September 3, 2026
Campbell's Penn State debut faces test from Marshall QB Del Rio-Wilson
Nearly a century after their last meeting ended 65-0, Marshall travels to Happy Valley with a legitimate dual-threat quarterback and designs on spoiling Matt Campbell's first game as Penn State's head coach.
Matt Campbell opens his tenure as Penn State's head coach this week against a Marshall program that believes it has the offensive firepower to pull off an upset in front of roughly 100,000 fans at Beaver Stadium. The matchup will be the first between the programs since a 65-0 Penn State shutout nearly a century ago, when New Beaver Field drew just 5,000 spectators.
Campbell arrives in Happy Valley after building Iowa State into a consistent winner, a run that included a 2020 Fiesta Bowl victory, two Big 12 Championship appearances, and eight winning seasons. He takes over a Nittany Lions program that finished 7-6 last season — well short of preseason expectations — and parted ways with James Franklin, who had been Penn State's head coach since 2013.
Del Rio-Wilson Headlines Marshall's Case
The central figure in Marshall's upset bid is quarterback Carlos Del Rio-Wilson, the Sun Belt Preseason Offensive Player of the Year. The dual-threat signal-caller threw for 2,043 yards and ran for 660 more last season while completing 66.8 percent of his passes and posting a 17-to-5 touchdown-to-interception ratio. He did not become the Thundering Herd's full-time starter until Week 3 of 2025 and enters this season as an established leader of the offense.
Del Rio-Wilson has a seasoned group of skill players around him. Wide receivers De'Andre Tamarez and Adrian Norton and tight end Toby Payne — a First Team All-Sun Belt selection — each hauled in more than 25 receptions for at least 360 yards in 2025. Norton, who averaged 19.3 yards per catch during a 2024 All-MAC campaign at Akron, is regarded as Marshall's most dangerous deep threat. Running back Jo'Shon Barbie leads a backfield that helped Marshall rank 22nd nationally in rushing offense last season, supported by an offensive line anchored by All-Sun Belt guard Jalen Slappy.
Marshall's defense, however, presents a vulnerability. The Thundering Herd finished 108th nationally in both scoring defense and total defense in 2025, surrendering 35 or more points five times. Head coach Tony Gibson — who spent 2019-24 as defensive coordinator at NC State — hired Brad Lambert as the new defensive coordinator. Lambert brings nearly four decades of coaching experience and previously served as Marshall's DC from 2019-20. Returning pass rushers Braydin Ward and Javae Gilmore, along with a pair of NC State transfers in edge rusher Kelvon McBride and safety Terrente Hinton, give Lambert proven pieces to work with.
Penn State enters the game ranked 17th in SP+ and 16th in ESPN's Football Power Index, with a 22.8 percent probability of reaching the College Football Playoff according to FPI projections. Early postseason forecasts range from a first-round CFP exit to a Music City Bowl appearance, depending on the projection model. Campbell's regular-season debut will offer the first real data point on where this program stands under its new staff.
