Penn State got the kind of response it needed on Saturday, but the box score came with a warning label.
After looking sluggish in a 27-9 win in Philadelphia the week before, the Nittany Lions came out and buried Buffalo 55-13 in their final non-conference game before Wisconsin visits Beaver Stadium next Saturday. Penn State was favored by 40.5 points and covered easily, and for long stretches the offense and ground game looked like they were exactly where they needed to be.
Still, this wasn’t a spotless performance. The Lions piled up big plays and answered plenty of questions, but they also left a few new ones behind. Here are the biggest winners and losers from the rout.
Quinton Martin Jr. was the headliner. His 61-yard run on his second carry of the game changed the feel of the afternoon, and it stood out even more because Penn State entered the day with only one run of 15 yards or more all season.
Against Buffalo, the Lions had five such runs, and Martin’s burst was the most eye-catching of the bunch. He finished with 100 yards on 10 carries, including multiple broken tackles on that long scamper.
Carson Hansen had a better day than he did against Temple, putting up 37 yards and his first touchdown on five carries, but Martin made a stronger case for a bigger role once Big Ten play starts. James Peoples also had a strong outing, and Cam Wallace added a 59-yard touchdown run in the second half, so Martin didn’t run away from the entire backfield.
Even so, it’s hard to imagine him staying buried after this.
Koby Howard kept looking like the clear top option in the passing game. His second 100-yard outing in the first three weeks says a lot for a second-year player who barely topped 100 yards all of last season. Howard has become the explosive, dynamic target Penn State keeps leaning on, and offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser is clearly comfortable drawing up deep shots and gadget looks for him, including a 20-yard touchdown run on a double reserve.
Finn Furmanek also made a useful leap in the tight end rotation. Penn State’s depth at the position has already been tested, with Gabe Burkle unavailable in Week 1 as he worked back from the injury he suffered in 2025 and Andrew Rappleyea leaving in the first half on Saturday.
Furmanek has mostly been valued for his blocking, but he caught the first pass of his career for 31 yards against Buffalo. If Rappleyea’s absence lingers, Furmanek looks like the clear TE3 behind Burkle and Benjamin Brahmer.
Then there was Vaea Ikakoula, who stepped in at center after Brock Riker exited in the first quarter. It wasn’t clear whether Riker’s departure was injury-related or performance-related, though Campbell said Riker had been their highest-graded offensive player in Week 1.
Either way, Ikakoula got the nod over Dom Rulli, who had been viewed as the backup center, and the run game took off with him in the middle. It’s still a limited data point against Buffalo, but Ikakoula at least stamped himself as Riker’s backup and maybe more.
Not everything was crisp, though. The team’s discipline was a problem, with Penn State flagged eight times for 96 yards. That number won’t ruin a game like this, but it’s too sloppy for a team that wants to cleanly move into conference play, and it could be a much bigger issue against Wisconsin.
The pass rush was another concern. Buffalo was working with backup quarterback Jason Wright, who made his first career start, and leaned on the run game and quick throws even while trailing heavily in the second half.
The Bulls still found themselves in plenty of third-and-long situations and passed on 75% of late downs, but Penn State managed only one sack, by MIKE linebacker Kooper Ebel. With Max Granville out for the season, the Lions need someone to emerge off the edge before Big Ten quarterbacks get too comfortable.
In Other News...
Penn State Already Has A New QB Question Fans Can't Ignore
Penn States non-conference tune-up slate against Marshall, Temple and Buffalo did not leave the quarterback picture any clearer, even with Rocco Becht opening all three games. The starter showed he can push the ball downfield, but the offense never got fully settled with him, and the red zone remains a problem area the staff still has to sort through.
Redshirt freshman Alex Manske also got his chances, and he looked capable enough to keep the conversation going with a handful of accurate throws and a few near completions that hinted at more upside. Connor Barry even saw the field, which only added to the sense that this is more than a one-man evaluation, and Manske appears to be positioning himself as the name to watch when Penn State starts thinking about next year. [Read more 🡒]
Bill OBrien Just Added Weight To Penn States Matt Campbell Bet
Bill OBriens take carried a little extra weight because he knows both sides of this equation. The former Penn State head coach, now at Boston College, publicly backed Matt Campbell as the Nittany Lions new leader, praising the hire and pointing to the scale of the job in State College. OBrien has lived the pressure and the expectations that come with that chair, so his approval is the kind of detail Penn State fans notice.
Campbell also has a small connection point through one of his past staffing moves, having hired a former Boston College assistant. Its another reminder that big college football decisions are rarely made in a vacuum, and Penn States new coach is stepping into a job with real history attached to it. OBriens endorsement does not settle every question, but it does add another layer to the early read on how Campbell fits the role. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Suddenly Has A Backfield Question Fans Will Notice
Quinton Martin Jr. was back in the conversation against Buffalo after sitting out Penn States game against Temple, and the change did not happen by accident. The young back responded by putting in the work on the practice field, caught the attention of coach Matt Campbell, and then earned meaningful snaps when the Nittany Lions got another look at their rotation. His payoff came with 10 carries for 100 yards, a strong reminder that opportunities in the backfield can come quickly when a player keeps pressing.
Martin has also drawn notice from teammates, which matters in a room where every rep is evaluated closely. The bigger question now is how Penn State sorts out those carries going forward, especially with Martin making it clear he wants to keep improving and force his way into more playing time. For a team still shaping its backfield pecking order, his response to one missed game has only made the next decisions more interesting. [Read more 🡒]