Penn State fans showed up for the season opener against Marshall on Saturday with a mix of optimism, patience and a whole lot of curiosity about what comes next under Matt Campbell.
For some, just being there felt like a milestone. Beth Kinney, a Bellefonte resident of 55 years, stood with her husband Jerome at a tailgate before heading into Beaver Stadium for her first game in person.
Jerome made sure to point that out: “This is her first game,” he said. “Can you believe that?”
Kinney had followed the Nittany Lions for years without ever seeing them live, not during the Joe Paterno era and not under James Franklin. Saturday changed that, and she was fired up about the start of a new chapter.
“There’s hope,” Kinney said at a tailgate Saturday near Beaver Stadium. “There’s a new spirit.
There’s hope. There’s excitement.”
Campbell, hired in December as the 17th head coach in Penn State football history, has spent nine months building toward this moment. The wait finally ended Saturday, and the fan base came in ready to see whether the energy around the program matches the buzz.
That buzz was easy to find. A lot of fans described a different feel around the team this season - a fresh spark, a stronger connection to the program’s identity and a sense that Campbell is stitching together the past and present. John Lehmann, a State College resident, said he believes the new coach is creating unity.
“We feel the tradition again,” Lehmann said while in line waiting for the team entrance. “We feel like he’s not here to change everything, only change what has to [be] change[d].
He’s bringing back all the traditions, and we could feel it. I think everyone here - the community, everyone we talk to, friends that have been Penn State fans for years, have gone to Penn State, have been going to games for decades - we all feel it.
We [haven’t] seen it yet. We’re gonna see it today, but we feel it, and I think that’s the biggest piece.
“We were all talking at our tailgate; we were all talking about the same thing. How excited that we feel like it’s Penn State football of the past, brought to the current.”
That feeling came up again and again Saturday. Fans said Campbell and his staff have leaned into the school’s history, whether through former players around the team or the way Campbell talks about the program at press conferences. For many in the stands and in the tailgate lots, that matters.
Bryan Schmidt, who grew up in State College and now lives in Washington, D.C., said he wants to see the team bring more edge in the trenches, especially after feeling Penn State was overwhelmed up front to start last season.
“He’s bringing toughness, discipline and tradition back to Penn State,” Schmidt said. “I think especially in the NIL era, that’s going to be how teams are going to win - and he’s bringing that to Penn State.”
The expectations around the team varied, but they all pointed in the same general direction: better football, more fight and a group that responds when things get hard. Some fans were thinking bowl game.
Others were thinking 11-1 and a College Football Playoff berth. Most just wanted to see heart and mental toughness.
Zachary Braithwood, a college student from Colorado, went further than most. He said the schedule gives Penn State a path to the kind of season fans dream about.
“We could go 12-0,” Braithwood said as he stood in line with Nittanyville. “I don’t think we are.
I feel like we’re losing to Michigan. And if we beat Michigan, we’re going to lose at Washington.
I think 11-1. We’re going to lose in the Big Ten championship to either Ohio State or Oregon, and then we’re going to get a home playoff game here and then run the gauntlet.”
Even with that kind of optimism, not everyone expected the turnaround to happen overnight. Some fans outside Beaver Stadium said the transition under Campbell could take time, and most weren’t eager to put a strict deadline on it.
Braithwood did.
“If this was a harder year, I would give him like five years,” Braithwood said. “But, honestly, I’m gonna say about three to get things settled in.
I feel like he got a good enough transfer [class] from Iowa State, and he has one of the easiest schedules in the FBS. He should be able to have some success from the start.
“And, if not, we should at least give him a couple years before turning [on him].”
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Rocco Becht's Penn State Debut Raised One Very Real Question
Rocco Bechts first game in a Penn State uniform was the kind of debut that can change the mood around a quarterback room in a hurry. Against Marshall, he completed 13 of 18 passes for 271 yards and four touchdowns, spreading the ball around with four different scoring throws and giving the offense the sort of easy rhythm coaches dream about when a new starter takes over.
Matt Campbells decision to go to backup Alex Manske after Penn State had already built a 31-0 lead only added to the conversation. Becht looked sharp, efficient and very much in command, and the performance left one very real question hanging over the program now: how long does Penn State keep leaning into the backup plan when the debut looked this ready? [Read more 🡒]
Penn States Defense Already Has A Freshman Forcing Big Decisions
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Matt Campbell has pointed to Zayas versatility and the way he has made impactful plays in practice, and the early returns carried over into game action. He showed up around the line of scrimmage with tackles for loss and held up in coverage well enough to earn more trust, even with a few minor mistakes mixed in. For Penn State, the bigger question now is how much responsibility a freshman can absorb as the games get tougher. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State May Have Found A Defensive Upgrade Fans Didn't Expect
Penn States defense added an intriguing wrinkle during fall camp when veteran defender Caleb Bacon moved from linebacker to defensive end, a shift that could give the Nittany Lions another versatile piece up front. Coach Matt Campbell confirmed the change, and Bacon made his college football debut at the new spot with a strong first showing, a sign that the move was more than just a depth-chart experiment.
Bacon has been spending time with the defensive line coaches to sharpen his pass-rushing work, which is the part of the transition that will matter most as the season unfolds. If he keeps building on that debut, Penn State may have stumbled into a useful upgrade in a place where production can change the feel of the entire defense. [Read more 🡒]