Matt Campbell’s aggressive approach a big positive, but will it last?
PSU point/counterpoint
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What encouraged you the most about beating Purdue?
Fake field goal! Going for it on fourth down at your own 28! Heck yeah, sign me up for all of that!
"You play ... to win … the game! You don't play to just play!"
That was the famous rant by then-Jets coach Herm Edwards back in 2002. The quote symbolizes that football coaches and players are supposed to be out there trying to, you know, actually win the game.
A lot of times, instead, it seems like coaches make decisions that give you the feeling they're coaching not to lose the game.
When Matt Campbell decided to try a fake field goal on Penn State's opening drive against Purdue, it definitely came across as a coach playing to win the game, instead of playing not to lose.
When Campbell decided to go for it on fourth-and-1 from his own 28 later in the first half, it became crystal clear that this guy knew he had his back against the wall and needed to be coaching like there's really nothing to lose.
It was about time.
For most of this season, Campbell has proven to be a bad game coach. The game plan and decision making in the second half against Wisconsin were embarrassing. Making no adjustments against Northwestern was appalling. Getting outsmarted by Lincoln Riley in wasting a timeout late against USC was laughable.
At 0-4 in the Big Ten, Campbell needed to take drastic steps to prove to everyone that maybe he does know what he's doing, that maybe people should stick by him during these turbulent times.
The calls against Purdue were a good first step.
The game reminded me of the 2024 contest at Minnesota when James Franklin went for it several times on fourth down to help the Lions win. We all praised Franklin at the time for perhaps taking a big leap in his career to be better at tough decisions.
That, it turned out, did not happen, and the Minnesota thing sort of became a one-off for Franklin.
This cannot be a one-off for Campbell.
He can't coach scared in the Big Ten. He can't be timid. He can't sit back and wait for things to happen.
It's relatively easy for a coach to be aggressive on fourth down against bad teams. Campbell knows he has better players than Purdue, and you expect your guys to win those key moments.
As we move forward, I want to see Campbell be aggressive when he really needs to be against better opponents. Don't be crazy, now. But be aggressive and be smart when the situation dictates it.
Sometimes you've got to force the action, because again, like Herm Edwards said, "You play ... to win ... the game!"
We'll see if Campbell learned the lesson, or if the Purdue game was just a one-off.
Cory Giger hosts the Blue & White Wrapup postgame show following each PSU game on 107.1 JACK-FM.