The Film Guy: Penn State Needs to Let Rocco Becht Cook

If you’re a Penn State fan who found this, welcome in. We’ve got a loaded film study for you today, and you’re going to get a lot of intel.

First of all, let’s start with Taylor Mouser – the offensive coordinator who came over with Matt Campbell from Iowa State to Penn State. I think this guy is pretty good. I like the way he calls plays, and I like the way he designs plays. You’re going to see a lot of that in today’s film.

But we’re here to study Rocco Becht.

We’re Becht fans around here. We enjoyed his time at Iowa State, and I think this guy’s arm talent is not talked about enough. This dude can flat-out spin it. The ball has immediate life, almost cartoonish life, when it comes out of his fingertips.

Let’s shut up and grind the tape.

Rocco Becht Can Rip the Football

We’re watching Iowa State against Cincinnati from last year. Cincinnati runs a hybrid 3-3-5 with a three-high safety zone structure. It’s not always easily identifiable, but there are pockets in that zone that you have to attack when you’re seeing that many defensive backs out there. I thought Mouser did a really good job of attacking those pockets throughout this football game.

The first play is a third-and-eight. Becht misses the football by about three yards to the inside shoulder of his wide receiver on a deep cross, but you can immediately see what I’m talking about with how the ball jumps out of his fingertips. We throw rippers, Bubba.

When Becht misses, I don’t always know why he misses, but there are some pretty bad misses on this tape. At the same time, you can also see that he had full autonomy at the line of scrimmage. He’s checking and making decisions pre-snap.

On another throw from the far left hash, Becht works a comeback to the opposite side of the field. Watch how that ball jumps out of his fingertips. One, two, three with a hitch and that sucker is gone. I had to put it in slow motion to figure out where that velocity comes from. I think it’s that last 10% of whip he creates with his release.

Michael Vick had the best wrist flick you’d ever see. That’s where the life on his football came from. It wasn’t from muscling things up. He’d get to that final portion of the release and just flick that thing out. I think Rocco has a little bit of that, too.

He absolutely rips the ball from the far left hash to the opposite side of the formation. His mechanics are nice and concise, too. He gets onto that front side and holds that energy.

He’s not a touch thrower. He’s a firm thrower. He’s going to rip the football.

Becht Brings Experience and Toughness to Penn State

Another thing you’re going to notice about Becht is that I don’t think he’s a great athlete, but he’s obviously tough as nails. Iowa State was more than willing to run him, especially in the red area and in short-yardage situations. He’s built kind of like Josh Hoover.

On one quarterback counter, Iowa State pulls the backside guard and tackle. The guard pulls to kick while the tackle inserts for the first dangerous defender on the front side.

I think quarterback counter is a must-have staple nowadays for any college football offense with a quarterback who can move at all. If you don’t run quarterback counter, you’re not doing it right.

Becht does a good job setting it up. He gives a little dead leg to help deliver the defender to the pulling tackle and picks up a couple of extra yards.

I also love what he does at the end of the run. Two hands on the ball. Ball security. We love that. It’s the most important area of the field. You fumble right there and you’ve just torched an entire drive.

Becht has played a lot of football, too. He has more than three years of starting experience, and that matters. You’re getting a quarterback who has been in these situations before.

Taylor Mouser Puts Becht in Position to Win Pre-Snap

This is what I love about Mouser. Against Cincinnati’s three-down front, Iowa State gets into 11 personnel with the tight end attached. Cincinnati has an overhang safety responsible for supporting the run, and Iowa State is essentially making a pre-snap decision based on the corner’s leverage.

We hate back-two RPOs around here, especially when the quarterback can’t put his eyes directly on the overhang defender. But Iowa State understands the principles of the defense.

That safety has to trigger into the fit. In Cincinnati’s three-man front, somebody has to account for C-gap and beyond in run support, and that responsibility falls on the safety.

So Becht doesn’t necessarily need to watch that safety after the snap. He and the offense know what that defender has to do based on the structure of the defense.

The decision is made pre-snap based on the corner’s leverage. Then Becht has to beat the safety with the football. That’s exactly what he does.

Anticipation Against Zone Coverage

This is where Becht starts throwing some absolute dots.

Cincinnati’s three-high zone structure creates natural pockets. You’ve got underneath hook, curl and flat defenders with the deeper defenders sitting over the top. Iowa State understands where the grass is going to be and designs the play to attack it.

On one play late in the second quarter, the tight end initially works outside before getting vertical into one of those openings. This is a ball holder. It’s going to take a little bit of time. But Cincinnati is only bringing three, so we’ve got time to hold it, especially in a two-minute situation with about a minute remaining in the half.

This is a football right here, Rocco. Becht throws it way early. I’d call it ahead of time. It’s not even on time. And damn, that’s a spot. That’s an elite football from Rocco.

It’s also an elite play call from Mouser, attacking an area where they know Cincinnati is vulnerable within its zone structure. But that ball is only completed if Becht throws it on time and puts it exactly where it needs to go.

