UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — No. 14 Penn State put together its most explosive offensive performance of the young season Saturday afternoon, rolling past Buffalo 55-13 at Beaver Stadium to remain unbeaten.
The Nittany Lions improved to 3-0 behind a balanced attack that piled up 573 yards of total offense while holding Buffalo to just 173. Penn State averaged 8.7 yards per play and did not commit a turnover.
Quarterback Rocco Becht led the way through the air, completing 11 of 18 passes for 212 yards and two touchdowns without an interception. Koby Howard emerged as his biggest target, catching three passes for 115 yards and a touchdown while also scoring on the ground.
Penn State wasted little time taking control.
Ryan Barker opened the scoring with a 48-yard field goal before James Peoples broke loose for a 16-yard touchdown run. Becht then connected with Andrew Rappleyea for a three-yard touchdown, giving the Nittany Lions a 17-0 advantage in the first quarter.
Buffalo finally got on the board when Oliver Hautanen connected on a 21-yard field goal, but the Bulls had few answers for Penn State’s offense.
Barker added a 25-yard field goal early in the second quarter before Howard scored on a 20-yard run to stretch the advantage to 27-3.
Then came one of Penn State’s biggest plays of the afternoon.
With 2:40 remaining in the first half, Becht found Howard for a 70-yard touchdown strike. The one-play scoring drive gave the Nittany Lions a commanding 34-3 advantage.
Buffalo’s Hautanen connected from 38 yards just before halftime, but Penn State carried a 34-6 lead into the locker room.
The Nittany Lions continued to pull away after the break.
Cam Hansen scored on a 12-yard run to cap a 75-yard drive, and Peoples followed with his second touchdown of the afternoon, this time from 11 yards out, as Penn State pushed its advantage to 48-6 in the third quarter.
Penn State’s ground game was particularly effective. Quinton Martin Jr. rushed 10 times for 100 yards, while Cam Wallace added 77 yards on eight carries. Peoples finished with 59 yards and two touchdowns on eight attempts.
Wallace supplied one final explosive play early in the fourth quarter, racing 59 yards for a touchdown that increased the lead to 55-6.
Buffalo scored its only touchdown with just over five minutes remaining when James McNeil Jr. punched it in from one yard out. McNeil was the Bulls’ leading offensive performer, rushing 20 times for 80 yards and a touchdown.
Buffalo quarterback Jason Wright completed 10 of 23 passes for 60 yards. The Bulls also lost two fumbles as Penn State’s defense kept them out of the end zone until the closing minutes.
Penn State’s ability to produce big plays proved to be one of the biggest differences. Howard averaged more than 38 yards per reception, Martin broke off a 61-yard run and Wallace’s 59-yard touchdown helped the Nittany Lions finish with more than three times Buffalo’s total offensive yardage.
Becht’s efficient afternoon and Penn State’s deep rushing attack allowed the Nittany Lions to steadily build their advantage, scoring 17 points in each of the first two quarters and another 14 in the third.
By the time Buffalo finally reached the end zone, the outcome had long been decided.
Penn State moved to 3-0 with the 55-13 victory, while Buffalo dropped to 1-2.
| Teams | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final |
| Buffalo | 3 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 13 |
| Penn State | 17 | 17 | 14 | 7 | 55 |
First Quarter
PSU: Ryan Barker 48-yard field goal
PSU: James Peoples 16-yard run (Barker kick)
PSU: Andrew Rappleyea 3-yard pass from Rocco Becht (Barker kick)
BUFF: Oliver Hautanen 21-yard field goal
Second Quarter
PSU: Barker 25-yard field goal
PSU: Koby Howard 20-yard run (Barker kick)
PSU: Howard 70-yard pass from Becht (Barker kick)
BUFF: Hautanen 38-yard field goal
Third Quarter
PSU: Carson Hansen 12-yard run (Barker kick)
PSU: Peoples 11-yard run (Barker kick)
Fourth Quarter
PSU: Cam Wallace 59-yard run (Micah Parker kick)
BUFF: James McNeil Jr. 1-yard run (Hautanen kick)
Team Statistics
Total Yards: Penn State 573, Buffalo 173
First Downs: Penn State 25, Buffalo 13
Turnovers: Penn State 0, Buffalo 2
Third Downs: Penn State 2-of-10, Buffalo 1-of-14
Penalties: Penn State 8-96, Buffalo 3-30
Time of Possession: Penn State 31:23, Buffalo 28:37
Individual Leaders
Passing
Penn State: Rocco Becht — 11-of-19, 212 yards, 2 TDs
Buffalo: Jason Wright — 10-of-25, 60 yards
Rushing
Penn State: Quinton Martin Jr. — 10 carries, 100 yards
Penn State: Cam Wallace — 8 carries, 77 yards, TD
Penn State: James Peoples — 8 carries, 59 yards, 2 TDs
Buffalo: James McNeil Jr. — 20 carries, 80 yards, TD
Receiving
Penn State: Koby Howard — 3 receptions, 115 yards, TD
Buffalo: Chance Morrow — 2 receptions, 31 yards
Penn State’s defense forced 10 punts and two turnovers, while the offense scored on each of its first three possessions to seize control early. The victory sends the Nittany Lions into conference play at 3-0.