The unprecedented comeback by Texas to knock off Ohio State moved the Longhorns to No. 1 in The Associated Press Top 25 college football poll Sunday and pushed the Buckeyes out of the top five for the first time in two seasons.
Oregon, meanwhile, plummeted 15 spots to No. 21, its lowest ranking in four years, after its 39-31 road loss to an Oklahoma State team that had lost 21 straight against Football Bowl Subdivision opponents.
Michigan, which fell out of the Top 25 after needing an extra second and second-chance Hail Mary try to beat Western Michigan a week ago, returned to the poll at No. 19 following its 17-10 win over No. 11 Oklahoma. The Sooners dropped 13 spots to No. 24.
Texas’ comeback from 20 points down in the fourth quarter to win 24-23 was the largest fourth-quarter rally ever for a win against an AP No. 1 team, according to Sportradar, and avenged a season-opening loss to the Buckeyes a year ago that knocked the Longhorns out of the No. 1 spot.
Texas received 56 first-place votes from the voting panel of writers and broadcasters and holds down the No. 1 spot in the regular season for the first time since Oct. 13, 2024.
Oregon’s fall is the biggest surprise of the season to date. The Ducks came in with a cast of returning stars and a transfer class that raised the program’s hopes of winning its first national championship. But they struggled to beat Boise State at home in the opener and then allowed 554 yards and generated just 281 in their first loss to an unranked opponent since 2021.
In and out
Michigan rebounded from its controversial win over Western Michigan to beat Oklahoma as a 4.5-point home underdog and returned at No. 19.
A second straight uninspired performance sent Washington out of the rankings. A week after the Huskies beat Washington State 24-10, they won 16-14 over Utah State as a 26.5-point home favorite. Washington became the first 2-0 team to win and drop out of the rankings since 2014.
Matt Campbell preached all offseason that he’d know the true identity of this Penn State team when it first faces adversity.
That moment came against Temple at Lincoln Financial Field on Saturday. The Nittany Lions failed to score on their first two red zone opportunities, missed a 33-yard field goal, and were tied 3-3 with the Owls deep into the second quarter.
But Penn State responded in a big way with 27 unanswered points en route to a 27-9 win over Temple.
“I felt like nobody flinched, nobody wavered,” Campbell said. “There was no complaining.”
Quarterback Rocco Becht said he was glad to face some difficulties. Now Penn State knows it’s capable of overcoming them and what it needs to work on moving forward.
“I thought it was a good game for us to have,” Becht said. “I think to be humbled coming off of a good win, coming out here and playing Temple, a good team, and we just started off a little slow. I think we needed this early before we got into conference play.”
Ben Brahmer steps up
Tight end Ben Brahmer said Tuesday his position is the “heartbeat” of offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser’s offense, but he and his fellow tight ends were relatively quiet in the passing game against Marshall last weekend.
Saturday against Temple, Brahmer flipped the script and showed why he was a John Mackey Award semifinalist last year. The senior led Penn State with 79 receiving yards and two touchdowns, both of which were 23-yard scores.
“It’s been great,” Brahmer said. “Just kind of keeping my head down and working. I know the ball will come to me when it happens, and I just got to be ready for that. Just got lucky today and got open a couple times.”
Brahmer’s first touchdown Saturday was arguably the most important. With just seconds on the clock before halftime, Campbell decided not to call a timeout.
Becht found Brahmer wide open over the middle of the end zone to put Penn State up, 10-3, as it headed into the locker room.
“Just setting the tone for the rest of the game going into half,” Brahmer said. “It’s huge, winning the middle eight, kind of just staying on the same page, keeping our head down. [Mouser] was making a lot of good calls. We just had to execute those.”
Penn State’s defensive end room
Campbell announced postgame that redshirt sophomore defensive end Max Granville is out for the season after injuring himself at practice this week.
Granville, who missed all of 2025 with an undisclosed injury, was expected to play a big role this season as a young edge rusher with loads of potential. He initially joined the Nittany Lions in 2024 after reclassifying and appeared in seven games.
“Obviously, a really tough blow for our football team, and most importantly, a really tough blow for Max,” Campbell said. “The thing I love about Max is he’s kind of been a pillar of glue for the unity of our football team over the last nine months. Who he is, what his character is, and I think that’s why we’re all really convinced that he’ll come back better than ever.”
The depth in Penn State’s defensive end room was already thin, with sophomore LaVar Arrington II out for four to six weeks, so Granville’s injury stings.
The Nittany Lions will have to lean on redshirt senior Ikenna Ezeogu, sophomores Yvan Kemajou and Alex McPherson, and redshirt senior Caleb Bacon, who recently switched positions from linebacker to defensive end.
Penn State linebacker Tony Rojas (13) reacts with the team after an interception during the first quarter against Temple on Saturday.Isaiah Vazquez / For The Inquirer
Penn State has three sacks through two nonconference games. Freshman Jackson Ford, a Malvern Prep graduate who recovered a fumble against Marshall, could see more playing time moving forward.
