Matt Campbell, Penn State Climb Up in Rankings in AP Poll

The Penn State Nittany Lions entered the season as the 18th-ranked team in the country and have moved up to 16th after a dominant 45-0 win over Marshall. 

It was a great win in head coach Matt Campbell's opening game with Penn State. Campbell came to the program with a great track record, having spent a decade with the Iowa State Cyclones, where he went 72-55 and won three Big 12 Coach of the Year awards.

Campbell is turning the Nittany Lions around after they struggled in the 2025 season, finishing 7-6. He brought in a ton of talent through the transfer portal to improve the team ahead of the 2026 season.

Quarterback Rocco Becht was one of the key additions in the transfer portal, and he had a great debut with Penn State, completing 13 of 18 passes for 271 yards, four touchdowns, and no interceptions.

Becht was familiar with Campbell, who was the quarterback at Iowa State, and has quickly transitioned into a great leader for their offense.

Koby Howard was the leading receiver for the Nittany Lions, with six receptions for 161 yards and a touchdown.

In the run game, Penn State leaned on Carson Hansen, Cam Wallace, Quinton Martin Jr., and James Peoples. Hansen rushed for 48 yards on 11 carries while Wallace had 42 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries, Martin Jr. had 38 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries, and Peoples added 31 yards on eight carries.

It was an impressive offensive performance by the Nittany Lions, and if they keep it up, Campbell could lead them to the College Football Playoff.

On defense, Penn State had some solid performances as Tony Rojas and Caleb Bacon both posted a sack while Bryson Williams had an interception.

While Marshall isn't a strong opponent, the Nittany Lions have a strong roster and a coach in Campbell who has had a ton of success in his career.

Penn State will look to continue their strong start to the season in Week 2 matchup on Saturday against Temple.