⚡ CFB Dashboard

- Campbell described Penn State's center change after Brock's first two series against Buffalo as precautionary: Brock entered the game dinged up and still did not appear 100%. He praised Vaea Ikakuola's execution in relief and said having two capable centers was valuable; he did not announce a permanent starting change or return timetable. - Campbell said the player identified as 'Rapp' in the supplied Penn State Q&A could have returned after being dinged up, but the staff decided against putting him back in given the game situation. The answer supplies no diagnosis, injury location or next-game availability ruling. - Campbell credited all four Penn State running backs with productive moments against Buffalo and singled out Quinton's strong practice week carrying into the game. He also tied the rushing improvement to perimeter blocking and getting runners into space, without announcing a new backfield order or touch allocation. - Campbell said Penn State defended first- and second-down runs better against Buffalo than against Temple, creating passing situations where pressure could help the secondary. He emphasized experienced defensive backs plus younger depth allowing fresh-body rotation rather than requiring veterans to handle roughly 60 snaps; no fixed snap limit or new coverage package was announced. - Campbell attributed most Penn State penalties against Buffalo to fundamental technique at the point of attack and called out a separate selfish late penalty. He also flagged a dropped snap for quarterback work. While putting the 2026 season turnover margin at plus-five through three games, he stressed cleaner finishing rather than treating the 55-13 win as complete execution.

- In the Sept. 15 pre-Buffalo interview, coordinator Taylor Mouser said 85-90% of Penn State's offense was installed, but overly full call sheets in the first two games may have kept players from playing fast. He still saw basic blocking mistakes up front and emphasized practice and simplification, not installation of a new offense. - Reviewing Temple before Buffalo on Sept. 15, Mouser said Penn State had tried a receiver-at-running-back package while Quinton Martin received no carries. He said Martin had earned touches in camp and his absence was not a lack of trust. That explained one game's usage, not a new depth order or a promised future touch count. - In that Sept. 15 Temple review, Mouser highlighted Finn's split-flow kickouts and willingness to block defensive ends. On a third-and-one play, he said Finn corrected an otherwise wrongly blocked play by taking the defender. Mouser valued his backfield vision and short-yardage blocking options; he did not announce a receiving promotion.

- Pick/market: Gameday bump and podcast recap this week, including some PFF insights.

- OL: In a perfect world, I'd like to see them all get rushing attempts with the starting OL.

- Penn State's Rocco Becht has completed 34 of 45 passes for 539 yards, seven touchdowns and no interceptions through two games. The writer praises his pocket awareness and decisions despite a poor start at Temple. Alex Manske has returned to the backup role after surgery earlier in the year. - Carson Hansen starts at running back and leads Penn State with 30 carries for 132 yards, but the writer sees no established go-to back. James Peoples has 73 yards on 15 carries and Cam Wallace 49 on 12; Quinton Martin did not carry against Temple after getting work in the opener. Production and role separation remain questions. - Penn State's receivers are creating more separation and yards after the catch, according to the writer. Howard leads with nine catches for 229 yards and a touchdown; Chase Sowell and Brett Eskildsen each have seven catches and a touchdown. The assessment is that Becht now has multiple viable receiving options rather than one primary outlet. - Ben Brahmer has six catches for 87 yards and a team-high three receiving touchdowns; Temple coverage busts helped create openings. Andrew Rappleyea's value has been blocking and pass protection, and Gabe Burkle is back in action after his 2025 season-ending injury. The writer views tight end as a Penn State strength. - Penn State center Brock Riker has had no reported snapping or communication issues. Trevor Buhr leads its PFF pass-blocking grades and Malachi Goodman its run-blocking grades; Anthony Donkoh is playing well after returning to health. Still, the writer flags line depth and inconsistent rushing push, while interior losses contributed to failed goal-line execution at Temple.

- Pick/market: We're probably 6th in the B1G and 20ish nationally at the moment.

- QB/OL: Overall Grade B Minus - The team started slowly and didn’t take control until the third quarter.