“Max is like a rock to us, and he will be for the future,” said linebacker Tony Rojas. “Just having him along with us on away games is going to be awesome for us and something we need.”
Penn State walked into Lincoln Financial Field for the first time in over a decade as heavy favorites over Temple and left having satisfied expectations in a 27-9 win on Saturday.
While the Owls scored first and continued to run stride-for-stride with No. 16 Penn State, they came back to earth in the second half. They faltered under Penn State’s Big Ten pressure and lost to a ranked opponent for the 13th straight time.
“All in all, I thought our kids battled all day long against a good team,” Temple coach K.C. Keeler said. “I told them it was more about us playing clean than anything else, and we didn’t play clean enough.”
On the first play from scrimmage, Penn State quarterback Rocco Becht went long to Koby Howard for 56 yards, good for the team’s longest pass this season. Suddenly, the Nittany Lions stood 9 yards away from six points.
After a Carson Hansen rush brought the visitors 4 yards closer, Penn State was flagged for an illegal forward pass. On third-and-9, Becht was sacked for a loss of 6 yards. Penn State then missed a 33-yard field goal attempt.
Temple quarterback Jaxon Smolik (14) runs the ball during the second quarter.Isaiah Vazquez / For The Inquirer
After a three-and-out, the Owls’ second possession ended when Tony Rojas picked off Jaxon Smolik and returned it 13 yards to Temple’s 5-yard line. The Nittany Lions were in prime position, but they gained just 2 yards before Becht decided to throw on fourth-and-goal. The Owls closed all windows and forced an incomplete pass at their front door.
“We almost knew every play they ran and kind of knew what was coming,” Temple linebacker Curly Ordonez said.
The scariest close call came at the start of the second quarter. Becht launched a rocket to Chase Sowell in front of the end zone. Temple cornerback Adrian Laing broke up the pass, and Penn State settled for a 31-yard field goal.
But the pressure in the red zone dwindled as the second quarter rolled around.
Becht settles in
Becht completed just one of three passes in the opening quarter — that 56-yarder in the first minute. The Nittany Lions largely kept the ball in Hansen’s hands for their 11 first-quarter plays on offense.
But Becht, the Iowa State transfer, looked more comfortable in the next 15 minutes, and it translated to the score sheet.
With the game tied, 3-3, Penn State began its final drive of the first half at its own 17-yard line with 1 minute, 57 seconds remaining. Becht completed four straight passes as the Nittany Lions marched to Temple’s 44. After a 12-yard rush by James Peoples, Becht took back over and connected with Benjamin Brahmer from 23 yards out to take a 10-7 lead.
The drive lasted 1:49, so Temple didn’t have much time to respond, and Penn State scored all 27 of its points unanswered. Backed by a cagey offensive line, Becht looked calm and comfortable in the pocket and finished 268 yards and three touchdowns on 21-of-27 passing. Brahmer, a senior tight end, was Penn State’s leading receiver with five catches for 79 yards and two touchdowns.
Penn State quarterback Rocco Becht finished with 268 passing yards.Isaiah Vazquez / For The Inquirer
Jaxon Smolik takes the reins
In last week’s 38-14 win over Rhode Island, Smolik and Ajani Sheppard split reps, and neither created much separation in coach Keeler’s eyes in the battle for the starting role.
But on Saturday, Keeler went to Smolik to start and stayed there. While Temple went three-and-out on its first drive, Smolik connected regularly on short passes once he settled in. He tallied 59 yards on 10-16 passing.
Against Rhode Island, Sheppard held a clear edge on the ground, but Smolik flipped that on Saturday. He managed to create positive plays on scrambles and squeak past linebackers for 71 rushing yards on seven carries.
Temple even ran a bootleg play for him, which he executed perfectly. After faking a handoff to Hunter Smith, Smolik burst to his left for 47 yards while most eyes followed his partner.
Sheppard took the field with Temple down, 27-3, and 7:48 left. He made the most of his time and scored a 3-yard rushing touchdown with 1:56 left.
But to Keeler, the competition is ongoing.
“Probably midway through we decided to give Jaxon the ball for the snaps, and Ajani was going to be more of a package guy,” Keeler said. “We’ll evaluate the tape.”
Temple quarterback Ajani Sheppard scored the Owls’ lone touchdown on Saturday.Isaiah Vazquez / For The Inquirer
Up next
Temple hits the road for the first time this season to face Toledo on Sept. 19 (3 p.m., CBSSN).
“We are” chants rang throughout Lincoln Financial Field, replacing the Eagles’ chants that would take over in less than 24 hours, and the stadium that typically would be engulfed in midnight green was temporarily blanketed in white as No. 16 Penn State made the trip to Philadelphia to face Temple.
Saturday’s game was the first time the teams faced off in a decade, renewing a 95-year-old rivalry. In their last meeting in 2016, the Owls lost by seven at Beaver Stadium.
This time around, Temple suffered a similar fate — losing, 27-9, as Penn State improved its all-time record against the Owls to 41-4-1.
