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How Penn State's Ethan Grunkemeyer Navigated a Tough Day at Ohio State

The Nittany Lions quarterback returned home to play the Buckeyes, but the game didn't go his way.
Amanda Vogt|
Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer (17) looks to throw against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium.
Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer (17) looks to throw against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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COLUMBUS, Ohio | The quarterback had his hood up and headphones on while taking reps during warmups Saturday at Ohio Stadium. If you didn’t know Penn State’s Drew Allar had suffered a season-ending injury three weeks ago, it would be hard to tell it was actually Ethan Grunkemeyer. Their mannerisms were remarkably alike. 

Grunkemeyer always dreamed of playing in The Horseshoe. He grew up 20 minutes from the stadium in Lewis Center, Ohio, but Ohio State never gave the quarterback a scholarship offer. So he committed to Penn State.

“My younger self would definitely be stoked to see my future self out there [playing in Ohio Stadium],” Grunkemeyer said after Penn State’s 38-14 loss to Ohio State. 

But the game didn’t go his way. Grunkemeyer finished 19-28 for 145 yards and one interception. He tried connecting with tight end Khalil Dinkins in the back corner of the end zone in the fourth quarter, but Ohio State’s Caleb Downs jumped the route for the interception. Ohio State also sacked him four times.

Grunkemeyer’s longest completion of the game was a 26-yard pass up the middle to freshman Koby Howard late in the fourth quarter. Prior to that, it was a 13-yard completion to Liam Clifford. The throw had power and confidence behind it, drawing praise from Penn State interim head coach Terry Smith.

“I thought he did what was expected of him,” Smith said. “Ohio State has a talented team, they put pressure on him. I thought he got much better from game one to game two, and I continue to look forward to him just continuing to get better.”

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Working with Drew Allar

Grunkemeyer methodically worked through warmups, not really talking to anyone. After working through his reps of each pregame drill, Grunkemeyer lingered off, almost pacing around in anticipation. Grunkemeyer wore a sleeve on his left arm, but his throwing arm was bare, other than the sweat band around his wrist.

Grunkemeyer switched between warming his hands with his breath and the pocket around his waist as the quarterbacks rotated through reps. Meanwhile, Allar (also an Ohio native) stayed near the quarterbacks with his left leg propped on a scooter. The team seemed to appreciate his presence. 

“He’s like another coach out there with all the experience he has,” Grunkemeyer said. 

Allar spoke with Grunkemeyer pregame and several times throughout the game between possessions. Allar did not make the trip to Iowa, so this was the first time Grunkemeyer was able to pick his brain mid-game directly on the sidelines.

“He does a great job with that and kind of saying what he sees from a player’s aspect and then also kind of like a coach’s aspect,” Grunkemeyer said.

Penn State’s offense took the field first but focused on its run game early. Grunkemeyer threw only twice, completing one pass, in the first quarter. He looked confident at the line of scrimmage and didn’t seem rattled by the moment. 

While Penn State’s defense was on the field, Grunkemeyer sat at the edge of one of the benches, quarterbacks coach Danny O’Brien on his right. He often spoke with receivers sitting on the bench to his left while Ohio State marched down the field, connecting with receivers easily. 

“I don’t think I let [the emotional aspect] get to me,” Grunkemeyer said. “Once the ball gets placed down, you know, just ready to go out there and play.”

Having made his first career start at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa two weeks ago, Grunkemeyer had experience with a hostile environment. Penn State interim head coach Terry Smith believed Grunkemeyer handled it well and didn’t recall the quarterback having any procedural problems at the line of scrimmage. 

Dramatic differences between offenses

Grunkemeyer is still learning and developing. Being thrust into the starting role mid-season, especially with the stretch of opponents Penn State is facing, isn’t easy. But Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin, who threw for over 316 yards and four touchdowns, produced the way Penn State wanted to: vertically. 

Smith “demanded” during the week that offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki be more vertical with Penn State’s passing attack. But Grunkemeyer missed some throws behind his intended receivers that could have produced large gains. He was solid on third down, though, going 5-for-8 and converting five first downs.

“There were some opportunities in the second quarter where we had some third-and-long situations and we threw the ball in an intermediate range,” Smith said. “Ethan threw some nice balls and some nice conversions. We didn’t follow it up in the third or fourth quarter. I have to get that fixed.”

Grunkemeyer said he would have liked some of those early misses back.  

“I think just as players we have to execute when our number’s called and I don’t think we did a good enough job and I’ve got to fix that,” Grunkemeyer said. “That’s our biggest thing. The shots are called when they are, and I’ve got to execute.”

Navigating and handling the Buckeye pressure

Ohio State sacked Grunkemeyer only in the second half but got to him four times. On Penn State’s first possession of the second half, he lost eight yards on 3rd-and-6. Grunkemeyer held onto the ball for too long — Nicholas Singleton running to his left could have been a potential target, or he could have thrown it away. 

Later in the quarter, the Buckeyes got to him quick, and there wasn’t much Grunkemeyer could do. There wasn’t time for him to get the ball out in that instance, and he lost 11 yards on the play. 

Ohio State pressured him often, and at times Grunkemeyer did react promptly and effectively. Even if the result wasn’t a completion, it was still a better decision than taking the sack.

Penn State scored all 14 points in the first half, the most Ohio State has allowed in the first half all season. However, Grunkemeyer and the offense failed to sustain any rhythm in the second half and punted six times. 

Grunkemeyer will get his first home start next week against No. 2 Indiana, so the opponent isn’t getting any easier. But these experiences are helping him prepare for Penn State’s final four games. 

“I don’t think it really gets any tougher than when we were at Kinnick and then obviously played the No. 1 team in the country today, so I think those are just two great tests,” Grunkemeyer said. “We got another tough one, so I think it’s just preparing me for the next game and just to be able to go out there and play.”

Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer looks to throw against the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer (17) looks to throw during the NCAA football game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Amanda Vogt
AMANDA VOGT

Amanda Vogt is a senior at Penn State and has been on the Nittany Lions football beat for two years. She has previously worked for the Centre Daily Times and Daily Collegian, in addition to covering the Little League World Series and 2024 Paris Paralympics for the Associated Press. Follow her on X and Instagram @amandav_3.

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