Penn State Nittany Lions News: Week 1 victory, loss at Wrigley, and more

It was all good vibes in Happy Valley on Saturday as the No. 18 Penn State Nittany Lions defeated Marshall in a dominant 45-0 shutout.

Head coach Matt Campbell was met with chants of his name in Beaver Stadium after the win. While there's still work to get done this season, Campbell shared his appreciation and love for the blue and whie faithful after the game.

“Just a sincere thank you to our fanbase, to our student body,” Campbell told the media postgame. “It was really special to be a part of this for the first time. It was really special to coach here today. The environment was second to none.”

Penn State football claims 45-0, Week 1 victory

The Nittany Lions' offense and defense didn't slow down once. They scored on seven drives and didn't allow the Thundering Herd to log a single point during the contest. Campbell's timely timeout at the end of the first half iced out Marshall's kicker, which kept the shutout alive and well.

Quarterback Rocco Becht was pristine, throwing 13-of-18 for 271 yards and four touchdowns and a 72.2 completion percentage. He also finished with a 272.4 passer rating. Wide receiver Koby Howard was his favorite target. He had six receptions for 161 yards and one score. The offense totaled 324 passing yards in the game.

On defense, linebacker Tony Rojas led the crew with seven total tackles and one sack, but the star of the show on that side of the ball was defensive end Caleb Bacon. Bacon had six tackles (three tackles for loss) and a sack, proving his transition to the edge wouldn't impact his effectiveness.

Penn State women's volleyball falls 3-1 vs. Kentucky

The No. 13 Nittany Lions took the stage at Wrigley Field on Sunday night, but walked away with their first loss of the 2026 season.

Kentucky, the No. 3 team in the country, played with fire consistently. It held Penn State to a 0.173 hitting percentage and was more organized throughout the match. The Nittany Lions had a huge burst of energy coming from outside hitter Whitney Lauenstein in the third set — the one set Penn State took away from the Wildcat — but it wasn't enough to sustain into the fourth.

Lauenstein finished the evening with 15.5 points, 13 kills, six digs, 1.5 blocks, and one ace. Kennedy Martin also had herself a night with 16 kills, two aces, and two block assists.

On the other side of the net, Brooklyn DeLeye was, of course, a beast with 21 kills, 10 digs, and two block assists. Morgan Gaerte had 15 kills, six block assists, and three digs.

More: Love for Campbell resonates with visiting recruits

Victories, especially like the one on Saturday, are critical for Campbell this season not just to put together a winning record, but impress visiting recruits at the same time.

Campbell did hold up very well in the 2027 cycle, and the 2028 class has given him a lot to work with already. Quarterback commit James Armstrong was on campus for the game and so was the No. 1 cornerback in the class, Nasir Richardson.

Per Steve Wiltfong of Rivals, Richardson was elated after his gameday visit and doubled down on his previous statement that he could see himself playing for Penn State when his NCAA career comes around.

Wiltfong reported other recruits' reactions as well, including one who commented on the environment.

The love for Campbell is evident, and that's important to see from a prospect's perspective. The players love their head coach, the staff loves its head coach, and the fans love their head coach. Culture is essential, and while it doesn't mean everything in the age of NIL, it sure goes a long way for some recruits.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow