Penn State Starts Matt Campbell Era Off With Dominant 45-0 Win

The No. 18 ranked Penn State Nittany Lions officially kicked off the 2026 college football season with a dominant 45-0 win over the Marshall Thundering Herd on Saturday afternoon.

Entering the game, fans were excited to see the new-look team under first-year head coach Matt Campbell. They got exactly what they were hoping to see.

Right off the bat, it was clear that Penn State came to play. The Nittany Lions held a 24-0 lead at halftime. In the second half, it was more of the same.

Rocco Becht also made his debut with Penn State at the quarterback position. He completed 13 of his 18 pass attempts for 271 yards, four touchdowns, and no interceptions. Alex Manske also played a solid role backing Becht up, throwing for 57 yards and completing six of his eight passes.

As a team, the Nittany Lions rushed for 163 yards and two touchdowns on 45 carries.

Defensively, Penn State locked up the Thundering Herd offense. They recorded two sacks and an interception, while holding Marshall to 147 total yards and no points.

No one could have asked for a better start to the year for the Nittany Lions.

Seeing such a great performance was a breath of fresh air for Penn State fans.

After entering the 2025 season as a national championship favorite, things unraveled quickly. James Franklin ended up being fired in the middle of the season.

While the first game of the season doesn't dictate how the rest of the year will go, the Nittany Lions have a lot to be excited about. They have a good head coach and a very talented quarterback. The defense also looked the part of a potential contender.

Following the big win, Penn State will now begin preparing for a road matchup against the Temple Owls on September 12.

It's too early to take much away from the season opener, but there are reasons to be optimistic. Should the Nittany Lions be able to put together another performance next week against like they did against Marshall, the excitement will rise even more.