Visions of 2015 started to creep into the minds of Penn State fans as Temple led 3-0 in the early going of Week 2. Then, the most experienced quarterback in the country, Rocco Becht, played like it, settling the Nittany Lions with a crisp two-minute drill before the half and leading them to 20 unanswered points.
Matt Campbell’s Nittany Lions got the win to improve to 2-0, but there were a few more losers than emerged from their Week 1 45-0 pounding of Marshall.
Winners
3. RB James Peoples
It appeared as though Penn State was going to have a true three-back committee in the run game this season, but that has not been the case. Quinton Martin Jr. has seemingly fallen out of favor (more on that later), and Carson Hansen has emerged as the clear RB1 for Campbell and offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser.
That leaves James Peoples as RB2 for Penn State, and it appears he fits the role of the passing-down back perfectly. He was a huge part of Rocco Becht’s two-minute drill before the half, picking up a blitz expertly and delivering a critical first-down run. He averaged 7.6 yards on his five carries before the final drive in garbage time, and though he didn’t have a catch, his pass-protection ability will keep him on the field on third downs and late-game situations.
2. QB Rocco Becht
Maybe it’s boring to say that the Penn State starting quarterback played well against Temple, but considering the way the game started for the Nittany Lions, Becht settling the team down with his masterful two-minute drill and then catching fire with 12-straight completions into the second half is certainly notable.
Last season was arguably Becht’s worst in three seasons starting at Iowa State, as he dealt with a torn AC joint in his non-throwing shoulder along with an injury in his throwing shoulder. Through two games, he looks like Penn State’s best offensive player. He’s in complete control of everything on that side of the ball, playing on time with great accuracy.
1. TE Benjamin Brahmer
Last week was Koby Howard’s breakout, and after the sophomore hauled in a 56-yard grab on the first play from scrimmage, it appeared Week 2 was going to be the Howard show again. However, Howard had just two catches the rest of the way, and Benjamin Brahmer was the standout pass catcher for the Nittany Lions.
The 6-foot-7, 250-pounder was touted as an elite red zone threat when he transferred from Iowa State this offseason, and he’s living up to that billing with two touchdowns in Week 2 and three on the year. Taylor Mouser does an excellent job of scheming for Brahmer, but he’s dynamic enough to create his own separation, and his strides as a blocker will let Penn State keep him on the field more often in 2026.
Losers
3. K Ryan Barker
In 2025, Ryan Barker was a huge bright spot for Penn State, going 18-for-19 with one block on his only attempt from beyond 50 yards. He doesn’t have the biggest leg, but he’s been reliable throughout his career in Happy Valley without a miss inside 40 yards.
Then, on Penn State’s first drive, the Nittany Lions stalled out, and Barker missed a 33-yard chip shot. It’s not going to jeopardize Barker’s standing as the team’s placekicker, but it may put a dent in the coaching staff’s confidence in its kicking game.
2. RB Quinton Martin Jr.
Carson Hansen is RB1, James Peoples is the third-down back, and it seems that Cam Wallace has pulled even with Quinton Martin Jr. Wallace had just one carry before garbage time, and it went for just two yards, but Martin didn’t see the field at all before Campbell emptied the bench.
Martin surprisingly stayed in Happy Valley after a strong Pinstripe Bowl performance last December and added weight to fit the preferred running style of this offense, but he’s seemingly been phased out of the rotation.
1. DL Coach Ikaika Malloe
D’Anton Lynn brought his former defensive line coach, Ikaika Malloe, from their time together at UCLA. Malloe overhauled Penn State’s interior defensive line, favoring massive 300+ pound space-eating defensive tackles over previous defensive line coach Deion Barnes’s 275- to 300-pound gap-shooters.
The idea behind supersizing the interior defensive line is to have those players hold up against double teams to keep the linebackers free and stop the run game with light boxes. Well, Temple, with multiple offensive linemen out, ran for 176 yards on 5.3 yards per attempt. That’s probably more concerning than Penn State’s relative struggles to establish the run on the other side of the ball.
If Penn State can’t stop the run consistently with light boxes, the ethos of this unit starts to fall apart, so Lynn will have to get creative and establish an identity more predicated on his secondary.
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