Skip to main content
All Penn State

Penn State Football vs. Temple Live Updates: A Grind in Philadelphia

The No. 16 Nittany Lions work through early offensive issues to outlast the Owls.
Mark Wogenrich|
Penn State Nittany Lions running back James Peoples (1) hurdles Temple Owls cornerback Denzel Chavis (13).
Penn State Nittany Lions running back James Peoples (1) hurdles Temple Owls cornerback Denzel Chavis (13). | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

In this story:

Penn State Nittany Lions

PHILADELPHIA | Penn State football needed to calibrate after a rough offensive start but eventually got there in a 27-9 win over Temple on Saturday at Lincoln Financial Field.

The Nittany Lions (2-0) mugged their way through three shaky drives before finding their stride in the second quarter. They scored on five consecutive posessions, with quarterback Rocco Becht hitting Ben Brahmer for two touchdowns.

But Temple scored the first touchdown against Penn State this season late in the fourth quarter to clinch the cover.

Score update: Penn State 27, Temple 3 (4th Quarter)

Rocco Becht found Ben Brahmer for another touchdown, as the Nittany Lions scored on their fifth consecutive possession. Temple's zone defense lost Brahmer at the line of scrimmage, and Becht found him for an easy 23-yard score.

Two plays earlier, Becht took a huge shot from Temple safety Kolin Dinkins, a former Nittany Lion. Dinkins also hit Becht out of bounds, prompting him to get an earful from the Penn State sideline.

Score update: Penn State 20, Temple 3

With 8 seconds left in the third quarter, Ryan Barker made a 39-yard field to extend Penn State's lead to 20-3. However, the Nittany Lions lapsed again in the red zone, getting called for a false start on third-and-short from the 19-yard line.

Penn State's offense committed two penalties on the drive and has all four of the team's infractions in the game after going without a penalty against Marshall.

Score update: Penn State 17, Temple 3

Chase Sowell scored his first touchdown at Penn State, taking a swing pass 16 yards on third-and-six to the end zone. Sowell drafted behind three exceptional blocks from receiver Brett Eskildsen, tight end Andrew Rappleyea and left tackle Malachi Goodman.

Eskildsen cleared the play wide, while Rappleyea and Goodman flooded the interior. It was one of Penn State's best executed plays on an erratice offensive day. Sowell had three catches on the series, a confidence boost after he dropped a potential touchdown pass in the first half.

After going 1-for-4 to start the game, Becht has completed 13 of his last 14 passes, including 12 straight. And the incompletion was a potential dropped touchdown pass by Brahmer before Sowell's score.

Halftime update: Penn State 10, Temple 3

Some quick thoughts from halftime at Lincoln Financial Field:

Penn State played a dud offensive first quarter, running seven plays inside the Temple 10-yard line without scoring. The red-zone offense was neither physical nor precise. Rocco Becht missed a touchdown pass, the line cleared nothing in the run game and Becht got a penalty for throwing the ball past the line of scrimmage.

Worse, Tony Rojas gifted the offense with the ball at the 5-yard line with his fifth career interception, and the Nittany Lions did nothing with it. Head coach Matt Campbell looked frustrated in the moment.

However, Penn State reclaimed some offensive ground in the second quarter, particularly on a 10-play, 83-yard touchdown drive in its 2-minute drill. Becht and tight end Ben Brahmer finished it on a timely post route.

Temple quarterback Jaxon Smolik has shown inspiration, and wheels, playing his former team. He's actually the game's leading rusher at halftime (10 carries, 49 yards), gaining 47 of them on one play. Curiously, Temple coach K.C. Keeler removed Smolik on a third-and-goal opportunity. Ajani Sheppard's pass went incomplete, and Temple settled for a field goal.

Speaking of field goals, Penn State kicker missed from under 40 yards for the first time in his career. He was 22-for-22 entering the game. Barker pushed a 33-yard attempt left on the Nittany Lions' opening drive.