From a Penn State takeover to a Meek Mill appearance, here’s everything you might’ve missed on Saturday at the Linc:
Meek Mill leads Temple out of the tunnel
The familiar sounds of Meek Mill’s “Dreams and Nightmares” track was heard throughout the Linc as Temple made its way onto the field. From the Jumbotron, fans could see the Philadelphia rapper front and center, leading the Owls out of the tunnel as red smoke and pyrotechnics covered one side of the field.
This came just a few days after the North Philly native partnered with the university to welcome high school seniors and Temple students to the Dream Chasers Summit, at the Liacouras Center.
Although the record against the Owls leans heavily in Penn State’s favor, Temple did shock the world in 2015 — the teams’ last matchup at the Linc. Temple’s defense dominated a game in which Penn State quarterback Christian Hackenberg was sacked 10 times.
The Owls entered that game as a seven-point underdog and beat the Nittany Lions, 27-10, in front of a crowd of mostly blue and white. Temple alumnus Ron Fries attended the game, and after the upset, Fries, 55, knew he had to become a season-ticket holder.
Temple players celebrate the last time they beat Penn State, a 27-10 victory in 2015 at Lincoln Financial Field.DAVID SWANSON / Staff Photographer
“I went to that game and a couple other games that year, but being at that game and just the energy — the Penn State energy left and the Temple energy that was there, which was outnumbered a lot,” Fries said. “But the folks that stayed, it was tremendous, and that’s why I became a season-ticket holder.”
An upset wasn’t in the cards this time around, but a lot of fans were optimistic beforehand.
”I’m hopeful that they’re able to produce something positive,” Fries said. “I would be ecstatic if they won like they did 11 years ago, but if they don’t, I just want to see something positive come out of them against a big program like Penn State.”
Penn State linebacker Tony Rojas (left) reacts after a first-quarter interception against Temple on Saturday.Isaiah Vazquez / For The Inquirer
Beaver Stadium East
Like the Penn State-Temple game in 2015, Temple fans were outnumbered at home.
”It looks like it’s been a pretty big whiteout here in the parking lots,” Penn State alum Joe McGoldrick, 26, said before the game.
Penn State flags were plentiful at tailgates in the sports complex parking lots, and fans in blue and white jerseys were out in droves through Lots D to M as students from State College were being bussed in. Shrines to the Nittany Lion could be seen at every turn — including at “Ernie’s Tailgate,” a tradition dating to 1977, when Tim Ernst was a freshman at Penn State.
Ernst, who graduated in 1981 and got his master’s in 1993, started the tradition from his dorm room. Since then, he said he’s attended every Penn State home game, and he isn’t thinking of stopping anytime soon.
“We’re excited for the new coach; we’re excited for our new team,” Ernst said. “Rocco Becht, our quarterback, we’re very excited to have him on board. College football is challenging with all the transfers taking place and all that, but we’re going to have a very good year this year.
“I think we’re going to make the playoffs, and we’ll see where it goes from there. And I don’t want to say any bad words about [James] Franklin but it was time to make a change. [Penn State coach Matt] Campbell has been saying all the right things. He believes in the [Joe] Paterno way where education is important, making these young boys into men is important. And that’s what Joe Paterno always emphasized.”
The Penn State takeover continued inside the stadium, as thousands of fans traveled to see Campbell improve his record to 2-0 as Penn State’s coach after a 45-0 win over Marshall in Week 1.
”Penn State isn’t coached by James Franklin anymore, thank God,” McGoldrick said. “I was there at the game last week, they looked very good against Marshall. I think they’re just going to do the same thing they did last week. I think they’ll have a home-crowd environment. So, that’ll help too.”
A neighborhood rivalry
As the ocean of blue and white jerseys swarmed the tailgating lots, one Temple fan, Michael Kiedaisch, wasn’t worried.
“The sea of red is on the way,” Kiedaisch said.
Kiedaisch, whose 18-year-old son, Brian, attends Temple, made the trip down from Newtown, Bucks County, with his family to watch the game and cheer on the Owls — but there was one issue. Kiedaisch’s neighbor, Art Krysko, also made the trip. And his family — including his 19-year-old daughter, Madelyn, and 21-year-old son, Joey, who attend Penn State — were cheering for the rival team.
“We had kids,” Krysko said. “And they went to different schools. And we’re a little [ticked] about it.”
Temple Owls quarterback Jaxon Smolik (14) runs upfield during the second quarter in Saturday’s game against Penn State at the Linc. Isaiah Vazquez / For The Inquirer
The competition between the two started as soon as they left their neighborhood.
“When we left the neighborhood, he blew the stop sign and tried to lose me on the drive down because I’m supporting Temple and he’s supporting Penn State,” Kiedaisch said. “So that’s how the day started. But we’re set up and ready to go now.”
However, if Penn State took an early lead, Michael’s brother, Carl Kiedaisch, had a backup plan.
“We have Penn State shirts at halftime to put on in case it gets ugly,” Carl said.
Penn State led, 10-3, at halftime but vibes still were high on the main concourse for Temple fans as the band performed near the student section. Fans bobbed their heads, talked to friends, and cheered along as they prepared for the second half.