We see it again on another throw against the same general principles. Cincinnati has its underneath defenders and three deep defenders, leaving a void in the coverage. But you have to throw it with anticipation. You have to throw it firm. You can’t just lob this sucker up there. You’ve got to throw a tight football into the window.

Bam. Hell yeah. That’s a dot.

What Will Penn State’s Offensive Identity Look Like?

The more I watch Becht, the more curious I become about what Matt Campbell and this staff are going to do with him at Penn State. Iowa State was a physical, run-the-football program. They liked using 12 personnel and tight ends.

One of the things we talk about is that identity must match attainable talent. I thought Campbell did a tremendous job of that at Iowa State. They were a bigger, longer football team, especially defensively.

Why? Because you’re recruiting at Iowa State. You’re not necessarily going to recruit a bunch of 6-foot-1, 185-pound dudes from Florida who can run 4.3s. You have to recruit what’s attainable around you and then build an identity that matches that talent pool.

My question is what happens when Campbell gets to Penn State. Buddy, you can recruit the DMV now. You can recruit with Penn State’s resources. Are you still going to recruit those bigger, physical football players, or are you going to develop an identity that matches the twitchier, traitsier talent pool you should now be able to get?

I’m very curious to see how Penn State’s identity changes offensively and defensively. And with the way Becht throws the football, I think there’s an opportunity to do more.

Becht Knows How to Handle Must-Have Situations

Iowa State was down by a gazillion points in this Cincinnati game, so we essentially played the entire film study in fourth-and-go mode. That means we get plenty of “Hey, we’ve got to have this” situations for Becht and the offense.

One of my favorite examples comes during a two-minute situation. The most important rule there is simple. You cannot take a sack.

Becht feels the pressure and gets vertical through the smoke rather than working backward. But just getting vertical isn’t enough. You have to do it with your eyes downfield. We can’t get tackled short of the sticks because we need the clock to stop.

Becht gets vertical, keeps his eyes downfield, works flat once he clears the pressure and finds his receiver. What a beam from the kid. I’m telling you, he’s sudden. He can rip the hell out of the football.

The more I watch him, the more I’m thinking: Golly, can we do more with him? Maybe at Penn State this year, they’re going to.

A Good-Enough Runner in the Red Zone

Get Iowa State into empty in the red area and what do you think is coming? Quarterback draw. You already knew it.

Cincinnati gives Iowa State a really light box, and Becht takes advantage of it. He’s a tough dude, too. This is a must-have situation, and he takes a big shot at the end of the run.

Again, I’m not telling you he’s a great athlete. He’s a good-enough runner. That distinction matters because Penn State doesn’t need Becht to be some dynamic rushing quarterback. He needs to be athletic enough that defenses have to respect him in short-yardage and red-zone situations. He can do that.

Mouser’s Creativity Could Unlock More From Becht

There are a couple of things that show me creativity at the offensive coordinator position. How deep is your two-point conversion playbook? How deep is your fourth-down conversion bag? Do we have elite play calls when we need three yards?

I know that sounds goofy when everybody wants to talk about explosives and all that good stuff, but those situations are important to me. They tell you something about an offensive coordinator’s creativity.

Iowa State shows that on a two-point conversion against Cincinnati. They give the defense jet motion and make it look like they’re setting up a run. Cincinnati reacts to it. You’d think it’s a jet. You’d be wrong. It’s a pass.

That creativity also shows up when Iowa State uses Becht’s quarterback-run tendencies against the defense. They’ve been showing quarterback run, so now they give Cincinnati the same quarterback counter reads. The linebackers and box defenders react. The safety triggers into the fit.

That creates a whole lot of grass behind them. Now you’ve got a running back releasing vertically down the seam. The design is there. The ball placement isn’t.

Becht Needs to Know His Personnel

This is one of the areas where Becht has to improve. When you’re throwing to a running back down the field, that has to be the most accurate ball you throw all day. Know your personnel. You have to put it on his face. You cannot make your running back adjust to the football.

Becht gets too firm with the throw and puts it too far onto the back shoulder. Now the running back has to adjust, and Iowa State misses a big explosive play.

At home, you’re probably sitting there going, “Come on, catch the ball.” No. Know your personnel. We miss a big chunk play because of the ball placement.

I Need to See More Touch

First-and-10 in plus territory. What do you smell? Shot play. Play action. That’s exactly what we get.

This is where I need to see a little bit more touch and a little bit more layering of the football from Becht as he continues to grow as a quarterback prospect. We know about the arm talent. We know you can rip it, son. But you don’t have to rip everything.

Iowa State gets the high corner to the tight end with an underneath hook-curl defender sitting between Becht and the target. There’s a big 25-yard play available if Becht can get the football over the underneath defender.

He’s got plenty of grass to work with because the receiver is running away from the safety. Put a little bit more touch on this football, Rocco. We don’t have to be so firm. Instead, the underneath defender gets a hand on it.

That’s where I think some of Becht’s inaccuracies come from. I don’t think he’s the best layer of the football. We don’t see a lot of touch. But when he can rip the football? Man, we’re going to put it on face masks.

