SEATTLE, Wash. – Penn State head coach Matt Campbell got his first Big Ten conference road win as the Nittany Lions defeated Washington 28-25.
Here is everything Campbell said postgame:
Opening statement
I want to start off, and obviously, as news continues to break, everybody knows this was a gut-wrenching day for Penn State football with Jack Ham. Obviously, a really tough situation as we got off the buses here.
First of all, I think we should all know Steve Jones and the heroic effort [he made for] somebody he loves dearly. If it’s not for Steve and what he did, I don’t know if we would have as good a news as we do right now.
I also want to thank the University of Washington, their athletic director, their emergency team. They were incredible. They were outstanding.
Jack is in stable condition right now. Obviously, the emotion of that — what I was really proud of [was] our football team. We talked about it a little bit before we went out to the game, just the courage of our kids to play with what Jack Ham means to Penn State football, how that guy played the game, how that guy still, to this day, serves our football program.
It was awesome to be able to go win the football game for him and his family. Our thoughts and prayers will continue to be with him on a full recovery.
With any questions you have for me, obviously I don’t have much more on Jack, but anything else about the game or where I can help, I would certainly answer.
On holding the ball for the final 7:40 after the offense struggled in the second half
I think the first thing was poise, right? If I’d say where we made great growth today — hopefully the writing on the quarterback will be a lot better today than maybe it has been — but the reality is that guy gives you poise.
That’s why that guy’s really special. When it matters the most, that guy always gives you a chance to win the game. He has all year, and he did it again today.
I thought his veteranness, his poise, did an unbelievable job in that critical moment. I thought our kids had the ability to reset.
I was glad there was a timeout. Obviously, that was a frustrating situation on the personal foul, but equally, I don’t know if it should have got to that point. But I thought our kids had the ability to refocus.
Again, the running game, I think we’re making really good strides. You continue to see that grow forward. I think you see the type of team we want to be, where we want to take this program and continue to be. That does still travel, right? The ability to run the football and play defense travels. I think that’s why we win the football game.
But to be able to end it on our terms when everything was going against us, and have the poise and some [unclear word] about ourselves to reset ourselves and win the moment, that was awesome to see.
On a closing drive serving as a building block that also produces a win
There were some things I really didn’t like in the second half, I’ll be honest with you. There were some things where I thought there was a lack of poise by some young players on the sideline when things were turning.
I think when you can put the videotape on and you say, “Watch No. 3. Watch zero. Watch 68. Watch 21.” Man, it may be not going good for a second, but watch how they carry themselves, and they never waver.
Those are videotape evidence of, “This is who we’re going to be, and this is where we’re going.” You’re either with us or you’re not.
That’s the great thing about college football. You don’t have to be here for very long, right? You’ve got to choose. This is the standard, this is the expectation, and this is where we’re going.
To have some of those positive moments — just like last week, you saw Cam Wallace. We got to see Ivan McDaniels again today. Those are videotape evidence of, “The head coach is saying these things. I hear you.” Now we’ve got videotape proof of it happening in a positive way.
I do think, obviously, we’re not naive. You have to have some of those transactional positives happen for you.
It’s great to win a football game where everything was going against us a little bit. Very reminiscent of the Wisconsin game a little bit. Great to be able to catch ourselves and win the game.
On lessons from the Wisconsin game that helped against Washington
I think, first of all, as a head football coach, lead. Don’t sit back and just assume it’s going to happen. I put that as much on anybody else as me.
I thought the biggest thing for me was trying to help our guys regain their poise. Don’t just want them to have poise. Go lead them to have some poise and help them get through it.
I think that was my biggest undertaking: I could have been better in some of those moments. You’re kind of just trying to scheme your way to the finish line. That ain’t it.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.Go make a difference. Be the leader that they need you to be. Hopefully I was able to be a little bit better today than I was against Wisconsin.
On Garrett Sexton playing in the second half in place of Malachi Goodman
Malachi’s been dinged up. We knew if we could play him early, that would be really positive. We just didn’t know how long he could go.
Really, that was kind of what went into that with Malachi. He was not at full strength. I think we knew he would be able to give us some. How much could he give us?
Garrett really had a great week of practice. So proud of Garrett. I thought he did a really good job. I think it’ll be great to watch the videotape, but it wasn’t anything Malachi did. It was just his physical health.
On whether he told the team about Jack Ham before the game
We talked about it before the game. I was able to get right up there, and I just felt it was critical for our kids to understand what was going on.
On Carson Hansen’s patience and production over the past two games
I would say, too, a little bit is I think we helped him schematically, trying to pair the offensive line to what our tailbacks do best.
Again, there was a little bit of that: You’re trying to find an answer. But I think once we said, “Let’s get good at something. Let’s get a foundation for these backs to get north and south and let this offensive line have some confidence in what they’re doing,” I think that really helped us.
I think when you do that as the running back — Carson’s always been a player, the more he goes in a game, the better he gets. I think every great running back I’ve ever coached, that’s kind of the case, right?
I feel like him and Cam both are in a situation where they’re playing with a lot of confidence right now.
It’ll be interesting to go back and watch the game film. I thought the offensive line in the running game really did a great job blocking. I thought the tight ends were really good as well.
On the trip to Seattle and the support for Penn State so far from home
The first thing was we didn’t have to come in a train, right? Because I think they had to come in a train the first time. That part was solid.
But I think these are great moments to be able to spend as much time [together]. We got out here on Thursday, which I thought was really awesome.
I think the power of that energy in the crowd, and the amount of our fans that traveled here and our alumni that came around to be around our team and program, it makes it really special to represent this program.
I’ve said that from the day I’ve gotten here: It’s an honor to be the head football coach here. You know what you represent.
I think days like today, being this far away from home and having such a great crowd being there, and to watch our football team keep growing forward the way we believe this program needs to grow forward — those are real positives for us.
On Yvan Kemajou and Audavion Collins missing portions of the second half, and the players who stepped in
I will certainly check on that. [Unclear wording about whether either player was unable to play because of his health.] I think we were trying — maybe kind of how some of the rotations naturally happened.
I’ll probably have more for you, Greg, on that on Tuesday. I don’t want to misspeak today.
But when you talk about McDaniels again, what a great play he makes. Better ball security at the end, but what a great play he makes. Had a really great tackle in the game.
I just feel like we’re growing in a lot of different areas, and it’s awesome to watch the growth happen.
Obviously, everybody wants the growth to happen instantaneously, but the reality is we are starting to become a real football team, and that part’s exciting.
But we’ll see if we can continue that. Do we have the leadership and the character to continue to move this thing in the right direction?
We’ve got some great opportunities. That starts back at home next week.
