A slump is an understatement for Penn State football quarterback Rocco Becht’s performance over the past two games.

The senior signal-caller completed 38-of-70 passes for 357 yards against Wisconsin and Northwestern. He’s thrown just one touchdown and three interceptions in that span.

“Rocco certainly needs to be better, and we can continue to pound away at that, and Rocco would be the first one to say it,” Matt Campbell said on Tuesday.

However, Campbell quickly acknowledged that pass protection and the run game have hurt Becht’s ability to play in a “rhythm.”

Offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser has also failed to dial up scheme-beating calls to help his quarterback.

“I think the past two weeks have just been a little off for us, and I know that [the coaches] are putting a great plan together for this week for me to get into a great rhythm, not just me, but the whole offense,” Becht said.

Campbell, Becht, and the rest of the offense face a predicament after dropping their first Big Ten games. What is this offense’s identity?

So far this season, it hasn’t been able to move the ball on the ground in conference play, totaling just 167 yards in two games.

Meanwhile, the passing attack has been completely out of sync since Koby Howard’s disappearance from the lineup after an injury sustained against Buffalo in Week 3.

“It goes back to the identity of our football team, or lack thereof right now, of having the identity we want to have and expect to have, and we have to work really hard to get back right now,” Campbell said.

Specifically, the Nittany Lions are stressing the fundamentals in their week of preparation leading up to Saturday’s White Out against No. 19 USC.

Becht emphasized the importance of maximizing post-practice throwing reps with his receivers after every session.

“I think it’s just losing focus on [the basics] in certain areas of the season when things are going well, or when you think you’ve got it. I think sometimes you can lose it, and so I think for me, it’s getting back to it,” Becht said.

Mentally, however, Becht is leaning on the adversity he faced at Iowa State.

During the 2024 season, the then-undefeated Cyclones dropped back-to-back games to Kansas and Texas Tech, but won out to secure a bid to the Big 12 Championship Game.

In 2025, Iowa State lost four straight conference games by a combined score of 127-93. Still, Becht and company salvaged the season by winning their last three games to finish 8-4.

“From the second the game ends to the second the next game starts, you see his leadership,” offensive lineman Cooper Cousins said. “So super grateful that he’s in that locker room with us, and he does a phenomenal job leading us.”

Cousins knows better than anyone how to turn a season around.

The right guard was on Penn State’s 2025 team that suffered a massive meltdown, losing six straight games after a 3-0 start. But the Nittany Lions won their last three games and beat Clemson 22-10 in the Pinstripe Bowl.

“No matter what, you know, no, no matter what adversity you’re going through, whatever hard times you’re going through, you can’t have a poor me mentality,” Cousins said. “You have to grab your lunch pail, go back to work.”

Going forward, the fifth-year quarterback must be the thermostat, not the thermometer. Becht has to set the standard as a passer and elevate his team each game, regardless of the surrounding circumstances.

The thermostat’s top priority during Saturday’s White Out will be to crank up the Nittany Lions’ confidence.

“I think we just have to get our swagger back and walk around like we’re the best person at that position,” Becht said. “We just got to be able to have fun, and you know, like I said, bring that swagger back.”