And as soon as the third quarter started, “[Expletive] Penn State,” chants erupted from the crowd.
The band put on a show at halftime.Isaiah Vazquez / For The Inquirer
However, it was short-lived after Penn State scored another touchdown, putting them up, 17-3. From then on, Penn State ran away with the 27-9 win — leaving many Nittany Lions fans happy.
“I thought the stat line was pretty good all around,” said 22-year-old Penn State alumnus Colin Crissey. “It didn’t look pretty on the field, necessarily, but the numbers don’t lie, and they look pretty good. I thought Penn State somewhat sleepwalked in the first half. I don’t know if that’s the travel. I don’t know if that’s your first away game with a new coach or whatnot. Scoring right there at the end of the half really changed the mood.”
Meanwhile, Temple fans started to leave the stadium in the third quarter — leaving the student section fairly empty by the end of the game.
When Temple and Penn State kick off at Lincoln Financial Field on Saturday, the programs will renew a 95-year-old rivalry for the first time in a decade.
Penn State holds a 40-4-1 all-time record and has won 32 of the last 33 meetings. However, the history of this series extends beyond wins and losses.
Before the Nittany Lions return to Philadelphia for the first time since 2015, here are some of the top moments from their rivalry.
Temple strikes first
Temple and Penn State matched up for the first time on Oct. 10, 1931, when the Owls shut out the Nittany Lions, 12-0, in front of a capacity crowd of 20,000 at Temple Stadium.
Head coach Heine Miller led Temple an 8-1-1 season, which stood as a program record for 42 years until Wayne Hardin’s 1973 team eclipsed it with nine.
The Owls went on to claim three of the first four matchups in the all-time series.
The victory that lasted 74 years
Temple’s third win in four meetings with Penn State, on Oct. 18, 1941,became a frequently cited date.
On a wet, muddy, and slippery day, Temple claimed what would be its final victory against the Nittany Lions for the next 74 years in a 14-0 win at Temple Stadium.
Temple picked off star Penn State quarterback Johnny “Pepper” Petrella four times. Also, four players, two from each team, were taken off the field on stretchers in a game former Inquirer reporter Stan Baumgartner characterized as “bruising and bitterly contested” and both teams “appeared to have their boxing and wrestling squads competing.”
It took another 39 games for the Owls to beat the Nittany Lions.
Within inches
Following Temple’s 1941 victory, an era of struggle ensued.
In 1950 at New Beaver Field, Temple came close to beating Penn State when the two teams tied 7 apiece. Fun fact: Temple running back Gene Caterina scored the Owls’ first touchdown in University Park.
The series entered a 22-year hiatus after 1952, and it wasn’t until 1975 when Temple made things interesting again. In front of a crowd of 57,112 at Franklin Field, Penn State snuck past the Owls, 26-25.
Just a year later, in 1976, it was an even more painful finish, this time at Veterans Stadium. Temple trailed by two touchdowns before mounting a late comeback. The Owls drove downfield during the final two minutes but appeared in danger of running out of time near Penn State’s goal line.
Then an unusual interruption occurred: a spectator ran onto the field and officials stopped the clock. Temple scored a touchdown on the next play, making it 31-30. The NCAA did not introduce overtime until 1996, so Hardin faced a straightforward decision: Kick the extra point and accept a tie or attempt a two-point conversion to win. Hardin went for two. The pass went just beyond the intended receiver, preserving Penn State’s one-point victory.
Other notable games were in 1978 when No. 3-ranked Penn State survived Temple on a last-second Matt Bahr field goal to claim a 10-7 win. Then in 1985, a 206-yard, two-touchdown day from Temple running back Paul Palmer wasn’t enough in a 27-25 loss. Palmer was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2018.
Paul Palmer finished with 206 yards and two touchdowns against Penn State in 1985.Inquirer Archives
Penn State’s 31-game winning streak
Between 1952 to 2014, the Nittany Lions won 31 consecutive matchups against the Owls, with former Penn State coach Joe Paterno leading them to 28 of those wins between 1975 to 2011.
During that time, Penn State outscored Temple 1,068-331 and held an average game score of 34.5-10.7, a 23.8-point average margin.
The Nittany Lions shut out the Owls four times. The most lopsided matchup came in 1995 in Penn State’s 66-14 victory. Its streak survived nine Temple head coaches, and was played at five different venues.
From Penn State to Temple
Despite the quarrels between the programs, two Penn State products became the most important figures in the revival and progression of Temple football.
Former Temple head coach Al Golden lettered with the Nittany Lions from 1989-1991 and started at tight end for two seasons. He guided Temple to a 20-12 conference record between 2006 and 2010, a tenure that started a golden era of Owls football.
Before becoming Temple’s head coach, Al Golden started at tight end for two seasons at Penn State.DAVID SWANSON / Staff Photographer
Matt Rhule was also a walk-on linebacker at Penn State from 1994-1997 and got his start as a graduate assistant under Paterno. He eventually found his way onto Golden’s staff at Temple and was named defensive line coach in 2006, before moving to offensive coordinator.
