Penn State's Caleb Bacon named Big Ten Co-Defensive Player of the Week

(WHTM) – Penn State linebacker Caleb Bacon was named the Big Ten Co-Defensive Player of the Week after a dominant performance against Marshall in the season opener. Bacon, a redshirt senior, recorded six tackles and a sack in the 45-0 win over the Thundering Herd on Saturday. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Last season, Bacon won a Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week award with Iowa State. Bacon transferred to Penn State this season, following head coach Matt Campbell, after serving as a team captain for the Cyclones last year. In 12 starts at Iowa State last year, Bacon had 68 tackles, three sacks, and a forced fumble. Penn State goes on the road this weekend with a cross-state matchup against Temple in Philadelphia. The Nittany Lions' shutout of Marshall on Saturday was the first shutout in a Penn State football head coach's debut since 1915. Penn State Football fans will get closer than ever to the team this fall with Nittany Nation & Nittany Insiders. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Tune in to Nittany Nation every Saturday at 11:30 a.m. during football season for a breakdown of Penn State's matchup and players looking to make an impact on and off the field. Check your local listings or watch on NittanyNationTV.com during the football season. You can also get the latest updates from Nittany Nation on X and Instagram. Here's a look at Penn State's schedule for 2026: September 5 – vs. Marshall September 12 – at Temple September 19 – vs. Buffalo September 26 – vs. Wisconsin October 2 – at Northwestern October 10 – vs. USC October 17 – at Michigan October 31 – vs. Purdue November 7 – at Washington November 14 – vs. Minnesota November 21 – vs. Rutgers November 28 – at Maryland