New coach. New quarterback. New era.

Pretty impressive first impression.

Penn State opened the Matt Campbell era Saturday afternoon with a dominant 45-0 victory over Marshall at Beaver Stadium, and for a program entering a new chapter, it was about as clean of a beginning as you could ask for.

The No. 18 Nittany Lions controlled the game from start to finish, shutting out Marshall, holding the Thundering Herd to just 147 total yards and getting an impressive Penn State debut from quarterback Rocco Becht.

There will obviously be much bigger tests ahead. But when you’re beginning a new era, you want to establish an identity.

Penn State did that Saturday.

 

Rocco Becht Looked Right at Home

One of the biggest questions entering the season was how quickly Becht could make Penn State’s offense his own.

Apparently, not very long.

Becht completed 13 of 18 passes for 271 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions, accomplishing all of that in less than three full quarters before his day was finished.

That’s efficiency.

And perhaps most importantly, Bette looked comfortable.

That shouldn’t be completely surprising. Becht followed Campbell from Iowa State to Penn State, so he’s not learning an entirely foreign system or trying to develop a relationship with a new head coach from scratch. He already knows Campbell. Campbell already knows him. That familiarity could become extremely important as Penn State navigates its first season under a new staff.

Becht entered Happy Valley as an experienced quarterback rather than a young player being asked to figure things out. Saturday was his 40th career start, and the win was his 27th as an FBS starting quarterback.

He played like it.

 

Becht Spread the Wealth

Another thing I liked was how Penn State generated its touchdowns.

Becht’s four touchdown passes went to four different players.

Koby Howard caught a 42-yard touchdown. Brett Eskildsen scored from 25 yards out. Benjamin Brahmer caught an eight-yard touchdown, and Zay Robinson opened the second-half scoring with a 39-yard touchdown reception.

Howard was the biggest individual beneficiary, finishing with six catches for 161 yards and a touchdown.

For an offense replacing a lot and trying to establish new playmakers, that’s encouraging.

Penn State doesn’t need Becht forcing the ball to one receiver every Saturday. If multiple weapons emerge around him, this offense becomes much harder to prepare for.

 

The Defense Might Have Made the Bigger Statement

Becht will receive plenty of attention because quarterbacks always do.

But let’s not overlook what Penn State’s defense did. Zero points.

Marshall crossed midfield only three times all afternoon, and one of those trips was aided by a Penn State facemask penalty. The Thundering Herd finished with just 147 yards of offense and converted only one of 12 third downs.

That’s domination. New defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn couldn’t have asked for much more in his Penn State debut.

Marshall managed only 44 rushing yards and 103 passing yards. Penn State didn’t allow a single trip into the red zone.

I don’t care who you’re playing, pitching a shutout in college football is impressive.

 

Campbell Couldn’t Have Scripted It Much Better

The Matt Campbell era officially began with 108,489 people inside Beaver Stadium.

By the time it was over, Penn State had produced 487 yards of offense, allowed 147, controlled the football for more than 36 minutes and won by 45 points.

Penn State led 17-0 after one quarter and 24-0 at halftime. Then instead of relaxing, the Nittany Lions came out and scored two more touchdowns in the third quarter.

That’s something coaches love to see.

When you’re clearly better than an opponent, don’t spend the second half giving them reasons to believe they can get back into the game.

Put them away.

Penn State did.

 

It’s One Game — But It Was a Good Beginning

Nobody should start making College Football Playoff reservations based on a season-opening victory over Marshall.

The Big Ten will provide much different challenges.

Campbell will eventually face adversity. Becht will eventually have a bad series or a bad game. Penn State will play opponents capable of testing that defense in ways Marshall couldn’t.

That’s college football.

But Week 1 isn’t necessarily about proving what you’ll be in November. Sometimes it’s about showing what you could become.

Saturday provided some early clues. Becht looked experienced and comfortable. The passing game produced explosive plays. The defense was suffocating. And Campbell’s first afternoon as Penn State’s head coach ended with a 45-point victory and a shutout.

You can’t draw up a much better beginning than that.

The Matt Campbell era is officially underway in Happy Valley.

And if Saturday was the introduction, Penn State gave its fans plenty of reasons to want to see what comes next.