Saturday will show PSU football staff’s ability to make adjustments
Purdue at Penn State, Saturday, 4:15 p.m., Big Ten Nework
Trending
Matt Campbell arrived at his weekly press conference earlier this week with the same bounce in his step as he has shown since the Nittany Lions' season opener.
"It is fair to say I missed you guys?" he said with a smile to the assembled media after last week's open date.
Campbell knows this season, his first in Happy Valley after spending the previous 10 at Iowa State and five before that at Toledo, has been no laughing matter.
There are plenty in the Nittany Nation already wondering if Campbell was the right choice to replace James Franklin and how long it will take him to build the program back up to the level it was while guided by his now underappreciated predecessor.
If Campbell is unnerved by Penn State's four-game losing streak, however, he hasn't shown it.
"From a frustration standpoint, as the competitor, I'd be naive to say there haven't been some frustrating moments, some moments that you're disappointed in terms of where you are or where you would want to be," he said.
Nonetheless, he remains steadfast in his approach that emphasizes the big picture.
That's one reason he quickly dismissed a question about whether qualifying for a bowl game -- which would mean a record of 6-6 or better -- can serve as motivation.
"I think the bigger thing, I really try to take it week-to-week, where are we, how do we continue to move ourselves forward," he said. "I still think there's things for us (to accomplish) ... that the goal we set out first and foremost is the identity of our football program moving forward. Who do we want to be? What do we want to become?
"That's really been the focus from day one, more than a win or a loss or talking about those end goals."
Campbell has been through adversity before. Just last year, the Cyclones -- with Rocco Becht as his quarterback - lost four straight before winning their final three to finish 8-4.
"I think that is one of the benefits of having 15 years experience as a head football coach," he said. "I said this uniquely at Iowa State: I felt like we had to rebuild our program three different times. When I took over as the head football coach at Toledo, you felt like you had to rebuild the program.
"I feel like going through those experiences has certainly helped with the dynamic of this experience. Again, what are you trying to get out of year number one? What are you trying to get out of building a football team and a program? How do you not waver and flinch when adversity hits?"
Campbell warned before the season that adversity would come, and it clearly has.
Today against Purdue, following a needed bye week, will be a good measure of the Lions' response to that adversity.
Things obviously have not gone well on the field as both the coaches and players have underachieved.
They have been soundly outschemed at halftime in losses to Wisconsin, USC and Michigan.
In that regard, with an extra week to implement needed personnel and strategy decisions, the staff's ability to make adjustments will be further magnified.
As Campbell searches for the identity of what he wants the Lions to become, because of how this season has gone, resiliency needs to be at the top of that list.
"Leadership is not when it's going great," he said. "Leadership is the ability to build culture, and when you're not getting the results you want, identifying why you're not getting them, but certainly not leaving the plan of how you want to build the team and what the expectations are in terms of standards and expectations."
Eventually, starting today, that plan must include winning.
Rudel can be reached at nrudel@altoona.com. You can also follow him on Twitter@neilrudel.