UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – For the 58th time in Penn State, the Nittany Lions will be attending a bowl game.
The style they did it was in dominant fashion in all three phases of the game in a 42-14 win over Minnesota.
Here is everything Penn State head coach Matt Campbell said after the game.
Opening statement
Obviously, just thank you to our fans. Their support through the weather, sticking with this football team — even our shirtless guys out there. They get a lot of credit. I really appreciate our fan base certainly sticking with us.
With that said, all the questions you guys might have for us.
On Carson Hansen’s production and injury
I think he’ll be all right. I don’t think it’s a significant injury, but we’ll certainly know more probably earlier this week about his availability next week.
Honestly, this guy is the same guy all the time. I think it was more the people around him than it was Carson early in the season, and just consistently getting the running game to where we needed it to get to.
Again, trying to put together the five offensive linemen, finding the consistency — what do they do best? — and trying to work through that. That’s been a work in progress, but we got there. Credit to the players, credit to our staff.
Obviously, my belief in Carson Hansen [unclear phrase]. What he’s been about, what he stands for — man, I thought he was unbelievable. Obviously, it stinks that he got banged up because it had a chance to be a really powerful game for him, for sure.
On winning three straight games and the seniors’ leadership
I don’t think I’ve wavered from my belief in what this football team could become and who they were. I think there’s been a lot that this group, coaching staff included, has had to work through to kind of just navigate this whole trip.
I said it from the beginning that we weren’t going to shortcut this process. We weren’t going to try to win at all costs. We were going to try to build the right foundation, and we were going to do it the right way.
I think this group’s got a chance to put a powerful statement together. In college football, there are so many ebbs and flows, and the ability to just stay with it. I still believe since the Northwestern game, this group’s consistently gotten better every week, and it took another huge step forward tonight.
I think it says a lot about the seniors, who we get an opportunity next week, on Senior Day, to honor. Whether they stayed here [unclear passage] or whether they came here to finish their career here at Penn State, I think what they’ve stood for, that’s the reason why we’re sitting here today with a three-game winning streak.
If that group wavers, I don’t think you have any shot. They demanded to find a way forward. They demanded to fix and help fix some of the problems that were occurring, and that group deserves all the credit.
We get a chance to make it a really special week for them next week.
On the decision to put Alex into the game and his performance
The question also asked whether Rocco was OK after appearing to limp. Campbell did not directly address his condition in the supplied answer.
I thought Alex did a great job. We were toying with probably doing it a hair earlier, but the flow of the game was still a little goofy. I felt like we hadn’t kind of put a nail in the coffin yet in terms of what we wanted to do.
But I just felt like it was time. Time was running down. I thought it was a great opportunity to get him in, [unclear phrase regarding the offensive line], and have the opportunity to go play.
I thought he really did a great job executing. A small sample size, but obviously that small sample size is a plus. For that kid, what he’s been through this year, to be honest with you, to throw his first touchdown pass and to be able to go and execute the way he did, I thought that was awesome.
On becoming a team and learning through adversity
We had to become a team. We were a group of players and a group of coaches that were kind of trying to find our identity. I know there were some guys that came with us, some guys that we inherited, some guys that have been at Penn State. But the reality of it is, we had to create a real team, and we had to create the culture and the identity that we wanted to play with.
I think we know what that needs to look like. To be honest with you, I know I said it a million times in the preseason: We needed real adversity. Then we had to decide if we wanted to work through it or we wanted to fracture away from each other.
Our society right now, in the world that we live in today, says that you should complain, point your finger and blame everybody else. But this group chose to stay together and find solutions and work through it.
Again, we’ll see where this group ends. We still have eight guaranteed quarters left. Where do we end this season? Who do we become? Can we continue to grow and get better? I think there are still great challenges for us.
We’ve made great steps forward, which is awesome, but I think there’s still a lot for this football team to decide: who it wants to be and how it wants to finish.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.On what a strong finish can mean for the program’s future
I think, again, the identity of how we want to play football here is really important. Those are things from our end in terms of the style we want to play, the resiliency we want to have, the character that we want to embody on the football field. All those things matter.
We’ve worked really hard trying to lay those foundations, and we’re going to continue to work really hard to lay those foundations. I think that’s more important than even a win or a loss. It’s how we do it.
You earn the right to win football games, and this group is certainly doing those things right now.
On the flag presentation and Military Appreciation Night and Matthew Parker
Obviously, Matthew’s family, and certainly his father, what they stand for, the service that they’ve given to our country, the impact that family has made on Penn State football — and honestly, I think Matthew’s recognition of it — the opportunity for him to be able to do that was really special.
It’s great that you wear all of these things, but understanding why is most important. I think, obviously, a really powerful week. For Matthew to be able to do that for his family and to be able to understand why his family is so important to who we are, and certainly what they have sacrificed for our country, is awesome.
On Minnesota’s travel situation and keeping his team focused
For a little bit last night. Again, I feel like you’re in my meetings in the evening. Maybe you have a plant somewhere.
Our 18- to 22-year-olds, it’s like Gossip Central, right? I got to that pregame meal or dinner last night, and you could feel like everybody was gossiping about what was going to happen.
At least talking to Pat last night, it sounded like everything was going to be a go. So, in our team meeting last night, it was kind of like, listen, you can worry about everybody else.
My respect for Coach Fleck is through the roof. If anybody was going to get his team to use that as their advantage, P.J. is the guy that would do it, right? They’ve got a great culture. They believe in the team, and we knew we would get their best shot, especially early in the football game.
My warning for our football team was, you better worry about yourself. Our whole mantra this past week is, greatness in life is not overcoming [unclear word]; greatness in life is overcoming yourself. We’ve got a lot of areas where we’ve got to overcome ourselves, especially after last week.
I think it was just another great example of, don’t worry about everybody else. Worry about ourselves and get ourselves ready to go play.
On the defensive front and Alex McPherson’s development
I thought the defensive line did a great job. I think that group continues, especially, I would say, the last three or four weeks coming off that bye. Again, the opportunity to sit back: What does that group do best, and how do we help that group be its most efficient self?
I give a lot of credit to Coach [name unclear] and Coach [name unclear]. I think they did a great job evaluating that. I think we made some of the right changes, and I think that group continues to play really good football. Alex is certainly a good piece of that.
It was a great sack tonight. I think he’s been really disruptive. He’s had some great pass rushes. It was great for him to be able to get home.
I think Alex continues to play great football, and [name unclear] continues to play really good football. The interior piece of that D-line doesn’t get enough credit because it’s not always going to be tackles. But I thought, man, they were vertical and did a great job [unclear phrase regarding the line of scrimmage].
On Benjamin Brahmer’s performance and potential
The question referenced Brahmer’s two touchdown catches, his potential at the next level and the possibility of this being his final season.
Well, we don’t know if it’s his last year.
Ben is one of those guys that I’ve been fortunate to be a part of his journey since really coming out of high school. Ben comes from an unbelievable family. There’s a guy that was a state champion in high school, played for his father, was an elite athlete, and a guy that just never shocks me in terms of what he does.
I think his talent, his level of excellence, is as high as he wants to take it. Ben’s an elite worker. He doesn’t say a word. He’s a guy that comes out, he’s the same guy every single day at practice, and he only continues to showcase his God-given talent every time he gets the opportunity to do it.
We’re really proud of him. I thought he was outstanding tonight.
