Penn State football wide receiver Chase Sowell returned to the field on Saturday after missing Week 9 vs. Purdue due to injury. His unavailability paired with the continued absence of receiver Koby Howard proved damaging to the Nittany Lions' (5-4, 2-4 Big Ten) offense.
Against Purdue, quarterback Rocco Becht threw for 175 yards and one touchdown, completing 16-of-24 passes. Tight end Benjamin Brahmer had the most receiving yards with just 58. The run game powered the offense, but that wasn't sustainable through the rest of the season. Getting Sowell and/or Howard back was critical moving forward.
On Saturday, Sowell caught four passes for 125 yards and one touchdown. In just the first half alone, he had 89 yards and his one score on three catches, averaging 29.6 yards per reception.
Wide receiver Chase Sowell's return to action was much-needed for Penn State's pass game
Sowell was the pass catcher whose performance needed a leap once Howard was ruled out after sustaining an injury during Penn State's Week 3 win over Buffalo. It took a couple games, but the senior's production started matching what the offense needed to have any sort of momentum.
In Week 6 vs. USC, Sowell had four catches for 95 yards (23.8 average) then followed it up with an 151-yard and one-touchdown performance in Week 7 at Michigan. In both games, Sowell was banged up, but returned to action each time. Head coach Matt Campbell said after the bye heading into Week 9, though, that Sowell was questionable for that Saturday and eventually downgraded to out.
Becht went from 175 passing yards over four quarters to 193 through one half with Sowell's return. He didn't take any deep shots of 20-plus yards against the Boilermakers, but looked confident and accurate slinging it to the senior wideout and former Iowa State Cyclone on Saturday.
Rocco Becht airs it out to Chase Sowell for the @PennStateFball TD 🎯
— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) November 7, 2026
The Nittany Lions take a 28-6 lead heading into the second half 😤 pic.twitter.com/xDpDbusgBK
Sowell caught three passes of 20 or more yards, including a 45-yard touchdown reception that put Penn State up 21-3 in the second half and a one-arm, 36-yard grab on the second offensive drive in the third quarter. On that touchdown catch in the second quarter, Sowell found just enough separation to jump up and make the catch then twist his body to propel forward and break the plane for the score.
Without Sowell, Penn State's offense wouldn't have operated nearly as smoothly or effectively. He accounted for over half of the team's receiving yards (240 total). Tight end Benjamin Brahmer had the next-most at just 26 on four catches (9.0 average). Wideout Brett Eskildsen had the second-highest yards per catch with 17.5 (two receptions for 35 yards), but that doesn't even touch Sowell's 31.3.
Despite having only four receptions, too, those chunks plays were critical. Each of his catches gave Penn State another first down. They propelled the pass game and gave it the life it was missing in Week 9. Along those same lines, it's not a coincidence Becht looked more comfortable on Saturday than he did the week prior.
Sowell's absence showed just how necessary he, Howard, or both receivers are to this offense then Saturday confirmed it.
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