TEAM
- Penn State is now 20-18-1 all-time against Michigan State, including 8-11 in road matchups.
- The Nittany Lions are 19-10 in Land Grant Trophy games.
- Terry Smith earned his first win as Penn State Interim Head Coach.
- CB Daryus Dixson, DT Xavier Giliam and WR Koby Howard and made their first career starts. They are the 11th, 12th and 13th Nittany Lions to make their first collegiate start this season, and the 17th, 18th and 19th Nittany Lions to make their first start at Penn State.
STREAKS
- Penn State has not allowed a special teams touchdown in 87-straight games, dating back to the start of the 2019 season.
OFFENSE
Team
- Penn State rushed for 240 yards on 50 carries. The Nittany Lions rushed for 240+ yards in a game for the first time since December 7, 2024 against Oregon.
- Since 2014, Penn State has rushed for 200 yards on 56 occasions. PSU is 49-7 in those games.
- QB Ethan Grunkemeyer connected with WR Devonte Ross on a 75-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter. It was Penn State’s longest completion since Drew Allar to Tyler Warren for 75 yards in the 2023 Peach Bowl vs. Ole Miss and Penn State’s longest touchdown pass since Sean Clifford to KeAndre Lambert-Smith for 88 yards in the 2023 Rose Bowl vs. Utah.
- QB Ethan Grunkemeyer completed 8-of-13 passes for 127 yards and two touchdowns.
- He threw a 75-yard touchdown pass to Devonte Ross in the second quarter. It was Grunkemeyer’s longest career completion, bettering a 43-yard throw vs. Indiana.
- Grunkemeyer added a 4-yard touchdown pass to Ross in the fourth quarter. It was Grunkemeyer’s fourth career touchdown pass.
- It was Grunkemeyer’s first career game with multiple touchdown passes.
- Grunkemeyer’s completion to Ross was Penn State’s longest completion since Drew Allar to Tyler Warren for 75 yards in the 2023 Peach Bowl vs. Ole Miss and Penn State’s longest touchdown pass since Sean Clifford to KeAndre Lambert-Smith for 88 yards in the 2023 Rose Bowl vs. Utah.
- Grunkemeyer posted two completions of 20+ yards, bringing his season total to 10.
- RB Kaytron Allen finished the game with a career-high 181 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries, averaging 7.2 yards per rush.
- Allen was the first Nittany Lion to rush for 180+ yards since Journey Brown rushed for 202 yards against Memphis in the 2019 Cotton Bowl.
- Allen’s 181 rushing yards topped his previous high of 145 at Iowa. He now has 3,794 career rushing yards, trailing only Saquon Barkley (3,843; 2015-17) and Evan Royster (3,932; 2007-10) for the Penn State career rushing record.
- He scored on an 8-yard rush in the first quarter and added a 26-yard touchdown rush in the fourth quarter.
- The senior now has 36 career rushing touchdowns, tying Curtis Enis (36; 1995-97) for fourth all-time at Penn State. On the day, he passed Ki-Jana Carter (34; 1992-94).
- Allen now has 40 career total touchdowns (36 rushing, 4 receiving). He moved into fourth all-time at Penn State, breaking a tie with Curtis Enis (38; 1995-97).
- The Virginia native earned his 11th career 100-yard rushing game, seventh career game with multiple rushing touchdowns and second game with 100+ rushing yards and 2+ rushing touchdowns.
- On his third carry of the day, Allen registered his 700th career rushing attempt. He became the first Big Ten player with 700+ rushing attempts since Minnesota’s Mohamed Ibrahim (867; 2018-22) and the 35th Big Ten player to reach 700 career attempts since 1956. Allen owns 722 career attempts.
- With 191 all-purpose yards on Saturday, Allen now has 4,313 for his career. He moved into seventh all-time at Penn State, passing Derrick Williams (4,156; 2005-08) and Tony Hunt (4,231; 2003-06).
- He had rushes of 42 and 26 yards in the fourth quarter.
- RB Nicholas Singleton now has 3,331 career rushing yards. He moved into fifth all-time at Penn State, passing Blair Thomas (3,301; 1985-87, 89) and Tony Hunt (3,320; 2003-06).
