UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - No. 14/15 Penn State battles Buffalo for its final non-conference matchup of the 2026 season. Kickoff is set for noon at West Shore Home Field at Beaver Stadium. The game will be broadcast on Big Ten Network following BTN Tailgate, which will originate from Happy Valley.
SERIES HISTORY: Penn State takes on Buffalo for the fifth time in program history. The Nittany Lions have won the last three matchups including a 45-13 win in 2019. The Nittany Lions scored 38 of the game's final 41 points. John Reid returned an interception 36 yards for a touchdown to spark Penn State. Sean Clifford threw for 279 yards. Jahan Dotson and Pat Freiermuth each hauled in two touchdowns.
RETURN OF THE MAC: The Nittany Lions will close its non-conference slate with Buffalo. Penn State is very familiar with Mid-American Conference schools, having played a MAC team in 21 of the last 24 seasons with the only exceptions being a Big Ten-only schedule in 2020 and 2023 and 2025's non-conference schedule. Penn State is 33-3 all-time against current members of the MAC after a 56-0 win over Kent State in 2024.
BRAHMER BECOMES RELIABLE TARGET: Senior tight end Benjamin Brahmer is proving to be a top target for the Nittany Lions after a strong career at Iowa State. Against Temple, Brahmer led PSU with five receptions for 79 yards, including a pair of 23-yard touchdowns and a 20-yard catch, and went over 1,000 career receiving yards. Brahmer has three touchdowns through two games as a Nittany Lion. Among current FBS tight ends, Brahmer ranks third in career receptions (81), second in career receiving yards (1,064) and second in career receiving touchdowns (12).
ROJAS MAKING PLAYS: Linebacker Tony Rojas is off to a strong start to his redshirt junior season. He leads Penn State with 14 tackles while adding two tackles for loss, one sack and one interception. Rojas picked off a pass against Temple for his fifth career interception. Among current FBS linebackers, Rojas is tied for the most career interceptions.
THE OPPOSITION: Buffalo is 1-1 in its start to the 2026 season. After earning a 21-17 win over UAlbany on September 3, the Bulls fell 33-20 at FIU last Saturday. Buffalo tallied 302 yards, including 249 passing yards. Jason Wright threw for 185 yards and two touchdowns. Chance Morrow caught 11 passes for 173 yards and two scores. He had four catches of 20+ yards. Linebacker SaVeon Brown led Buffalo with 10 tackles and two pass breakups. The Bulls collected four tackles for loss.
NUMBERS TO KNOW
33 - Penn State is 33-3 all-time against current members of the MAC.
12 - The Nittany Lions completed five passes of 20+ yards against Temple, bringing their season total to 12 completions of 20+ yards.
7 - Rocco Becht's seven touchdown passes through the first two games are the most by a PSU quarterback through the first two games of a season since Tony Sacca's seven touchdown passes in 1991.
6 - Six of Rocco Becht's seven touchdown passes this year have been 15 or more yards.
5- Five different Nittany Lion receivers have caught a touchdown pass this season, including Benjamin Brahmer, Brett Eskildsen, Koby Howard, Zay Robinson and Chase Sowell.
SERIES HISTORY VS. BUFFALO
- The Nittany Lions will meet the Bulls for the fifth time in program history.
- After falling 10-0 at Buffalo in 1900, Penn State has won the last three matchups.
- The Nittany Lions earned a 45-24 win in 2007, a 27-14 win in 2015 and a 45-13 win in 2019.
- In 2019, the Nittany Lions scored 38 of the game's final 41 points, sparked by a 36-yard interception return for a touchdown by John Reid.
- Sean Clifford threw for 279 yards and four touchdowns.
- Jahan Dotson caught four passes for 109 yards and two touchdowns and Pat Freiermuth added eight catches for 99 yards and two touchdowns.
- Micah Parsons recorded 10 tackles, including two tackles for loss.
AGAINST THE MAC
- Penn State has a long history of competing against Mid-American Conference teams.
- The Nittany Lions hold a 33-3 all-time record against current members of the MAC and is 6-0 against former MAC teams (counting games as a member of the MAC).
- Prior to a Big Ten-only schedule in 2020, Penn State had played a MAC opponent in 18 straight seasons.
- The Nittany Lions' last matchup with a MAC opponent came on September 21, 2024 in a 56-0 win over Kent State.
- Penn State meets Buffalo for the fifth time in program history.
- All-time records against current MAC teams: Akron (6-0), Ball State (1-0), Bowling Green (3-0), Buffalo (3-1), Central Michigan (2-0), Eastern Michigan (3-0), Kent State (7-0), Miami Ohio (0-0), Ohio (6-1), Sacramento State (0-0), Toledo (0-1), UMass (2-0), Western Michigan (0-0)
TEMPLE NOTES
- Through two games, Penn State has had five different receivers catch a touchdown pass (Benjamin Brahmer, Brett Eskildsen, Koby Howard, Zay Robinson, Chase Sowell).
- Penn State had five completions of 20+ yards on Saturday,
- TE Benjamin Brahmer had two touchdown grabs and went over 1,000 career receiving yards.
- LB Tony Rojas picked off a pass in the first quarter and returned it to the Temple 5.
- Penn State is one of three FBS teams to hold its opponents scoreless through the first five quarters of the season.
- CB Daryus Dixson blocked a field goal in the third quarter. It was his first career blocked kick and PSU’s first since Xavier Gilliam at Iowa in 2025.