Four Questions for Nebraska Football Heading Into the Critical Game Against Penn State

After a much-needed bye week, the Nebraska football team will travel to Happy Valley on Saturday to take on a beleaguered but talented Penn State squad. It was announced over the weekend that the game will kick off at 7pm and air on NBC. While the night game on the road–right before a short week heading into the Black Friday showdown with Iowa–presents some challenges, it’s another opportunity for the Big Red to shine under the lights on national television. With that in mind, we look at four questions for Nebraska football heading into Penn State week.

What can we make of this Penn State team?

It might be hard to remember, but at one point in 2025, Penn State was ranked #2 in the AP poll, considered a favorite to win the Big Ten, and expected to be a playoff contender. They’re now 4-6, having fired head coach James Franklin and won only one conference game. Talk about your all time face-plants.

What should the Huskers expect in State College on Saturday? This is still an extremely talented team, and they had a chance to win every game they’ve played. They lost two games by one point, lost to Oregon in overtime, and had #2 Indiana on the ropes late in the 4th quarter. The season might have gone off the tracks for PSU, but I expect this to be one of Nebraska’s stiffest tests to date. With their win over Michigan State on Saturday, the Nittany Lions are still on track for a bowl game–if they can win out. They’ll have plenty to play for when the Huskers roll into town, and the boys in red better be ready for a street fight.

What’s up next for TJ Lateef and the offense?

The true freshman quarterback–who has spent most of the 2025 season in a backup role behind Dylan Raiola–shined in his first start against UCLA at the Rose Bowl. Lateef completed 13 passes on 15 attempts, throwing for 205 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran for 31 yards, not hesitating to tuck and run when the situation called for it. What’s more, he looked comfortable and confident running the offense. Perhaps the best example of that was Nebraska’s final drive, when they ran almost five minutes off the clock to ice the game. Lateef completed three passes on that drive, leading the offense to three first downs and securing the victory for the Huskers.

Penn State will be one of the toughest, most athletic defenses Nebraska will face all season. Can Lateef continue playing at a high level? Can offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen scheme up some ways to open up the run game with Emmett Johnson and keep Lateef upright? The Huskers’ offensive line has looked much improved over the last three games, but they will need to play their best game of the season on Saturday.

Is this young defense up to the test?

I have argued previously that first year defensive coordinator John Butler has done a heck of a job this season, especially when you consider his defense lost Ty Robinson, Nash Hutmacher, Jimari Butler, John Bullock, and Mikai Gbayor (among others) in the offseason. I believe the future is bright for the young Blackshirts under Butler’s tutelage. Of course, the one area where the D has struggled the most in 2025–as all Common Fans know–has been stopping the run. The Blackshirts are giving up more than 161 rush yards per game (92nd nationally), and an average of 4.7 yards per carry (109th nationally). Because nothing ever comes easy for Nebraska football, Penn State has two excellent running backs in Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton, and you have to expect the Nittany Lions will try to run the ball down the Huskers’ throat all night long. For Nebraska to have any chance of winning, they’ll have to find a way to slow down PSU’s run game.

Who is healthy for this Nebraska team?

Dasan McCullough was a late scratch against UCLA. Malcolm Hartzog–after a dramatic, game-sealing interception to open the season against Cincinnati–has missed most of the season. Linebacker Vincent Shavers and offensive guard Rocco Spindler have played significant portions of the season with casts on their hands. Offensive tackles Teddy Prochazka and Gunnar Gottula are both out for the season with knee injuries. These are just some of the injury issues this Husker team has dealt with; the team is beat up, and the bye week couldn’t have come at a better time.

Who will be ready for the big matchup against PSU? Matt Rhule said at his weekly press conference on Monday that McCullough will be full strength on Saturday, which is great news. Will anyone be limited? Will we see unexpected, late roster changes again? Hopefully, the Huskers will not only have more of their top tier starters available to play, but will also be able to avoid any further injuries.

As always, GBR for LIFE.

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