Terry Smith says Penn State ‘in the middle of the storm’ after Ohio State loss
Penn State interim head coach Terry Smith offers a candid assessment after a 38–14 loss to Ohio State.
After Penn State’s 38–14 loss to No. 2 Ohio State, interim HC Terry Smith spoke honestly about his team’s performance, not chastising but also refusing to sugarcoat things.
“It was a game of two halves,” Smith said. “Thought the first half we came out and fought valiantly. . . We scored two touchdowns in the red zone against a team that’s number one in the country in that area.”
For the first half, Penn State matched the Buckeyes drive for drive. Then came the third quarter — a 14-point swing that changed the momentum of the game. “They got 14 points in the third quarter and we just never could respond,” Smith said. “I’m super proud of our guys for fighting to the end. . . but we have to learn to finish.”
The Nittany Lions dropped to 3–5, extending their losing streak to five straight games.
Ohio State’s receivers ‘better than all of them’
Ohio State’s passing attack, led by Carnell Tate and Jeremiah Smith, was unstoppable. Terry Smith — a longtime defensive backs coach — didn’t hide from that reality.
“Credit to those guys,” he said. “They are the two best guys in the country. . . I don’t mean this disrespectfully to the past Ohio State receivers — these two are better than all of them, and those guys are all good. We could not cover them.”
Smith explained that it wasn’t one schematic flaw that doomed the Lions on Saturday, but “a combination of everything — lack of pass rush, lack of DBs covering.”
The vertical pass game remains a problem for Penn State
Penn State’s offense once again struggled to push the ball downfield. Quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer finished with just 145 yards and one interception.
“We continued to struggle in the vertical pass game,” Smith said. “I have to get that fixed. There’s no exceptions. I have to get it fixed.”
He added: “Sometimes when you throw the ball down the field, you need better protection. Protection broke down a few times. . . and then it’s also play calling. We have to be able to call the plays that push the ball vertically down the field.”
Even five-star RB Nick Singleton, who showed potential early on the perimeter, was no match for Ohio State’s smothering defense. Smith acknowledged that he needs to “try to get Nick going. . . He’s one of our top two guys that touch the ball. . . We have to keep him involved in the offense. He’s a major part of it. . . We’re in the middle of the storm and we just can’t figure out how to get out of it,” he said. “The seniors are hurting. . . I feel awful for those guys to end their careers this way.”
Despite the disappointing loss, Smith saw one positive sign. “The one positive is these guys did not quit, and that’s a testament to who they are.”
“These are tough life lessons,” Smith said. “The beauty of sports — it teaches you everything. It teaches you how to win, how to lose, disappointment, happiness, every emotion there is. Don’t get too high, don’t get too low. The next play is the most important.”
When asked how close Penn State is to turning things around, Smith didn’t hesitate. “We just need one momentum play,” he said. “We just haven’t been able to put a full quarter of that together, and that’s the challenge.”
Penn State has four games left to find that momentum, beginning next week at home against No.2 Indiana. Smith’s tone made one thing clear: the storm hasn’t broken yet, but the fight isn’t over.
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