Penn State football is 3-0 on the season after a big game from perfectionist quarterback Rocco Becht in 55-13 win over Buffalo at Beaver Stadium that brought back members of the 1986 Nittany Lions championship team. Coach Matt Campbell's Penn State running game did its best impersonation of the '86 team one week after offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser demanded a better effort.
The Nittany Lions racked up 304 yards on the ground including 10 carries for 100 yards from running back Quinton Martin Jr. After the game, Campbell shared what it was like to meet with members of the 1986 team, which went 12-0 and won the national championship after beating the top-ranked Miami Hurricanes.
âÂÂIt was really rewarding, after I got done talking with our team last night, I got a chance to kinda thank that team,â he said. Campbell reminded media that Penn State bounced back from losing in the 1985 Orange Bowl to Oklahoma, one year before winning it all. He highlighted the resilience of the '86 team and described the honor of representing them going forward.
Article Continues BelowâÂÂYou just pinch yourself sometimes that you get an opportunity to represent that kind of tradition, that kind of history,â he said in comments shared by Basic Blue Nation.
Campbell's Nittany Lions haven't been tested by a top tier team so far this season but will certainly be tested in Big Ten play. They will face Wisconsin on September 26 before games against Northwestern, USC and Michigan that will determine whether or not they will contend for the College Football Playoff.
Penn State has shown it has what it takes to bounce back from sluggish play and tough losses, including on the personnel front to a star defender recently. Campbell and Becht's leadership will be needed in the coming weeks as the Nittany Lions' competition starts to ramp up and the season becomes more challenging.

