Penn State left Lincoln Financial Field with a 27-9 win over Temple, but the performance had a little of everything: a sluggish feel for long stretches, some encouraging flashes, and a few spots that need cleaning up fast. The Nittany Lions moved to 2-0, picked up their first road win, and now turn to Buffalo in their final non-conference game on Saturday.
If there was one clear stock-up name from the day, it was tight end Graham Brahmer. After opening the season with one catch for eight yards and a touchdown against Marshall, he broke out in a big way against Temple. Brahmer finished with five catches for 79 yards and two touchdowns, and he even left more production on the field after dropping a potential score that would have given him three.
What made the day more interesting was how Penn State used him. Brahmer wasn’t just attached to the formation as a blocker.
He moved around, lining up out wide, on the line and in the slot, and most of his damage came as a receiver. Both touchdowns came from 23 yards out, just outside the red zone, an area where Penn State had trouble finishing against Temple.
That kind of versatility is exactly why he looks like such a central piece for this offense.
Penn State also got a stock-up performance from the duo of Taupaki and Williams, who combined for five tackles with one for loss. Their best work came in a first-quarter goal-line stand.
Temple had first-and-goal at the Penn State 5, but Taupaki blew up Keveun Mason for a 1-yard loss on first down. On the next snap, Temple and former Nittany Lion quarterback Jaxon Smolik tried a run-option look, but Taupaki got into the backfield and forced Smolik to give the ball to Mason, and Williams stopped him for no gain.
Then Ajani Sheppard missed high in the back of the end zone on third down, and Temple settled for a 24-yard field goal.
That sequence mattered because Penn State’s defense has been vulnerable before against quarterbacks who can hurt teams with their legs. Last season, UCLA’s Nico Iamaleava ran for 128 yards and three touchdowns in a 42-37 upset at the Rose Bowl, and Iowa’s Mark Gronowski piled up 130 rushing yards and two scores in Iowa City, including a 67-yard run that helped set up the winning touchdown.
Against Temple, Penn State handled Carlos Del Rio-Wilson well in the opener, but Smolik still found room, rushing for 71 yards. His 47-yard scramble in the first quarter set up one of Temple’s two scoring drives.
The tackling in space wasn’t sharp enough. Jeremiah Cooper missed Smolik on that long run, Cael Brezina missed on another carry that let the quarterback reach the second level, and Marcus Neal Jr. was given a 37.4 Pro Football Focus grade in part because of his work against the run. Temple finished with five rushing plays of 10 or more yards and seven explosive plays overall, a big jump from the one 10-plus-yard play Penn State allowed against Marshall.
That becomes a major issue when looking ahead to the schedule. USC, Michigan and Washington all bring quarterbacks who can make plays with their legs, with Jayden Maiava, Bryce Underwood and Demond Williams all mentioned as problems Penn State will have to handle.
On the stock-down side, the running back situation keeps getting stranger, and Quinton Martin is at the center of it. This was his second straight week in that category.
He didn’t enter until the third quarter against Marshall, when he ran 10 times for 38 yards and a touchdown. Against Temple, he didn’t play at running back at all.
That’s a tough one to explain, especially with Penn State’s ground game still searching for answers in 2026. Martin flashed in the Pinstripe Bowl with 101 yards against Clemson and has been described by running backs coach Savon Huggins as having an “unbelievable skill set.” Still, he sat while the offense continued to lean elsewhere, and that makes his outlook harder to read as the season moves on.
In Other News...
Buffalo Coach Sees One Clear Problem With Facing Penn State
Pete Lembo had plenty to say about what Buffalo is walking into at Beaver Stadium, and his breakdown came with the kind of specificity that usually comes only after a coach has spent real time studying an opponent. The Buffalo head coach pointed to Penn State linebacker Tony Rojas, a player he once recruited at South Carolina, and also singled out middle linebacker Kooper Ebel as a steady defensive presence. He did not stop there, either, adding praise for quarterback Rocco Becht and special teams coordinator Justin Lustig as he sized up a roster that looks deep enough to challenge almost every phase of the game.
For Penn State, the interesting part is not just that an opponent noticed the obvious talent. It is that Lembo framed the matchup around the parts of the roster that can tilt a game before the box score ever settles in, from defense to special teams to the quarterback spot. When an opposing coach comes away talking in those terms, it usually means he sees only one clean path for his own team, and it is not the easy one. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State's Spending Reality Just Raised A Bigger Contender Question
Penn States place in the new college football financial order is getting harder to ignore. The Nittany Lions projected 2026 roster budget sits in the $29 million to $32 million range, a number that leaves them 21st nationally and seventh in the Big Ten, well behind the sports biggest spenders such as Ohio State and Oregon. In a league where roster construction has become as much about money as recruiting, that gap is a real part of the conversation around how Penn State keeps pace.
The roster churn only sharpens the issue. Penn State has 62 new players this season, including 40 transfers, and the program has had to navigate the balancing act of holding onto key contributors while adding talent through the portal. Matt Campbell has managed the budget pressures by keeping important pieces in place and bringing in transfers from his previous team, but the broader question remains whether that approach is enough for Penn State to stay in the same competitive tier as the leagues highest rollers. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State May Have Found Its Next Tight End Problem For Defenses
A new tight end presence has already started to change how Penn State can attack defenses. Benjamin Brahmer, the 6-foot-7, 250-pound transfer from Iowa State, has played two games and wasted little time making himself part of the conversation, catching six of nine targets for 87 yards and three touchdowns while flashing the kind of size and versatility that usually creates problems for opposing coverages.
Brahmers value has gone beyond the stat sheet, too. His strong pass-blocking grade and the trust he earned from quarterback Rocco Becht at Iowa State point to a player who can help in multiple phases, and the early signs around his physical development have only added to the intrigue about how high his ceiling might be at tight end. If this is just the start, Penn State may have found a matchup piece defenses will be forced to account for every week. [Read more 🡒]