Rhule remained at Temple following Golden’s departure and worked under Steve Addazio before being hired as head coach in 2012. Rhule coached the Owls for four years, taking them to two consecutive bowl games and an American Conference championship in 2016.
The Owls broke through
In 2015, Temple took down Penn State, 27-10, in its season opener at Lincoln Financial Field in front of a then record-breaking crowd of 69,176.
Coming off a 6-6 season under Rhule, Temple entered as a seven-point underdog.
Penn State jumped out to a 10-0 lead before a 12-play, 93-yard drive ended with a Temple touchdown. The Owls tied the game with a 40-yard field goal before PJ Walker ran in a touchdown to give the Owls a 17-10.
They added another score, but the real exclamation came from Temple’s defense, which sacked Penn State quarterback Christian Hackenberg 10 times, three coming from All-American linebacker Tyler Matakevich.
In 2016, Temple visited Beaver Stadium and suffered a 34-27 loss. It was the last matchup between these two programs.
Mount Union was facing a fourth-and-5 in overtime, trailing 24-17 in a Division III playoff semifinal on Dec. 11, 1999. The Purple Raiders, down to their last play, held a 54-game winning streak, then the longest in any division of football, and sought a fourth straight trip to the D-III title game, named the Stagg Bowl.
Twenty-seven years later, K.C. Keeler still can see the play crystal-clear. Back then, he was Rowan’s head football coach, seeking his fourth title game appearance since becoming a 32-year-old head coach in 1993. And on this day, after losing to Mount Union in the championship game twice in the previous three years, something special was about to unfold for the Profs.
“I remember the last play of the game, [Mount Union was] going to try to tie it up on fourth down, and they had a tight end, I believe it was, over the middle of the field, in the end zone, and the ball’s thrown,” Keeler, now Temple’s coach, recalled to The Inquirer. “I see the tight end go up in the air, and it looks like he’s going to come down with it. And Mark Hendricks, my middle linebacker, who was a two-time captain for me, he turns and runs and actually hits the tight end so hard he broke his ribs. And the ball comes squirting out, and he’s laying there, and we’re celebrating over top of him.
“My 398th game [is] coming up here. … That was definitely one of those where you remember for a lifetime.”
On the surface, Penn State head coach Matt Campbell, from Massillon, Ohio, and Keeler, from Emmaus, Pa., don’t share many commonalities beyond coaching in the same state ahead of their matchup on Saturday (noon, ESPN2). As it turns out, though, the 46-year-old Campbell, a former standout college defensive end turned coach, was not only on that Mount Union team in 1999, but on the field toward the end of the game.
At a coaching clinic this winter, not long after Campbell became Penn State’s 17th football coach, Keeler says his counterpart had one thing on his mind to bring up after formally meeting.
“First thing that comes out of [Campbell’s mouth], he goes, ‘I’m 1-1 against you.’ I’m like, ‘What do you mean you’re 1-1? You’re 0-1,’” Keeler says. “He goes, ‘No, I was a [graduate assistant] on the team that beat you then a couple years later.’
“It’s like, ‘OK, we’ll give you that one.’ So he and Nick Sirianni were both on that team [in 1999], and I’ve had some fun with them on having that one up on them, for sure.”
K.C. Keeler was Rowan’s football coach from 1993 to 2001.Rowan University Athletics
Campbell, who quipped, “You’re kind of coming at me, huh?” when The Inquirer asked about that 1999 game against Rowan earlier this week, still harbors feelings over the only loss in his college career at Mount Union.
“In that game, as a football player [who] won three national championships, and at that time, that was almost the spark for our program, to be quite honest with you,” Campbell said from his podium on Tuesday. “I was in on the last play, as the game ended, and that was tough.
“I think for me, that was a great opportunity for me to learn what the standard of excellence was in the program at Mount Union losing that football game, and what it meant to never have that feeling again.”
That 1999 game comes into focus as Keeler, now in his 33rd season as a head coach, will host in-state rival Penn State this weekend. It will mark the 46th meeting all-time between the programs.
And the significance of Rowan’s win still reverberates with some of Keeler’s former players almost three decades later.
Bobby Acosta, who played for Keeler at Rowan as a safety, lost his father as a freshman and left school without telling his coach. He later changed his mind, but the only way back on the football team, Keeler told him, was if Acosta “got a 4.0 [GPA] and passed 18 credit hours in the summer.”
“I said to myself, ‘There’s no way I can do that,’ and I did it. And that’s where my life changed,” said Acosta, who now coaches high school football in Texas. “I was a young man. K.C. was like my dad. Ever since that point, I played for him. Then I worked for him at Rowan. Then I worked for him at Delaware with Joe Flacco.
“He’s been a mentor to me for a lot of years. It was to the point I was babysitting his kids when I was in college. K.C. Keeler to me was someone that I looked up to.”
