Matt Campbell didn’t have to look far for a trusted voice after opening his Penn State tenure with a 45-0 win over Marshall. One of the people he turned to was Nick Sirianni, the former Mount Union roommate who has become one of the NFL’s top coaches.
On Tuesday, Campbell said he spoke with Sirianni earlier in the week and described those conversations as bigger than any one game or venue. Still, Saturday’s trip to Temple at Lincoln Financial Field adds a notable twist: Campbell’s Penn State team will be playing in Sirianni’s home stadium.
“I’s a great opportunity when you get to bring a football team to play in a professional stadium,” Campbell said. “So I know our guys to be excited about that.”
Campbell and Sirianni’s bond goes back more than 20 years, to their days together at Mount Union, the small Ohio school known for its Division III football dominance. Both have traveled winding roads since then, and both have reached high-level jobs without the path ever being easy.
Sirianni is now a Super Bowl-winning coach in the NFL with a career winning percentage better than 69 percent. Campbell has landed at one of college football’s marquee programs. And through it all, the friendship has held.
“Nick has been a great sounding board,” Campbell said. “We’ve gone through some of the same journeys as head football coaches - good moments and tough moments. And to be honest with you, I think the tough moments have probably been when we’ve been able to grow together because I feel like we paralleled those at the same time and have had to work through some of the same things.”
That connection has remained strong even as their careers took them in different directions - Sirianni rising through the NFL, Campbell spending the last decade in Ames, Iowa, after earlier coaching in Toledo, Ohio. Now they’re closer geographically than they’ve been in years, and Campbell made clear he values having that kind of confidant nearby.
“Obviously that relationship, that friendship, and having the ability to have somebody that’s kind of going through some of the same journeys has been huge,” Campbell said.
“We’re really proud of what Nick’s accomplished, being from Mount Union and what he’s done and how he’s done it. I think it’s been awesome. I’m really grateful that we’re now in a place where we can be a little bit closer to each other, and certainly continue that relationship and continue to bounce things off each other.”
In Other News...
Temple Heads To Penn State With One Problem Fans Will Notice
Temples trip to Penn State comes with a little more uncertainty than a normal September road test, starting up front where the Owls are already shorthanded. KC Keeler confirmed that starting left tackle Giakoby Hills will be out for six weeks, a significant blow to an offensive line that has to deal with one of the bigger fronts on the schedule.
The injury picture does not stop there, either. Starting tackle Kevin Terry and left guard Eric King are both game-time decisions, which leaves Temple waiting to see how much of its protection plan will be available by kickoff. The quarterback situation is still unsettled as well, with the Owls choosing between Jaxon Smolik and Ajani Sheppard for the starting job, adding another layer of uncertainty to a matchup that already looks demanding. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Just Put Its Recruiting Board On Notice
Matt Campbells first game at Penn State doubled as a recruiting showcase, with multiple prospects from the 2027 through 2029 classes on hand. The guest list included current commits and a handful of targets the staff is still trying to bring into the fold, a reminder that big-game Saturdays in State College are as much about the future as the present.
Among the names in attendance were 5-star cornerback Nasir Richardson from the 2028 class and 4-star edge rusher DJ Dockery from the 2029 class, both the kind of young blue-chippers Penn State wants to keep circling. The staff also added to the board by extending an offer to 3-star defensive lineman McCoy Richardson, a prospect viewed as a possible flip from Wake Forest, leaving the rest of that recruiting picture to keep developing after the visit. [Read more 🡒]
DAnton Lynn Just Raised A Big Penn State Defense Question
Penn States secondary is already looking a little different as the season settles in, and DAnton Lynn made it clear why true freshman Josiah Zayas is getting first crack at cornerback. Lynn pointed to Zayas mental strength and steady development, a notable endorsement for a young player stepping into a demanding spot on a defense that is still sorting itself out.
Lynn also signaled that the scheme itself is going to keep evolving, with the staff planning to add complexity gradually rather than overload the group early. With Temple next on the road, he emphasized communication and preparation as the big keys, which leaves an obvious question hanging over the defense: how quickly can a young corner and a growing playbook handle the next test? [Read more 🡒]