SEATTLE | Penn State wide receiver Chase Sowell stared at the Washington Huskies sideline, nodding his head with moxie after he pulled off a highlight-reel, one-handed catch Saturday. The Huskies looked shocked; Sowell was not.
“I work that [play] probably every day, just working one-hands,” Sowell said. “I mean, there’s been plenty of times where they have one arm, and all you got is one arm, and it’s a savvy move.”
Of his stare, Sowell said, “I just didn’t like them very much. I got a lot of respect for them, but at the same time, like I’m trying to win. So whatever it means, any means possible, I’m going to try to win.”
Sowell, Penn State’s fifth-year receiver, pieced together another stellar performance in the Nittany Lions’ 28-25 victory over Washington at Husky Stadium. Sowell made four big catches for 125 yards and a touchdown, eclipsing 100 yards for the second consecutive game.
Sowell refreshed the deep threat in Penn State’s offense that it desperately needed. And he did so hobbled.
Sowell is battling an ankle injury that he sustained three weeks ago against Michigan after a tackle that he called dirty following the game. He said there was a lot of talk during the week about being smart, playing it safe and not suiting up. He didn’t play against Purdue last week but said he would have to be “dragged off the field” to not play on Saturday.
“You’ve got to kill me to take me off the field,” Sowell said.
But Sowell also nearly took himself off the field during a chaotic sequence in the fourth quarter on Penn State’s last drive. Quarterback Rocco Becht took a hit to the head, which later was ruled as targeting and to which the Nittany Lions.
While Penn State coach Matt Campbell screamed at the officials about targeting, Sowell lost his cool and confronted a Washington defender. He was called for unsportsmanlike conduct, prompting Campbell to give him a stern talk during the targeting review. At one point, Campbell had Sowell’s face in both his hands.
“I regret that, obviously,” Sowell said. “It was a selfish move. You know, just being a vet, it was dumb and emotional.
“… At the same time, I feel like there’s a certain extent to where you’ve got to protect our guys. And I just didn’t like it. I just thought it was kind of uncalled for, a little after the slide. But yeah, it was a selfish move, and I definitely take accountability for that.”
That moment aside, Penn State is lucky Sowell suited up. The Nittany Lions probably would not have won Saturday’s game without him.
Sowell was the Nittany Lions’ main downfield threat. He created explosives — including a 45-yard, contested-catch touchdown — and stretched the field to help open space for the run game. Three of his catches went for longer than 30 yards, and all four receptions moved the chains or resulted in a score.
“[I have] the mentality of just like, no matter what, I’m gonna go catch it,” Sowell said. “Like you have to maybe tackle me, you’ve got to trip me, like something where I’m not even close to the ball.”
Penn State quarterback Rocco Becht was surprised to see Sowell get man coverage at times and took advantage of it.
“That guy just was going out there and making plays, doing what he does, and to put that guy on an island like that is crazy to me,” Becht said. “So for him to go out there and just make those plays, it was incredible, and it was awesome to have him back.”
Sowell thinks he’s unguardable, and at this point in the season, he might be right. The 6-3, 203-pound receiver has the makeup (size, hands, speed, footwork) of an elite receiver. He has put them all together in Big Ten play for the Nittany Lions.
Sowell is averaging 84 yards per game through conference games, has totaled 90+ receiving yards in three straight contests and has carried an offense missing star wideout Koby Howard, who missed his sixth straight game.
“I feel like at receiver, it’s kind of the same thing as a [defensive back],” Sowell said. “You kind of got to be a little crazy, like kind of have a little delusion. Like whether it’s one, two or three guys, the mentality is, I’m always gonna be open. I’m always gonna get open. … I feel like I’m unguardable, but I feel like every receiver’s got that mentality as far as, nobody can cover me.”
Like many elite receivers, Sowell impacted the game beyond his touches. On wide receiver Zay Robinson’s 25-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter, Sowell was on the opposite side of the field and drew a double team, as the safety in the middle of the field immediately veered his way after the snap.
That opened up space inside the hashes, where Robinson caught Becht’s pass and scored, extending Penn State’s lead to two possessions.
With Sowell’s help, three other Penn State offensive players reached 30 receiving yards. It was all part of the wide receiver group building a different narrative around the room, Sowell said, and changing whatever opinions fans have had about the past.
“Seeing my guys like Zay Robinson out there, seeing guys like Brett, seeing guys out there like Amarion get his chance, and just some of these young guys stepping up [was awesome],” Sowell said. “[It’s] starting to give them confidence going into this next season… I think there’s a different standard now, so just watching those guys get their opportunities and capitalize on them was a great thing.”
Sign up to our free Penn State Nittany Lions newsletter, follow us on social media and add Penn State on SI as a Preferred Source on Google.
Add us as a preferred source on Google
