NFL
By: Courtney Walsh
We made it, Penn State fans: football is BACK. The new era in Happy Valley is set to begin with a new look under coach Matt Campbell. The season starts with a home game against Marshall University. We also get the 11th annual Stripe Out to add to the hype. This isn’t just another game as we start our 140th season of ball. We get a look at the roster overhaul.
Redshirt senior Rocco Becht gets the keys to the offense following Campbell from Iowa State; how does he handle his Beaver Stadium debut? This sets the tone for everything else, no pressure, right? Marshall isn’t just a random name on the schedule 2nd year, head coach Tony Gibson has spent the offseason watching Iowa State tape since half of Campbell’s players followed him to PSU. This is a Thunder Heard coaching staff that has some experience together, while on the other side, Penn State is trying to figure out who they actually are. Becht brings real experience with 39 starts and 26 wins from Iowa State.
Up front, the offensive line needs to protect him so we get off to a fast start and not be forced to press, which can always lead to mistakes. On the other side of the ball, all eyes are on Tony Rojas; he is on the Lott IMPACT Trophy watch list and comeback player of the year. He has to be the anchor since there is so much experience to replace. If Rojas is the leader and player people expect, this defense has a chance to be a problem sooner than people think.
For Marshall, it is preseason Sun Belt player of the year Carlos Del Rio-Wilson threw for 2.000 yards and ran for over 600 yards. He has the talent that makes a defense sweat, and remember, ours is young, so he could be a problem. And on defense for Marshall, linebacker Javae Gilmore is a transfer from Mississippi State and a 5th-year senior who racks up tackles and brings leadership.
I, for one, will not overthink this one. Marshall is a solid Group of Five program, but Penn State has more talent, more depth, and a hyped-up crowd backing them up. This is the kind of game where the new staff wants to see clean execution over some sort of statement win. Establish the run, let Becht play free, get OFF the field on third down, and let the Stripe Out take care of the rest. This will be a comfortable win in that 42-17 range, with a few early-game jitters that by halftime are gone. Who cares about the scoreboard in games like this one anyway? The story is what the team looks like when it takes the field under Campbell. Year one, game one. Let’s see what we’ve got.
WE ARE!!!!
