Penn State drops to 3-3 after 31-23 White Out loss to No. 19 USC

Penn State had the White Out crowd behind it Saturday night and still could not hold on, losing 31-23 to No. 19 USC at Beaver Stadium. The Nittany Lions are now 3-3. USC improved to 6-1.

The result started a round of postgame evaluations from the outlets that cover the program. On3's Blue-White Illustrated published a position-by-position report card, and its staff described Penn State as faltering late. Nittany Lions Wire picked out two players who held up their end: tight end Andrew Rappleyea and linebacker Tony Rojas.

Rappleyea was part of Penn State's first big decision of the night. On the opening drive, the Lions went for it on fourth-and-1 deep in USC territory, and the call went to the tight end, who caught a touchdown pass for the game's first points. Christopher Sheppard of Nittany Lions Wire conceded that Rappleyea's final numbers would not stand out on a stat sheet. Sheppard's argument was that the tight end delivered every time the offense needed him, and that Penn State will have to lean on him if it wants to stay competitive in the Big Ten.

On defense, Rojas again carried most of the load. He led the team in tackles for another week, finishing with 10, and recorded the only full sack of USC quarterback Jayden Maiava. Nittany Lions Wire called Rojas the one defender who has stayed consistently locked in, and suggested USC might have pulled away without him. That assessment points to a larger problem. The defense has one player opponents have to account for every snap, and the support around him has not been steady enough to close out a ranked opponent.

The loss leaves Penn State at .500 halfway through the season under coach Matt Campbell, with no ranked win to show for it. USC heads home with one of the bigger road results on its résumé so far and stays in the conference race at 6-1.

The schedule does not get easier. Penn State plays at Michigan next Saturday, and the market expects the Lions to lose again. Michigan is favored at -223 on Novig, one of the venues listing the game, and the best sportsbook price on the Wolverines is -225 at DraftKings. Both numbers put Penn State's chances of an upset at roughly three in 10. Prices for the matchup are on the Penn State at Michigan game page.

To change that outlook, Penn State needs more than one reliable player on each side of the ball. The early fourth-down touchdown to Rappleyea showed the offense can be aggressive and finish drives. Rojas showed the defense can disrupt a quarterback. What the Lions have not shown, against USC or earlier in the year, is that they can do it for four quarters. A third loss in seven games would push them further out of the Big Ten picture before October is over.