Penn State is heading into Saturday’s trip to Temple with plenty of confidence, but the Nittany Lions also sounded plenty aware that the Owls are treating this one like a major event.
That message came through loudest from defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn, who made it clear he expects Temple’s best shot when the teams kick off at noon on ESPN2 at Lincoln Financial Field. Temple is 1-0 after a 38-14 win over Rhode Island, while Penn State is also 1-0 and ranked No. 16 by the Associated Press.
“It’s the Super Bowl for Temple,” Lynn said. “We have to have that mindset.”
Penn State enters as a 23.5-point favorite and owns a lopsided edge in the series, 40-4-1. Still, Lynn pointed out that the Lions know what this game can turn into, especially in Philadelphia. The teams haven’t met since 2016, when Penn State won 34-27 in Beaver Stadium.
Lynn also drew a little extra attention when he talked about his own history against Temple. As a Penn State player, he faced the Owls every season during his four years as a cornerback.
Most of those games were comfortable wins, though his final one ended as a tighter 14-10 Penn State victory at The Linc. He also remembered Penn State’s 27-10 loss on its last trip to Philadelphia in 2015, James Franklin’s second season.
“There were times we won handily. There were some times it was a dogfight and it came down to the end,” Lynn said. “We know we're going to get their best and we just have to make sure our guys are prepared for that.”
Campbell also used Tuesday’s press conference to honor a Penn State name that means a great deal around the program. He recognized Matt Suhey, who died Sunday at 68.
Suhey played fullback for the Nittany Lions from 1976-79, rushing for 2,818 yards and 26 touchdowns before going on to serve as Walter Payton’s lead blocker with the Chicago Bears through the 1980s.
“Tough weekend for the Penn State football community and family,” Campbell said. “I want to extend condolences to the Suhey family, and what Matt and that family has meant to Penn State football -- a really tough weekend for everybody involved.”
There was also a strong theme of unity when the conversation turned to Penn State’s roster makeup. Lynn said the defense has been built from the ground up through his third transition as a defensive coordinator with a new staff, and the goal has been to make it feel like one group rather than a collection of separate backgrounds.
“We're all Penn Staters now,” Lynn said. “You can't tell who's been here, you can't tell who transferred from Iowa State or another school.”
Offensive lineman Cooper Cousins said that mindset took hold as soon as players reported in January.
“I say it all the time. I don't even see it as Penn State and another team,” Cousins said.
“I didn't see anybody as a transfer or anything else. It was the Penn State football team.
I think we've done a great job of handling that and kind of forgetting the past.”
The most personal moment of the day came from defensive tackle Siale Taupaki, who opened up about what life looks like beyond football. Taupaki said he recently paid for his parents’ internet so they can watch him play, since they are older and making the trip from East Oakland, Calif. to State College is not realistic.
“My parents are still struggling, and I'm still broke,” Taupaki said. “While everyone else is trying to buy their next car, I'm trying to fill all the holes I have back at home.
“I come from nothing. When I go home, I'm not even a football player.
I'm a son. That football stuff is out the door.
The opportunity that I have in the NIL era and the great coaching staff, I'm thankful for that. But at the end of the day, I have things to do as a son.”
After speaking, Taupaki made his way around the room and shook hands with every reporter present.
Campbell also offered an injury update, confirming that tight end Gabe Burkle and linebacker Alex Tatsch will be available Saturday. Both were close to playing against Marshall, and both practiced last week, but Campbell said they needed more contact and collision work before returning.
“It will be big to add both of those guys back on the football field,” Campbell said.
In Other News...
Penn State Mourns A Former Star As New Details Emerge
Matt Suhey, one of Penn States most respected former stars, was found dead at his home in Deerfield, Illinois, a loss that adds another somber note to the programs long football lineage. Suhey went on to become a fixture with the Chicago Bears, remembered most for his work as a lead blocker for Walter Payton and for scoring the first touchdown in the Bears Super Bowl XX win.
The Lake County Coroners Office said there were no suspicious circumstances and that his death was due to natural causes tied to a significant medical history. For Penn State fans, Suhey was part of an era that still carries weight in the schools football story, and his passing is likely to prompt the kind of reflection that follows whenever one of the programs former standard-bearers is lost. [Read more 🡒]
Nick Sirianni Has A Surprising Penn State Tie Coming To The Linc
Matt Campbell and Nick Sirianni have traveled a long way from their days as roommates at Mount Union, and now their careers are set to cross again in a much bigger spotlight. Sirianni has already climbed to Super Bowl-winning status with the Eagles, while Campbell has settled in as Penn States head coach, giving their old relationship a new layer of intrigue whenever the schedules and sideline duties line up.
Campbell recently spoke with Sirianni after Penn States debut win, a reminder that the two still lean on one another as they navigate the demands that come with leading major programs. Now Campbell is bringing his team to Lincoln Financial Field, where Sirianni coaches, adding a personal twist to a game that already carries plenty of attention for Penn State fans following the programs new chapter. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Is Leaning Back Into Its Past In A Big Way
Penn State has quietly spent the early part of the season leaning back into its history, and not in a subtle way. Matt Campbell has made clear he wants the program to honor the legacy of former coach Joe Paterno, with Jay Paterno around practice, Sue Paterno addressing the team, and the school opening the Paterno Family Football Experience Room as part of that broader nod to the past. Even the season opener carried a familiar visual, with the team running out under a banner tied to Paternos era.
Campbell has framed it as a matter of respecting where the program came from and the value system that helped shape it. Still, the move naturally invites a bigger conversation about how Penn State balances celebration of its football lineage with the scrutiny that comes with it, and how far the program is willing to go in reconnecting with one of the most defining figures in its history. [Read more 🡒]