The Matt Campbell era is officially here.

The 2026 Penn State football season is officially underway as Campbell led Penn State to a 45-0 shutout against Marshall.

After a 2025 campaign that ended with the firing of James Franklin halfway through the season and a fanbase ready for something new, Saturday’s result was about as loud a first impression as Campbell could’ve made. Whatever doubts lingered about the coaching change didn’t show up on the scoreboard.

One game against Marshall won’t answer every question about where this program is headed. But it’s given Onward State’s staff plenty to think about what it might mean for the season ahead.

Here are some of our staffers’ reflections on the new era for Penn State football.

Ally Eaton

I am FIRED UP.

The energy in the stadium felt different yesterday, and I can confidently say the Campbell era has me in a chokehold. The players seem excited and invested, and they also played some pretty good football yesterday. The atmosphere feels fresh and revitalized, and man, did it feel good to be back in Beaver Stadium yesterday.

Jason Perry  

I have nothing to complain about after the first game of the Matt Campbell era. The team looked really solid against Marshall, but the real test will come against the Big Ten and other ranked competition. After the strong start to the season, I’m confident they have what it takes to get the job done, and I’m definitely looking forward to next week.

Oscar Orellana

I don’t think Campbell could have gotten off to a better start in his Penn State tenure.

The Nittany Lions looked calm, cool, and collected while dominating Marshall. Sure, the Nittany Lions took care of their non-conference foes a season ago under Franklin, but those games did not feel as out of reach as Marshall did after the first quarter.

Campbell has prioritized embracing the program’s history and continued “Success with Honor.” If what he and the team displayed on Saturday is the slightest indication of what Penn State fans can expect week in and week out, the future looks bright for Campbell.

Ella Wehmeyer

I’m so excited for this new era of Penn State football. I think it was time for something new at Penn State, and Campbell seems like the perfect change of pace to get the program back to where it belongs.

If the game against Marshall has any say in how the rest of the season will go, I have to say I’ll be pretty happy.

Michael Zeno  

I’ll try to stay away from game observations because the opponent can definitely be misleading about what we’ll see in Big Ten play, so my takeaway is on the publicity aspect.

For 12 years, three staples of the experience of the lead-up to a Penn State game featured James Franklin front and center.

• Being at the end of the starting lineups
• Being prominently featured in the pregame hype videos
• Leading the Nittany Lions onto the field front and center

Campbell did none of that, something visually jarring after years and years of it being treated as the norm. For the lapsed fan, you’d be totally understood if you forgot Campbell was even coaching today. He even sprinted into the tunnel right after the Alma Mater instead of soaking in the win.

I love the visual of the coach leading the players onto the field, so that’s my pet peeve, but other than that, it’s a very “we over me” approach.

Ericka Apolskis

I could feel the vibe was different the second I walked into Beaver Stadium. In a good way.

Everyone was happy; maybe that comes with the win, but I have never felt more joy at a Penn State football game. I was happy, the players were happy, and the fans were happy; it was exactly what you’d expect a game in Happy Valley to be like. And I hope the rest of the season follows suit.

Cadyn Gill

The national media went from soft-launching the idea that Marshall could upset Campbell and Penn State to immediately discrediting the 45-0 blowout and shrugging it off with the classic “it’s just (insert bad team name)”. To that, I say two things can be true. Marshall isn’t a formidable opponent, but Penn State is so freaking back.

The best way I can describe what I saw yesterday is “buttery”. The passing game was smooth, with Rocco Becht hitting his guys exactly when and where they needed the ball. The ability of Penn State’s playmakers like Koby Howard, Brett Eskildsen, and Chase Sowell to slip through defenders for extra yards and explosive gains.

Then, on defense, watching Tony Rojas, Caleb Bacon, Kooper Ebel, Josiah Zayas, and so many more fly around the field and rally to the football, like a slab of butter sliding around a hot frying pan.

A different vibe clearly surrounds this team. One that suggests they want to earn their hype through on-field play, not through the antics surrounding the iconic, yet loud Penn State brand. Campbell couldn’t care less about getting the credit, forgoing opportunities to be introduced on the jumbotron during pregame or leading the team out of the tunnel just before kickoff.

He has his guys playing for each other and operating with confidence and precision. That’s what Penn State has been missing for years now.