UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - No. 18/17 Penn State takes on Marshall in its 2026 season opener at West Shore Home Field at Beaver Stadium. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. on FS1. The Nittany Lions will play in their 11th Stripe Out game.
SERIES HISTORY: Penn State meets Marshall for the third time in program history. The Nittany Lions earned a 26-7 win over the Thundering Herd in the first matchup in 1929 and a 65-0 victory in the second matchup in 1930.
CAMPBELL ERA BEGINS: Matt Campbell makes his debut as Penn State head coach. He is set to coach his first game for the Nittany Lions after a 10-year stint as Iowa State's head coach. He left as the Cyclones' winningest coach with a 72-55 overall record and a 56.7 winning percentage, both bests in school history. He has led his teams to winning records in 12 of his 14 seasons. Penn State head coaches are 11-4-1 in their debut games.
BECHT BRINGS EXPERIENCE: Redshirt senior Rocco Becht, on the Davey O'Brien, Manning, Maxwell and Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award watch lists, brings plenty of experience to the Penn State quarterback room. Becht made 39 starts at Iowa State, leading the Cyclones to 26 wins and engineering seven game-winning drives. Entering 2026, Becht ranks Top 10 among active FBS quarterbacks in wins as a starting quarterback (26; 1st), 200-yard passing games (29; t-1st), passing yards (9,274; 2nd), passing touchdowns (64; 3rd), total offense (9,773; 3rd), completions (714; 4th), passing attempts (1,177; 4th), completion percentage (60.7; 5th, min. 1,000 pass attempts) and rushing touchdowns (19; 7th).
RELOADED DEFENSE: The Nittany Lions' defense has played a combined 631 games and made 207 starts. Redshirt junior LB Tony Rojas is on watch lists for the Comeback Player of the Year, Hispanic College Football Player of the Year and Lott IMPACT Trophy. S Jeremiah Cooper (Bednarik, Comeback POY), LB Kooper Ebel (Butkus), DE Max Granville (Comeback POY) and DT Siale Taupaki (Polynesian College POY) are also on watch lists.
THE OPPOSITION: Marshall went 5-7 overall and 3-5 in the Sun Belt in 2025. The Thundering Herd earned wins over Eastern Kentucky (38-7), Middle Tennessee State (42-28), Old Dominion (48-24), Texas State (40-37) and Georgia State (30-18). Quarterback Carlos Del Rio-Wilson returns after throwing for 2,043 yards and 17 touchdowns and rushing for 660 yards and six touchdowns. On defense, cornerback Boogie Trotter returns after leading the squad with 74 tackles and five interceptions in 2025.
NUMBERS TO KNOW
140 - Penn State begins its 140th football season and 67th in West Shore Home Field at Beaver Stadium.
62 - The Nittany Lions added 62 newcomers ahead of the 2026 season, including 40 transfers. PSU's incoming transfers have combined for 337 career collegiate starts.
39 - Quarterback Rocco Becht brings 39 career starts to Happy Valley, most among FBS QBs, and 26 wins as a starting quarterback.
17 - Matt Campbell was named the 17th head coach of the Penn State Football program on December 8, 2025.
15 - Fifteen Nittany Lions were named to preseason award watch lists.
CAMPBELL MAKES PSU COACHING DEBUT
- Matt Campbell was named the 17th head coach of Penn State Football on December 8, 2025.
- Campbell joins Penn State after a 10-year stint as Iowa State's head coach. He left as the Cyclones' winningest coach with a 72-55 overall record and a 56.7 winning percentage, both bests in school history.
- He has led his teams to winning records in 12 of his 14 seasons as a head coach.
- Campbell was a three-time Big 12 Coach of the Year and led the Cyclones to 50 Big 12 wins, joining Bob Stoops, Bill Snyder, Mike Gundy and Mack Brown as the only coaches to reach that mark in conference history.
- He led eight of Iowa State's nine winning conference seasons in the Big 12 era.
- The Mount Union graduate led Iowa State to its highest-ever AP Poll finish of No. 9 in 2020 and the 2024 team reached No. 15.
- He coached 10 All-Americans at Iowa State, including Breece Hall, Charlie Kolar and Jayden Higgins.
