for us,” Franklin said.

Franklin has reiterated through the end of the season that he knows the special teams unit as a whole can heavily influence game outcomes, often referencing last season’s win over Minnesota. With Barker’s development and steadiness at kicker, Franklin knows he can rely on him whenever the offense can’t finish the job.

“You’d like to score more touchdowns, and I know that’s what Andy Kotelnicki’s in there talking to them about right now,” Franklin said postgame. “But, these field goals that everybody kind of takes for granted when the guy just runs out there, trots out there on the field, they’re going to win us a game. At some point this year, they’re going to win us a game.”

Redshirt senior punter Gabe Nwosu also highlighted Barker’s importance to the special teams unit and team as a whole after Saturday’s win over Villanova.

“Consistency. He’s been our guy for over a year now,” Nwosu said. “Being able to know that we get three points every single time we step on the field when he goes in for a field goal, it’s big for us.”

Barker’s role in the special teams unit rolls back to last season when he won the starting kicker job over Sander Sahaydak ahead of Penn State’s October game against UCLA. From that point forward, Barker established himself as the man for the job, converting 15 of 18 field goals in 14 games on the season. He even kicked the game-winner in Penn State’s overtime thriller over USC, which really made him a household Penn State name.

With that experience under his belt, Barker is proving ever more important for the Nittany Lions as they head into their first bye week of the season and as Big Ten play looms over the horizon. Barker’s continued consistency and reliability will be pivotal to Penn State’s success as the program moves forward and the season rolls on.