Philadelphia-Penn State’s 27-9 win over Temple was not the smoothest path through Matt Campbell’s first two weeks, and that was exactly the point Campbell wanted to stress afterward.
After rolling Marshall 45-0 in the opener, Penn State ran into a far tougher night against the Owls. The game was tied at 3 with just seconds left in the first half, and even after Rocco Becht hit Ben Brahmer for a 23-yard touchdown, Penn State went to the locker room up only seven. Temple kept it within reach until the closing minutes, when Penn State finally stretched the margin to 27-3 before the final score settled at 27-9.
What stood out to Campbell was not the slow start, but the way his team answered once things got messy.
“I would just say that’s probably the proudest that I can be, and it’s what I told our guys in the locker room,” Campbell said. “I felt like nobody flinched, nobody wavered.
There was no complaining. And I think some of that can easily happen, but the reality is all three phases kind of faltered earlier, right?
“We missed a field goal. We don’t execute down there in the red zone.
And then defensively we [allowed] two big plays on mental errors, and so the thing that I really appreciate [is] who responded. It’s the guys you expect, right?
You know, Rocco steps up. He makes big plays in big moments to kind of get you back into the football game.”
Becht was central to that response for a second straight week, finishing 21 of 27 for 268 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions.
Campbell also pointed to the defense, where Tony Rojas turned an interception into a return to the 5-yard line in the first quarter. He also singled out veterans Zion Tracy and Audavion Collins.
“Our A players stepped up in A moments and made A plays,” Campbell said, “which is what you hope will happen in adverse situations. I thought those guys did a great job of that for sure.”
In Other News...
Penn States Newcomers Are Already Becoming The Heart Of This Team
Penn States September win over Temple offered an early look at how quickly the new faces on this roster are settling in. In a 27-9 victory, the Nittany Lions leaned on a transfer-heavy 2026 group that has already become part of the teams identity, with several newcomers making their presence felt on both sides of the ball. Quarterback Rocco Becht was sharp, tight end Ben Brahmer was a reliable target, and the overall depth from the portal additions gave the game a very different feel than a typical early-season tune-up.
What stood out most was how many of those newcomers were involved in the decisive moments, not just filling snaps. Becht completed 21 of 27 passes for 268 yards and three touchdowns, while Brahmer caught five passes for 78 yards and two scores, and other transfers chipped in across offense and defense as Penn State controlled the afternoon. For a program trying to blend established expectations with a roster full of fresh arrivals, this was the kind of performance that suggests the integration is happening faster than most teams can reasonably expect. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Showed Exactly How Much Rocco Becht Already Means
The reaction around Rocco Becht in the Temple game said plenty about where he stands with Penn State. When Becht took a late hit near the sideline, the response from his teammates and coaches was immediate, a flash of protectiveness that reflected how tightly this group has bonded around its quarterback. Matt Campbell pointed to that unity afterward, and it fit with the way Penn State has looked to rally behind Becht as he has grown into a steadier, more confident presence.
Bechts rise has been one of the clearer on-field stories of the season, especially after the setbacks that had slowed him before. He has settled in as one of the Big Tens most efficient passers and has given Penn State a level of stability it did not always have a year ago. The hit itself will fade, but the response around it showed how much his teammates already trust him, and how much the program has come to depend on him. [Read more 🡒]
Penn States Temple Win Revealed Something Worth Watching In The Backfield
For one afternoon, Jaxon Smolik turned the matchup into a familiar sight for Penn State fans, only in a different uniform. The former Nittany Lions quarterback was Temples primary signal-caller against his old team, throwing for modest yardage but doing enough with his legs to keep the Owls moving. Penn State also got a close-up look at its own defensive speed when linebacker Tony Rojas jumped a Smolik pass and returned it to the Temple 5-yard line, one of the cleaner momentum swings in the game.
On the other side, the Lions backfield may have been the more encouraging subplot. Carson Hansen and James Peoples combined to rush for 136 yards, and coach Matt Campbell pointed to the groups physicality and growth after the game. For Penn State, that kind of production is exactly the sort of detail that can matter later in the season, especially if the run game keeps looking like a reliable part of the offense rather than just a supporting piece. [Read more 🡒]