Quarterback Rocco Becht and the No. 16 Penn State football offense had a slow start to Saturday's game vs. Temple at Lincoln Financial Field, but the Nittany Lions ultimately came out on top, 27-9 against the Owls.
Becht is Penn State's calm, cool, and collected leader on offense. The first quarter was a rough showing for him and the offense as a whole, but it didn't define the entire game — it didn't even define the entire first half.
"We just weren’t able to execute in the red zone, and we made adjustments after the first quarter and at halftime," Becht said after the game. "We were able to come back and rally around one another."
Rocco Becht ➡️ Benjamin Brahmer for the first TD of the game right before halftime pic.twitter.com/Q38Xivmei7
— Always College Football (@AlwaysCFB) September 12, 2026
Rocco Becht quarterback grade for Week 2 win over Temple: B+
Average 2026 grade through Week 2: A-
Becht and the offense prevailed, but it doesn't completely erase those early blips. What stuck out in particular was that illegal forward pass penalty that, for the most experienced quarterback in the NCAA this season, is a mindless, unfocused mistake that could've been avoided.
The lack of red zone efficiency and urgency in that first quarter also make it difficult to push Becht into A territory this week. Those two failed attempts to score in the opening 15 minutes forced the Nittany Lions to finish the afternoon 50 percent in the red zone (2-of-4).
After a 56-yard pass to wide receiver Koby Howard, running back Carson Hansen couldn't match that explosiveness in the run game and a sack put the field goal unit on. Ryan Barker missed the 33-yard attempt. Now, those first drive mishaps aren't on Becht, but his illegal forward pass penalty pushed Penn State back from the four-yard-line to the nine-yard-line and made it a longer third-and-goal attempt than it was initially.
Becht then threw an incompletion on second-and-seven when he had the ball back in his hands on the Nittany Lions' second offensive drive and couldn't convert with his own legs on the ensuing third down, which forced Penn State to punt.
Closing out that first quarter, the Nittany Lions' run game, again, failed to produce; then Becht's incompletion to tight end Andrew Rappleyea, who was wide open but thrown too far right, forced a turnover on downs. A Tony Rojas interception set up that final first quarter drive at the Temple five-yard-line. Becht couldn't turn that into a touchdown, and that's disappointing.
Similar issues to red zone efficiency, late downs didn't go well for Becht on Saturday. Penn State was 50 percent in Week 1 on third down and the same again in Week 2. Against Marshall, it was 100 percent on fourth down and against Temple it was zero percent.
His ability to bounce back and persevere despite a poor first quarter shows Becht's leadership capabilities and experience at this level, but the weak areas need to see some improvement and the undisciplined mistakes can't continue, especially once Big Ten play rolls around.
Other than that first quarter, basically, Becht played solid. He made impressive throws, found his guys, and proved he and his fellow Iowa State transfers can make an impact sporting the blue and white jerseys. Becht finished 21-of-27 (78 completion percentage) for 268 yards, three touchdowns, and zero interceptions. He had a 71.6 quarterback rating to end the afternoon.
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