It took Penn State fans just 1 quarter to fall even more in love with Matt Campbell

Penn State fans were ready for a fresh start after the frustrations of the James Franklin era in Happy Valley. While Matt Campbell wasn’t the first choice of athletic director Pat Kraft, he seems to be the perfect palate cleanser for a fanbase that quickly bought all the way in on the former Iowa State head coach from Northeast Ohio. 

No matter who was hired to replace Franklin, the fanbase would have been hopeful by Week 1; that’s just the way of things in college football. But not every head coach would have delivered as perfect a first quarter as Campbell did on Saturday afternoon inside newly renovated Beaver Stadium. 

The Nittany Lions rolled to a 17-0 lead over Marshall and, behind veteran quarterback Rocco Becht, were on pace for 652 yards of total offense. The new faces on defense, Kooper Ebel and Caleb Bacon, both looked the part of top transfers, sophomore wide receiver Koby Howard got involved after spending his freshman season buried on the depth chart, and the Thundering Herd didn’t convert a first down until their third possession. 

The vibes couldn’t be higher in Week 1 for Penn State after a brilliant start

Obviously, the Nittany Lions need to keep their foot on the gas to convert a great start into a dominant win over Marshall. However, the performance in the first quarter of the Campbell era was so good that it warranted a standing ovation from the crowd on hand in Happy Valley. 

One of the most important developments was Howard’s breakout with three catches for 81 yards and a touchdown. He generated much buzz for the second straight fall camp, but after last year, it was fair to have some reservations about whether or not he would live up to the hype. Well, he immediately debunked that theory, looking like the dynamic playmaker Penn State hasn’t had at wide receiver since Jahan Dotson. 

Understandably, fans and media members alike were overjoyed by Howard’s big catch-and-run touchdown. He’s clearly a favorite of Becht out of the slot. 

The defense was also on fire for the Nittany Lions. Bacon made a big move from linebacker to defensive end and he immediately made an impact with a tackle for loss and a sack on back-to-back plays from the edge. However, it wasn’t just Bacon. It was overwhelming dominance from the entire group in the first quarter, holding the Thundering Herd to 34 total yards of offense. 

Maybe best of all, Campbell doesn’t want any of the acclaim for the performance. He practically snuck onto the field. 

Not every coach needs to have the same approach. Dabo Swinney won championships running down the hill at Clemson practically alone, soaking in all the love from the fanbase. But because it’s different from Franklin, Penn State fans love that attitude from Campbell. 

Obviously, it’s a long way from the end of Week 1, and there’s plenty of time for something to go wrong, but it couldn’t have been a better start to a new era at Penn State.

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