Penn State Calls Saturday's Trip to Rutgers a 'Playoff Game'

The Nittany Lions need a win to become eligible for a bowl game. So do the Scarlet Knights.

Penn State Nittany Lions interim head coach Terry Smith walks on the field during a warm up prior to the game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Penn State interim head coach Terry Smith said Monday that Saturday’s trip to Rutgers is like a “playoff game” for the Nittany Lions. With a win against the Scarlet Knights, Penn State would tally its third consecutive victory and be eligible for a bowl game. That extra game is important to Smith and the team. 

"My focus right now is, obviously we have to beat Rutgers," Smith said. "We approach these last couple weeks as do or die, playoff type games, and this is another playoff game for us in our own reality of our world.

“... We're playing to get that extra game. Our guys are excited to finish the year out. So far preparation has gone great. The energy is still in the building. [Sunday] was our reset day. Saturday night we enjoyed it. Sunday, we come in, rehash it, correct it, and Sunday night we reset so the past is the past. Now we move forward. Rutgers is all that matters. It means everything to us in the building, and we're trying to go out and get this victory.”

Smith said he anticipates his team would play in a bowl game if Penn State were to make one. Here are a few other points Smith touched on during his weekly press conference as the Nittany Lions prepare for their regular-season finale against Rutgers.

RELATED: Why Terry Smith believes he's the best coaching candidate for Penn State

Ethan Grunkemeyer was 'outstanding' vs. Nebraska

Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer (17) throws a pass during the first quarter against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Ethan Grunkemeyer, Penn State's redshirt freshman quarterback, was thrown into the fire four weeks ago after quarterback Drew Allar’s season-ending injury. His first start was against Iowa in Kinnick Stadium, where he threw for just 93 yards and was intercepted twice.  A week later, Grunkemeyer completed 19 of 28 passes for 145 yards against No.1 Ohio State. 

Since then, Grunkemeyer has taken significant strides. He totaled a Penn State season-high 219 passing yards against No. 2 Indiana, led the Nittany Lions to a convincing win over Michigan State and was exceptional in last Saturday’s victory over Nebraska on Saturday. 

Grunkemeyer went 11-for-12 and finished with a personal-best passer rating of 245.9. Grunkemeyer’s passer rating has increased each week. Against Nebraska, his success resulted in large part from his downfield passing improvement. Grunkemeyer averaged 16.45 yards per completion on Saturday.

“I thought he played outstanding. We had two calls where we threw the ball down the field and got pass interference. Those don't show up in the stats, but they're positive to the offense,” Smith said. “We're giving our guys an opportunity to make plays and good things happened for us. So Ethan, he's really progressed. I think between this game and the prior game, Michigan State, I think he really slung-shot a little bit.”

Smith sought a simplified defense

Penn State Nittany Lions defensive coordinator Jim Knowles looks on from the sideline during the third quarter of the Blue-White spring game at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Penn State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles is known to have one of the more complex schemes in college football. And early in Big Ten play, it was clear the Nittany Lions struggled to grasp all of it. 

But Smith said Monday that Knowles and the staff have “simplified some things.” And that’s one reason the defense has improved. The Nittany Lions held a high-powered Indiana offense, averaging 46 points per game at the time, to 27 points. And they’ve allowed just 10 in back-to-back weeks. 

“But it's [about] experience. The longer you do it, the better it's going to come to you. So each week there are two hard, heavy practices in there. There are maybe four total practices a week. All that time on the field accumulates,” Smith said. “So over the course of time, you're going to get better naturally. 

“But I think we have simplified things and slowed it down and took away some of the third and fourth options to what can happen on the defense, and then just allowed our guys to just pin it back and go. I think Jim [Knowles] has done a really good job minimizing calls in the game plan, and I think it's allowed our guys to really accelerate and play better.”

Two linebackers burn redshirts

Penn State linebacker LaVar Arrington II during the Blue-White Game at Beaver Stadium. | Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Linebackers Lavar Arrington II and Alex Tatsch officially burned their redshirts Saturday, as each played in his fifth game of the season. Arrington has played in the last five games, primarily on special teams. Tatsch played 19 defensive snaps against Nebraska, 11 more than the previous game at Michigan State.

Tatsch ranked fifth on the team in tackles against Nebraska (5) and has continued to earn a more prominent role within the defense. Arrington and Tatsch joined freshmen defensive ends Chaz Coleman and Yvan Kemajou, wide receiver Koby Howard and cornerback Daryus Dixson as players who have burned their redshirts.

“When it comes to those two guys, or any guy going to burn their redshirt, we have conversations with their family,” Smith said. “We make sure that we're in communication with them. In LaVar's case, we talked to Big LaVar [his father], and they're totally fine with it. We talked to Alex Tatsch and his family and his high school coach as well to make sure. So everyone was on the same page that it was the right thing to do. And we had that open communication, so we're good with it.”

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