UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Nittany Lion seniors, led by Kaytron Allen, made a big statement on Senior Night with a commanding 37-10 Penn State (5-6, 2-6 Big Ten) win over Nebraska (7-4, 4-4 Big Ten) inside West Shore Home Field at Beaver Stadium Saturday night. In the win, Allen became the all-time leading rusher at Penn State, passing Saquon Barkley and Evan Royster to climb to the top spot.
The Nittany Lions produced 415 yards of total offense, including 234 yards on the ground and 181 yards through the air, for an average of 8.3 yards per play. Penn State converted on all six red zone attempts while forcing two turnovers on downs by the Huskers in their four red zone attempts.
Allen, a senior running back, became the Penn State all-time career rushing yards leader (3,954) with 160 yards on 25 attempts, including two touchdowns. Fellow senior running back Nicholas Singleton added 44 yards on seven attempts, including two touchdowns, to tie Saquon Barkley in career rushing touchdowns with his 43rd and tying Barkley in career total touchdowns with 53. Redshirt-freshman Ethan Grunkemeyer was highly efficient in the passing game, completing 11-of-12 attempts for 181 yards. Redshirt senior+ Trebor Peña was Grunkemeyer’s top target, totaling 47 yards on four catches.
Redshirt-senior linebacker Dominic DeLuca led the defense with 10 tackles, followed by freshman cornerback Daryus Dixson with eight. Three different Nittany Lions recorded a sack to combine for a loss of 16 total yards, including senior defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton, senior defensive tackle Zane Durant and freshman defensive end Yvan Kemajou.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Despite advancing a yard away from the end zone, the Nebraska offense was stuffed on fourth-and-1 by Durant. The Nittany Lions utilized the defensive stop to propel them to their first seven points of the game with a 98-yard drive. A 31-yard pass from Grunkemeyer to Koby Howard to move the offense across midfield and Allen’s 50-yard run advanced the ball to the 3-yard line. Andrew Rappleyea completed the possession with a 4-yard reception to the end zone, marking his first career touchdown.
The Penn State defense came up with another stop on the ensuing Husker drive. Amare Campbell’s tackle for loss on a Nebraska pass attempt left the Huskers 10 yards short on third-down and a 5-yard penalty pushed the line of scrimmage back even further. Following the delay of game penalty, Dennis-Sutton and King Mack tracked down the Nebraska receiver, forcing the punt unit to make their first appearance.
The Nittany Lions began the ensuing drive at their 10-yard line, but it didn’t take long to enter Nebraska territory. A 50-yard run for Singleton brought the first quarter to a close and placed the offense at the Nebraska 28-yard line. Ryan Barker was called upon for a 26-yard field goal when the Nittany Lions came up short on third down. With Barker’s kick through the uprights, Penn State widened its lead to 10-0.
A 40-yard kickoff return for Nebraska, the Huskers advanced the ball into field goal range, connecting on a 31-yard field goal to narrow the margin to 10-3.
The running back duo of Singleton and Allen guided Penn State to its second touchdown of the night. A 28-yard pass to Devonte Ross moved the Nittany Lions to the Husker 19-yard line where Singleton would finish the possession with two runs, including a 4-yard rushing touchdown.
The Penn State defense continued to show its dominance, sending the Huskers back to their 3-yard line following an 8-yard sack for Kemajou. A penalty assessed to Nebraska forced another punt for the visiting team. Peña’s 21-yard return combined with a penalty enforced half the distance to the goal, gave PSU the opportunity to add to the scoreboard with two minutes remaining in the half. Singleton ran 10 yards untouched into the end zone for his second score of the day. Despite Barker’s missed extra point, the Nittany Lions took a commanding 23-3 lead at the half.
Penn State picked up where it left off after the break, tacking seven points onto its advantage. Allen and Peña led the way to the end zone with Allen totaling 34 yards, including a 3-yard rushing touchdown and Peña adding 41 yards through the air. The Nittany Lions extended their lead to 30-3.
The Huskers struggles on offense continued with two false starts and a failed fourth down conversion on their next drive. Durant’s sack forced a turnover on downs, allowing PSU to take over on the 38-yard line. A three-and-out for the Nittany Lions’ offense forced Gabe Nwosu to make his first punting appearance. Following a 15-yard penalty on Penn State, Nebraska set up at its 41-yard line. The Huskers managed to convert their first touchdown of the night using an 11-yard scramble for their quarterback to narrow the margin to 30-10.
The Nittany Lions' next offensive possession spilled into the fourth quarter as Allen became the Penn State all-time rusher following a 4-yard run. The effort would fall short on third down, sending Nwosu back out on the field. However, Luke Reynolds took the snap and maneuvered 26 yards for the first down. Allen finished off the possession with a 13-yard rushing touchdown, ballooning the Penn State edge to 37-10.
Nebraska resumed its pressure on its next possession, entering the red zone for the fourth time in the contest. The Penn State pass defense was tested, but it did not retreat, forcing the second turnover on downs. Dennis-Sutton came up with the initial sack to rattle the offense on first down at the 8-yard line.
The Nittany Lions took over on their own 13-yard line but were forced to punt at the two-minute mark in the game. The Huskers’ final offensive opportunity fell short once again, finalizing the 37-10 Penn State 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.