Rowan faces Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute during a playoff game in 1999.Courtesy of Greg Gudis
Greg Gudis, who was the starting left guard for Rowan during the 1999 season, took a different route to the program. He initially chose Gettysburg College out of Pennsauken High School, started as a freshman, but noticed the program “didn’t really prioritize” football.
So Gudis transferred to Rowan, formerly named Glassboro State, in 1998, located “right in my backyard,” he said. The former offensive lineman appreciated that Keeler was honest and did not guarantee him a starting spot.
“When I got to Rowan, the level of talent was so much higher than where I just come from,” said Gudis, who now resides in Arizona. “Some of the guys I played against that maybe should have been [playing at the Division I level]. It was a much different level of play, and Coach Keeler was a much different level of coach than where I had just come from.”
Two things remained elusive for Keeler heading into Rowan’s 1999 season: Beating Mount Union and winning a Stagg Bowl, both of which he went winless three times prior.
The 67-year-old coach, leading up to Rowan’s playoff matchup with Mount Union, made sure to keep newspaper clippings out of the locker room, Gudis said. Acosta added that the more than six-hour trip to Alliance, Ohio, where Mount Union was located, had the team “already down 20 points mentally,” but their mindset was “we have everything to gain and nothing to lose at their home place.”
A football in Rowan’s trophy case from their win over Mount Union in 1999.Courtesy of Bobby Acosta
And it worked. Though Rowan lost to Pacific Lutheran the following week in the Stagg Bowl, that win over Mount Union was “our national championship that day,” Acosta said.
“You almost wanted to win for Coach Keeler because number one, you respect him as a great coach, but number two, it’s like this guy knows nothing but losing [to] Mount Union,” Gudis said. ”And it was like, ‘Wow, I’m sure we probably finally brought some closure to that book for him to say I got over the hump.’”
Added Keeler: “My wife always says that life’s about the moments, and one of my messages is always be in the moment, and that very much was the message when we played Mount Union. … Just keep on playing to the very end, and when you have really good teams, that’s what they do.”
‘A special place’
When Penn State and Temple play at the Linc for the first time since 2015, which ended in a historic win for the Owls that springboarded an unbelievable two-year run, Keeler will be thinking of the teams that came before him. There’s a reminder every day of that 2015 game in the program’s facilities. The four team captains from the 2016 American Conference champion team will be recognized on Saturday.
He also recognizes the challenge that lies ahead. Penn State, Keeler believes, has a chance to be a top 10 team, similar to Oklahoma last year, another Power Four team who came to the Linc to play Temple. Keeler added that Campbell will “do amazing things” during his time at Penn State.
The respect is reciprocal.
Matt Campbell (left) has a long history with K.C. Keeler, and Penn State athletic director Pat Kraft was previously Temple’s AD.Barry Reeger
“[I have] a lot of respect for Coach Keeler, what he did [at Rowan], what that team was about,” Campbell said. “It was a physical football game [in 1999], and similar to what you expect to see on Saturday, a physical, well-coached football team that has done a great job putting any program he’s been at in a position to play great football.”
While Campbell tips his cap to Keeler’s career success, including winning FCS national championships at Delaware and Sam Houston State, the Temple coach credits his first head coaching gig being at the core of it all.
“Those years formed who I am now as a coach,” Keeler said. “[We] had a team meeting to go to before I left [for Delaware in 2002] and I walked into that team meeting, I get a standing ovation and at that point I realized because I had talked about my Delaware experiences so much that those guys knew that they got me that job and they were proud that they got me that job and then I realized for the first time, ‘Oh my God!’ I’m leaving a group of kids that were OK with me leaving because it was my dream job.
“Rowan was a special place. They gave me an opportunity, they took a chance on me … obviously things worked out pretty well there.”
As eighth-year defensive tackle Siale Taupaki took the field for the first time at Penn State on Saturday, his parents, Kolo and Seilose, sat in their California home, ready to watch their son start in Beaver Stadium.
But they wouldn’t be able to watch him if it weren’t for the internet service that Taupaki pays for.
“We don’t watch a lot of TV back at home,” Taupaki said Tuesday. “We just work and rest, and that’s about it. But aside from that, I was glad that they [were] able to see it for themselves.”
Taupaki left his home state this offseason, opting to transfer to Penn State after seven seasons at UCLA. He also moved across the country from his family.
Siale Taupaki bought his parents internet so they could watch Saturday's game vs. Marshall.
The DT is playing his 8th season of college football, but says he now has something to play for at Penn State under Matt Campbell.
That leap of faith came after Taupaki spoke with Matt Campbell on the phone while he was in the transfer portal. The first thing Campbell asked about was Taupaki’s family, which instantly sold the defensive tackle on playing for the Nittany Lions.
“Not a lot of people asked for my family or everyone else that came with me,” said Taupaki, who has compiled 39 tackles and two sacks in his career. “He asked specifically, how was my mom, how was my dad. With that, I knew he was a family man, then he was a football coach. So from there, I knew I could come to him about anything because he’s a father before he was a coach.”
However, playing for Campbell at Penn State means Taupaki’s parents couldn’t watch him in person. Taupaki said they’re too old to fly, leaving limited options to see their son play this season.
