The Penn State football non-conference schedule has come and gone, and the Nittany Lions are 3-0.

Behind an electric run game, Penn State dominated Buffalo in the annual THON game 55-13. Head coach Matt Campbell and Co. will now enter the Big Ten schedule as the No. 13 team in the country, with legitimate hopes of making the College Football Playoff.

Our staff was in and around Happy Valley for the contest. Here’s what we saw.

Run The Damn Rock

That was Penn State football, folks.

The Nittany Lions have faced a lot of criticism for their lack of a run game through the first two games of the year, and they clearly had a mission to prove the haters wrong on Saturday.

Quinton Martin Jr. led the pack with 10 carries for 100 yards and a touchdown. Cam Wallace also had eight carries for 77 yards and a touchdown, and James Peoples had five carries for 59 yards and two scores. Carson Hansen, who has faced a lot of criticism early in his Penn State career, also had five carries for 37 yards and a touchdown.

While Wisconsin will offer a new test for the Nittany Lions, 304 yards on the ground is a confidence booster.

Nice Work, Fans

Typically, the third non-conference game of the season, especially at noon, draws a lackadaisical fan showing. Not this time.

The announced attendance was 103,817. Folks showed up early and stayed well through the third quarter despite the blowout. I was especially happy with the student section, which continued to make noise throughout the game and give the team a boost of energy when it needed it.

Having Fun

Everything about this season just feels different.

From the fans to the players, everyone is having fun. I’m sure most people took this for granted, but I really enjoyed the lack of boys hurled at the coaching staff and players that Penn State fans became accustomed to last season. The Nittany Lions have been able to use the crowd’s energy to improve their play rather than add to the pressure of it all.

The celebrations from Marcus Neal Jr. and Koby Howard especially stood out as examples of a team playing free and having fun. Penn State fans know exactly what a team with too tight a grip looks like, so this is a very refreshing change.

College Football Is So Back

Yesterday was just another reminder that the best sport in the world is well and truly back.

While I favor a later kickoff, there is something special about tailgating at the crack of dawn, watching an entire Penn State game in Beaver Stadium, and still having time to get home and watch games from around the country on the quad box.

Shout-out to Ole Miss, LSU, and all the other teams who played in the late slate for creating one of the best days of regular-season college football in a while.