- With 15 rushing attempts on Saturday, Singleton now has 606 for his career, tying Blair Thomas (606; 1985-87, 89) for eighth all-time at PSU.
- WR Devonte Ross hauled in a 75-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter.
- Ross added a 4-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter. It was his 19th career receiving touchdown and fifth as a Nittany Lion.
- He tallied his fourth career game with multiple receiving touchdowns.
- Ross owns 26 career 20+ yard receptions, including five this season.
- WR Trebor Peña hauled in four catches for 38 yards.
- Peña had a 25-yard reception in the first quarter. It was his 25th career catch of 20+ yards and his sixth this season.
DEFENSE
Team
- Penn State shutout Michigan State in the second half. It was PSU’s first second-half shutout in a Big Ten game since November 30, 2024 vs. Maryland.
- The Nittany Lions earned two fourth-down stops, bringing their season total to nine.
- Penn State added a red-zone stop in the fourth quarter.
- In the fourth quarter, CB Zion Tracy recorded a strip-sack, which was recovered by CB Daryus Dixson.
- Penn State has 12 takeaways this season (6 fumbles, 6 interceptions) and 88 takeaways (52 interceptions, 36 fumbles) since 2022.
- The Nittany Lions held Michigan State to 229 total yards. Since 2014, PSU has held opponents under 300 total yards on 73 occasions.
- Penn State limited the Spartans to 128 passing yards. Since 2014, PSU has limited opponents to less than 200 passing yards on 88 occasions.
- DE Dani Dennis-Sutton tallied two sacks for his ninth career game with multiple tackles for loss and fourth career game with multiple sacks.
- He secured a solo sack in the third quarter.
- Dennis-Sutton added a sack in the fourth quarter.
- Dennis-Sutton owns 31 career tackles for loss and 21 career sacks.
- CB Daryus Dixson recorded three tackles in the first half and finished the game with a career-high five stops. His previous high was two tackles, on two occasions and last against Indiana.
- He added a half-tackle for loss in the second quarter.
- Dixson recovered a fumble in the fourth quarter, his first career fumble recovery.
- CB Zion Tracy notched a strip-sack in the fourth quarter. It was his first career forced fumble.
- Tracy now owns five career tackles for loss and two career sacks.
- LB Keon Wylie notched 1.5 tackles for loss and a sack.
- Wylie assisted on a tackle for loss in the second quarter and added a sack later in the possession.
- He owns eight career tackles for loss and 4.5 career sacks.
- S Zakee Wheatley recorded a solo tackle for loss in the third quarter. He has five career tackles for loss.
- S King Mack finished the game with six tackles, a tackle for loss and a half-sack.
- Mack assisted on a tackle for loss in the first quarter and assisted on a sack in the fourth quarter.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Team
- DE Dani Dennis-Sutton blocked a punt in the second quarter. It was his third blocked punt this season and Penn State’s fourth blocked punt of the year. The Nittany Lions have four blocked punts in a season for the first time since 1999 (4).
- With his third blocked punt this season, Dennis-Sutton tied Jack Ham (3; 1968) and Andre Collins (3; 1989) for the PSU season record.
- Penn State has five blocked kicks (four punts, one field goal) in a season for the first time since 2004 (7; two punts, five field goals).
- K Ryan Barker converted all four extra-point attempts. He is now 83-of-84 in his career.
- P Gabriel Nwosu averaged 46 yards on four punts.
- He blasted a career-long 68-yard punt in the third quarter, his eighth career punt of 50+ yards.
- Nwosu landed a 41-yard punt at the MSU 4 in the third quarter, his 12th punt inside the 20 and seventh punt inside the 10 this season.
- KR Nicholas Singleton had a 21-yard kick return in the first quarter.
- DE Dani Dennis-Sutton blocked a punt in the second quarter. It was his third blocked punt this season, tying Jack Ham (3; 1968) and Andre Collins (3; 1989) for the PSU season record.
- With three career blocked punts, Dennis-Sutton is now one behind the Penn State career record held by Ham (4; 1968-70) and Collins (4; 1986-89).