- Penn State DE Max Granville is out for the season after a practice injury before Temple; LaVar Arrington II's reported absence is 4-6 weeks following late-camp cleanup surgery. At tackle, Alijah Carnell and Armstrong Nnodim dressed but did not play at Temple after missing Marshall. Matt Campbell said both will play against Buffalo; no workload was specified. - Lions247 projects Penn State to use primarily two linebackers, with Caleb Bacon working mainly at defensive end rather than SAM. That is the outlet's expectation, not an official weekly chart. Alex Tatsch returned for 24 Temple snaps after missing Marshall with an injury; Cam Smith missed Temple with an unspecified injury, with no return confirmed here. - Penn State's Zion Tracy started in the slot at Temple, playing 16 snaps there and 29 overall; Josiah Zayas had 14 slot snaps and 25 overall. Tracy has also played outside and wore a left-hand splint in the opener. Safety Jeremiah Cooper's workload grew from 12 to 34 snaps as he returns from injury, without an explicit full-health declaration. - Penn State tight end Gabe Burkle started at Temple and played 20 snaps, third most among the tight ends, after missing Marshall following an ACL recovery that limited spring and camp work. The unofficial chart gives Ben Brahmer, Andrew Rappleyea and Burkle shared first-line status. Cooper Alexander has missed action since camp with an injury. - Penn State's Dominic Rulli projects as the second center when healthy but has only played special teams against Marshall and Temple after offseason injury issues. Right tackle Owen Aliciene, dinged up late in camp, missed Marshall but returned for three late Temple snaps. Neither note establishes readiness for a full offensive workload.

- Pick/market: Hansen reminds me of a small tight end almost.

- Injury: About Hansen I keep seeing the statement from fans that this is the BIG and he's not cut out for it but we haven't actually played a BIG game yet.

- OL: Mouser on the offensive line and the running game: "I think as you can probably tell, we're all frustrated with the level of mediocrity that I would call the run game, and that starts...

- OL: Mouser's full answer on the interior O-line: "You watched Cooper Cousins and Trev and those guys and Brock Riker, their ability to pull and be physical in the C and D gap.

- OL: Poor Saquon left the Giants to go to a team with an offensive line.

- Pick/market: The VMI team i saw against VT for 15 min (wached the 1st Q) was hands down the worst college football team I have ever seen at any level of the sport.

- Lembo described Penn State's offense as run-first and formation-heavy, using multiple tight ends and extra linemen to widen edges and make perimeter defenders tackle. Zone, duo and counter runs support play-action, screens and RPOs, with tempo mixed in. Moving tight ends between attached, wing and slot alignments creates run/pass conflicts rather than simply adding blockers. - Lembo described Penn State's defense as roughly 70% four-down fronts with three- and five-man variations and eight or nine linemen rotating. On passing downs he expects crowded-line simulated pressures, defenders dropping out, Cover 2/Tampa 2 and man coverage; he also noted double-edge pressure and red-zone bear fronts. These are Buffalo's scouting observations, not a fixed call sheet.

- OL: Penn State left tackle Malachi Goodman earned praise from offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser this week.

- Penn State coach Matt Campbell expects interior defensive linemen Armstrong Nnodim and Alijah Carnell to play against Buffalo after holding them out following last week's warmups to avoid setbacks. Dallas Vakalahi is still working back into form after missing most of camp. The expected returns are Campbell's outlook, not completed medical clearances or proof that every returning lineman is game-ready. - Cam Smith remains questionable despite being out at Tuesday's practice after missing the previous game. Alex Tatsch played roughly 20 snaps last week, and Gabe Burkle also returned to action. Campbell distinguished being healthy enough to practice from being ready to perform in a game; Smith's participation should not be treated as a confirmed return. - Penn State's running-back roles remain unsettled: practice performance, packages and the hot hand will determine important carries. Campbell expressed confidence in Quinton Martin but did not promise an expanded role. Carson Hansen is producing positive runs after missing camp, while explosiveness, finishing and game conditioning are still coming back. - Campbell attributed goal-line and early offensive problems to details such as run reads and blocking timing, while backing coordinator Taylor Mouser's play-calling. He saw better execution after the first quarter. The improvement does not erase short-yardage concerns: missed blocks and inches on individual runs still prevented drives from finishing. - Campbell called offensive-line depth a major question and said receiver roles are still separating through practice. With a new team and players returning from injuries, he is still evaluating position-group depth rather than presenting the early rotation as settled.

- Injury: After losing to tOSU last year with their AIDS quilt of an offensive line, I automatically assume that OL depth players on the opposing team will have a out-of-body experience.

- OL: I love watching the entire OSU offensive line hold on every play.