So Taupaki is trying to keep them involved as much as he can.
He called his family after Penn State’s win over Marshall and told them about the game-day atmosphere in Happy Valley, which included seeing cows and horses. “You don’t see that a lot in the West Coast,” Taupaki said.
“I told them [Beaver Stadium] is bigger and better,” he said. “That’s it. My pops told me that he had the chills just hearing about it, because he can visualize in the game.”
With his name, image, and likeness income, Taupaki is helping his family.
“My parents are still struggling,” he said. “I’m broke. I’m really just trying to fill in all the holes that I have back at home, understanding the platform that I’m having, and just seeing all of that stuff and understanding how far I came.”
Siale Taupaki (92) with offensive lineman Anthony Donkoh (68) on Aug. 7.Craig Houtz / For The Inquirer
Taupaki said he came from “nothing.” At one point growing up, he and 22 family members lived in a two-bedroom house, so some had to sleep outside.
Those tough times made Taupaki who he is today — someone who wants to learn about everybody on his team, where they come from, and what their story is. He also shakes every media member’s hand before leaving his press conference.
Siale Taupaki is a real one.
After an emotionally open and honest interview– "Im broke, come from nothing" — Taupaki didn't leave until he shook every reports hand.
When he returns home, Taupaki isn’t a Penn State starting defensive tackle. Rather, he’s a son continuing to help give his parents a better life.
“Everything that I got to do beforehand and afterhand, I got to do it based off my parents,” he said. “That football stuff is out the door. So the opportunity I got with the NIL era and the great coaching staff and all that, I’m thankful for that. But at the end of the day, I still got stuff to do as a son. So to play my role as that, I’m forever grateful.”
Matt Suhey, a fullback who helped Walter Payton and the Chicago Bears win the 1985 NFL championship, has died. He was 68.
The Bears confirmed Suhey died on Sunday morning. No other details were provided.
Suhey played for Chicago for 10 seasons after he was selected by the Bears in the second round of the 1980 draft. He helped clear the way for Payton to become the NFL’s career leading rusher, a record Payton held until Emmitt Smith surpassed his total on Oct. 27, 2002.
Suhey and Payton were close friends. Payton served as the godfather for Suhey’s youngest son, Scott.
Penn State’s Matt Suhey runs against Temple in 1979 at University Park.Fred Prouser
“Matt watched my dad’s back, kind of like being a bodyguard or protector,” Walter’s son, Jarrett, said in “A Football Life,” an NFL Network show. “He blocked for him. He took a lot of hits, making sure that my dad would get the glory, and Matt kind of just sat back in the background, very unselfish.”
Suhey, a Pennsylvania native, played his college ball for Penn State, following in the footsteps of his father, Steve, a guard who was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1985.
Matt Suhey rushed for 2,818 yards and 26 touchdowns on 633 carries for the Nittany Lions. He also caught 39 passes for 328 yards and two TDs.
Suhey was Chicago’s second-leading rusher when the Bears went 15-1 during the 1985 regular season, finishing with 471 yards on the ground. Payton rushed for 1,551 yards and nine touchdowns that year.
The 1985 Bears shut out the New York Giants and Los Angeles Rams in the playoffs before routing New England 46-10 in the Super Bowl. Suhey scored the first TD against the Patriots on an 11-yard run in the first quarter. He finished with 52 yards on 11 carries, and he also had a 24-yard reception.
The durable Suhey played in 148 regular-season games during his 10 years with the Bears, starting 100. He had 828 carries for 2,946 yards and 20 touchdowns. He also had 260 receptions for 2,113 yards and five TDs.
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — It’s hard to imagine a better start to Matt Campbell’s time as head coach at Penn State.
Everything clicked for the Nittany Lions in a 45-0 shoutout of Marshall on Saturday, highlighted by an incredible performance from sophomore wide receiver Koby Howard.
Penn State’s (1-0) first game under defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn was a big one, as the Thundering Herd (0-1) were unable to get anything going in their first matchup against Penn State since 1930.
“So much credit goes to Coach Lynn and that defensive style,” Campbell said postgame. “I think the ability to try to be multiple in terms of what we showed them, but simple in terms of our ability to execute, especially in Game 1, and I think that really evolved over the last two weeks. I just thought our guys were really keyed in.”
Penn State quarterback Rocco Becht looks to throw a pass against Marshall during the second quarter of Saturday’s game.Barry Reeger
Starting wide receivers shine
The wide receiver position has been a serious point of contention for Penn State in recent years. From zero catches in a College Football Playoff semifinal loss in 2024 to only one receiver surpassing 500 yards last season, it has been a rough go lately at the position.
Howard, fifth-year Chase Sowell, and junior Brett Eskildsen provided hope that those struggles might be behind them.
Howard led with 161 receiving yards, including 123 in the first half. He’s the first Penn State wide receiver with 150 yards in a single game since Parker Washington had 179 against Ohio State in 2022.
