[REVISION HISTORY]

Penn State football 2026 season transition

Updated 7 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-09-09 20:07 UTC → 2026-09-12 23:31 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Penn State football entered the 2026 season under new head coach Matt Campbell, who transitioned to the program from Iowa ~~State following the midseason firing of James Franklin last year.~~ State. In the preseason Coaches Poll, the Nittany Lions were ranked No. 17. On September 5, the Nittany Lions opened their season at Beaver Stadium with a 45-0 shutout victory over the Marshall Thundering Herd. The matchup marked the coaching debut for Campbell and the playing debut for transfer quarterback Rocco Becht. Becht led the ~~No. 18 ranked Penn State~~ offense with 271 passing yards and four touchdowns, distributing scores to Koby Howard, Brett Eskildsen, Ben Brahmer, and Zay Robinson. Howard recorded a career-high 161 receiving yards and a touchdown. Running backs Quinton Martin Jr. and Cam Wallace also contributed rushing touchdowns. The defense, coordinated by D’Anton Lynn in his coaching debut, dominated the contest by holding Marshall to just 147 total yards and preventing the opponent from reaching the red zone. True freshman cornerback Josiah Zayas earned a starting role, recording two tackles for loss. Additionally, head coach Campbell noted that Zion Tracy is returning to full strength following a training camp injury. Offensively, tight end Andrew Rappleyea was highlighted by Campbell for his physicality, specifically for providing a “crucial block on a blitzing cornerback” during the team’s first touchdown drive. On September 10, No. 16 Penn State defeated Temple 27-9 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. Despite offensive struggles in the first half, the Nittany Lions secured the win with 17 unanswered second-half points. Rocco Becht threw for 268 yards and three touchdowns, including two scores to Benjamin Brahmer. The Penn State defense, highlighted by linebacker Tony Rojas, stabilized the game after allowing significant yardage early on.

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