Becht throws 3 touchdown passes, Brahmer has 2 TDs to lift No. 16 Penn State past Temple 27-9

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Rocco Becht expected to get cheered on by hundreds of fans from the Philadelphia suburbs and other surrounding areas where most of his family and their friends are from.

The Penn State quarterback was a bit more amazed at the other 40,000-plus fans in their blue-and-white gear that nearly filled an NFL stadium to root on the Nittany Lions.

“When I first walked out into the stadium, there’s a lot more people than I thought there was going to be for our side,” Becht said. “We wanted to put on a better show for them.”

Becht threw for 268 yards and three touchdowns, with two of those scores to tight end Benjamin Brahmer, in a game where No. 16 Penn State did just enough to send the traveling fans home happy with a 27-9 victory over Temple on Saturday.

The Nittany Lions (2-0) survived a first half loaded with failed shots at the end zone and a missed field goal that kept the score close and stirred memories of one of the program’s great losses against an unranked team when former Temple coach Matt Rhule led the Owls to the upset victory in 2105 at Lincoln Financial Field.

Rhule was back Saturday — well, at least on the big screen at halftime as part of a videotaped message to Temple’s 2016 American Conference title team. There was just no repeat result for Temple in this series matchup 11 years later.

Penn State — playing in front of a crowd of 61,714 fans mostly dressed in white — needed a half in Matt Campbell’s second game to get some offensive rhythm against the Owls (1-1).

“I don’t think there was any explanation other than we didn’t play very well,” Campbell said.

Penn State partially blocked Carl Hardin’s 52-yard field goal early in the third quarter and then scored on Becht’s 16-yard TD pass to Chase Sowell for the 17-3 lead.

Ryan Barker added a 39-yard field goal later in the third quarter for a 20-3 lead as the Nittany Lions started to show why they were a 24-point betting favorite entering the game. Becht connected on a 23-yard TD pass to Brahmer in the fourth that made it 27-3 with 7:48 left and sent Temple students to the parking lots.

Temple came for an upset

Rapper Meek Mill led the Owls onto the field and rallied fans that mostly filled the lower bowl to an early dose of enthusiasm and a change of pace inside the NFL stadium where fan engagement and solid attendance for Temple games are generally lethargic.

Becht hit Koby Howard on a 56-yard completion on the first play from scrimmage and a facemask call on the Owls brought the ball to the 9-yard-line.

Let the blowout begin.

Not quite.

Barker was wide left on a 33-yard attempt and Penn State turned the ball over on downs later in the first quarter to waste linebacker Tony Rojas’ interception that put the Nittany Lions on the 5.

Hardin ended a 91-yard drive early in the second quarter with a 24-yard field goal that gave Temple a 3-0 lead and had fans feeling that perhaps another shocker was in play.

Temple earned its first win over the Nittany Lions in 74 years with a 27-10 victory in 2015. Penn State got the win in State College the next season before the long-standing rivalry was put on ice until Saturday. It returns to Happy Valley next season.

Becht, whose father parlayed high school stardom at nearby Monsignor Bonner into a 12-year NFL career, tossed a 23-yard TD pass to Brahmer with 8 seconds left and sent Penn State into halftime with a 10-3 lead.

“The score at the end of the half hurt us,” Temple coach K.C. Keeler said. “We should have done a better job taking time off the clock.”

The takeaway

Penn State: The 6-1, 210-pound Becht, a transfer who followed Campbell from Iowa State to State College, continued his strong start after he threw four touchdowns last week against Marshall.

Becht completed 21 of 27 passes against Temple.

“I thought it was a good game for us to have, I think to be humbled coming off a good win,” he said.

Temple: The Owls not only had to face a pro-Penn State crowd, but they also got little respect in their own stadium.

With the Philadelphia Eagles set to open their season Sunday, the end zones were painted “EAGLES” and their logo was stamped at midfield. No cherry, no Temple white.

Jaxon Smolik threw for only 59 yards and a pick before he was benched in the fourth. Ajani Sheppard had a 3-yard TD run in the fourth.

Up next

Penn State heads home Saturday to play Buffalo.

Temple plays Saturday at Toledo.

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