Very rarely does non-conference play define Penn State football seasons.
It’s unlikely that will change in 2026 as Penn State kicks off its final non-conference game of the year against Buffalo at noon on Saturday.
But we are at the precipice of finding out more about this Penn State football team over the next few weeks.
The Buffalo game will be the final moments of Act I of the first year of the Matt Campbell era, and how Penn State sets the foundation for Act II.
“The storm is where you are in it and it’s going to come, right? Man, you’re going to have injuries, tough days, all these things that are going to happen,” Campbell said in early August. “We don’t know when they’re coming. We don’t know when the adversity is coming, but it’s coming.”
Penn State got a microdose of that adversity when it failed to score on three straight drives against Temple in the first half, including one that ended in a missed field goal and another that resulted in no points from a goal-to-go situation.
It was not the adversity that the Big Ten often hands teams but eventually Penn State worked through it in part because of a two-minute drill before half.
But a 27-point unanswered follow-up still didn’t mask some of Penn State’s issues, particularly in the running game.
Penn State finished with 148 rushing yards on 34 attempts. That 4.4 average per carry came on the heels of Penn State’s 3.6 yards per carry average against Marshall in the season opener.
If there was one thing that Penn State fans are cautiously anxious about right now, it is the fact that Penn State has struggled to run the ball. Moreover, Quinton Martin, who ran the ball well for 38 yards and a touchdown against Marshall, didn’t get a single carry in Philly. Campbell seems to heavily rely on Carson Hansen who had just 84 yards on 19 carries last Saturday, while James Peoples picked up 42 yards on just seven carries.
Campbell addressed those concerns in this week’s press conference, saying that he was “less than thrilled” with the run game. But it is also on the coach to make the adjustment, the velocity of which is still a bit of an unknown as Penn State fans get acquainted with Campbell.
An opponent like Buffalo allows for the opportunity for Penn State to fix some of the issues before it gets to Big Ten play in a little over two weeks’ time.
But we will also learn how Campbell handles this from a playcalling standpoint. Buffalo’s defense, which has allowed 590 passing yards over the first two games, is primed for an attack from Rocco Becht, who has been Penn State’s best offensive player so far. Though Campbell never shied away from power football at Iowa State – as the Cyclones finished fourth in rushing attempts per game in the Big 12 in 2025 – if this Penn State identity has to be through the passing game then so be it.
However, Penn State needs to show continued confidence that it’s comfortable with doing that – rather than forcing the run game’s square peg into a round hole.
As always, there will be more questions – regardless of how good any Penn State team is or was – during non-conference play when Penn State plays the opponents like the ones it lined up this year.
Yet a solid outing from the offense – in particular from its run game – will leave more questions of concern behind and more questions of optimism ahead.
As Penn State begins to wrap up its first act under Campbell, the final lines of Act I will only do more to prepare Penn State for the adversity that is eventually coming in late September, October and beyond.
vs 
Time: 12 p.m.
TV: BTN
Announcers: Chris Vosters, Matt Millen, Caroline Hendershot
Radio: Penn State Sports Network
Announcers: Steve Jones, Jack Ham, Brian Tripp
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