The Penn State returnee was named an MVP of fall camp by offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser this week, an honor he lived up to on Saturday. Howard played in nine games as a freshman last season and totaled 133 yards, a mark he surpassed in his first appearance of 2026.
“The first guy in the facility catching the jugs is Koby Howard, and that’s been that way since spring ball,” Campbell said. “That’s been that way almost every day in the summer, and that hasn’t wavered as we’ve gone into the start of the season. And I think Koby’s work ethic allows him to have real confidence.”
Eskildsen, who is known as the speedster of the group, had a score of his own, taking a screen 25 yards to the end zone in the first quarter. Sowell was the one who got things started, however, with the first two catches of the game.
Zay Robinson got in on the action as well, as the redshirt freshman had a 39-yard touchdown to open the second half.
The receivers’ strong day helped quarterback Rocco Becht finish his Penn State debut, which concluded with eight minutes left in the third quarter. Becht threw for 272 yards, four touchdowns, and had a 72% completion percentage.
“I thought Rocco was really efficient today in terms of, you were getting eight, nine guys in the box,” Campbell said. “You were getting a lot of pressure, kind of didn’t know exactly what to expect. I thought he was outstanding today.”
Freshman Josiah Zayas starts
As the video board announced Penn State’s Week 1 starters, a surprising name was included among the defensive backs — freshman cornerback Josiah Zayas.
It was expected that senior Zion Tracy, who Campbell referred to as one of the best players he’s ever coached this spring, would start as the slot cornerback. Instead, it was Zayas, who’s earned plenty of praise since his arrival in the spring.
Penn State linebacker Caleb Bacon (10) tackles Marshall quarterback Khalil Wilkins (4) on Saturday.Barry Reeger
Zayas finished with two solo tackles for loss, making him one of just three defensive players to have a tackle for loss on Saturday. He did have one rookie slip-up — a holding penalty to extend a Marshall drive — but it was a solid first appearance overall.
“Some freshmen hit that freshman wall and can’t get past it,” cornerback Daryus Dixson said. “I feel like he’s been elevating himself since Day 1 of fall camp, just trying to learn the playbook more and trying to find ways to really help us in any type of way he can.”
Up next
Penn State will face Temple at Lincoln Financial Field on Saturday (noon, ESPN). The Nittany Lions lead the all-time series, 40-4-1. The last meeting was in 2016 at Beaver Stadium, where Penn State won, 34-27.
Several Penn State players and coaches will experience the famous Beaver Stadium atmosphere for the first time on Saturday.
Head coach Matt Campbell and offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser expressed their excitement about taking the field and touted their confidence in this Nittany Lions team, particularly quarterback Rocco Becht.
Here’s what we observed ahead of Penn State’s matchup against Marshall (3:30 p.m., FS1).
Week 1 emotions
Mouser described the season opener as a “dream come true.”
He never thought he would call plays for Penn State after starting his coaching career as a graduate assistant under Campbell at Iowa State in 2016.
“It’s a dream come true to go out there on stage like this,” Mouser said. “It’ll be an emotional moment for me.”
Campbell said he was brought to tears the first time he saw Beaver Stadium after being hired as Penn State’s head coach. His excitement for Saturday, however, is more about watching his team reap the benefits of their hard work this offseason.
“Sometimes I wear my emotions on my sleeve, which is not maybe my greatest quality, so I apologize for that early,” Campbell said. “The reality is, when you love the sport and you love to watch your guys, and you’ve seen how much they sacrifice for these moments, I’m probably more excited for that, to be able to watch our football team grow forward starting on Saturday. They’ve earned the right to get in the stadium. They’ve earned the right to get on this field.”
Confidence in Becht
Becht hasn’t played a game fully healthy since last September. His stats took a hit as a result, which included a dip in passing yards and touchdowns.
But Penn State’s staff is fully confident in their veteran quarterback and expect him to regain form this season.
Penn State offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser said Rocco Becht has “control of the offense out there.”Craig Houtz / For The Inquirer
“What I always love about Rocco is, Rocco was never trying to be anybody else but the absolute best version of himself,” Campbell said. “I think you’ve seen that in really critical, hard moments, him step up in key situations and win the football game with the ball in his hands.”
Mouser trusts Becht. He involves his quarterback in the game-planning process each week and gives him “full control of the wheel” at the line of scrimmage.
“Most of the time, he goes out there executing to the best of his ability,” Mouser said. “But he does have autonomy and control of the offense out there.”
Injury updates
The status of safety Jeremiah Cooper, tight end Gabe Burkle, and linebacker Alex Tatsch is unclear entering Week 1.
Campbell said Cooper is “probable” for Saturday, while Burkle and Tatsch are “doubtful.”
“All three guys are back on the practice field,” Campbell said. “All three guys are progressing themselves forward. It’s just making sure they’re absolutely prepared to step back on the field. But I think Jeremiah Cooper is probably the closest to that.”
Cooper and Burkle are both rehabbing torn ACLs, after Cooper suffered the injury in late September and Burkle went down in November 2025. Tatsch’s injury, which he suffered leading up to last year’s Pinstripe Bowl, is unknown.
