Penn State Football Report Card After a Dominant Win Over Nebraska

The Nittany Lions played one of their best games of the season to spoil Matt Rhule's homecoming.

Penn State Nittany Lions tight end Andrew Rappleyea (87) celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the first quarter against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

STATE COLLEGE | Penn State center Nick Dawkins spoke on behalf of the offensive line, but his sentiment summarized a season.

"I really, really truly, trust me, wish we did that earlier," Dawkins said after the Nittany Lions' 37-10 win over Nebraska. "But sometimes the ball just doesn’t roll your way. It is what it is sometimes. The way that we work, I wish that it hit sooner. But I think we just found our groove."

The Nittany Lions (5-6) certainly did Saturday at Beaver Stadium, scoring on their first five possessions en route to handing Nebraska its worst loss of the season. In the process, Penn State allowed interim head coach Terry Smith to make his case for the full-time job, while NBC's Michael Robinson also made it on Smith's behalf.

On the field, the Nittany Lions delivered a new resume line item for Smith's candidacy. Here's the Penn State football report card from a dominant night at Beaver Stadium.

OFFENSE: A

Penn State Nittany Lions running back Kaytron Allen (13) celebrates with quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer (17) after scoring a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

This was Penn State's best offensive game by far this season from every direction. Kaytron Allen rushed for 160 powerful yards to set the program's all-time rushing record. Nicholas Singleton stripped paint from his helmet on a potent rushing touchdown. Quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer (11-for-12, 181 yards) became just the second Penn State quarterback (with NBC analyst Todd Blackledge) to finish a game with a 90-percent completion rate on 10+ attempts. And Dawkins' offensive line pushed Nebraska's front seven across the field.

Even offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki, who has had a rough season, had a great night. He challenged Nebraska deep early, got the ball to Allen and Singleton a combined 35 times and worked receiver Trebor Pena into stress points in Nebraska's secondary. A touchdown pass from Grunkemeyer to tight end Andrew Rappleyea resulted from a well timed call that was perfectly blocked by tight end Khalil Dinkins. About as good as it gets this season for Penn State.

DEFENSE: B+

Penn State Nittany Lions defensive end Yvan Kemajou (99) pressures Nebraska Cornhuskers quarterback TJ Lateef (14) during the fourth quarter at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Smith said Penn State made the game's defining play in the first quarter. Linebacker Amare Campbell and lineman Zane Durant stopped Nebraska's Emmett Johnson on 4th-and-1 from the Penn State 2-yard line, ending an opening drive on which the Cornhuskers appeared destined to score. Grunkemeyer then led Penn State's offense on a 98-yard touchdown drive, its longest of the season.

Penn State's defense has been mostly superb for the past 12 quarters, save for Indiana's miracle touchdown and single big plays from Michigan State and Nebraska. After his 52-yard run on that first series, Johnson, the Big Ten's leading rusher, gained 51 yards on 18 carries. The Nittany Lions generated six tackles for loss (1.5 by freshman Yvan Kemajou in a breakout games) and three sacks. Campbell was spectacular, Dani Dennis-Sutton continued his late-season surge and Durant has found another gear.

SPECIAL TEAMS: B-

IT'S A FAKE 😱@PennStateFball gets tricky on the punt 👀

📺: NBC pic.twitter.com/4vgAuxA95c

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 23, 2025

Nebraska evidently didn't watch the 2024 Penn State-USC game. Luke Reynolds converted a second fake punt, drafting behind a second-level block from Dom Rulli to convert a fourth down. Two plays later, Allen scored his second touchdown of the game.

Otherwise, Penn State's normally crisp special teams didn't play their best game. Kicker Ryan Barker missed his first extra point of the season and was forced to re-kick another following a facemask penalty. The coverage teams allowed 121 return yards, including a 40-yarder on a kickoff.

COACHING: A

The heartbeat of this locker room: Terry Smith. pic.twitter.com/dlP028I39e

— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) November 23, 2025

Smith has galvanized this team, which he proudly pointed to after the game. Penn State has played its three best games of the season over the past three weeks, including the home loss to Indiana. Smith also seems to have convinced coordinators Kotelnicki and Jim Knowles to streamline their approaches and prioritize Penn State's strengths (namely Allen and the pass rush). It's working.

OVERALL: A-

Penn State concludes the regular season Saturday at Rutgers, where it will become bowl-eligible with a win. No one knows what the Nittany Lions' roster (or coaching staff) could look like for a bowl game. Instead, enjoy the moment for what it is.

What happens next for Penn State? Stay on top of all the Nittany Lions news by subscribing to the Penn State on SI Daily Digest. The newsletter is your free daily window into Penn State sports.