Penn State Football Stock Up, Stock Down Report After Week 1

The Nittany Lions were superb in a shutout win over Marshall, but some issues emerged.

Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Rocco Becht throws a pass vs. the Marshall Thundering Herd at Beaver Stadium. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Penn State came out on fire to open the Matt Campbell era, blazing through Saturday with a 45-0 win over Marshall at Beaver Stadium. The shutout was the first for a Nittany Lions head coaching debut since Dick Harlow’s 26-0 victory against Westminster in 1915. 

So on top of the good, it was hard to find much to be displeased about on Saturday. But there were certainly notable areas to improve upon. We assessed whose stock is up, and whose is down, after a quite dominant opening weekend for Penn State. 

Stock Up: Penn State’s passing offense

Penn State Nittany Lions wide receiver Koby Howard runs with the ball after making a catch vs. the Marshall Thundering Herd at Beaver Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Did anyone deliver a better first impression on Saturday than quarterback Rocco Becht? The redshirt senior completed 13-of-18 passes for 271 yards, four touchdowns and a 272 passer rating. Saturday marked the first four-passing touchdown game of his career, and it came in start 40. There wasn’t much more he could do to boost his stock. 

“Sometimes being a great quarterback is like being a great point guard, right?” Campbell said postgame Saturday night. “You have to be a great distributor of where the ball needs to go, and I thought he was outstanding today.”

As for the wide receivers, Koby Howard burst onto the scene with a six-catch, 161-yard, one-touchdown performance. He became the first Nittany Lions wideout to post 150 receiving yards since Parker Washington had 179 against Ohio State in 2022. 

“He's a baller,” Becht said, “and so today we were able to see what he's capable of doing with the ball in his hands in a real game. So we're going to try to continue to get that guy the ball and make the plays because he's really special.”

Former Iowa State wide receiver transfers Brett Eskildsen and Chase Sowell made their imprint, too. Eskildsen caught five passes and added a touchdown, while Sowell got Becht into rhythm early on with two chain-movers in the first two drives. 

And wideout Zay Robinson and tight end Ben Brahmer found the end zone, too. Everyone was fed through the air on Saturday. 

Stock Up: Defensive end Caleb Bacon

Penn State Nittany Lions football fans cheer during the first quarter against the Marshall Thundering Herd at Beaver Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Bacon has a fascinating career arc. He was a high school offensive guard in Iowa who walked on at Iowa State and became a starting linebacker. At Penn State, he shifted from linebacker to defensive end, taking a risk late in his collegiate career. That position change couldn't have gotten off to a better start. 

The redshirt senior tallied six tackles (three for loss) and a sack on Saturday, with his three tackles for loss and the sack coming in the first half. For reference, Bacon had 9.5 TFLs and three sacks last season at Iowa State. 

The most notable part of his performance on Saturday was his speed off the edge. Bacon was constantly in the backfield and might’ve done the best at his position group of not letting Marshall’s run game bounce to the outside. 

Thundering Herd quarterback Carlos Del Rio-Wilson is dangerous with his legs, as he ran for 660 yards last season, so Bacon’s performance helped stymie arguably the most productive of Marshall’s offense.

Penn State defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn even lined Bacon up at times at defensive tackle, using four ends in certain third-down situations. It’s evident the confidence Penn State has in Bacon, and he might’ve earned himself more snaps (he played 19) with Saturday’s performance.

“This guy earned the way to become a great player,” Campbell said. “... I think you guys got a chance to just see a little bit of just how special this guy is. He's worked for everything he's got. Nobody's ever given him anything.”

Stock down: Penn State’s rushing offense

Penn State Nittany Lions running back Carson Hansen carries the ball vs. the Marshall Thundering Herd at Beaver Stadium. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Despite rushing for 174 yards, Penn State’s offense didn’t generate the ground game it wanted. The team’s longest rush was 16 yards by running back Cam Wallace late in the fourth quarter, but the main first-down backs  — Carson Hansen and James Peoples — couldn’t generate any explosives. Hansen did convert a 4th-and-1 in the first half with a 10-yard run, his best of the game.

Hansen and Peoples combined for 79 rushing yards on 19 carries, so the efficiency in the running back room needs improvement. The run game averaged 3.6 yards per carry (3.3 in the first half), which won’t fly in Big Ten play. 

Campbell attributed the poor efficiency to Marshall's game-planning specifically against the run. He said the Thundering Herd consistently had eight or nine players in the box, which led to Becht making more throws into open spaces across the middle. And yes, Becht went 7-for-9 on passes in the middle of the field.  

But also, Penn State must address the run game and run blocking. Once the Nittany Lions play a team closer to their skill level, that lack of rushing efficiency will significantly hurt their passing attack.

Stock down: Running back Quinton Martin Jr. 

Penn State Nittany Lions running back Quinton Martin carries the ball vs. the Clemson Tigers in the 2025 Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Martin was a hot name during the offseason. He ended his redshirt freshman campaign with an eye-catching 20-carry, 103-yard performance against Clemson in the Pinstripe Bowl. And his coaches, including running backs coach Savon Huggins, had high praise for him all offseason. All signs pointed toward a notable increase in playing time. 

Yet his first snap on Saturday came in the third quarter when Penn State was already up big on Marshall. He finished the season opener with 10 carries for 38 rushing yards and a touchdown. He also tacked on two receptions. 

It looks like Hansen will have the primary role, as expected, and Peoples will get plenty of burn, too, especially in pass-catching situations. Martin will have to play himself into a more significant role it seems, and it’s hard to tell if Saturday was a step in the right direction. 

His longest rush was nine yards, and aside from that play, he averaged 3.1 yards per carry. Granted, there wasn’t much available on the ground in general on Saturday, but that’s not a performance that’ll earn you extra snaps, especially in key moments. 

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