Not hard to see Campbell is bulking up in the trenches like many have wanted for years...
- Thread starter Bwifan
- Start date
Except that they’ve let us down already, somehow. I’m sure of it.
We should start a pool choosing the date of the first "we deserve better" post. Death, taxes and entitled fans.Except that they’ve let us down already, somehow. I’m sure of it.
Lol you and rigi and others have been posting that daily since the day he was hired
I'm fine with Matt Campbell. PSU is fortunate to have him. Especially since Pat Kraft couldn't find his phone number to reach him earlier. I just find it amusing that he is virtually perfect in the eyes of so many.....and reality is what it is.
You have to remember that very few are good enough for people (who look) like us.
Comparison of PSU vs ISU historical defense against the run (for those who may have never seen Iowa State play)
ISU vs PSU (last 3 years of BGJ's tenure at PSU)
Rush Defense:
2022:
PSU 111 yards per game, 3.3 yards per carry
ISU 107 yards per game, 3.2 yards per carry
2023:
PSU 76 Yards per game, 2.3 yards per carry
ISU 134 Yards per game, 3.8 yards per carry
2024
PSU 102 Yards per game, 3.1 yards per carry
ISU 188 Yards per game, 5.3 yards per carry
Average:
PSU:
96 Yards per game 2.9 Yards per carry
ISU:
143 Yards per game 4.1 Yards per carry
2025 - FWIW:
PSU 142 Yards per game 4.1 Yards per carry
ISU 138 Yards per game 4.4 yards per carry
Of the new guys brought into the defensive line, none are bigger than Taupaki and Williams, the two DTs brought in from UCLA. A couple of older 6th year guys who carry 330 pounds or more.
UCLA had the worst rush defense in the Big Ten, aside from Rutgres.
They couldn't stop anybody.
ie, it is not as "simple" as lining up a bunch of the heaviest guys you can find.
ISU vs PSU (last 3 years of BGJ's tenure at PSU)
Rush Defense:
2022:
PSU 111 yards per game, 3.3 yards per carry
ISU 107 yards per game, 3.2 yards per carry
2023:
PSU 76 Yards per game, 2.3 yards per carry
ISU 134 Yards per game, 3.8 yards per carry
2024
PSU 102 Yards per game, 3.1 yards per carry
ISU 188 Yards per game, 5.3 yards per carry
Average:
PSU:
96 Yards per game 2.9 Yards per carry
ISU:
143 Yards per game 4.1 Yards per carry
2025 - FWIW:
PSU 142 Yards per game 4.1 Yards per carry
ISU 138 Yards per game 4.4 yards per carry
Of the new guys brought into the defensive line, none are bigger than Taupaki and Williams, the two DTs brought in from UCLA. A couple of older 6th year guys who carry 330 pounds or more.
UCLA had the worst rush defense in the Big Ten, aside from Rutgres.
They couldn't stop anybody.
ie, it is not as "simple" as lining up a bunch of the heaviest guys you can find.
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We are lucky to be playing football. Go Cylions, beat Buffalo!
Why don't we let them play a few games before claiming they can't stop the run?
Some won't believe stats placed right in front of their faces. This is excellent information but will be ignored by most
Campbell played a 3-man front at ISU and Lynn plays a traditional 4-4? You're comparing apples to oranges here. It's been noted that Campbell had trouble recruiting big bodies to ISU to play anything other than 1 DT.
In 2024 the defensive line had:
Coziah Izzard - 6'3" 305
Dvon J-Thomas - 6"1 305
Hakeem Beamon - 6'3" 296
It's not like Penn State hasn't had big bodies on the defensive line. And has produced multiple defensive ends that are making big money in the NFL. Not just Carter and Parsons.....Chop Robinson, Odafe Oweh, Arnold Ebiketie, Yetur Gross-Matos, Add Dani Dennis-Sutton and you have multiple D-ends that our previous coach who couldn't develop talent has on his resume as NFL-produced players
Coziah Izzard - 6'3" 305
Dvon J-Thomas - 6"1 305
Hakeem Beamon - 6'3" 296
It's not like Penn State hasn't had big bodies on the defensive line. And has produced multiple defensive ends that are making big money in the NFL. Not just Carter and Parsons.....Chop Robinson, Odafe Oweh, Arnold Ebiketie, Yetur Gross-Matos, Add Dani Dennis-Sutton and you have multiple D-ends that our previous coach who couldn't develop talent has on his resume as NFL-produced players
The 2024 d-line was fine and did an admirable job in most games, even against OSU until the last drive and most of the ND game. However, there was a big drop off last season mostly due to graduation, and the 2025 d-line as a whole simply was not heavy enough for Big 10 play. The d-ends in the last decade obviously have been a strength of the program and, as a group, probably have been as good or better than any other Big 10 team's d-ends in the last decade, including OSU's.
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Cignetti must not have understood football either. His dl was smaller than psu. One starter over 300 at 306. Only two dl over 300 at 302 and 306.
How many all Americans on the dline while BGJ was at PSU? Yet as you say they are all earning big money in the NFL... One might look at their development while at PSU or lack thereof
Most if not all of these players were d-ends and not d-tackles. Franklin did great with the d-ends, but the d-tackles under him mostly were just pedestrian, non-descript players.
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I didn't say anything about weight (try and keep up), my comment was about ability to actually know/coach football.
Unless this is sarcasm, you really are a special kind of stupid.
You really think Franklin was a good in game football coach... despite all evidence to the contrary?
I thought that he became better during his tenure here, but, no, he wasn't.
Oh I don’t know, as a 60 year Penn State fan, I am rooting for him and genuinely hopes he wins those Big and National Championships Kraft promised. On the other hand, I see numerous posters “crowning” him and one poster claiming that what he did at ISU was “miraculous” before he has coached a single game at PSU. To answer your question, I would think he should have won at least one championship during the time he was at ISU. If I recall correctly, ISU got blown out by ASU and Scateboo in the only championship game he coached.
Yeah none of Franklin’s recruits ever put on weight during the time they were at PSU. Speaking of stopping the run, go back and watch Scateboo run all over ISU’s defense in the only championship game Campbell coached in at ISU.
He basically ran over every defense against which he played in 2024, including Texas in the Peach Bowl in which he gained 143 yards.
And ISU never played anyone as good as OSU, Michigan, etc at ISU. Like I said in another post, I fully support him and hope he kills it, but the constant trashing of Franklin, who despite what happened last year actually won a Big Ten Championship in a much stronger league doesn’t “enhance” Campbell’s coaching resume or abilities.
What happned since October 2025 now is water under the bridge. My guess is that, because of the negative fan reaction to his coaching, which was getting more vitriolic after every game, Franklin probably was going to leave after last season anyway on his own accord. If Campbell had been available after Moore got fired in January, I think that there's a good chance that Michigan would've hired him over a much older Whittingham. Then, many would be complaining about the coach that we hired when we could've hired Campbell.
There were 19 new college football coaches hired before Penn State hired Campbell (12 of those hires at P4 programs, 7 at mid-majors)
Campbell was not a serious contender - or even a consideration - at any of those other P4 jobs
After Campbell was hired, there were 10 more new hires (9, all but 1 of them, at mid-majors - 7 of those were replacing coaches hired elsewhere, and 2 who had fired their coach - and 1 P4 job, Michigan)
Clearly, for whatever reasons, he was not on anyone's "A List", and I doubt he would have been on Michigan's (Unless they simply ran out of options, which might be a possibility given the lateness of Moore's firing).
Plenty of "A List" coaches will - as is always the case - not be successful at their new programs (that list is loooooong).
And there are always folks who were not "A Listers" who will go on to find success (Cignetti? Dabo?). Time will tell wrt PSU/Campbell.
Should they play the season or just have a parade tomorrow?
How many wins are you predicting?
And ASU did it even more so last year - when their QUARTERBACK ran for well over 200 all by himself.
In any event, it will be a new DC (Lynn) for PSU this year - and, hopefully, more talent than what ISU had the last few years (though it looks like a decent part of the defense will be ISU imports, and some imports from other very bad defensive squads - UCLA et al). And the schedule will be weaker than the B12 schedule ISU faced last year - which helps all the way around.
Should/could/might be an open pathway to 10 wins - even with the obvious red flags.
I don't know the actual average recruiting class rank during Franklin's tenure....but I think a fair estimate would be about 13-15. last fall PSU was 8th in # of roster spots in the NFL. Kudos to these players for developing themselves.
Allow me to offer an opinion. Being a HFC at a D1 P4 school is only partially about being able to coach football. So many here love to talk game day coaching, when that occurs 12 days per year. The job is so much more diverse and demanding. I think Campbell may not be the type to create excitement and hype (and I don't mean that isn't needed....because you need to put fannies in the seats). But given time and independence (Kraft) he will win at PSU. He's a good coach.
So Campbell. perhaps not creating a sensation (ala Kiffin) might be a reason some ADs and Trustees would not have made him their #1 choice. But overall, considering the mess Kraft created, he and we should be very thankful to have MC.
We absolutely should be thankful we got Campbell after the cluster Kraft conducted. Like I said, I hope he does great and wins the Big and National Championships Kraft promised but we shall see.
You think what I said was trashing BGJ? Yeesh... Pretty much what everyone is in agreement on but if you think I trashed him so be it...