Penn State football finally got its first Big Ten win of the 2026 season and first victory since Sept. 19 vs. Buffalo. The Nittany Lions (4-4, 1-4 Big Ten) pulled out their 31-17 win on Saturday over Purdue without two of their top receivers: Koby Howard and Chase Sowell.
Non-conference play was the last time Howard was out on the field for the blue and white. He suffered a lower body injury in that Week 3 contest vs. the Bulls and was initially expected to return to action around Week 6 or 7. Howard's return date was pushed back past the bye week, though, and head coach Matt Campbell said he was hopeful for the wideout to be back for Week 9 vs. the Boilermakers. Once more, Howard's return got bumped back.
Howard was listed as questionable heading into Saturday's game.
As for Sowell, his name popping up on the midweek injury report was surprising. He had a few injury scares against USC and Michigan before the bye, but returned to the game both times it happened. There weren't any serious concerns over Sowell's availability up until Week 9, which raised even more questions about how quarterback Rocco Becht could get the pass game going without at least one of these wide receivers.
There were three possibilities with Howard and Sowell: Both playing against Purdue, one being available for the game, or neither seeing action. The latter was true for Saturday.
Penn State can operate without Koby Howard and Chase Sowell, but Rocco Becht can't
Luckily for Becht and Penn State's pass game, the run game actually took a huge step forward and led the Nittany Lions to victory. Campbell pivoted from senior and Iowa State transfer Carson Hansen, giving Cam Wallace an opportunity. Wallace ran for 135 yards and one touchdown on 22 touches, averaging 6.1 yards per rush. Hansen still saw some action with 17 carries for 96 yards and one score, but Wallace had the standout game for Penn State.
Tight ends Benjamin Brahmer and Andrew Rappleyea led the receivers with 58 and 45 yards, respectively, on four catches apiece. Rappleyea also tacked on a receiving touchdown. Not including the Nittany Lions' trick play on special teams, Penn State had just 175 yards in the air and one passing touchdown. Becht was 16-of-24 (67 completion percentage) and had a 141.7 passer rating.
The Nittany Lions managed without Howard and Sowell, but how sustainable is that really in this final stretch of the season? Not very.
Following Penn State's victory, Campbell spoke with reporters and said that both receivers are "close" to returning. "Close" is as good as Campbell will tell, and hopefully that means Week 10 at Washington.
Matt Campbell says Chase Sowell and Koby Howard are both “close” to playing.
— Audrey Snyder (@audsnyder4) October 31, 2026
While Wallace and the run game did their job on Saturday, the blue and white can't be one dimensional. As for Becht, he had a steadier game that kept the pass game relatively clean. However, he has yet to prove this season that he can sustain that kind of stability under center even when he had at least one of those receivers available.
Without Howard or Sowell, there's no primary pass catcher. The tight end trio, including Gabe Burkle, certainly play their role and play it well, but Becht can't spread the offense around in the pass game like he can when there's a top wideout in the mix. Relying on the run game is one way to overcome that, but Penn State won't stack wins in the Big Ten with just that alone and a bleak pass game isn't acceptable long-term. No pass catcher eclipsed even 60 yards on Saturday.
Campbell's definition of "close" is isn't entirely clear, though hopefully that means within the next two weeks. The Nittany Lions need at least one wide receiver back for the Huskies on the road and ideally both by the time Week 11 vs. Minnesota rolls around.
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