Penn State’s final non-conference tune-up arrives Saturday at Beaver Stadium, and the Nittany Lions go in with plenty of momentum. They’re 2-0, they’ve piled up a 72-9 scoring edge through two weeks, and they’re massive 40.5-point favorites over Buffalo, according to DraftKings.
The spread says one thing, but the matchup details still matter. Buffalo has a breakout playmaker on the outside, Penn State has questions in the run game, and the Bulls have shown they can give up chunk plays in the passing game. Those three areas should shape how this one unfolds.
The first big test for Penn State is Buffalo wideout Victor Morrow. The fifth-year senior has been the entire offense so far, hauling in 18 passes for 218 yards and five touchdowns - every Buffalo score this season. At 6-4 and 192 pounds, he brings size, length and a wide catch radius that can stress a secondary in a hurry.
That makes him a fascinating problem for Penn State’s cornerbacks Daryus Dixson and Audavion Collins. Dixson has emerged as a promising young corner, while Collins has been the speed piece and has played lockdown football this season. Campbell didn’t hide the challenge when asked about Morrow.
"First and foremost, he's an elite talent," Campbell said of Morrow. "... He's got an elite catch radius, he's long, he's got the ability to threaten you down the field and, if you watch some of those catches in tight spaces, he's a real challenge."
Penn State’s secondary has been one of the early bright spots. Pro Football Focus graded the group as the nation’s best in Week 1, and in Week 2 the Nittany Lions held Temple to 107 passing yards. Jaxon Smolik finished with a 56 quarterback rating in that game, better than Carlos Del Rio-Wilson’s 17.9 in the opener against Marshall.
On the other side of the ball, Penn State offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser wants more from the ground game. The Nittany Lions have rushed for 311 yards and two touchdowns across two games, averaging 3.94 yards per carry, which ranks 12th in the Big Ten.
Carson Hansen has been steady but not explosive. Penn State’s lead back has 132 yards on 30 carries with no touchdowns, averaging 4.4 yards per attempt.
He has yet to lose a yard, but he also hasn’t ripped off anything longer than 13 yards and is still chasing his first 100-yard game. That’s a notable development after he closed last season with five 100-yard performances in the final five weeks.
Buffalo’s run defense has been solid in the small sample size of 2026, allowing 3.2 yards per carry and 113 rushing yards per game. The caveat is clear: that production has come against FIU and UAlbany. Still, if Penn State wants to get its backs rolling before Big Ten play starts next weekend against Wisconsin, this is the kind of game where it should look to do it.
The easiest path to explosive offense may be through the air. Buffalo gave up 386 passing yards to FIU in Week 2, including three completions of 35 yards or more. That opens the door for Penn State’s speed to matter.
Brett Eskildsen stands out as the player most likely to stress the Bulls vertically. He has only seven catches in two games, but he may be Penn State’s fastest weapon and can get behind a defense.
Koby Howard and Chase Sowell also bring big-play ability. Howard opened Week 2 against Temple with a 56-yard deep ball from quarterback Rocco Becht, and Sowell beat his man deep against the Owls too, even though he dropped the pass.
Mouser wants the run game to come alive, and the quickest way to help that is by stretching the field first. If Penn State can do that while keeping Morrow in check, Saturday should stay comfortably on script.
In Other News...
Beaver Stadium Is Finally Addressing A Penn State Fan Frustration
Beaver Stadium is getting a long-awaited fix to one of the most familiar headaches for Penn State fans, with the schools Board of Trustees Finance and Investment Committee approving a 10-year deal with AT&T to upgrade cellular service at the venue. The new system is expected to be in place for the 2027 football season, and interim improvements are already being made this fall as part of the broader push to make the stadium experience less frustrating on game day.
The upgrade will bring a new distributed antenna system designed to improve coverage and increase bandwidth capacity across the stadium, a notable addition as Beaver Stadium nears completion of its $700 million renovation. For a fan base that has dealt with spotty service for years, the timing matters almost as much as the technology, even if the full payoff is still a couple of seasons away. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Fans Have One Gameday Concern Before Buffalo Kickoff
A comfortable start is on tap for Penn States noon kickoff against Buffalo at Beaver Stadium, with meteorologist Joe Murgo calling for temperatures in the upper 60s and a steady south-southeast wind. It should feel like a pretty good early-season football afternoon for much of the game, but there is enough movement in the forecast to keep fans paying attention as the hours wear on.
Murgo also flagged the possibility of showers or thunderstorms by the end of the game, which means a dry tailgate might not stay that way for long. For the Penn State crowd, the practical advice is simple: bring layers, pack rain gear, and give yourself extra time to get through the traffic headed into State College. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Players Feel Extra Pressure With Program Legends Returning
Penn State is set to welcome back one of the most celebrated groups in program history, with the 1986 national championship team being honored at halftime during an upcoming game. Running back D.J. Dozier, an All-American from that squad, will serve as honorary captain and handle the coin toss, giving the current roster a chance to share the field, in a sense, with the standard-bearers of a championship era.
For players like Caleb Bacon and Gabe Burkle, the return of those lettermen brings an added layer to a game week that already carries its own weight. The current Nittany Lions know the legacy they are trying to uphold, and the presence of program legends has only sharpened that motivation, turning a celebration of the past into a reminder of the expectations that still follow Penn State football. [Read more 🡒]