- Among active head coaches since 2016, Campbell is tied for the fourth-best winning percentage against AP Top-5 opponents (.500; 2-2) and tied for fifth-best against AP Top-10 opponents (.400; 4-6).
- Before Iowa State, Campbell was the head coach at Toledo from 2012-15, leading the Rockets to winning seasons all four years and three bowl appearances.
PENN STATE FOOTBALL COACHES IN FIRST GAME
- Matt Campbell will make his Penn State head coach debut against Marshall on September 5.
- Penn State head coaches are 11-4-1 in their debut games.
- The Nittany Lions have also had two interim head coaches. In 2011, Tom Bradley's team fell 17-14 to No. 19 Nebraska and in 2025, Terry M. Smith's squad fell 25-24 at Iowa.
MEET THE NEW COACHING STAFF
- Matt Campbell's coaching staff features a mix of strong coaching experience and rising stars in the profession.
- Associate head coach/cornerbacks coach Terry M. Smith is in his 13th season at Penn State and fifth as an associate head coach after serving as interim head coach for PSU's final seven games in 2025 and leading PSU to wins in its final four contests.
- Defensive coordinator D'Anton Lynn, a 2012 Penn State graduate, returns to his alma mater after a two-year stint as USC's defensive coordinator.
- Offensive coordinator/tight ends coach Taylor Mouser brings 12 years of coaching experience, including the last two seasons as offensive coordinator at Iowa State. He was the 2025 Football Scoop Tight Ends Coach of the Year.
- Special teams coordinator Justin Lustig is in his third season on the Penn State coaching staff. He was a Broyles Award nominee in 2018 and 2025.
- Safeties/pass game coordinator Deon Broomfield spent the last five seasons coaching safeties at Iowa State.
- Offensive line coach Ryan Clanton was the offensive line coach at Iowa State the last three years and served as run game coordinator the last two seasons.
- Running backs coach Savon Huggins served the last five seasons on the Boston College coaching staff, including the last four years as running backs coach.
- Defensive line coach/run game coordinator Ikaika Malloe brings 30 years of coaching experience and spent the 2024 and 2025 seasons as UCLA's defensive coordinator.
- Wide receivers coach Kashif Moore served three seasons at UConn as wide receivers coach.
- Edge rushers coach Christian Smith joined the Nittany Lions after a three-year stint coaching the defensive line at Northwestern. He was selected to the AFCA 35 under 35 list in 2025.
- Linebackers coach Tyson Veidt also brings 30 years of coaching experience and spent the last two seasons as defensive coordinator at Cincinnati.
- Quarterbacks coach Jake Waters served six combined years on the Iowa State staff and the last two seasons as quarterbacks coach.
- Director of football strength and conditioning Reid Kagy joined the Nittany Lions after serving three seasons as director of football strength and conditioning at Iowa State.
NITTANY LIONS ON WATCH LISTS
- Several Nittany Lions were named to preseason award watch lists.
- Redshirt senior QB Rocco Becht is a member of the Davey O'Brien, Manning, Maxwell and Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award watch lists.
- Redshirt junior LB Tony Rojas is on the Comeback Player of the Year, Hispanic Player of the Year and Lott IMPACT Trophy watch lists.
- Senior TE Benjamin Brahmer was tabbed to the Lombardi Award and Mackey Award watch lists.
- Redshirt senior S Jeremiah Cooper was named to the Bednarik Award and Comeback Player of the Year watch lists.
- Junior RB James Peoples was selected to the Doak Walker Award and Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award watch lists.
- Redshirt junior K Ryan Barker is on the Lou Groza Award watch list, while redshirt senior LS Blaise Sokach-Minnick is on the Mannelly Award watch list.
- Redshirt senior TE Gabe Burkle is on the Mackey Award watch list, while redshirt senior WR Chase Sowell was selected to the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award watch list.
- Junior OL Cooper Cousins is a member of the Allstate Wuerffel Trophy watch list.
- Senior LB Kooper Ebel was named to the Butkus Award watch list, while redshirt sophomore DE Max Granville was named to the Comeback Player of the Year watch list.
- Senior RB Carson Hansen was tabbed to the Doak Walker Award watch list, while redshirt sophomore OL Brock Riker was tabbed to the Rimington Trophy watch list.
- Redshirt senior DT Siale Taupaki is on the Polynesian College Player of the Year watch list.