Penn State gets one more non-conference tune-up before Big Ten play starts, and the assignment comes with a few clear themes attached.
The 2-0 Nittany Lions, ranked 15th in the latest US LBM Coaches poll, will host Buffalo on Saturday, Sept. 19 at noon in Beaver Stadium. The game is Penn State’s final non-conference matchup of the 2026 season, and the setting gives the Lions a chance to keep cleaning up some early-season problem areas before the schedule stiffens.
That’s the real value of this one for Penn State. The Bulls are not expected to be anywhere near the same level in talent, depth or scoreboard punch, especially after needing to battle to the final seconds just to survive their opening FCS opponent. So the focus for Penn State and head coach Matt Campbell shifts inward: the run game has looked clunky, the offense has had red zone issues, and the defense has not been consistently efficient at pressuring the quarterback or finishing tackles.
It is also another week of sorting through a roster full of new and unproven pieces before the competition gets much tougher.
Penn State will be down two sophomore edge rushers, with LaVar Arrington II out for the next month and Max Granville sidelined for the rest of the season, Campbell said. Arrington’s knee injury happened in the second half of preseason camp, while Granville’s season-ending injury came in practice leading up to the Temple game.
Buffalo will bring a test of a different kind, though maybe the most interesting one for Penn State’s defense. The Nittany Lions’ secondary has been excellent so far, with a pass defense ranked in the top five nationally and giving up just over 100 yards per game. But they have not yet dealt with a target like Buffalo’s Chance Morrow.
At 6-foot-4, Morrow has been the Bulls’ primary weapon through two games, catching 18 passes for 221 yards and five touchdowns. That production makes him the biggest individual challenge Penn State has seen yet on that side of the ball.
Penn State vs. Buffalo will air on the Big Ten Network and can be streamed live on FUBO.
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 🡒]