Marshall Thundering Herd vs Penn State Nittany Lions Prediction, 9/5/2026 College Football Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Marshall Thundering Herd vs Penn State Nittany Lions

Date: Saturday, September 5, 2026

Location: Beaver Stadium in University Park, PA

TV: FS1

Odds/Point Spread: Nittany Lions (-24.5)

Total/Over-Under: 52.5

The Marshall Thundering Herd (5-7 last season) are hitting the road to Beaver Stadium on Saturday, September 5, 2026 where they will try to beat the Penn State Nittany Lions (7-6 last year). Penn State opens as 24.5-point favorites. The over/under is set at 52.5.

The Marshall Thundering Herd finished the season with a 5-7 mark. The last time they stepped onto the field, the Thundering Herd took the field against the Georgia Southern Eagles and took a loss by a final of 24-19. The Marshall Thundering Herd ran the rock 16 different times and totaled 64 yds, earning them an average of 4.0 yards per attempt. At the end of the game, they tallied 51 plays which gave them 372 yds. Marshall allowed 26 completions on 39 tries for a total of 355 yards, and a completion percentage of 66.7%. On the ground, the Thundering Herd gave up 173 yds on 48 tries, which calculates to 3.6 yds per rush allowed.

The Thundering Herd had 4,859 total yards for last year. Marshall compiled 18 passing touchdowns and 23 rushing touchdowns. They turned the ball over 16 times. Marshall accumulated 256 1st downs offensively, and they were flagged for 82 penalties for 719 yards. As a team they maintained an average of 197.0 yards in the run game, which ranked them 22nd in D-1. In terms of putting the ball in the endzone, the Marshall Thundering Herd averaged 30.8 PPG.

The Thundering Herd were ranked 108th in college football in terms of team defense, conceding 30.3 points per game. The opposition ran for 3.9 yards per running attempt and 148.9 yards on the ground per game over the course of last year. Overall, they conceded 1,787 yards via the ground game in 12 contests. Regarding passing yardage, the Thundering Herd conceded 3,140 yds which had them sitting in 114th in college football. In their 12 games played, they allowed 261.7 yards per contest through the air and surrendering a completion percentage of 58.3%. They relinquished 410.6 yards/game ranking them 108th in Division 1. They gave up 24 passing touchdowns as well as 22 touchdowns on the ground.

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The Nittany Lions wrapped up their year holding a 7-6 record. When they last stepped on the gridiron, the Nittany Lions got the win with a final of 22-10 against the Clemson Tigers. The Nittany Lions finished the game with a total of 397 yards while running 76 plays (5.2 yds per play). Penn State ran for 3.3 yards per tote, finishing with a total of 135 yds on 41 attempts. Penn State conceded 25 attempts on the ground for 43 yards (1.7 yards per rush). The Nittany Lions pass defense allowed a completion rate of 55.0%, relinquishing 193 yards on 22 for 40 passing.

Concerning their ability to score points, the Nittany Lions ranked 34th in the country holding an average of 31.0 PPG. The Penn State Nittany Lions averaged 362.0 yards per game, which had them ranked 85th in D-1. The Penn State offense had 485 yards of penalties on 53 infractions, which had them ranked 128th in the country in terms of helping out the other team. They tossed 7 picks while conceding 3 fumbles and they earned 256 first downs. For the prior season, the Nittany Lions threw for a total of 2,439 yards through the air along with averaging 187.6 passing yards per outing, ranking them 105th in D-1. They had an average of 174.4 yards per game via the rush and toted the ball for 2,267 yards for the season.

Penn State allowed a total of 1,853 yards rushing (142.5 yards per outing) and 16 touchdowns on the ground over the course of last year. They surrendered 16 touchdowns through the air and 184.2 yards per game, which had them ranked 21st in Division 1. Overall, they gave up 267 points in total. They tallied 7 fumbles and 7 interceptions over the course of last year. The Nittany Lions defense took part in 823 plays, which was 52nd in the country. The Nittany Lions allowed 20.5 points per game, ranking them 33rd in college football.

Who will win tonight's Thundering Herd/Nittany Lions college football game against the spread?

Josh's Pick: Take the Nittany Lions -24.5

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