ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Rocco Becht didn’t hide from the Penn State football media Saturday, answering questions for close to 10 minutes like he had after the previous six games.
Becht, though, looked different and sounded different. His eyes appeared to be puffy, like he had been crying. He softly replied to questions without his usual energy.
After committing three turnovers that led to all of Michigan’s points in a 21-18 loss to the Wolverines, he was asked how and what he was feeling.
“Hurt,” he said. “Disappointment. There are plays I want back. To be better for my team I’ve got to be better in the details.”
Becht made mistakes at Michigan Stadium that a quarterback in his fourth year as a starter shouldn’t be making. He was accountable, but that doesn’t change that he was the chief reason why the Nittany Lions dropped their fourth straight game and remained winless in the Big Ten.
“This game’s super humbling,” he said.
On Penn State’s first play of the second half, he underthrew Brett Eskildsen for his first interception, which Rod Moore made with a diving catch at the Lions’ 43. Michigan scored its first touchdown two plays later to take a 7-3 lead.
On the next possession, with Penn State facing third-and-3 at the Michigan 32, Becht looked right and then to the left. Tight end Gabe Burkle was open, but his late throw didn’t have enough air under it and it was picked off. The Wolverines then drove 74 yards to make it 14-3.
“He was probably indecisive on whether he should scramble,” Penn State coach Matt Campbell said. “And all of a sudden, Gabe breaks wide open. I think he was in between. I think it made him throw late and behind him.
“Obviously it was a bad interception.”
Then in the fourth quarter, with the Lions trailing 14-11, he was sacked from behind and lost the football at the Penn State 13. Michigan scored a few minutes late to go up 21-11.
If he didn’t make even one of those three mistakes, the Lions could have won the game.
“Rocco obviously would be the first person to say he has to do a better job of taking care of the football,” Campbell said. “Obviously it’s an emphasis. …He’s got to be better. He will be.”
Ironically, Michigan coach Kyle Whittingham spent much of his weekly press conference talking about his team’s poor turnover margin. So, when $10 million man Bryce Underwood threw two interceptions in the first half, Whittingham replaced him with freshman Tommy Carr and ignited the entire team.
Campbell was asked if he would consider replacing Becht as the starter with second-year quarterback Alex Manske because of his struggles and those of the offense.
“No, there’s never been a consideration from my end,” Campbell said. “I have complete faith in who Rocco Becht is and what he’s about. Nobody’s more devastated in that locker room than that guy.”
Campbell and Becht have a very tight bond, starting from their days at Iowa State. He’s seen Becht come through in the clutch on several occasions. He’s seen him win a lot of games. He’s seen what his leadership means to a team. He’s seen how teammates rally around him. It’s doubtful that he’ll replace him.
Wide receiver Chase Sowell had a career day with 11 catches for 151 yards and one touchdown, but he was hurting for Becht.
“He was devastated,” Sowell said. “I came in (to the locker room) and he really couldn’t even talk. You could see it on his face before we even got to the locker room. It killed him. It’s hard to see that type of stuff.
“It’s hard to watch a guy that loves a place so much, appreciates a place so much and is trying to do so much for a place.”
Maybe Becht can use Penn State’s bye week to clear his mind and reset. He said Iowa State’s bye week last season helped him and the Cyclones win their final four games. We’ll see if the Lions can do the same.
He’s not playing with the flair or the smile that he had in Ames the last three seasons.
“Keep being confident and keep being you,” Sowell said he told Becht. “You don’t have to make these outstanding plays. You don’t have to make the superhero plays. You just have to make the routine plays.
“You just have to be Rocco Becht.”
He has five games left to be that guy again.