Penn State Opens as Surprising Favorite Against Nebraska

The Nittany Lions host Nebraska for a prime-time game at Beaver Stadium.

Penn State football fans cheer before the White Out game vs. the oregon Ducks at Beaver Stadium. | James Lang-Imagn Images

After ending a six-game losing streak, Penn State returns home as a surprising favorite against Nebraska for its 2025 home finale. The Nittany Lions opened the week as a 10-point favorite over the Cornhuskers, who are 7-3 and visiting Beaver Stadium for the first time since 2017.

The game also gets a surprising start time, as Penn State will host Nebraska on Nov. 22 for a 7 p.m. ET kickoff on NBC. The Penn State-Nebraska game will set the record for the latest prime-time kickoff at Beaver Stadium. Enjoy the night game in late November.

Penn State will play just its third November night game at Beaver Stadium. The Nittany Lions defeated Iowa 41-14 on Nov. 5, 2016, on its way to the Big Ten title. Penn State also beat Washington 35-6 on Nov. 9, 2024, in the first November White Out game at Beaver Stadium.

The Week 13 schedule is set 🏈 pic.twitter.com/nARvoxgyKs

— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) November 16, 2025

Penn State (4-6) ended a six-game losing streak on Saturday, defeating Michigan State 28-10. The Nittany Lions rushed for a season-high 240 yards, with Kaytron Allen getting a career-high 181 of those.

Penn State's defense gave up a touchdown on Michigan State's first offensive play but held the Spartans to a field goal after that. Michigan State totaled just 172 yards of offense after its opening touchdown.

"I’m just super happy for our kids, super happy for our program, super happy for our fans and our following," Penn State interim head coach Terry Smith said after his first win. "We deserve this game. We now know again what it feel likes to win and we’ve just got build on this with momentum."

Penn State quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer threw the team's longest touchdown pass of the season, connecting with Devonte Ross on a 75-yard score in the first quarter. Grunkemeyer also threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Ross in the fourth quarter, in which the Nittany Lions outscored Michigan State 14-0.

Penn State needs to win its last two games to become bowl eligible. The Nittany Lions conclude the regular season Nov. 29 at Rutgers.

RELATED: The Penn State football report card vs. Michigan State

A homecoming for Nebraska's Matt Rhule

Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Matt Rhule walks on the field during the game against the Maryland Terrapins at SECU Stadium. | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

The game marks a homecoming for Nebraska coach Matt Rhule, the Penn State letterman who returns to Beaver Stadium for the first time as a Big Ten head coach. Rhule played linebacker at Penn State in the 1990s, joining the team as a walk-on and starting his coaching career as a volunteer assistant in 1998.

Rhule last coached at Beaver Stadium in 2014, when he was the head coach at Temple. Rhule had been considered a candidate for the Penn State job before signing a two-year extension with Nebraska on Oct. 30.

“The University of Nebraska, the city of Lincoln and the state of Nebraska are special. It is a place our family is proud to call home,” Rhule said in a statement announcing the extension. “... Our focus remains on building Nebraska Football into a perennial championship contender.”

Penn State and Nebraska are playing for the first time since 2020, when the Cornhuskers won 30-23. Nebraska is making its first visit to Penn State since 2017, when the Nittany Lions won 56-44. Nebraska leads the series between the teams 10-8.

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