STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — Rocco Becht threw for 271 yards with four touchdowns and No. 18 Penn State beat Marshall 45-0 to begin the Matt Campbell era on Saturday.
Becht, a transfer who followed Campbell from Iowa State to Happy Valley, was in command in his Beaver Stadium debut and secured his FBS-leading 27th win as a starter.
“I think everyone was kind of worried about the unknown, like what was going to happen today? What was it going to look like?” Becht said. “And we came out today and I felt we did really great operationally, really good as a team communication-wise. For me, it was just taking it one play at a time.”
He had plenty of help from familiar teammates who also left the Cyclones, and a host of new ones who stuck around after former coach James Franklin was fired midway through last season.
Koby Howard, one of those holdovers who was used sparingly by the previous staff, had six catches for 161 yards with a touchdown. Brett Eskildsen, Benjamin Brahmer and Zay Robinson caught touchdown passes, and new defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn’s defense held Marshall to just 147 yards.
“Just going out there and being able to actually showcase it in a game meant a lot to me,” Howard said.
The Thundering Herd (0-1) crossed midfield just three times, one thanks to a facemask penalty against Penn State.
Meanwhile, Becht’s first victory in blue and white was full of highlights.
After the Nittany Lions (1-0) took the lead with a 38-yard field goal from Ryan Barker on their opening possession, Becht settled in, showing no ill effects from offseason surgery to repair a torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder.
Becht took his time in the pocket and found Howard cutting over the middle for a 42-yard touchdown pass, then steered into Marshall territory again before tossing a short screen pass to Eskildsen, who burst through two strong blocks to make it 17-0.
Brahmer hauled in an 8-yard throw that made it 24-0. Becht went downfield again on his next series, this time to Robinson, who outran Marshall defenders for a 39-yard score.
Quinton Martin Jr. and Cam Wallace added rushing touchdowns.
“It was really special to be a part of this for the first time,” Campbell said. “I know so many people have said how special it is to play football here, but it was really special to coach here today. The environment was second to none.”
Carlos Del Río-Wilson completed 17 of 25 passes for 102 yards for Marshall.
“Embarrassing all the way around today, offense, defense, special teams," Marshall coach Tony Gibson said. “Couldn’t get anything going. When we did, we had penalties early, killed some drives. Not my expectation, not the kids’ expectation and that’s not an indication of who we are, but that’s who we were today.”
Marshall: The Thundering Herd, picked by Sun Belt coaches to finish third in the conference’s East Division, tackled well and played a mostly clean game. They just couldn’t keep up with Penn State’s speed on the outside.
Penn State: The Nittany Lions entered as more than three-touchdown favorites and looked even better despite all the newness. They committed just four penalties with zero turnovers.
Marshall: Hosts Middle Tennessee State on Saturday.
Penn State: Visits Temple on Saturday.
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Penn State linebacker Caleb Bacon (10) tackles Marshall quarterback Khalil Wilkins (4) during the second quarter of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026, in State College, Pa. (AP Photo/Barry Reeger)
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Just days before two teenagers carried out a mass shooting at a San Diego mosque, federal law enforcement officials warned the parents of one of the shooters that their son was making concerning comments about school shootings on the dark web, according to new details included in a recently filed lawsuit.
The mother of Caleb Vazquez alleges in her lawsuit that Park Mental Health Treatment of San Diego failed to intervene despite signs that her 18-year-old son posed an imminent threat to himself and others. Vazquez was living there and receiving treatment for a range of mental health conditions, including depression and psychotic episodes, the lawsuit says. The court filings follow a number of high-profile convictions of guardians who provided teenagers with weapons that were later used in mass shootings.
The FBI called Vazquez’s mother on the evening of May 14, and she said she immediately left a message with the treatment facility to notify its staff, according to the lawsuit, filed in a San Diego court on Aug. 31. Vazquez’s mother again shared the FBI’s warnings with her son’s therapist on May 15 and with a program director later that night.
On May 18, the morning of the shooting, employees at the facility contacted Vazquez’s mother to tell her that he was missing. Video surveillance footage subsequently showed Vazquez leaving the property at 8 p.m. the night before.
Vazquez’s parents were driving around looking for him on the morning of the shooting. Vazquez and another teenager killed three people at the San Diego mosque that day before taking their own lives.
It is unclear whether Vazquez was allowed to leave the previous evening or whether he broke facility rules by doing so. Park Mental Health offers a range of treatment options, some of which advertise 24-hour surveillance, while others provide more limited counseling.
The center did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment Saturday afternoon. In a previous statement to radio station KPBS, Park Mental Health disputed the assertions in the lawsuit.
“While it is understandable that his parents might seek to blame someone in their time of loss, this lawsuit is misguided in that neither Park nor its employees are responsible for Mr. Vazquez’s actions,” the statement to KPBS read. “Only he and his coconspirator bear responsibility for their conduct and, ultimately, his death.”
An FBI spokesperson declined to comment Saturday, citing agency policy.
The FBI’s alleged contact with Vazquez’s parents was not the first sign of his mental deterioration.
Vazquez had been hospitalized for roughly three days in January 2026 after telling a classmate that he wanted to carry out a school shooting.
Almost exactly a year earlier, Vazquez was flagged to law enforcement for exhibiting alarming behavior and idolizing Nazis, prompting police to confiscate 26 guns from his father under a 2014 California law allowing firearms to be taken from people considered dangerous.
Authorities have said Vazquez met the other shooter, Cain Clark, 17, online and that both were radicalized there. Police have not shared more details about how they knew each other or specified whose weapons were used in the shooting.
The lawsuit was filed on the same day that North Carolina authorities announced the indictment of a 17-year-old in connection with the shooting.
FILE - Candles with shooting victim's names written on them sit outside the Islamic Center of San Diego, May 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Ty ONeil, File)
FILE - People gather as police vehicles are parked outside of the Islamic Center the day after a shooting in San Diego, May 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)
FILE - People embrace near the scene of a shooting outside the Islamic Center in San Diego, May 18, 2026, (AP Photo/Gregory Bull, File)
