Penn State Game 6 Snap Counts vs. USC and Season Totals

Despite being the betting favorite and having the backing of a record-setting White Out crowd, Penn State dropped its third consecutive game to open Big Ten play on Saturday night against USC.

At the midpoint of the season, the Nittany Lions have dropped to .500, and personnel changes continue to be made as the team scrambles to find improvement.

Here’s a look at who played, and how much, in the game, per PFF (season totals in parentheses):

Quarterbacks

Rocco Becht – 64 (339)

Alex Manske – 0 (45)

Connor Barry – 0 (17)

Jack Lambert – 0 (1)

Becht remained the full-time starter despite calls for Manske to take over. He bounced back with a solid showing, completing 21 of 32 passes for 289 yards and a touchdown.

Running Backs

Carson Hansen – 45 (158)

James Peoples – 20 (131)

Quinton Martin Jr. – 0 (63)

Cam Wallace – 0 (45)

Amar’e Glover – 0 (4)

Hansen returned to the top of the room with 45 snaps, while Peoples took the other 20. Hansen rushed 14 times for 28 yards with a score.

Wide Receivers

Chase Sowell – 54 (295)

Brett Eskildsen – 49 (247)

Zay Robinson – 11 (96)

Amarion Jackson – 3 (50)

Koby Howard – 0 (94)

Karon Brookins – 0 (35)

Keith Jones Jr. – 0 (12)

Peyton Falzone – 0 (7)

Peter Gonzalez – 0 (2)

Sowell continued his ascension since the start of conference play, once again leading the team in receiving yards with a season-high 95, including two deep balls. Eskildsen also had a season-high with 70 receiving yards.

Tight Ends

Andrew Rappleyea – 53 (232)

Benjamin Brahmer – 47 (239)

Gabe Burkle – 28 (130)

Finn Furmanek – 8 (85)

Brian Kortovich – 0 (37)

Bobby Mears – 0 (30)

Logan Cunningham – 0 (18)

Rappleyea led the team with seven receptions, which went for 63 yards and a touchdown. Becht looked to him in short-yardage situations and critical downs. Brahmer added one catch to extend his streak to 18 games with a reception.

Offensive Line

Malachi Goodman – 64 (357)

Cooper Cousins – 64 (345)

Anthony Donkoh – 64 (345)

Trevor Buhr – 64 (344)

Brock Riker – 64 (306)

Garrett Sexton – 2 (49)

Vaea Ikakoula – 0 (91)

Donnie Harbour – 0 (45)

Chimdy Onoh – 0 (42)

Will Tompkins – 0 (31) – out for season

Owen Aliciene – 0 (21)

Henry Boehme – 0 (18)

Jim Fitzgerald – 0 (18)

Hunter Albright – 0 (8)

There were no changes among the starting five, but Riker finished out the game as opposed to last week when Ikakoula took over for him in the fourth quarter.

Defensive Line

Yvan Kemajou – 42 (212)

Alexander McPherson – 38 (157)

Ikenna Ezeogu – 35 (182)

Keanu Williams – 32 (211)

Siale Taupaki – 30 (182)

Armstrong Nnodim – 21 (98)

Caleb Bacon – 20 (161)

Dallas Vakalahi – 17 (117)

Ty Blanding – 16 (75)

Alijah Carnell – 6 (39)

De’Andre Cook – 0 (34)

Liam Andrews – 0 (25)

Jackson Ford – 0 (22)

Max Granville – 0 (22) – out for season

McPherson earned a second consecutive start at defensive end, while Ezeogu saw time in a rotational role. Bacon saw decreased playing time.

Linebackers

Tony Rojas – 56 (270)

Kooper Ebel – 46 (255)

Cael Brezina – 25 (127)

Alex Tatsch – 0 (81)

Cam Smith – 0 (17)

John Klosterman – 0 (4)

With Tatsch out, Penn State stuck with a three-man rotation, showing a lack of trust in the depth in the room.

Cornerbacks

Audavion Collins – 57 (265)

Zion Tracy – 55 (210)

Daryus Dixson – 52 (234)

Josiah Zayas – 51 (204)

Jahmir Joseph – 19 (148)

Ibn McDaniels – 0 (51)

Tyler Armstead – 0 (19)

Donte Nastasi – 0 (10)

Christian Askew – 0 (1)

The cornerback room was tested against a high-powered Trojan passing attack, which seemed to be targeting Joseph specifically early in the game. In order to increase coverage skills and speed in the secondary, Tracy was used in a safety role in place of Marcus Neal Jr.

Safeties

Jeremiah Cooper – 43 (226)

Jamison Patton – 43 (204)

Marcus Neal Jr. – 0 (168)

Vaboue Toure – 0 (73)

Xxavier Thomas – 0 (33)

Bryson Williams – 0 (16)

Tyrell Chatman – 0 (6)

Neal and Toure saw no snaps against USC in what would’ve been an unfavorable matchup for their play style. Instead, Cooper and Patton took on a heavier load, but they struggled at times.