The Biggest Decision Penn State Coach Matt Campbell Got Right vs. Marshall

Campbell made a surprising call on fourth down in his first game as Nittany Lions head coach.

Penn State Nittany Lions head coach Matt Campbell congratulates offensive lineman Malachi Goodman after the win over Marshall at Beaver Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Before Penn State's Week 1 game vs. Marshall, we knew plenty about how Matt Campbell built his culture and roster but less about how he would coach the Nittany Lions during a game. And one question was tied to that: How would Campbell approach fourth down?

The new Penn State football coach answered that decisively in a 45-0 victory over the Thundering Herd at Beaver Stadium. Campbell aggressively went for a 4th-and-1 deep in his own territory late in the second quarter, a decision that seemed a little too full speed at the time.

Penn State's situation did not scream go-for-it on that particular fourth down. The Nittany Lions were at their own 22-yard line with under 4 minutes left in the half. Had they not converted, Marshall would have had a short field to cut into Penn State's 17-0 lead before halftime. The Thundering Herd also received the ball to start the third quarter.

Campbell had a 17-point lead, his defense had allowed just 76 total yards and Marshall's longest play was 14 yards. Why give the Thundering Herd hope there? Yet even a Marshall timeout didn't prompt Campbell to change his mind and punt or simply try to draw the Thundering Herd offside.

"I just wanted to see who we are," Campbell said after the game.

Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Rocco Becht (3) hands the ball to running back Carson Hansen (21) vs. the Marshall Thundering Herd. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Penn State running back Carson Hansen, who had eight carries for 28 yards to that point, bounced an outside-zone run around right tackle Anthony Donkoh and past a Marshall defender who he was prepared to stiff-arm. Hansen's 10-yard gain turned a potential field-flipping drive into the knockout blow.

Quarterback Rocco Becht found electric receiver Koby Howard for a 42-yard catch-and-run to energize the drive, and Ben Brahmer capped it with a 7-yard touchdown reception. Instead of a taking a 17-0 lead into halftime, Penn State was up 24-0 after Marshall missed a long field goal before the half, which Campbell celebrated as though it were overtime.

Probably my favorite piece of video that I shot of @CoachMC_PSU on Saturday .. here's his reaction to missed FG at end of 1st half to preserve shutout, tosses the headset and sprints off, great hustle from @GregKincaidPSU and @BTrippTweets to get the halftime interview! pic.twitter.com/nL8DwwnuzC

— Todd Sadowski (@ToddFox43) September 6, 2026

Campbell admitted after the game that he was uncertain whether the call was correct. He skipped a 4th-and-1 opportunity from his own 19-yard line on the previous series, which looked to be a longer yard.

But this time, Campbell and offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser chose to go for it and learn something about their offense. Becht, who played in Mouser's offense for two years at Iowa State, already knew how his coordinator would operate but was pleased to see it continue Saturday.

"He's not going to go out there and call a game scared," Becht said before the season. "He's going to go out there and call a game to win, and I think that's something that you want to see in your offensive coordinator."

Of course the players loved it. Left tackle Malachi Goodman said that nothing changed about the decision after Marshall's timeout.

"I liked it," Goodman said. "Tough play, you know. The defense knows what's going on, we know what's going in. So it's just a matter of who's tougher."

Campbell and Mouser were pretty successful on fourth down the past two seasons at Iowa State. The Cyclones ranked second in the Big 12 last season in fourth-down conversions at 67.9 percent (19-for-28). They led the conference, and ranked second nationally, in 2024 with an impressive conversion rate of 80 percent (20-for-25).

"I didn’t know if that was a great call or not, so we’re all being honest," Campbell said after the game. "I think the biggest thing from my end of it is, I thought it was a lot closer [than the previous 4th-and-1]. ... We were playing such good defense there. I just wanted to see who are we, and obviously that was a great step one. I think those were good moments. Those were moments that we can bank and we take it forward."

The play also underscored how smooth Penn State's offensive operation went. The Nittany Lions scored 45 points on 72 plays, a top-15 ranking for points-per-play in Week 1. Becht said that the team ran a mock game the week before the opener that foreshadowed that performance.

"Evveryone did a great job on the sidelines," Becht said. "There was no chaos, nothing like that. Everything was smooth, and the operation was great."

Penn State Nittany Lions head coach Matt Campbell looks on from the sideline against the Marshall Thundering Herd at Beaver Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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.