Wk 1 · 2026
Marshall Thundering Herd at Penn State Nittany Lions — Sat, Sep 5
Sat, Sep 5 ·
Beaver Stadium, University Park, PA
· FS1 FINAL
Weather
No forecast yet. Forecasts reach about 16 days ahead, so this fills in nearer the game. A seasonal average printed here would look exactly like a forecast, which is why there is not one.
at
3:30pET
PSU -23.5 · total 53.5 DraftKings opened -24.5 · 1 toward MRSH
Ratings differential PSU by 28.7
What is at stake
A non-conference game. It moves both overall records but neither conference race.
What the ratings imply
The differential above is arithmetic on two published numbers:
The CFB King’s 2026 final efficiency ratings, plus
2.4 points of home field.
It is not a projection, a value, an edge or a lean, and nothing on this site
compares it with the betting line to tell you one is better. Until 2026
games are played it is last season’s measurement of two teams that have
changed.
Efficiency · 2026 ratings
Efficiency margin
Offense (pts/100)
Defense (pts/100)
Pace (plays/g)
Yards / play
Yards / play allowed
Opponent-adjusted ratings from The College
King's 2026 final numbers. Bars share a scale within each row, so
the two lengths are comparable; the brighter side is the better of the two, and a
longer bar is the better number — including the rows where a lower figure is the
good one. Pace is the exception: it is how fast a team plays, not how well, so
neither side is lit and a longer bar there means only more plays.
Team stats · 2026 per game
Points / game
Points allowed
Yards / game
Yards allowed
Pass yds allowed
Rush yds allowed
Turnovers / game
From completed 2026 box scores;
defensive yardage covers the regular season and conference championships.
Marshall form
L 21-27vs CCUL 17-45at JMUW 36-35vs GWEBW 30-24at MOSTW 28-26vs MTSU
2026 season
Penn State form
L 23-31vs USCL 13-34at NUL 20-24vs WISW 55-13vs BUFW 27-9at TEM
2026 season
Marshall this season
Straight up3-3 · 50% (6 games)
Against the spread1-5 · 17% (6 games)
Over / under3-3 · 50% (6 games)
Penn State this season
Straight up3-3 · 50% (6 games)
Against the spread2-4 · 33% (6 games)
Over / under3-3 · 50% (6 games)
Lines are captured from ESPN's board before kickoff and locked at kickoff, so an in-play price cannot overwrite the number a game is graded against.
Common opponents · 0
These teams share no opponents on the 2026 schedule.
Open these two in the
comparison tool for every shared and unshared opponent.
Series history · 2006–2026
Since 2006, Penn State leads 1–0 · Penn State won the last one
1 meeting
in 2006–2026 · average margin
45.0 points toward Penn State
| Yr | Date | Result | Site | Won |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2026-09-05 | Marshall 0 — 45 Penn State | at PSU | Penn State |
Marshall leaders 2026 regular season
| Passing | Carlos Del Rio-Wilson QB #7 | 88/134, 1004 YDS, 6 TD, 2 INT |
| Zion Turner QB #1 | 15/24, 155 YDS, 2 INT | |
| Rushing | Carlos Del Rio-Wilson QB #7 | 60 CAR, 209 YDS, 2 TD |
| Jo'Shon Barbie RB #6 | 42 CAR, 207 YDS, 2 TD | |
| Khalil Wilkins QB #4 | 17 CAR, 121 YDS | |
| Receiving | Xayvion Turner-Bradshaw WR #5 | 22 REC, 324 YDS, 4 TD |
| Toby Payne TE #81 | 19 REC, 147 YDS | |
| Owen Sweeney WR #20 | 10 REC, 128 YDS | |
| De'Andre Tamarez WR #0 | 4 REC, 106 YDS |
Defense
| Tackles | Caleb Clark-Glover DB #0 | 39 |
| Cannon Lewis LB #27 | 34 | |
| Daytione Smith S #17 | 28 | |
| Sacks | Javae Gilmore LB #5 | 1 |
| Kelvon McBride EDGE #7 | 1 | |
| Terrente Hinton S #3 | 1 | |
| Interceptions | Eddie Pleasant III CB #8 | 1 |
| Zah Jackson S #19 | 1 |
Penn State leaders 2026 regular season
| Passing | Rocco Becht QB #3 | 83/134, 1108 YDS, 10 TD, 3 INT |
| Alex Manske QB #7 | 9/14, 102 YDS | |
| Rushing | James Peoples RB #1 | 45 CAR, 212 YDS, 2 TD |
| Carson Hansen RB #21 | 43 CAR, 199 YDS, 2 TD | |
| Quinton Martin Jr. RB #25 | 29 CAR, 158 YDS, 1 TD | |
| Receiving | Koby Howard WR #6 | 12 REC, 344 YDS, 2 TD |
| Chase Sowell WR #0 | 19 REC, 264 YDS, 2 TD | |
| Benjamin Brahmer TE #18 | 16 REC, 178 YDS, 3 TD | |
| Brett Eskildsen WR #4 | 15 REC, 128 YDS, 1 TD |
Defense
| Tackles | Tony Rojas LB #13 | 34 |
| Kooper Ebel LB #8 | 29 | |
| Cael Brezina LB #9 | 20 | |
| Sacks | Tony Rojas LB #13 | 3 |
| Kooper Ebel LB #8 | 1 | |
| Caleb Bacon LB #10 | 1 | |
| Interceptions | Tony Rojas LB #13 | 2 |
| Daryus Dixson CB #5 | 1 | |
| Josiah Zayas CB #17 | 1 |
These are regular-season totals for
the season named on each card — the players who led that team that year,
taken from ESPN's team leaders. That list is keyed to the season, not to today's
roster, so a leader who has since transferred or run out of eligibility still
appears against the year he earned it; the
roster
pages and the depth chart on each team page are where the current squad is.
A team switches to this season's numbers once it has played a game. The roster
pages count bowl games too, so a player's two lines can differ by a game.