Penn State football got off to a slower start than expected on Saturday when it traveled to Philadelphia to take on Temple. Facing adversity early in the season, especially on the road, is perhaps just what the doctor ordered.

Out-of-conference road trips don’t come around all that often for Penn State. Including the Owls, it’s played just five such games since 2015.

But when the time for a September road trip does come, Matt Campbell knows that the opportunity for growth cannot be wasted.

It was an undoubtedly shaky performance for the blue and white compared to the team’s matchup with Marshall just one week ago. The offense couldn’t generate much of anything in the first half and struggled mightily in the red zone.

Nonetheless, the Nittany Lions banded together in critical moments to generate momentum, a testament to a strong leadership group and veteran presence.

A prime example of this came courtesy of Rocco Becht, a leader by example on the field today. Becht fired off 12 consecutive completions after going 1-for-4 to start the game, using his energy and flow to propel the team.

Becht noted that two-minute situations, like the one resulting in a Benjamin Brahmer touchdown at the end of the first half, is an area of the game he feels particularly comfortable in.

“[The pass-catchers] are continuing to make great catches down the field, and the running backs are continuing to make blocks in the pocket, and continuing to make great runs, and everyone’s feeding off [it],” Becht said.

The Penn State signal caller was involved in a big moment later in the game as well, this time because of what happened after the play.

Temple safety and former Penn State football player Kolin Dinkins trucked Becht late and out of bounds, prompting an animated response from Becht’s teammates on the sideline. It was the first personal foul committed against Penn State this season, and the Nittany Lions took particular offense to it.

While Campbell believes that maintaining a sense of composure is important, he was pleased to see his team show some color when it came to defending its quarterback.

“I think it’s just another example of our kids sticking up for each other,” Campbell said. “The reality of it is that we are a team. We want to be the best team we can possibly be.”

Defensive end Yvan Kemajou was one of the players on the sideline when Rocco was hit. He mentioned that protecting Becht will always be a priority for the whole team and was pleased with the overall chemistry and sense of togetherness.

“We all stayed together. We all took energy off each other,” he said. “We’re always gonna be behind the back of our quarterback.”

As Becht continues to excel, throwing for over 250 yards and three touchdowns in his second consecutive week, he looks forward to watching the team build on one another’s success heading into Week 3.

It’s clear that Penn State still has a lot of work to do. But behind Becht’s leadership and that of Campbell, bumps in the road are welcomed challenges.