University Park, Pa. — In a battle of programs that share the rallying cry of “We Are,” No. 17 (Coaches)/No. 18 (AP) Penn State defended its claim Saturday, defeating the Marshall Thundering Herd 45-0 in Matt Campbell’s debut as head coach.
Penn State received the opening kick and immediately benefited from favorable field position, starting near midfield. The Nittany Lions advanced deep into Marshall territory behind a 20-yard connection from quarterback Rocco Becht to wide receiver Chase Sowell.
The drive stalled just outside the Marshall red zone, but Ryan Barker connected on a 38-yard field goal for Penn State’s first points of the season and a 3-0 lead.
After suffocating the Thundering Herd on their opening possession, the Nittany Lions shook off some early offensive rust when Becht connected with wide receiver Koby Howard for a 42-yard touchdown to extend the lead to 10-0.
Penn State’s aerial attack continued its momentum in the ensuing series. Becht found Howard twice for 39 yards before connecting with wide receiver Brett Eskildsen for a 25-yard touchdown, giving the Nittany Lions a 17-0 advantage.
On Marshall’s next possession, Caleb Bacon showed why Penn State moved him from linebacker to defensive end, recording tackles for loss on consecutive plays and adding to the Thundering Herd’s frustration.
Bacon finished with six tackles, including five solo stops, three tackles for loss and a sack.
Penn State entered the second quarter looking to establish its running game after managing only 24 net rushing yards in the opening period.
Those struggles continued through the Nittany Lions’ first two possessions of the second quarter, when they gained just 15 yards on five rushing attempts.
Without much of a threat on the ground, Penn State became increasingly one-dimensional, allowing Marshall to generate more pressure on Becht.
After a Becht completion to Eskildsen set up fourth-and-1 at Penn State’s own 22-yard line, Campbell rolled the dice in an effort to generate some momentum. The Nittany Lions brought out a heavy formation, looking to establish superiority in the trenches.
Campbell’s faith in his offense was rewarded when running back Carson Hansen broke free for a 12-yard gain to move the chains.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.After consecutive successful runs, the passing lanes opened again. Becht found Howard for another 42-yard reception, pushing Penn State into the red zone.
The Nittany Lions capped the 11-play, 87-yard drive with an eight-yard touchdown pass from Becht to tight end Benjamin Brahmer, extending their lead to 24-0.
Penn State’s aerial attack picked up where it left off on the opening possession of the second half, with Becht connecting with wide receiver Zay Robinson for a 39-yard touchdown to make it 31-0.
That proved to be Becht’s final snap of the afternoon.
The Penn State quarterback finished 13-of-18 passing for 271 yards and four touchdowns before backup Alex Manske entered on the Nittany Lions’ next series.
Howard remained involved after the quarterback change, hauling in consecutive receptions of 12 and 26 yards, with the latter also drawing a defensive pass interference penalty. The drive ended with running back Quinton Martin Jr. scoring on a six-yard run to give Penn State a 38-0 lead.
Howard finished with six receptions for 161 yards and a touchdown. It marked the most receiving yards by a Penn State wide receiver since Parker Washington recorded 179 against Ohio State in 2022.
Late in the fourth quarter, after pinning Marshall back on their own one-yard line, Nittany Lion safety Bryson Williams intercepted the ball on the Marshall 30-yard line that was capped by a six-yard rushing touchdown by running back Cam Wallace concluded the scoring at 45-0.
In front of 108,489 at Beaver Stadium, Penn State improved to 3-0 all-time against Marshall and secured its first victory over the Thundering Herd since a 65-0 win in 1930.
Marshall hasn’t scored against Penn State in nearly a century. The Thundering Herd’s last points in the series came on an eight-yard touchdown reception by Ramey Hunter from Tom Stark in 1929 – the only points Marshall has scored in the three meetings.
Penn State will hit the road next week to face Temple at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.
