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Players of the game for Penn State vs. USC
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- Players of the game for Penn State vs. USC
While it was not the result Penn State fans were hoping for, there were tons of positives to take away from the 31-23 loss to USC . The offense looked much more effective through the air, especially when they were able to utilize the tight ends. As a result, tight end Andrew Rappleyea had a breakout game, proving his potential importance to the blue and white's hopes of finishing the season strong.
As for the defense, there were not a lot of great things of note, but linebacker Tony Rojas continues to prove why he may be Penn State's most passionate player at the moment. These are the reasons why they are the players of the game for Penn State this week.
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Offensive Player of the Game: Andrew Rappleyea
Oct 10, 2026; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions tight end Andrew Rappleyea (87) makes a catch for a touchdown during the first quarter against the Southern California Trojans at West Shore Home Field at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images
Sure, some fans will look at Rappleyea's stats from this game and say they weren't overly impressive. However, I disagree simply because of how he earned those yards. On the first drive of the game, with Penn State going for a 4th-and-1 deep in USC territory, it was Rappleyea who the Nittany Lions trusted to put their first points of the game on the board. After that, no matter what the offense required of him, Rappleyea performed at the highest level. If he continues to look like the player he did in this game, he could be a key piece for the Nittany Lions going forward if they want to remain competitive in the Big Ten.
Defensive Player of the Game: Tony Rojas
Sep 26, 2026; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions linebacker Tony Rojas (13) reacts after intercepting the ball during the fourth quarter against the Wisconsin Badgers at West Shore Home Field at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images
This is kind of by default simply because he continues to be the only player on Penn State's defense who remains locked in. In fact, you can probably pencil in his name every week when it comes to this article. He's simply that good and quite frankly, Penn State will not want to imagine what life would look like without him. He led the team in tackles yet again with 10 and recorded the only full sack of USC quarterback Jayden Maiava. Chances are USC could have been out of sight if the Nittany Lions didn't have a player of Rojas' caliber.
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This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Players of the game for Penn State vs. USC