Score update: Penn State 10, Temple 3

Becht led a superb 2-minute drill, going 83 yards on 10 plays for the game's first touchdown. The Nittany Lions capped it with a tidy two-play sequence to tight end Brahmer. Facing off coverage on first down, Brahmer curled his route in for an easy 8-yard gain.

Then on second down, Brahmer drove past a cornerback on a post route and was wide open in the end zone, where Becht hit him for their second touchdown connection of the season. Penn State needed that drive after coming up empty in the end zone twice in the first quarter.

Score update: Temple 3, Penn State 3

After missing from 33 yards on Penn State's first drive (his first career miss under 40), kicker Ryan Barker made a 31-yard field goal to tie the game. The Nittany Lions ran better on their scoring drive, as Carson Hansen converted a 3rd-and-1 and had a pair of 9-yard gains.

The potential big play was a sideline route to Chase Sowell, who dropped a potential touchdown pass with Temple's Adrian Laing in coverage. The play also was close to a fumble, as Sowell lost the ball after a step.

Score update: Temple 3, Penn State 0

The Owls strike first, and Penn State faces its first deficit of the season. A 24-yard field goal gives Temple a 3-0 lead, capping a drive that began at their own 3-yard line.

After stopping Penn State four times in the red zone, Temple went 91 yards and converted a 3rd-and-12. However, Temple coach K.C. Keeler replaced quarterback Jaxon Smolik. who led the drive, with Ajani Sheppard on third down. Sheppard's pass went incomplete, forcing the field goal.

Since Penn State's game-opening, 56-yard play, Temple has outgained the Nittany Lions 104-8.

End 1st quarter: Penn State 0, Temple 0

Rocco Becht hit Koby Howard for 56 yards on the game's opening play, but Penn State has totaled seven yards of offense since. The Nittany Lions have come up scoreless in two red-zone trips, one of them a first-and-goal at the 5-yard line. Credit Temple's defense for stockpiling against Penn State's planned power game.

The Owls begin the second quarter at the Penn State 18-yard line, buoyed by a 47-yard from from former Nittany Lion quarterback Jaxon Smolik, who got the start. Smolik has converted three of four third-down attemps. So far, the Owls have been better.

Penn State wastes an interception

Penn State is 0-for-2 in the red zone, with the second drive being especially sluggish. Gifted first-and-goal at the 5-yard line on Tony Rojas' fifth career interception, the Nittany Lions failed to score again.

The run game was particularly uninspired, gaining just three yards on three consecutive plays with big formations. Penn State lined two tight ends in the backfield on second and third down (essentially two fullbacks) but could not clear space. On fourth down, Becht whizzed a throw past tight end Andrew Rappleyea's head from short range.

The Nittany Lions are 0-for-3 on third down. They also have run seven plays inside Temple's 10-yard line without scoring.

Penn State wastes big play to start

The Nittany Lions came away with nothing on their opening drive, a bitter finish after Rocco Becht hit Koby Howard for 56 yards on the game's opening play. Howard outraced Temple's secondary through the midfield Eagles logo for the longest reception of his career. A facemask tacked on 15 yards.

But Penn State got small in the red zone. The key play was Becht's first real mistake of the season. He threw a pass in the end zone after crossing the line of scrimmage, setting up third-and-long. Temple's pass rush flushed Becht from the pocket, and then Ryan Barker missed a rare 33-yard field-goal attempt wide left.

The miss was Barker's first from inside 40 yards at Penn State.

Defensive end Max Granville is not in uniform

Penn State Nittany Lions defensive end Max Granville (18) gets to Marshall quarterback Carlos Del Rio-Wilson.
Penn State Nittany Lions defensive end Max Granville (18) gets to Marshall quarterback Carlos Del Rio-Wilson. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Penn State defensive end Max Granville was not in uniform as the team took the field for pregame warmups. He is on the travel roster, however.

