Penn State finally found the dynamic, field-tilting wide receiver James Franklin was searching for in his final year in Happy Valley, and it was one of the players Franklin left behind: redshirt freshman Koby Howard. Yet, just as quickly as Howard emerged as WR1, he was lost to injury ahead of the Nittany Lions’ Big Ten opener in Week 4 against Wisconsin.
On Tuesday, head coach Matt Campbell announced that Howard was “dinged up” in the Week 3 win over Buffalo, and on Wednesday, he clarified that Howard “will be out for an extended period of time,” adding that this injury is not season-ending.
Through three games, Howard leads the team with 344 yards on 12 catches. He also added a 20-yard touchdown run on Saturday, which may have been the play he was injured on. Regardless, Howard will not suit up on Saturday evening as Penn State hosts the Badgers at Beaver Stadium.
The Penn State offense may look like Iowa State East now
This offseason, Penn State was accused of being Iowa State East. The biggest argument against the assertion that a roster that went 8-4 in the Big 12 last year wouldn’t contend in the Big Ten was that Campbell had inherited some high-level talent from Franklin’s final roster, including Howard and tight end Andrew Rappleyea.
Rappleyea was also injured on Saturday and is questionable for Week 4. If both miss the game, then former Cyclone quarterback Rocco Becht will likely need to lean heavily on his five leading receivers from last year, who all followed him to Happy Valley: Chase Sowell, Brett Eskildsen, Benjamin Brahmer, Gabe Burkle, and Carson Hansen.
Stepping up in Howard’s absence will also likely be a former Cyclone, Zay Robinson, who is Penn State’s primary return man and will take over the snaps in the slot. Sowell and Eskildsen will remain Penn State’s primary outside options, but former Iowa State offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser can also lean on another Iowa State transfer, Karon Brookins, or Amarion Jackson, a true freshman who flipped from the Cyclones to the Nittany Lions once Campbell was hired.
The run game is an even bigger focus with Howard out
Through the first two games of the season, Penn State’s run game caused quite a bit of consternation. Marshall and Temple both stacked the box to slow the Nittany Lions down on the ground, leading to explosive passing numbers, particularly when Becht targeted Howard. Still, getting the ground game going was priority No. 1 against Buffalo.
Largely, that mission was a success, with Quinton Martin Jr. rushing for 100 yards and four different players, including Howard, scoring on the ground. However, taking a major step up in competition this week, and doing so without the vertical threat that Howard constantly presents, will make it even more important that Penn State is balanced offensively.
Mouser prefers to lean on 12- and 13-personnel, which could become even more prevalent during Howard’s absence. So far, the primary benefit of those personnel packages has been the explosive passing game, as defenses have loaded up to stop the run; so Becht, Sowell, and Eskildsen must prove they can still connect over the top, or Mouser’s approach could be to his detriment.
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