“Us or Nobody” Ball Placement

Then you get another one of these elite zone throws. My lord. What a ball, Rocco.

The first 10 yards out of this dude’s hand are some of the most impressive stuff we see. That football absolutely jumps out of his fingers.

Boom. Hell yeah. That’s a dot. And I love the placement.

We talk about “us or nobody.” If our guy catches it, great. Nobody else better touch it. That’s exactly what this ball placement screams. Us or nobody. It’s also a great play by the receiver, but Becht gives him the opportunity without putting the football in danger.

We’ve seen some dots. There have been a couple of misses, but we’ve seen some absolute rips, too.

Let Rocco Cook

Take another comeback from the far left hash working all the way to the field. Coach knows we’ve got a ripper on our hands.

Becht has pressure in the pocket, and that football is still rising when it gets to the wide receiver. There ain’t no die-off on this kid’s arm. I’ll tell you that.

Matt Campbell has said Becht has a little Brock Purdy to him. I’ve never watched Purdy tape and thought, “Damn, that dude is ripping the ball.” I’ve watched Purdy and thought, “Damn, that dude is playing the position. That dude is wicked smart.”

But Becht? This guy’s got an absolute ripper on him. Let him cook. Let Rocco cook this year, man. I want to look up and see game logs of Rocco having 30-plus attempts in every football game because this dude rips.

The Misses Are Worth Watching

As impressive as Becht’s arm is, we have to talk about the misses.

On one touchdown opportunity, Iowa State has the shot it wants. Becht can underthrow this football, but he cannot overthrow it. And he misses it left by about a yard and a half. Can’t miss this one. That’s a touchdown shot.

That’s where I think some of his inaccuracies come from. We don’t throw a lot of touch, and some of the misses on this tape are substantial.

There’s another potential explosive where Iowa State has an opportunity to create a ton of YAC. Get the football to the receiver, let him turn up the sideline and we might have a touchdown depending on how much go-go juice he has. Becht just misses him.

Something else started standing out as I watched the tape: most of the misses were happening when Becht worked to his left. That might be something we found here. His base doesn’t always look as comfortable working in that direction, particularly when pressure is affecting him from the left side. It’s something I’d keep an eye on.

Becht Delivers When Iowa State Has to Have It

Then we come right back to a fourth-and-seven. Again, Iowa State is essentially in go territory from the second quarter on. And my lord. What a ball.

Mouser deserves credit for the design, too. If Iowa State is going to throw the out route, it has to occupy the nickel defender. The tight end gets vertical, steps on the defender’s toes and breaks out. That triggers the safety and creates grass for the receiver to work away from the middle safety’s leverage.

Then Becht absolutely rips it. Let him cook. Let him cook.

Later, on another fourth down, we finally get the touch ball I’ve been asking for. Hell yeah. We got us one. And wouldn’t you know it? It comes working to the right side. That’s the ball right there, buddy. We’ll take the 40-yard completion for damn sure.

Pocket Discipline on Fourth-and-11

Another fourth down. This time it’s fourth-and-11, and Cincinnati rushes three and drops eight. What do we have to do as a quarterback? Buy time.

You either have to throw a really, really tight-window football or create enough time for somebody to work open. Becht chooses the latter. A lot of quarterbacks start rolling out of the pocket in this situation. Becht doesn’t. He stays inside.

He lets his offensive line work against the three-man rush and waits for somebody to get friendly. Eventually, his No. 1 wide receiver on the boundary works back toward the quarterback, Becht finds him and Iowa State picks up a first down on a must-have fourth-and-11. That’s really good pocket discipline from Rocco.

It would be very easy to start rolling right and getting out of there. But no, sir. We need to stand in there. We need to let guys work, get friendly toward us and eventually find an answer. That’s exactly what he does. And my god, even in slow motion, you can see that ball is absolutely spit on.

Don’t Take the Sack, Rocco

There is another situation I want cleaned up. First-and-goal with the ball around the seven-yard line. I do not want us taking a four-yard sack here, buddy. You’ve got plenty of opportunity to get rid of the football.

Cincinnati’s corner does a good job of not biting on the run and stays with the running back up the rail. The play is dead. Just chunk it out of bounds. Don’t take the hit. Throw that thing 17 rows up into the stands.

Four yards in the red zone is a lot. Second-and-goal from the eight is a whole lot better than second-and-goal from the 11. That’s one of those situations where all of Becht’s experience needs to show up. Live for the next play.

Final Thoughts on Rocco Becht at Penn State

I think Becht is exactly what you would want if you’re a Penn State fan entering Year 1 under Matt Campbell. There’s familiarity with the offensive coordinator. He has a lot of experience. You know what you’re going to get from him. He’s a good fit for Penn State.

I was tremendously impressed by the arm strength and arm talent. We’ve got to touch it up just a little bit more. I want to see more layering of the football, and there are some misses that need to be cleaned up.

But my god, he rips the laces off of it. Let Rocco cook.