Penn State’s 55-13 win over Buffalo gave Matt Campbell exactly the kind of game he wanted in one key area: the bench got a workout. The Nittany Lions used a season-high 80 players Saturday at Beaver Stadium, and six of them made their college debuts.
The result also left Penn State at 3-0 with a solid tune-up before Big Ten play, even if Campbell had one obvious gripe. The seven defensive penalties for 87 yards stood out in a game that otherwise produced plenty of useful answers in the snap counts and Pro Football Focus grades.
One of the biggest shifts came in the backfield. Quinton Martin Jr. didn’t log an offensive snap or a carry against Temple in Week 2, but against Buffalo he led Penn State’s running backs with 10 carries, 100 yards and 22 snaps. Afterward, Martin pointed to trust as the difference.
"If they don't trust you, you’re not going to be on the field," Martin said. "So I did whatever I had to do to get them to trust me in that moment. I got my opportunity."
Starter Carson Hansen went the other direction. He had been the clear leader in backfield snaps against Marshall and at Temple, but Saturday brought just 12 snaps, his lowest total of the season. Hansen finished with 37 yards and a touchdown on five carries.
Penn State’s highest-graded back by PFF was James Peoples, who posted an 81.6 grade after averaging 7.4 yards per carry and scoring twice on 13 snaps. Cam Wallace also made his presence felt, earning a 74.2 grade and punctuating the day with a 61-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.
Koby Howard was the offense’s top overall PFF performer, putting up a 90.8 grade after piling up 135 all-purpose yards and a touchdown in just 34 snaps. He now leads the Big Ten and ranks third nationally in average yards per catch at 28.67.
Chase Sowell continued to be one of the most heavily used skill players, leading that group with 39 snaps. He was on the field often in run situations, taking 21 run-game snaps, the most among Penn State receivers and tight ends. Brett Eskildsen also saw plenty of work with 28 snaps, and though he was targeted only twice, he caught both passes.
At tight end, Andrew Rappleyea exited in the first half with what looked like an upper-body issue after 16 snaps. Campbell said after the game that Rappleyea could have returned but was held out as a precaution. Even with the short outing, Rappleyea still finished as PFF’s highest-graded tight end at 77.5.
Gabe Burkle, back after a 2025 torn ACL, started for the second straight week and played 28 snaps, eight more than he had against Temple. Ben Brahmer had a quieter afternoon, finishing with one catch on three targets and a drop while earning a 59.0 PFF grade.
Up front, left guard Trevor Buhr landed on PFF’s weekly all-Big Ten team after playing 43 snaps and grading out at 74.5. Right tackle Anthony Donkoh was Penn State’s highest-graded lineman at 76.3, and he helped clear the way for two rushing touchdowns.
Center Vaea Ikakoula, who had missed a significant chunk of training camp, led the offensive line with 52 snaps. He took over for starter Brock Riker after two series, with Campbell saying Riker wasn’t 100 percent and there was no reason to risk making the injury worse.
On defense, safety Marcus Neal Jr. delivered the sharpest turnaround of the night. A week after posting the team’s lowest defensive grade at Temple, Neal made PFF’s national team of the week. He played a position-high 31 snaps, led Penn State with a 91.6 grade, forced two fumbles and recovered one while helping hold Buffalo to 60 passing yards.
With Max Granville out for the season, Yvan Kemajou stepped into a bigger role at defensive end and handled it well. He played 28 snaps, produced two quarterback hurries, added a tackle for loss and finished as the defensive line’s highest-graded player at 78.3. Alexander McPherson also filled in with 24 snaps and a 73.3 grade, while Caleb Bacon had four tackles, a tackle for loss and a forced fumble but received a 61.4 grade from PFF.
Armstrong Nnodim made a strong first impression after missing the first two games with a training camp injury. The Oklahoma State transfer played 15 snaps, made two tackles and graded out at 76.0, the best mark among Penn State’s tackles.
At linebacker, Tony Rojas kept building his case as the defense’s most impressive player. His snap count was limited to 31, but he still posted an 85.8 grade, made two tackles and broke up a pass. Inside linebackers Cael Brezina and Kooper Ebel combined for eight tackles and earned PFF grades of 83.7 and 70.8, respectively.
The secondary’s workload was spread in a familiar way, with Zion Tracy playing 36 snaps, Audavion Collins 33 and freshman Josiah Zayas 31. Collins was the group’s highest-graded player at 73.3. Dixson, with a 64.3 grade, also did solid work against Buffalo’s top receiver, Chance Morrow, limiting him to two catches on seven targets.
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 🡒]