Penn State football’s offense played its best game since non-conference play in the Nittany Lions’ 31-17 win over Purdue on Saturday. The Nittany Lions relied heavily on a breakout game from running back Cam Wallace on the ground, but the passing game did its job, too.

Quarterback Rocco Becht completed 16 passes for 175 yards and one touchdown. Without star wideouts Koby Howard and Chase Sowell, tight ends Benjamin Brahmer and Andrew Rappleyea were the team’s leading receivers.

“They continue to get open, and I got to be able to find ways to just put a ball on them. … Definitely working on those throws with those guys. But I think the chemistry, other than that, just us being on the same page, is there. Just we got to be able to catch and throw,” Becht said Tuesday.

Rappleyea and Brahmer followed a pretty similar stat line against the Boilermakers. They both reeled in four catches for 45 and 59 yards, respectively. Rappleyea scored in the first quarter to earn Penn State’s first opening-drive touchdown of the season.

Becht looked and played a lot less flustered in Week 9 than he did through Penn State’s initial run of Big Ten games. He and Rappleyea, specifically, have shown a solid connection, which is a little surprising considering Brahmer and Gabe Burkle spent time with Becht at Iowa State before moving to Happy Valley.

“I think both of those guys have done tremendous jobs, but obviously [Rappleyea’s] been in this conference. I think just for him, he’s been able to find holes and been able to get open, and he’s usually just the first read in my progression, and Ben’s usually that second or third read,” Becht said. “It’s not really looking at a certain guy … [Rappleyea] just continues to make plays and get first downs for us.”

Brahmer leads Rappleyea by 39 receiving yards this season, but the returning Penn State tight end has three more receptions. They’ve both reeled in three touchdowns so far.

Their almost mirrored statistics show they work alongside each other. Nobody is worried about being better than the other or producing more.

The tight end unit is well-run and focused on doing its job to put the team in the best position to succeed, especially after Becht played so poorly to open conference play. The tight ends needed to step up.

“Working on each other’s game, giving each other tips on Saturdays in the game. Me and [Rappleyea] talk a lot about what we see on the field of each other, and when we come off the field and even in practice, we like to make each other better,” Brahmer said. “That’s kind of how we’ve been improving throughout this year and creating that chemistry.”

Brahmer was one of the players to call out Penn State’s lack of physicality in practice after the Northwestern game. He didn’t blame the loss on it, but the Nittany Lions were dominated on both sides of the ball.

That shift seems to have made a difference based on Penn State’s performances in the following weeks.

Pair Brahmer’s assertion with Rappleyea’s fiery personality and physical playstyle, and it’s safe to assume both players really relied on each other to grow forward after the early-conference adversity.

“It’s kind of just a little changeup in the tight end room. Just having him [Rappleyea], just a different mentality and a different personality,” Brahmer said. “Me and Gabe [Burkle] are kind of quiet guys who are just going to continue doing our job every day … One thing he does really well is he always looks for the worst possible look on defense that we’re going to see, and it’s good for us to see that. He’s a hard worker, and it’s always fun to hang out with him every day in the tight end room and hear what he has to say.”

Rappleyea’s deep inclusion in the offense is critical as Penn State heads into its final stretch of games and barrels toward bowl eligibility. He went through the same situation last year and knows what it takes to don the blue and white with a postseason appearance on the line.

If he, Brahmer, and Burkle can continue meshing and carve out their place with Becht, Penn State seems to be in a good spot.

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