PHILADELPHIA, Pa. — It wasn’t an easy start for Penn State, which had to overcome miscues that left the Nittany Lions deep in Temple territory with nothing to show for it.
That did not faze quarterback Rocco Becht.
The senior continued his hot start, completing 21 of 27 passes for 268 yards and three touchdowns as the Nittany Lions recovered to earn a 27-9 win against Temple in head coach Matt Campbell’s first road game as Penn State’s head coach.
The win was Penn State’s first at Lincoln Financial Field since 2011.
On Penn State’s first play, Becht used play action and took a deep shot to Koby Howard on a post route for 56 yards, setting up a goal-line opportunity.
After Becht was flagged for an illegal forward pass, the Temple defense held strong, forcing a 33-yard Ryan Barker field-goal attempt. Barker missed, his first miss from inside 40 yards after previously going 22-for-22 from that range.
Penn State got another first-quarter opportunity when Tony Rojas intercepted Jaxon Smolik and returned the ball deep into Temple territory. But the Nittany Lions, who struggled early with just seven rushing yards on seven carries, went to the air on fourth-and-goal. Becht missed a streaking Andrew Rappleyea in the flat, turning the ball over on downs.
On the ensuing Temple possession, the Owls produced their biggest explosive play when Smolik, the former Penn State quarterback, took a keeper 47 yards to get Temple deep into Nittany Lion territory.
The Owls picked up another key third-down conversion when Smolik connected with tight end Peter Clarke to move into the red zone as the first quarter expired.
This time, it was Penn State’s defense that stiffened, holding Temple to a 24-yard field goal. The kick capped a 15-play, 91-yard drive that consumed more than eight minutes and gave the Owls a 3-0 lead.
After struggling to run the ball in the first quarter, the Nittany Lions found some rhythm behind Carson Hansen. The running back accounted for 31 rushing yards on the drive as Penn State reached the Temple red zone. The drive stalled, but Barker connected on a 31-yard field goal to tie the game at three.
After another Temple possession, Penn State got the ball back for a two-minute drill. Becht connected with wide receiver Zay Robinson on two key catches before running back James Peoples produced a Saquon Barkley-type hurdle on Barkley’s home field with 30 seconds remaining, picking up a key first down and keeping the Nittany Lions moving.
As the seconds continued to tick away, Becht completed his eighth consecutive pass, finding tight end Benjamin Brahmer for a 23-yard touchdown with eight seconds remaining. It was Brahmer’s 14th consecutive game with a reception and gave Penn State a 10-3 halftime lead.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.Temple continued to find success on the ground early in the second half, with Smolik breaking another big run as the Owls held a 128-66 advantage in rushing yards.
The drive stalled in Penn State territory, and head coach K.C. Keeler opted for a 52-yard field-goal attempt. Cornerback Daryus Dixson blocked Carl Hardin’s kick, giving the Nittany Lions an opportunity to take control.
Following the block, Becht remained locked in. He connected with Howard and Chase Sowell to extend his streak to 12 consecutive completions.
After a rare Brahmer drop ended the streak, Becht went right back to work, connecting with Sowell for a 16-yard touchdown to give Penn State a 17-3 lead.
Following a Temple punt, Penn State began to take command. Becht connected with Robinson on a key third-and-15 before finding Brahmer for 20 yards. That set up Barker’s 39-yard field goal, extending the Nittany Lions’ lead to three possessions at 20-3.
Penn State put the game away in the fourth quarter when Becht found Brahmer for his second touchdown of the afternoon, a 23-yard reception that pushed the lead to 27-3.
Brahmer finished with five receptions for 79 yards and two touchdowns.
Late in the fourth quarter with under two-minutes to go, Penn State surrendered its first touchdown of the season as Temple quarterback Ajani Sheppard scores a three-yard rushing touchdown. Temple went for the two-point conversion but failed on the attempt which concluded the scoring.
The victory marked Penn State’s first at Lincoln Financial Field since 2011, when Joe Paterno’s Nittany Lions defeated the Owls 14-10 during his final season.
Penn State also extended its all-time series lead over Temple to 41-4-1.
The Nittany Lions will complete their 2026 non-conference schedule at home against the Buffalo Bulls of the Mid-American Conference at Beaver Stadium. Kickoff is slated for noon ET.
