Penn State got through Temple 27-9 in Week 2, but the box score told only part of the story. The Nittany Lions had some carryover success from the opener, and they also showed a few problem spots that stood out over four quarters.
A few players are building momentum fast. A few others still have work to do.
Benjamin Brahmer is one of the clearest risers after two weeks. The tight end keeps looking right at home with Rocco Becht, and his touchdown total is already up to three on the season.
Brahmer scored once against Marshall, then came back against Temple with touchdowns in the second and fourth quarters. He finished as Penn State’s leader in receiving yards and touchdowns, and he tied wide receiver Chase Sowell for the team lead in catches.
His biggest sequence came with 18 seconds left in the first half. Becht hit Brahmer for a 9-yard gain, then found him again moments later for a 23-yard touchdown that helped give Penn State a needed lift before halftime.
“I think we just caught them on their toes and got past them,” Brahmer said.
Even after a third-quarter drop that could have been another score, Brahmer bounced right back and closed out Penn State’s 19-point output with another 23-yard touchdown from Becht.
Zay Robinson is another name trending up. Penn State’s passing game has mostly leaned on the more established options - Sowell, Brett Eskildsen and Brahmer - but the redshirt freshman has carved out real playing time in both games.
He scored on his only catch in Week 1, then added three receptions against Temple for 34 yards. That included a 22-yard grab, the longest of his day.
Robinson also turned heads on one of his catches, when Becht threaded the ball to him with five defenders around him. Beyond his work as a receiver, he has handled kick and punt return duties. He’s averaging 12.6 yards per punt return, and against Temple he showed off the kind of quick feet and balance that can turn a routine return into extra yardage.
Tony Rojas belongs in the stock-up column too. After tearing his ACL during what was lining up to be a breakout year last season, there were fair questions about what he’d look like in his redshirt junior season.
Two games in, he’s answered them with force. Rojas has 14 tackles, two tackles for loss and a sack so far this year.
His biggest play against Temple came on an interception of Smolik at the Temple 18-yard line, a turnover he returned to the 5.
“Obviously, I haven’t gotten a pick in a while, so just getting that feeling good again,” Rojas said.
Not everything was smooth for Penn State, though. Carson Hansen’s start remains a work in progress.
He averaged 4.4 yards per carry against Marshall, and that number didn’t move much against Temple. Hansen carried the ball 19 times - up from 11 rushes the week before - but finished with just 84 yards and no touchdown for the second straight game.
He said during the week that he wanted to improve his reads and be more decisive, but those issues still seemed to linger.
“I don’t know (what went wrong),” Hansen said. “I would just say myself. I just need to be a little better with the little details.”
The run defense also had some rough patches, even though Temple was held to nine points. The Owls still found chunk gains on the ground.
Former Nittany Lion and Temple quarterback Jaxon Smolik rushed for 71 yards at 10.1 yards per carry, including a 41-yard run that stood as the game’s longest. Tony Rojas credited Smolik for making the defense pay when he got loose.
“We had a lot of pursuit and guys flying around, but I think he was poised,” Tony Rojas said. “He made the big plays that he needed, and I think that’s where all the rushing yards came from.
Running back Keveun Mason added 76 yards, and Ajani Sheppard scored Temple’s lone touchdown with his legs.
In Other News...
Penn States Newcomers Are Already Becoming The Heart Of This Team
Penn States September win over Temple offered an early look at how quickly the new faces on this roster are settling in. In a 27-9 victory, the Nittany Lions leaned on a transfer-heavy 2026 group that has already become part of the teams identity, with several newcomers making their presence felt on both sides of the ball. Quarterback Rocco Becht was sharp, tight end Ben Brahmer was a reliable target, and the overall depth from the portal additions gave the game a very different feel than a typical early-season tune-up.
What stood out most was how many of those newcomers were involved in the decisive moments, not just filling snaps. Becht completed 21 of 27 passes for 268 yards and three touchdowns, while Brahmer caught five passes for 78 yards and two scores, and other transfers chipped in across offense and defense as Penn State controlled the afternoon. For a program trying to blend established expectations with a roster full of fresh arrivals, this was the kind of performance that suggests the integration is happening faster than most teams can reasonably expect. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Showed Exactly How Much Rocco Becht Already Means
The reaction around Rocco Becht in the Temple game said plenty about where he stands with Penn State. When Becht took a late hit near the sideline, the response from his teammates and coaches was immediate, a flash of protectiveness that reflected how tightly this group has bonded around its quarterback. Matt Campbell pointed to that unity afterward, and it fit with the way Penn State has looked to rally behind Becht as he has grown into a steadier, more confident presence.
Bechts rise has been one of the clearer on-field stories of the season, especially after the setbacks that had slowed him before. He has settled in as one of the Big Tens most efficient passers and has given Penn State a level of stability it did not always have a year ago. The hit itself will fade, but the response around it showed how much his teammates already trust him, and how much the program has come to depend on him. [Read more 🡒]
Penn States Temple Win Revealed Something Worth Watching In The Backfield
For one afternoon, Jaxon Smolik turned the matchup into a familiar sight for Penn State fans, only in a different uniform. The former Nittany Lions quarterback was Temples primary signal-caller against his old team, throwing for modest yardage but doing enough with his legs to keep the Owls moving. Penn State also got a close-up look at its own defensive speed when linebacker Tony Rojas jumped a Smolik pass and returned it to the Temple 5-yard line, one of the cleaner momentum swings in the game.
On the other side, the Lions backfield may have been the more encouraging subplot. Carson Hansen and James Peoples combined to rush for 136 yards, and coach Matt Campbell pointed to the groups physicality and growth after the game. For Penn State, that kind of production is exactly the sort of detail that can matter later in the season, especially if the run game keeps looking like a reliable part of the offense rather than just a supporting piece. [Read more 🡒]