Offensive PFF Grades and Snap Counts from Nebraska's 37

With a promising opening drive, it briefly looked like Nebraska had picked up right where it left off in Pasadena, but a full 60 minutes told a different story.

The Huskers finished with 312 total yards of offense, yet Saturday served as another reminder that yardage doesn’t matter nearly as much as the final scoreboard. Little came easy, especially in the red zone, though Nebraska did flash a handful of positives in an otherwise uneven performance.

With that in mind, here’s a breakdown of the final Pro Football Focus (PFF) grades and snap counts for every Nebraska offensive player in the loss to Penn State.

1. Quarterback Grade

Quarterback PFF Grade, Snap Count against Penn State. | Trevor Tar

In just the second start of his collegiate career, TJ Lateef turned in a respectable outing for a backup quarterback. The California native completed 21-of-37 passes for 187 yards and added 10 rushes for 15 yards and a score. His season totals now sit at 693 passing yards with four touchdowns, plus 96 yards on 26 carries and three more rushing scores.

When adjusting for sacks, Lateef gained 31 yards on the ground via five scrambles and two designed runs, offering the mobility element Nebraska didn't have with Dylan Raiola. His dual-threat nature gives the offense an added layer, even if it didn’t consistently tilt the game in Nebraska’s favor Saturday.

Where the struggles showed most, however, was through the air. Despite completing 57% of his attempts, Lateef went just 1-of-3 on throws of 20+ yards and 3-of-10 on attempts between 10 and 19 yards. For an offense built around running the football, the ability to stretch the field matters, and right now, Nebraska simply isn’t generating enough downfield pressure to back defenders off the line. That will need to change quickly with Iowa visiting Lincoln next Friday.

2. Running Back Grades

Running Back PFF Grades, Snap Counts against Penn State | Trevor Tarr

Emmett Johnson delivered his seventh 100-plus yard performance of the season, keeping his Doak Walker Award finalist hopes alive despite Nebraska’s struggles on the scoreboard. The junior totaled 151 yards from scrimmage and averaged 5.6 yards per touch, once again serving as the backbone of the Husker offense.

Outside of his 52-yard burst on the opening drive, Johnson’s remaining 18 carries produced just 51 yards (2.8 YPC). Even so, his consistency, workload, and ability to create something out of nothing made him one of the lone bright spots in a game where Nebraska posted its second-lowest point total of the season.

He’ll be leaned on heavily again this week against Iowa. With less than six days between games, giving Johnson some much-needed rest in practice may be the best way to ensure he’s fresh for the rivalry matchup.

3. Wideout Grades

Wide Receiver PFF Grades, Snap Counts against Penn State. | Trevor Tarr

Sophomore wideout Jacory Barney turned in his most productive outing since September, leading Nebraska in receiving for the first time since his Hail Mary grab performance against Michigan. His recent uptick in usage has been noticeable; over the last two weeks, Barney has finally seen the kind of involvement that had been frustratingly absent during a long midseason lull.

Dane Key also delivered one of his better performances in weeks, catching four of his five targets for 48 yards, his highest total since the Houston Christian game. That effort pushes the senior to 2,278 career receiving yards.

The renewed involvement of Barney and Key has been encouraging, but it appears to have come at the expense of sophomore wideout Nyziah Hunter. Over the past two contests, Hunter has managed just four receptions for 56 yards after averaging 71.6 yards per game from Michigan State through USC. He still leads the team with 611 receiving yards on the season, but his recent dip underscores the challenge Nebraska faces in balancing its receiver usage, and frankly, hitting its targets down the stretch.

4. Tight End/Fullback Grades

Tight End/Fullback PFF Grades, Snap Counts against Penn State. | Trevor Tarr

After opening the season with a steady impact in nearly every game, junior tight end Luke Lindenmeyer has now gone two straight outings without a reception. Through Nebraska’s first nine contests, the La Vista native logged at least one catch per week, totaling 286 yards and two touchdowns. But whether due to scheme, matchup, or circumstance, his role in the passing game has essentially disappeared since Raiola went down.

Still, Lindenmeyer continues to deliver where Nebraska needs him most: in the run game. His 69.6 run-blocking grade was the highest on the team Saturday, reaffirming why he remains a trusted piece of the offense even when targets don't come his way.

Behind him, sophomores Carter Nelson and Cayden Echternach both saw the field against Penn State, combining for 16 snaps; it was their most collective action since September. While only Nelson was featured in the passing attack, making one catch for an 8-yard gain, their increased involvement is a small sign Nebraska may be looking to expand rotational depth as the season winds down.

5. Offensive Line Grades

Offensive Line PFF Grades, Snap Counts against Penn State. | Trevor Tarr

Facing what Matt Rhule described as a “ferocious” Penn State defensive line, Nebraska’s offensive front struggled to keep the pocket clean. The Huskers' O-Line allowed 11quarterback pressures, including two sacks, with much of the damage coming from projected 2026 first-round edge rusher Dani Dennis-Sutton. The senior overwhelmed Donovan Raiola’s group throughout the night, finishing with five hurries and a sack by himself.

According to PFF, Lateef dropped back 45 times and faced pressure on 18 of those snaps, 11 of which came directly from Penn State's defensive front. While the offensive line was officially charged with only two of the three total sacks (the third credited to coverage), the group’s 71.5 pass-blocking grade doesn’t fully reflect the difficulty they had containing the Nittany Lions' explosiveness upfront.

In short, the unit wasn’t disastrous on paper, but they were outmatched in moments that mattered, specifically in third-down situations, and it showed.

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