Granville returned to game action in Penn State's opener vs. Marshall after missing the 2025 season with an injury. Granville also worked his way back from a back injury that caused him to miss spring practice.

Penn State's coaching staff raved about Granville's progress through the summer and training camp, and he had emerged as one of the team's best edge rushers. Without Granville, Penn State will rely more on new defensive end Caleb Bacon, who will get more snaps with Yvan Kemajou, Ikenna Ezeogu and Alexander McPherson.

Notes from Penn State warmups

A pregame view of Lincoln Financial Field as the Penn State Nittany Lions prepare to play the Temple Owls.
A pregame view of Lincoln Financial Field as the Penn State Nittany Lions prepare to play the Temple Owls. | Mark Wogenrich | Penn State on SI

Penn State tight end Gabe Burkle is going through warmups after not playing in last week's opener. So is defensive tackle Armstrong Nnodim, who also looks to make his Penn State debut. Interestingly, new tight end Peyton Falzone is taking some pregame throws, perhaps refreshing his roots as a quarterback.

Speaking of quarterbacks, Penn State has three available ahead of walk-on Jack Lambert. Rocco Becht, Alex Manske and Connor Barry are in uniform, but freshman Kase Evans is not. Evans and Falzone were the two quarterbacks in Penn State's 2026 recruiting class.

Penn State injury report

Penn State Nittany Lions linebacker Tony Rojas arrives at Beaver Stadium for the game against Marshall.
Penn State Nittany Lions linebacker Tony Rojas arrives at Beaver Stadium for the game against Marshall. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Penn State won't release a pre-game availability report until the Big Ten schedule begins, so we'll be watching warmups to check who's in and who's out. The good news: Linebacker Tony Rojas was in fine form for the Nittany Lions' 45-0 win over Marshall and showed no aftereffects from the ACL tear that kept him off the field since early October 2025.

Further, Penn State also expects to get back tight end Gabe Burkle and linebacker Alex Tatsch, both of whom who missed the opener. Burkle is a coaching staff favorite, having been one of Iowa State's under-the-radar players last season.

Safety Jeremiah Cooper, who worked his way back with a limited reps count in the opener, should get more work against Temple. As should nickelback Zion Tracy, who was hurt during training camp but played a good amount vs. Marshall.

Penn State likely will be waiting at least another week for defensive tackle Armstrong Nnodim to return. Nnodim generated high expectations from the coaching staff during summer conditioning and training camp before getting hurt. His injury isn't expected to be long-term.

We've updated the Penn State depth chart for Week 2 to provide a better sense of the lineup projections.

Penn State pre-game reads

Penn State Nittany Lions coach Matt Campbell reacts from the sideline vs. the Marshall Thundering Herd at Beaver Stadium.
Penn State Nittany Lions coach Matt Campbell reacts from the sideline vs. the Marshall Thundering Herd at Beaver Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Did you know that Matt Campbell went 54-1 during his college playing career at Mount Union? Well, the coach responsible for that 1 is K.C. Keeler, now the head coach at Temple. And for more Mount Union ties, Campbell's buddy Nick Sirianni could be at the game, since his Philadelphia Eagles don't open the season at home until Sunday.

Here are out picks and predictions for the Penn State-Temple game.

Who trended upward for Penn State after the Marshall game? We picked five Nittany Lions.

Check out our weekly Penn State football mailbag, in which Campbell addresses the white shoelaces.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.


If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call .

Sign up to our free Penn State Nittany Lions newsletter, follow us on social media and add Penn State on SI as a Preferred Source on Google.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Loading recommendations... Please wait while we load personalized content recommendations

Published | Modified
Mark Wogenrich
MARK WOGENRICH

Mark Wogenrich is the editor and publisher of Penn State on SI, the site for Nittany Lions sports on the Sports Illustrated network. He has covered Penn State sports for more than two decades across three coaching staffs, three Rose Bowls and one College Football Playoff appearance.

Share on XFollow MarkWogenrich
Home/Football