EAST LANSING, Mich. —Penn State Football (4-6, 1-6 Big Ten) downed Michigan State (3-7, 0-7 Big Ten) 28-10 on the road in East Lansing on Saturday. Interim head coach Terry Smith earned his first career win.
The Nittany Lions used 240 rushing yards on the offensive side of the ball and five sacks for 36 yards on the defensive end to secure the win.
Senior running back Kaytron Allen had a career day with 181 rushing yards including two touchdowns. He owns 11 career 100-yard rushing games and seven career games with multiple rushing touchdowns. Senior running back Nicholas Singleton added 56 yards on the ground while moving into fifth all-time at Penn State in rushing yardage with 3,331 yards.
Redshirt-sophomore quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer completed eight-of-13 passes for 127 yards. He completed a 75-yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Devonte Ross which is the longest completion for Penn State since Drew Allar connected on a 75-yard pass to Tyler Warren in the 2023 Peach Bowl against Ole Miss. The 75-yard toss is the longest touchdown pass since Sean Clifford completed an 88-yard score to KeAndre Lambert-Smith in the 2023 Rose Bowl against Utah.
Senior defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton was effective in the pass rush, sacking the quarterback on two occasions marking his fourth career game with two sacks. He also recorded his third blocked punt of the season, tying Jack Ham (3; 1996) and Andre Collins (3; 1989) for the Penn State season record. He also adds to the Nittany Lions team total of four blocked punts throughout the 2025-26 campaign, marking the most in a season since 1994 (4).
Junior linebacker Amare Campbell led the team in tackles with nine including a half sack. Junior safety King Mack followed with six tackles, a tackle for loss and half a sack. Redshirt-junior linebacker Keon Wylie and junior cornerback Zion Tracy each produced a sack to add to the PSU total of five. Tracy also recorded his first career forced fumble.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Michigan State defense forced a three-and-out on Penn State’s first offensive possession of the contest. The Spartans went to work right away, finding the endzone on their first play to take an early 7-0 lead.
Penn State responded with a lengthy, 12-play drive, stretching over 75 yards and encompassing two third-down conversions and a fourth-down conversion. Allen finished off the possession with an eight-yard rushing touchdown.
Neither team added points on their next offensive tries down the field with both punting units called to the field. Similarly, both squads’ fourth-down attempts on their next possessions came up short resulting in two turnovers on downs as the first quarter came to a close. Michigan State could only add three points to the board, following a sack by Wylie on third-and-goal. The Spartans owned a 10-7 advantage with under nine minutes to play in the second stanza.
The Nittany Lions responded on their next offensive drive with another seven points. Grunkemeyer lofted a 75-yard pass to Ross down the field on the first play, allowing Penn State to take a 14-10 lead.
After a scoreless third quarter, the Nittany Lions used a nine minute drive to tack onto their point total. Grunkemeyer completed the possession with a four-yard reverse to Ross to extend the margin to 21-10 with 4:32 on the clock.
Penn State produced on the other side of the ball on its next defensive drive. Tracy knocked the ball loose for Dixson to recover, allowing the offense to return to the field at the PSU 30-yard line. The Nittany Lions utilized the advantage by ballooning the margin to 28-10. The drive was highlighted by 70 yards on the ground for Allen, who capped off the stretch with a 26-yard rushing touchdown.
The Penn State defense forced another turnover on downs to seal the 28-10 victory.
For information on joining the Nittany Lion Club and ticket information for the 2025 Penn State Football season presented by PSECU, as well as club seating in West Shore Home Field at Beaver Stadium, fans can visit www.GoPSUsports.com, or call 1-800-NITTANY weekdays from 9 a.m.-4 p.m.