Penn State’s 34-13 loss at Northwestern on Friday, Oct. 2, delivered its second straight defeat, and Matt Campbell accepted responsibility for the performance.

Northwestern’s misdirection running game and physicality overwhelmed Penn State, which fell to 3-2 after opening 3-0. The Nittany Lions again got uneven play from quarterback Rocco Becht.

The loss puts Penn State’s early footing in the Big Ten at risk. USC arrives at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, Oct. 10, with Campbell needing to show that the physicality problem will not carry into a third straight game.

Campbell put the performance on himself afterward.

> “The attitude, the effort, the toughness, we lacked it in every way, shape and form tonight, and I put a lot on me. I put a lot on me because there’s somehow, some way that I didn’t get this team prepared to play the physical brand of football that we need to play.” > > — Matt Campbell

Penn State beat Marshall 45-0, Temple 27-9 and Buffalo 55-13 before losing 24-20 to Wisconsin on Sept. 26 and by 21 points at Northwestern. For a team that entered the season No. 22 in the preseason AFCA Coaches Poll after going 7-6 overall and 3-6 in Big Ten play in 2025, the turn has been abrupt.

The concern extends beyond one poor road performance. Some Penn State players said the short week after Wisconsin meant less physical work in practice before Northwestern, putting Campbell’s preparation under scrutiny after he said his team was not ready for the game Northwestern played.

Receiver Chase Sowell said the lack of physicality was not confined to Friday night.

> “Do I feel like that’s part of our identity and part of Penn State’s identity? Yes. So I would like to be more physical with everybody. That’s just the message of the team. We got outphysicaled tonight, and that’s not the standard of Penn State. We’ve got to be better for this place.” > > — Chase Sowell

Penn State kept Becht in the game and did not weigh a move to Alex Manske during the Northwestern blowout. Campbell has not said whether he will change quarterbacks against USC or use Manske in a future game.

That leaves a live decision entering USC. Becht’s uneven play over the Wisconsin and Northwestern losses has put the position in focus.

Campbell’s answer begins with the work Penn State does before USC: how much physical practice the staff uses after two losses, whether it adjusts the defensive response to misdirection and how it divides quarterback repetitions between Becht and Manske.

Campbell did not pin the loss on one position group. He said Penn State lacked attitude, effort and toughness across the board, making the response against USC larger than a quarterback call.

The quarterback question will draw the attention, but Penn State has to play with more discipline and force against the run. Northwestern’s misdirection running game and physicality overwhelmed Penn State.

Two losses after three decisive wins do not settle Campbell’s tenure. They do make USC a consequential test: Penn State needs a performance that looks prepared, tackles cleanly and keeps the Big Ten skid from growing.

Can Penn State handle misdirection? Watch whether the defense stays in position and responds to Northwestern’s misdirection running game.

Who plays quarterback in meaningful moments? Becht taking the offense throughout would keep the staff’s answer clear; Manske entering before the outcome is decided would change the conversation.

Does the physical play change? Tackling and the line of scrimmage will show whether Campbell’s challenge landed.

Penn State’s next task is plain: match USC’s physicality or risk letting two losses become the story of October.